Whisky Goes Nuclear
How do you tell whether an old bottle of Scotch is legit or a phony? Well, you could send it to me and I’ll drink it and let you know… or you could run it through a whisky Geiger counter: Scientists have found that minute levels of radioactive carbon absorbed by the barley as it…
Tasting Report: 2008 California Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel Samples
What!? We’re writing about 2008 wines when many wineries are still tricking out their 2006 vintages!? That’s right: Barrel sampling season is underway for the 2008 vintage of California Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines have been in oak for a few months now and are starting to show their true colors. I spent several hours tasting…
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…
