Neisson L’Esprit Rhum Agricole. This is one of THE best agricole rhums on the market. No question. Martinique is the only country that has a special protected designation of origin in the rum world, and building on that, Rhum Neisson is not only a premier producer of Martinique AOC rhum,…
Aperol, prosecco, sparkling water
Up until recently, mezcal to me has always just been that “fun unique smoky tequila-like spirit.” I never really grasped why it was described as “rustic” or what “single village” really meant. I kept a single bottle on hand (Del Maguey Vida) for mixing interesting cocktails, liked it and considered…
mezcal, passionfruit, Ancho Reyes, bitters
Appleton Estate 21 Year Rum. This bottle here is one of the *best* readily available rums on the market. It does not come cheap, but ohhh is it good. Composed of a blend of rums aged at least a full 21 years in Jamaica (the hot climate on the island…
brandy, orange, cherry, bitters
La Favorite Blanc rhum agricole. This is an unaged rhum agricole from the island of Martinique in the Caribbeans. Rhum agricole is a style of rum production traditionally employed in the French-colonized Caribbean islands that uses fresh sugar cane instead of the more common molasses (more details on this style…
blanc vermouth, Douglas fir, lime, Islay scotch, absinthe
gin, lemon, oleo saccharum, bubbly, bitters
gin, red wine, lemon, spiced pear
Benham’s Sonoma Dry Gin. It’s officially the first day of spring, so what better way to kick off the warmer seasons than with this beauuutiful bottle of gin? I’m sure we all know someone who claims to hate gin because it “tastes like old people” or “like you nosedived into…
rum, lemon, tea, falernum, allspice
Bittercube Jamaican bitters. If you’re a fan of rum, tiki, or love the depth of Caribbean flavors, you need these bitters in your life. As mentioned in prior posts on cocktail bitters, bitters are pretty much the spices of the cocktail world, with the ability to jazz up and add that…
gin, lemon, Chambord
St. George Terroir Gin. I actually can’t believe it’s taken me this long to write about this. This is HANDS DOWN one of THE most characteristic and unique gins on the market. It is instantly recognizable in any cocktail, and so much that I’ve even had cocktails with this misted…
rums, banana, orange, lime, pineapple
Rancho Tepua Bacanora. Ok, tequila is by far the best known spirit made from the agave plant, mezcal has seriously been having a moment in recent years, and maybe you’ve even heard of sotol or racilla as other agave spirits. But how about Bacanora? Bacanora is the (literally) long-lost…
espresso, Fernet Branca, syrup, bitters
Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, DOP. So this isn’t booze, but with my recent visit to an “acetaia” vinegar producer in Modena with Italian Days Food Experience, I just had to share what I learned! Balsamic vinegar is a pantry staple for many, but have you ever experienced the…
wormwood rye, sweet vermouth, Campari
Standard Wormwood Rye Whiskey. Wormwood rye, what? I was fascinated when I got some of this extremely unique spirit to try out. It’s a New York-made whiskey from local rye and corn that’s aged in charred oak barrels, with the unique twist of having wormwood added during the distillation process.…
bourbon, honey, grapefruit
Amaro San Simone. One of the side missions for my recent Italy trip was to seek out and try all the local amaro. Well, I left Italy with a single one (mostly bc I couldn’t fit more in my luggage), and it’s none other than Amaro San Simone from Turin.…
rums, sherry, bitters