Review: Good Earth Coffee
Been checking out the three offerings from new organic coffee outfit Good Earth. Again, this isn’t a coffee-centric blog, but I drink enough of it to know a good cup from a bad one. The Good Earth brand dates back to 1972, dedicated to healthy and delicious food and drink. Now delving into coffee, the…
Review: Sierra Nevada “ESB” Early Spring Beer
It’ s kinda jokey: Sierra Nevada’s new ESB stands not for Extra Special (or Strong) Bitter, but for Early Spring Beer, released just in time for the Spring Equinox and your thaw-time enjoyment. To be sure, the copper-colored ESB is crafted in a vaguely British, nicely-hopped style, though it’s far less hoppy and bitter than…
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,…
