Tito on Tito
Fun little interview with Tito Beveridge, of Tito’s Vodka, in this month’s Texas Monthly. Says Tito: To me, a good vodka should have a taste that tells you a little story. It shouldn’t burn or make you squinch your face—nothing like that. You have to be able to sip it. Excellent advice, vodka distillers out…
“Breathe Responsibly”
It’s, to say the least, “a very unusual way to imbibe alcohol,” as one man puts it: A sort of steam room that is filled with a gin-and-tonic mist. You don’t drink it. You just breathe it in. And it gets you a little drunk along the way. Per the Times Online: The mist tastes…
Review: Phillips Black 100 Liqueur
The poor man’s Jagermeister, Phillips Black is a wildly flavorful, very sweet, licorice-like herbal liqueur designed for drinking cold and, most likely, extremely fast so you don’t realize what hit you. The 100 in the name refers to the proof level and the Black the color your soul will be after drinking three shots of…
Review: Gran Centenario Azul Tequila Reposado
Cinco de Mayo is just two days away, and that means it’s tequila time. Here’s a new one that just launched in April. Gran Centenario already makes a full line of tequilas, including a reposado, but recently the company expanded with a new brand called Azul. The big draw: At $16 a bottle, it’s about…
Review: Zico Coconut Water
“Nature’s sports drink,” they call it: Spiked with natural electrolytes, tons of potassium, no fat or added sugar, it’s the water of the coconut, familiar to most of us only as it regards the consumption of the occasional beachside piña colada. Zico aims to get thirsty athletes and yoga enthusiasts drinking more of the stuff,…
Julep Recipe Roundup
Today is the annual running of the Kentucky Derby, and that means julep cocktail recipes flooding in from all corners. Here’s a look at some of the more interesting spins on the classic mint julep which I’ve seen in recent weeks. Rose Julep Courtesy Four Roses 1 1/2 oz. Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon 2…
Review: Hiram Walker Triple Sec
Can an $8 bottle of Hiram Walker Triple Sec really go toe to toe with the gold standard of curacao, Cointreau? Hiram thinks it can, and sent a bottle of its budget orange liqueur to taste side by side with Cointreau, which at $35 is more than four times the price. In a nutshell: Yeah,…
Review: 2008 Paul Jaboulet Parallele 45 Rose
Summer is nigh, which means pink wine time is upon us. Frederick Wildman submits for our approval this rose from Paul Jaboulet Aine, the pink version of the producer’s popular Cotes du Rhone Parallele 45, the red version of which is a staple at every wine shop on the planet. This rose — 50% grenache,…