Review: 45th Parallel Vodka
Hailing from New Richmond, Wisconsin, 45th Parallel takes its name from the line that passes through the state, halfway from the Equator to the North Pole. Distilled from locally-grown grains (unspecified varieties), 45th Parallel is distilled three times and then charcoal filtered before being bottled at 80 proof. The company takes great pains to note…
Recipes: Irish Whiskey and… Eggs?
Our pals at Bushmills did an interesting experiment, challenging several San Francisco-area bartenders to come up “a twist on the traditional Irish meal of whiskey and eggs, but in cocktail form.” Here’s what they came up with. An Bodhran (The Drum) Jonny Raglin, Absinthe 1 1/4 oz. Bushmills Irish Whiskey 1/2 oz. Port 1 barspoon…
Review: Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey (2009)
St. Patrick’s Day approaches… here’s more Irish whiskey reviews. Kilbeggan is an awfully simple blended Irish whiskey, its claim to fame being that it comes from the “oldest licensed distillery in the world.” It isn’t hard to drink, offering light sweetness and moderate wood character locked into a pale yellow spirit. There’s a touch of…
Review: Ron Abuelo Anejo and Anejo 7 Anos
I’ll be blunt: Ron Abuelo’s rums are as good as rums that cost twice as much and possibly more. Right now the company (producer Varela Hermanos, a 100-year-old firm) offers two rums, distilled in Panama from sugar cane the company grows itself. (Abuelo claims to be one of few distilleries in the world to grow…
Review: Gordon & MacPhail Caol Ila 8 Years Old
Mega-independent bottlers-slash-retailers Gordon & MacPhail are releasing a few new private bottlings this season, notably featuring this new 8-year expression of Caol Ila, served up for your approval. The initial nose is a hefty dose of peat and smoke, and though the color is just the palest gold, it hints at a mightily big, smoky,…
Review: Drinkin’ Mate Hangover Defense
There’s good news and bad news about Drinkin’ Mate, another entry into the growing category of hangover prevention remedies. First the good: Compared to the field, Drinkin’ Mate is the best-tasting hangover preventer around. It’s an effervescent pill (like an Alka-Seltzer). Just drop it in a few ounces of water, and you get a fizzy,…
Review: Reed’s Raspberry Ginger Brew
Take a standard Reed’s Ginger Brew and add 20 percent raspberry juice and what do you get? A nicely refreshing drink that offers the best of both the ginger and fruit juice worlds. To be honest, that 20 percent raspberry goes a long way, overpowering the ginger component more than you’d expect — although it…
Thailand’s New “National Cocktail”
How do you get people to come and visit your faraway land? Lure them with booze: Intended as an answer to Singapore’s slings, Cuba’s mojitos and the many manhattans downed in New York, the Siam sunray is intended to give tourists an instant taste of Thailand’s charms. At the very least the drink’s ingredients are…
