St. George Absinthe Verte. For almost a century, absinthe has been surrounded by a shroud of mystery due to its ban for supposed hallucinogenic properties. When the ban was finally lifted in 2007, St. George Distillery in Alameda CA released the first legal American absinthe, which had been in the…
Aperol, the lighter, fruitier, less bitter cousin of the more well-known Campari. Have you heard of the Aperol Spritz? If so, that’s living proof that the company’s humongous marketing efforts are paying off. Aperol has invested heavily in advertising over the past half century, with their first commercial launched in…
Sloe Gin. What is sloe gin, what does it taste like, and how do you use it? As the name suggests, sloe gin is actually a liqueur made from gin that is macerated (aka soaked in alcohol to draw out the flavors of the fruit) with sloe berries and a…
Ok, let’s talk vodka. Specifically, this Kirkland vodka from Costco. 2 things: 1- I am OBSESSED with Costco. 2- Not so obsessed with vodka. End result? This is my go-to vodka on the rare occasion when I need a neutral (aka flavorless) spirit. It’s super smooth and for about $15…
El Dorado 12 Year Rum. Rum, a spirit that doesn’t get nearly as much recognition as it deserves. I’ve recently found myself on the rum obsession train, and there’s very strong reason for that! Check out the Rum Series series to learn more about rum in detail. Starting with the…
St. George Distillery in Alameda California was my first venture into small-operation craft distilling (back when it was still Hangar One)….I don’t think I even knew what a distillery was before my visit/tour at St. George! As such, there’s a very fond place in my heart for this amazing operation,…
Ohhhh St. Germain. This was one of my first purchases that really jump started my cocktail interest (after getting past my initial “cocktail discovery” craze in college of throwing together Malibu, Peach schnapps, and Ocean Spray and calling it a cocktail). St. Germain is an elderflower liqueur – which tastes…