Review: NV Pink Panda and 2007 Naked Rebel Red Wine
Targeting a clearly younger, more modern, and cost-conscious drinker, Naked Rebel is a new brand that’s offering two wines at launch. One is quite good. Thoughts on both follow. NV Pink Panda – “Sparkling grape wine with natural flavors.” Say what? There’s really no telling whats in this ultra-fruity concoction — it is reportedly a…
Review: Dogfish Head Aprihop IPA
Why brewers keep putting apricots in their beers I’ll never know. If asked to choose a fruit to eat, the apricot will invariably be the last on my list. Fresh or dried. Meh. Aprihop is Dogfish Head’s IPA, brewed using the fruit that dare not speak its name and finished with whole leaf hops. Up…
Review: Indio Beer
Indio: Not from India, but from Mexico. Born south of the border in 1893, Indio only made it to the U.S. in 2012, courtesy of owner Heineken (which makes Tecate, Dos Equis, Sol, and a ton of other familiar beers in the same brewery). Now that Indio’s here, how’s it taste? This curious, darker Mexican…
Mainstream Brewery Spotlight: Anheuser-Busch’s Budweiser Line Reviewed
Discriminating drinkers aren’t immune from the mainstream, and ultra-micro-craft brews aren’t always available when you’re looking for a six pack at your local convenience store. What then about the biggest beer of them all? Today we look at the complete lineup of Budweiser beers, which now includes six different bottlings. Thoughts follow. As the oldest…
Tasting Report: Whiskies of the World Expo San Francisco 2013
Either Whiskies of the World is getting bigger or I’m getting slower. Looking at the list below you’d think I scoured this increasingly high-quality event from top to bottom. In reality I barely scratched the surface, completely missing tastings from Kavalan, Amrut, Tyrconnell, and more. Note to self next year: Focus! Brief thoughts on everything…
Review: Lovoka Caramel Liqueur
In its minimalist, narrow, aluminum bottle, the immediate assumption is that this is water for your bike ride, not a kooky liqueur — based on vodka and flavored with caramel. Available in three flavors (including chocolate and “silk”), Lovoka (la-vah-cah) is an incredibly popular South African “vodka liqueur” that recently expanded distribution internationally. It’s now…
Review: Cheribundi Cherry Juice Mixers
Forget acai and yumberries. Cheribundi is doubling down on good old fashioned cherries as a juice and a cocktail mixer. We sampled a flotilla of cherry juice-based concoctions. Thoughts follow. Cheribundi Cherry Juice – 100% juice (mostly cherry, with a bit of apple juice added for sweetness), so you better prepare your palate for the…
Review: Harvest Spirits Core Vodkas, Liqueurs, and Brandies
Harvest Spirits Farm Distillery, in Valatie, New York, focuses like so many other operations in this region on using local fruits to produce artisinal, farm-to-bottle spirits. The lineup below represents a full farmers’ market of goodies. Thoughts on the bulk of Harvest Spirits’ production follow. Harvest Spirits Core Vodka – Another vodka distilled from New…
