Clairin. Clairin is a sugarcane spirit produced by *truly* ancestral methods in the Caribbean country of Haiti. If you’re a spirit geek who loves the history and traditions behind spirits, this is the stuff of your dreams. Flavorwise, it’s comparable to agricole-style rums (made from fresh sugarcane juice), but like,…
Rinomato Aperitivo. This is an aperitivo-style bittersweet liqueur that falls somewhere in between Campari and Aperol. While today’s Negroni-obsessed cocktail culture is increasingly embracing bittersweet flavors, I know there are plenty of people who’ve yet to develop a palate for the bitter viscous intensity of Campari, and while Aperol is absolutely delicious,…
Bombay Sapphire East gin, tonic, makrut lime leaves
Baijiu, part 2. This is the follow up to my previous Baijiu post about the unique Chinese spirit that’s actually the most consumed spirit in the world. Highly recommend checking out that post first if you’re new to baijiu. Baijiu can be *extremely* funky, and what contributes to its flavor…
rye, vanilla, bitters, coffee
Mellow Corn Kentucky Straight Corn Whiskey. At under $13 with that super old-school label, this bottle is quite the eye-catcher. I was a bit scared and definitely skeptical when I first saw it, but after hearing some great things, figured I had nothing to lose (well, $13) and picked some…
gin, dry vermouth
Falcon Spirits Botanica Barrel Finished Gin. This is a fascinating and super unique take on a barrel-aged gin. Unlike distilleries that are barrel-aging their standard gin offerings, Falcon Spirits is taking a completely different approach, using a vastly different formulation for the gin in the barrel-aged expression that aims to…
William Barentsz gin, tonic
Kissing a Stranger Brandy from Belgrove Distillery. HOLY CRAP, guys. I’m sure some may have had those crazy wild nights guided by the name of this bottle, but I don’t think I’ve ever felt as disturbed as I did when I found out what was in this bottle. This is the…
Campari, sweet vermouth, prosecco
sherry, spirit
gin, kaffir lime, coconut, mango
apple brandy, sugar, bitters, salt
Geijer Spirits California Fernet. Fernet is often synonymously used to refer to Fernet Branca, but fernet is actually an entire category of spirit, and there’s quite the variation within the group (fernet is the product type, while Branca is the distillery name). Fernet is a sub-category of amaro, which is…
gin, cherry, lime, bitters, black pepper
IPA whiskey, soda
Highland Park Magnus Whisky. My intro to Highland Park was actually an event celebrating the launch of this single malt entry-level whisky, where they brought along an actual Viking Ship and proudly celebrated their Orkney Viking heritage. The whisky is lightly smoky from local Orcadian peat (which adds a different…
pisco, chili pineapple shrub, passionfruit, Angostura
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr1135OHX8c&w=560&h=315] Soo…Negroni Week may be over, but I definitely took advantage of the amazing Negroni specials we had here in San Francisco during the week. And I made sure to capture a bit of it on video to share with you all! What was the most interesting Negroni you…
candy cap mushroom infused rye, maple syrup, bitters
Oh hi. So uh…I made a Youtube channel. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3UPQJHMgkU] ‘Nuff said, sound on, give it a listen, and come say hi and maybe subscribe over yonder in YouTube land if ya wanna hear some longer BarFaith rambles. Trying to get used to talking to a camera, so excuse the…
rum, sherry, Campari
Alkermes. Ok it’s not Campari, but it IS a red Italian liqueur. I had never heard of Alkermes til my visit to Florence earlier this year. Designated as a traditional product of Tuscany, Alkermes/alchermes is a liqueur with ANCIENT origins. The recipe for this current version from Santa Maria Novella dates…