Review: Baileys Mudslide
Few cocktails in the panopticon of chain restaurant beverages imbue the spirit — the very heart — of panty peeler so thoroughly as the Mudslide. A chocolate, creamy, boozy frozen concoction, this is dessert — and usually drunkenness — in a glass. Now Baileys brings the Mudslide to ready-made status, or as near as is…
Review: 2009 Bex Riesling Mosel
An easy Riesling, with fresh honey, green grape, and hints of melon. While it’s a touch sweet, it is still light enough to be meal-friendly, though it could use more acidity to help smooth out the finish. For the price, this is an amazing wine, and something certainly worth picking up in a pinch when…
Review: Reyka Vodka
Iceland: More than just crazy volcanoes. Vodka, too! Reyka is a 2005-originated brand from this island nation — in Reykjavik, of course. It’s unclear from what base grain the vodka is distilled, but it is done so in small batches in a Carter Head still and filtered through lava rocks before bottling at 80 proof.…
Review: Hpnotiq Harmonie Liqueur
You can put “A refreshing blend of premium French vodka, infused natural fruits, flowers, and a touch of Cognac” on the label, but Hpno is always gonna be Hpno. An icon of the hip-hop crowd, the electric blue Hpnotiq is an icon of da club. It was only a matter of time before it spawned…
Recipe: La Mela Cocktail
While I am not sure I have the patience to wait for the cider/syrup mix to set — just to use a “dash” of it — this recipe, courtesy of Maker’s Mark, sounds quite delightful. La Mela Recipe by Eben Freeman, Master Mixologist ¼ part St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram ¾ part Amaretto 1 part Maker’s…
Review: Square One Basil Vodka
This is one of those ideas that sounded really good when I read about it… and then the sample bottles arrived and they just sat there. Basil flavored vodka? Really? What the heck is that all about? Square One makes a surprisingly good cucumber vodka, but cukes have a long tradition in cocktailing, dating back…
Review: Mount Gay Rum Eclipse Black
Barbados’s Mount Gay is rounding out its “Eclipse” rum collection — currently comprising a Silver and a medium-bodied gold rum — with Eclipse Black, a darker, bolder version of its classic aged rum. The rum is a blend of single- and double-distilled rums aged from two to seven years. The final blend is then aged…
Review: Caorunn Gin
Scotland, the legendary home of malt whisky, is also becoming a land known for gin. But leave it to the Scots to do something a bit different: Triple distilled from grain and infused with rowan berry, bog myrtle, heather, Coul blush apple, and dandelion leaf (in addition to six traditional botanicals, juniper, coriander, orange and…
