Review: Wines of Donelan, 2011 Vintage
We’ve covered Sonoma-based Donelan before, and today we turn to the winery’s 2011 vintage releases, all three of which have just been released. Thoughts follow. 2011 Donelan Pinot Noir Two Brothers North Coast – A dead solid Pinot from (all over) Northern California. Black cherry and rhubarb notes give way to spicy black pepper and…
Review: 1ONE Vodka
It’s not every day we get a vodka that comes in a single malt-style canister. OK, it’s never when that happens. But let it be known that 1ONE (also known just as ONE) is aiming for luxury (on a budget), mmmkay? Born in Moldova, 1ONE is 5x distilled from winter wheat and made, per the…
Review: Brooklyn Brewery’s Silver Anniversary Lager & Summer Ale
This year, Brooklyn Brewery is celebrating its 25th Anniversary and to commemorate the event, it is brewing up a special treat. Silver Anniversary Lager is a twist on its normal Brooklyn Lager where the brewery instead seeks to create a doppelbock-strength version of the beer, which, when combined with the added yeast for bottle-conditioning, creates…
Blind Review: SkinnyGirl Margarita vs. SmarteRita
If you’re unfamiliar with the SkinnyGirl phenomenon, either you don’t go down the booze aisle at your grocery store or you’re a dude. SkinnyGirl is one of the fastest-growing brands in the spirits (and wine) world, and its vast array of “low-cal” alcoholic beverages have ladies’ night positively abuzz. It was only a matter of…
Recipes: Memorial Day 2013 Cocktails
For many folks, the arrival of Memorial Day signals the start of summer (for others it’s the premiere of the new season of Arrested Development on Netflix). In honor of both, we’ve pulled together some new recipes for your consideration/experimentation during the upcoming holiday weekend. Herradura Kiwi Cooler 2 oz. Herradura Silver Tequila ½ oz.…
Review: Widow Jane Rye Whiskey
I raved about Widow Jane’s Bourbon late last year. Now I’m taking on a new product: A 2 year old Rye made in Kentucky and finished, like its Bourbon, in Rosendale, NY using local mineral water from the Widow Jane Mine. Bottled unfiltered, you’ll notice a distinctly visible haze in this brilliant amber Rye —…
Review: White and Rose Wines of Cline, 2013 Releases
If you’re driving to Sonoma, Cline is always worth a stop, not just because it’s one of the first wineries you encounter as you drive into the area. We got our hands on four affordable, summer-friendly whites (one’s a rose). Thoughts follow. 2012 Cline Cool Climate Pinot Gris Sonoma Coast – Crisp and refreshing, with…
Review: That Boutique-y Whisky Company Arran, Tobermory, and Tormore
Today we look at a few more independently-bottled malts from That Boutique-y Whisky Company, courtesy of Master of Malt. All three of these are recent arrivals from Batch 1. Again, all are limited edition single malts bottled without age statements in 500ml bottles (and wacky labels). Thoughts follow. That Boutique-y Whisky Company Arran Batch 1…
