Review: Bond Street Gin
This artisanal gin hails from Bend, Oregon, where Jim Bendis, of Bendistillery, was recruited to help craft this brand new, small-batch spirit. A “proprietary blend” of local juniper berries are used, but little else is revealed about the ingredients of this modern gin. (The base spirit is distilled from 100% corn and lava rock filtered.)…
Review: The English Whisky Co. Classic and Peated Single Malts
Single malt whisky: It’s not just for Scotland any more. The English Whisky Company makes Scotch-style whisky in Norfolk County in good old England. And why not? Located further south, the company says it’s warmer and drier there, which means these single malts mature more quickly. The English Whisky Co. — aka St. George’s Distillery,…
Review: Pinot Noirs of Laetitia, 2013 Releases
Laetitia is a producer of a wide variety of wines in the Arroyo Grande Valley in California’s Arroyo Grande Valley, near San Luis Obispo. We tasted through three of the winery’s newly released Pinots, its flagship bottlings. Thoughts follow. 2010 Laetitia Pinot Noir Arroyo Grande Valley La Colline – Heavily cherry-infused, feathered with fresh tea…
Review: Perrier Flavored Sparkling Waters
DID YOU KNOW: Even Perrier has jumped into the flavored waters business? In addition to the classic, heavily mineral-infused sparkling water, you can also sip on three fruit-flavored versions. Give them a try in lieu of club soda or tonic water in your favorite cocktail to see how things change. Thoughts follow. Perrier Lemon –…
Review: Magic Hat Blind Faith, HiCu, Elder Betty
Magic Hat never met an ingredient it couldn’t turn into a beer, and this week we look at three new brews from the company — one a relatively straightforward IPA and two unique concoctions that you’ll no doubt find intriguing, at least to read about. Magic Hat Blind Faith – This IPA is described as…
Review: Sia Scotch Whisky
It had to happen eventually: Here’s a review of the first Kickstarter-funded booze I’ve received to date. (Yes, I’ve seen and invested in other Kickstarter spirits projects — and we’ve covered some of them — before, but this one is actually fully funded and has something that you can taste.) Sia Scotch Whisky is a…
Recipes: Bastille Day Cocktails, 2013
Bastille Day is coming up this Sunday. For those unfamiliar with the French holiday, one could liken it to our July 4th Independence Day celebrations here in the states (but with a different historical context). To celebrate the occasion, Lillet brand ambassador Amanda Boccato passed these tasty au Francais recipes on to us to share. Buvons!…
Review: Samuel Adams Summer Ale (2013)
And now for some Sam Adams you can actually buy. This seasonal release Summer Ale is a wheat beer brewed with lemon peel and grains of paradise. It’s a combo that works. You can really taste the grains of paradise! (Ha!) But seriously, the addition of lemon helps to balance out a bready body, lending…
