Review: Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon (2007)
You’ll know it by the little horse and rider on the stopper and the grenade-shaped bottle. At $45 a bottle, you’ll often find this in the lockup at your local liquor store. As bourbons go, it’s unique: All bottles are single-barrel bottlings, which means that a glass will vary from state to state and store…
Review: Distillerie Vinet-Ege Le Tourment Vert Absinthe
From French brandy distillery Vinet-Ege comes a new entry into the “with wormwood/thujone” absinthe market, Le Tourment Vert. “The Torment,” when it arrives on our shores (any day now) will be the fourth such absinthe to hit the market here. It joins Lucid, Kubler, and St. George, all of which are slowly, tentatively finding their…
Review: 2007 Henry Fessy Beaujolais-Villages Nouveau
I should have written this up a month ago, when the 2007 Beaujolais Nouveaus first hit the market, but time got away from me… plus, there are still plenty of Beaujolais Nouveau wines available, including this one from Henry Fessy. For those not familiar with Beaujolais Nouveau, this is a young wine from the Burgundy…
Recipe: The Joost Sparkler
Here’s the official cocktail for my 2007 holiday party, inspired by the La Real at Solstice in San Francisco. The Joost Sparkler 1 oz. silver tequila 3/4 oz. pomegranate liqueur 3/4 oz. lychee liqueur 1/2 oz. triple sec Shake in a cocktail shaker with ice, strain into a champagne flute. Fill remainder with Champagne. I’m…
Review: Tequila Partida, Complete Lineup (2007)
Finally got to sample Partida’s new, full line of tequilas today. Color me impressed. No, seriously. Here’s how they shake out. Tequila Partida Blanco (2007) – This is a peppery but very clean silver tequila, perfect for mixing and even for sipping straight in a pinch. Among the best tequilas I’ve tried. A- / $40 [BUY…
Review: G’Vine Floraison Gin (2007)
The name may sound like a gangsta rapper, but this premium gin isn’t something you’ll want to be mixing with OJ. Made in France and distilled from grapes, this is not your father’s Tanqueray. The juniper flavor, a requirement of all gins, is there, but it’s substantially mellowed in G’Vine. In fact it’s lemon peel…
Review: Christiania Vodka
Here we have another high-end, traditional potato vodka, straight outta Norway (note the neck of the bottle) and distilled six times, bottled at 80 proof. The makers in fact claim it to be the world’s first ultra-premium vodka, with a heritage dating to 1602. The flavor is indeed smooth, especially for a potato vodka, herbal…
Review: Pyramid Snow Cap Ale (2007)
Another holiday beer, this one a spin on a traditional brown ale, but overloaded with hoppiness. The dark brown “winter warmer” is certainly rich, giving off a nice aroma of chocolate and caramel malts… but an overpowering bitterness wipes the sweetness away once it hits your lips. It’s not a hard beer to drink by…
