Review: Lixir Vodka
Wow, a powerful gut-puncher of a vodka from Michigan, artisanal, organic, and all that good stuff. Distilled from local (Michigan) red wheat, plus a little rye and barley from Minnesota, it goes through a continuous column still, purportedly a total of 88 times. It translates bizarrely: Not into a smooth operator with all the nuance…
Review: Bootlegger 21 Vodka
The speakeasy craze has migrated from the bar world to spirits makers: From New York’s Prohibition Distillery comes this new vodka, Bootlegger 21. Its Old School aspirations aren’t easy to miss: From the retro paper label to the etched, green-glass bottle, Bootlegger will look right at home next to your rotary dial telephone. It takes…
Review: Manso & Contreras Spanish Brandy de Jerez
Spanish brandy is not a product most drinkers have a familiarity with — nor does it resemble French brandy in any shape or form. Hailing from Jerez, Spain, Manso & Contreras comes from a distillery that has been making brandy since the 1800s. While it’s a new brand — Manso is a native Cuban who…
Review: Sino Tequila, Blanco and Reposado
This Los Altos tequila is one of very few — if not the only one — to be 100% crafted by women (or, as they say, 100% Latina owned and operated). (We know of just one other female Tequilera.) Judy Rivera is the owner of Sino Tequila — which is only available for the time…
Review: Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix
It’s one of the most-requested products that I review here at Drinkhacker, and I was finally able to cajole Glenfiddich brand ambassador Mitch Bechard into bringing a bottle of Glenfiddich’s prized Snow Phoenix single malt over for sampling. The story behind Snow Phoenix could fill a book: In January 7, 2010, after a wild winter…
Review: Clif Family Winery The Climber Wines
How do you solve a problem like bringing wine to a picnic? No one wants to lug glass bottles around. They’re heavy, they break, and yes, you surely forgot your corkscrew, too. Problem solved by Clif Family Winery (yes, they same people who make the tasty nutrition bars): Put two bottles worth of wine into…
Review: Ole Smoky Distillery Apple Pie Moonshine
You say apple pie, I say apple pie moonshine. Yes folks, it’s two great tastes that taste great together, with Tennessee’s Ole Smoky Distillery moonshine — 80% corn and 20% mystery — making up the backbone of a classic yet indescribable spirit. The nose and body scream cinnamon and apples, in that order. This is…
Review: 2006 Janzen Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
The rather thin body on this Napa Cabernet fills out a bit as it gets some time with air, but Janzen’s Cab never quite gels. Tough and tight, you will eke out aromas of coffee and tar, and flavors of dark berries, bramble, and wood — but the hard finish indicates either a wine that’s…
