Review: South Sea Rum
Rum from Australia? Why not? It’s plenty hot and there’s even Aussie sugar. South Sea rum, lauched earlier this year, is made from first-press Queensland sugar cane which is twice-distilled, once in a pot still and once in a column. It’s finished in a mix of new and used American oak barrels for a minimum…
Review: PunZone Vodka, Lemoncino, and Originale Liqueur
PunZone (accent on the e) is a new Italian brand that produces vodka and a pair of spirits, all organically. The vodka is actually the newest part of the equation. The liqueurs are old family recipes — blends of vodka, sangria, and fruit essences. We tasted all three spirits. Thoughts follow. PunZone Organic Vodka –…
Review: Platinka Vodka
Belarus: It’s not Russia. Not any more, anyway. Platinka is a super-premium vodka made from 100% rye and five-times distilled. The twist comes from the filtration, which is done first through charcoal and then through a platinum filter — hence both the name and the giant “Pt” elemental table block on the label. The results…
Review: Dogfish Head Chicory Stout
When I drink beer, I rarely drink stout, and so it came as a real shock to me how much I’ve been enjoying Dogfish Head’s Chicory Stout, the utter antithesis of the lighter style beers I’m more likely to find in hand. Brewed with organic Mexican coffee, St. John’s Wort, licorice root, and roasted chicory,…
Review: 2010 Vineyard 29 Cru Cabernet Sauvignon
I’m an avowed fan of Vineyard 29, but the winery’s stuff is so hard to find that I rarely get a chance to experience its wines. How fun to get a bottle of the 2010 “Cru” release, a Napa Valley Bordeaux-style blend made up of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 4% Malbec, 3% Petite Verdot,…
Review: Hum Botanical Spirit Liqueur
A unique liqueur on the market today, Hum has been available for a few years, but I rarely see it on cocktail menus. It’s made from pot-distilled rum and infused with fair trade hibiscus, ginger root, green cardamom, and kaffir lime. Sounds simple. It is anything but. This is a complicated liqueur. The color and…
Review: Four Roses Single Barrel Private Selection from Lincoln Whiskey Kitchen
Bobby Fitzgerald is a restaurateur and bar owner in Chicago with a taste for exotic Bourbon. He’s one of those guys that collects single-barrel whiskeys for his establishments — entire barrels, not bottles — and at his Lincoln Whiskey Kitchen you can try a full seven different single barrel whiskey bottlings, from Elijah Craig to…
Drinkhacker’s 2012 Holiday Gift Guide – Best Alcohol/Spirits for Christmas
You’re full of meat and pie and perhaps meat pie. Now it’s time to think of your loved ones. Were they naughty? Nice? Do they deserve a fancy tipple when the giving season arrives? For your most favored loved ones, Drinkhacker offers this collection of our favorite spirits from 2012, just a small sampling of…
