Recipe: Appleton Reserve Holiday Sazerac
My friends at Appleton rum sent along this twist on the Sazerac, perfect for the holidays. I added a splash of Navan to imitate the infused rum and used regular sugar in lieu of demerara, but the results were still quite good, if very “rummy.” I’d also suggest a cocktail glass instead of the suggested…
Review: J. Witty Chamomile Liqueur
Proof positive that there’s a liqueur for everything — and I don’t mean that in a bad way — I present to you J. Witty Spirits, which to date makes just one product, an organic, artisanal Chamomile tea liqueur. Chamomile tea hardly has a brutish reputation, but one sip and you’ll find its namesake liqueur…
Review: Antiguo de Herradura Tequila, Complete Lineup
As the story goes, Antiguo de Herradura was a version of Herradura served only to guests of the Herradura estate, beginning in 1924. These bottlings are said to be recreations of those original spirits (they’ve been bottled in Mexico since 1995, when they were re-launched), a higher-end version of Herradura tequila for those special moments…
Tasting Report: Pol Roger Champagne Lineup, 2009 Releases
Had the chance to taste all seven current varieties of Pol Roger Champagne, a brand which dates back to 1849. Old Pol should need no further introduction, of course… here are some thoughts on the house’s current lineup. 2000 Pol Roger Brut Rose Champagne / $115 / A- / yeasty but otherwise quite pleasant 1999…
Review: The Kraken Black Spiced Rum
This is not Captain Morgan, folks. The Kraken, with its sea creature label and black-as-coffee liquid within, makes a striking impression on the bar and in the glass. The idea is kitschy: A drink as strong and dark as kraken (giant squid) ink, powerful enough to take him down. And, yeah, at 94 proof and…
Review: Wine Swirl Wine Aeration System
Are your arms wildly misshapen or underpowered for your size, like a T. Rex? If so, you might need Wine Swirl, an automated “wine aerator” that will swirl the living hell out of your fermented grape juice with little more than a flick of the wrist. Wine Swirl may look a bit scientific because, frankly,…
Review: 2007 Quivira Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley Wine Creek Ranch
I was ready to tear into Quivira for putting out a wine at 15.1 percent alcohol… but then I checked out the company’s 2006 version of the same wine: 15.5 percent. I didn’t even think that was chemically/oenologically possible. This single vineyard zin comes from Quivira’s Wine Creek Ranch vineyard, a hilly area in Sonoma’s…
Review: The Wild Geese Irish Soldiers & Heroes Irish Whiskeys
The Wild Geese Irish Soldiers & Heroes — in a million years I wouldn’t have come up with a name for a line of whiskey like this one. This collection of four new Irish whiskeys (named after soldiers forced out of Ireland during hard times) all share a common DNA, but offer some subtle differences…
