I’m fascinated by spirits and cocktails with a story to tell. Though I’ve heard of mezcal described as “rustic and traditional,” until recently I never really understood what that meant. Mezcal is a spirit born from the rural villages in Mexico. It’s a deeply rooted part of local culture there,…
Candy Cap Mushroom bitters. Wow, have I been on the lookout for some candy cap bitters for a while! Luckily, I finally found some from Alley 6 Distillery. I feel like the usage of candy cap has been trending at some craft cocktail bars, and for a while I had…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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.…
Red Eye Rye. Well, this Tennessee-made bottle is quite the unique spirit – a blend of Kentucky rye whiskey (95% rye, 5% malted barley) with South American-grown arabica coffee, gently balanced with sugar and bottled at a full 40% ABV. It’s described as a combination between a whiskey, amaro, flavored…
Brandy de Jerez. This is my first bottle of Brandy de Jerez, picked up at the Barcelona airport duty free shop…the perfect boozy souvenir for a trip to Spain, right? I spent an embarrassingly long time selecting a bottle, but finally settled on the Cardenal Mendoza Carta Real, a big…
Stolen Overproof Rum. I’ve seen the This Is Stolen products and ads around and was honestly a bit skeptical, but after finally seeing this at my local liquor store, I had to pick it up and give it a try. Man, this is good stuff. This is a…
Grand Marnier. This is one of the more well-known liqueurs on the market today. I’m on a train traveling across Italy right now trying to discover all the local spirits and liqueurs/amaro and this is still one bottle I continually see at so many of the bars/cafes here. Grand…
Malfy Gin con Limone. I first discovered this gin thru Instagram, and when I finally saw it at a local store (for an amazing price, no less), I had to try it out. Wow, this is a truly unique and fabulous product. I talked about it in Malfy G&T, but…
Corbin Cash Sweet Potato Liqueur. Guys, this stuff is awesome. My friend (who usually just sips on straight whiskey or rum) discovered this last summer and started buying (and finishing) bottle after bottle at an alarming rate. I was so curious I had to pick up a bottle for myself. Calling…
Yzaguirre vermouths (pronounced eez-ah-gear-ray) are produced in the Catalonia region of Spain (where Barcelona is the largest city) according to an old secret recipe from the 1800s (aren’t they all…). A popular way of enjoying these vermouths is just over ice, with an olive or a lemon twist. The…
Amaro Montenegro. Sooo, I’m super excited to be heading to Bologna in a couple weeks – the food capital of Italy! And what else, Bologna is also the home and birthplace of the popular Amaro Montenegro. I’m quite intrigued by this bottle. Montenegro has become quite a staple and popular amaro…
Two James Doctor Bird Jamaican rum. Ok guys, this is one of my desert island rums that I would rush out to replace if I ever ran out. Seriously the top of my tops. It’s a fairly new player on the market released mid-2017 but has definitely made its mark…