Bourbon Battle: Booker’s vs. Baker’s (2012)
Booker’s and Baker’s can often be found side by side on the back bar, and even seasoned Bourbon fans are apt to confuse them. This is understandable. Allow me to explain. For starters, there’s the name thing. Baker’s. Booker’s. You might think one was attempting to mislead drinkers by tricking them with a sound-alike, but…
Review: Tecate Michelada
The Michelada is one of those drinks with a million variations (The New York Times has a lengthy discussion about it here), but the essence of it is beer and spice — and often tomato juice. Tecate has now released a pre-mixed Michelada, the first of its kind in the U.S. This one is of…
Review: Laphroaig Cairdeas Origin Edition 2012
In 2011 Laphoaig made the bold step to release its Cairdeas limited release whisky to the public. Previously held back as a private bottling for the Friends of Laphroaig, Cairdeas (“car-chass”) is an annual release that differs each year. Last year we were fortunate enough to try a very young version of Cairdeas with Laphroaig…
Review: Nahmias et Fils Mahia Liqueur
Figs are one of my favorite unsung cocktail ingredients, so I was delighted to see that someone was finally producing a fig liqueur. Correction: Fig and aniseed liqueur. Hrmmmm. Mahia actually is a general term for anise liqueur in (Algerian) French, and this spirit (produced in New York) is inspired by that traditional liqueur —…
Review: Jack Daniel’s Unaged Tennessee Rye
How do you know when white whiskey has become a Big Thing? When Jack Daniel’s, the largest spirits brand in the world, gets into the game. By way of backstory, Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 uses a fairly traditional Bourbon-style mashbill, 80% corn, the other 20% rye and malted barley. This is the way it…
Review: Moet & Chandon Ice Imperial Champagne
What do we have here? The world’s first ever Champagne “created to be enjoyed over ice.” You read that right, and I’m still asking myself why someone would do such a thing to a drink as lovely as Champagne. Moet Ice Imperial is a blend of nonvintage Champagne, and it doesn’t take long to catch…
Review: Ransom Spirits Whippersnapper Oregon Spirit Whiskey
Oregon-based Ransom Spirits makes Whippersnapper in a way that defies easy comparison. I’ll let the company do the heavy lifting with this official description. The first part is made from barley that is malted in the Pacific Northwest, and unmalted barley grown in the Willamette valley of Oregon. This barley is ground, mashed, fermented and…
Review: El Cartel Tequila
This new brand, the brainchild of Mike Hamod, was created to be “the Ciroc of tequila” as its goal — courtesy of celebrity sponsorship that includes Daddy Yankee, Jermaine Dupri, and Eddie Griffin. Made of 100% agave in the Highlands of Jalisco, it is initially available in two varieties, a silver expression and (wait for…
