Review: 267 Infusions Vodka Cranberry
Maybe you’ve seen these guys at liquor stores: Squished, stretched-out bottles with fruit floating inside. You can’t help but pick one of 267 Infusions’ eight flavored spirits up. Though 267 will tell you it’s infused, not flavored. I’ve tried three of 267’s vodka-based spirits, orange and lemon infusions, and now Vodka Cranberry. Some thoughts on…
Review: Cerveza Imperial
Costa Rica (reportedly) has one brewery: Imperial. And if you like crisp and light Mexican beers, you’ll love Imperial. It’s sweeter than, say, Pacifico, but not so tangy as, say, Jamaica’s Red Stripe. It’s also got a curiously mild aftertaste, which I pegged as something like corn, or corn tortillas. Not bad at all with…
Review: Wild Turkey American Spirit Bourbon 15 Years Old
I came to Wild Turkey’s latest bottling, American Spirit, with much excitement: It’s a 15-year-old bonded bourbon, 100 proof, produced in small batches, and limited to 24,000 bottles worldwide. What’s not to like? Unfortunately, there’s not much excitement once it hits the glass. This is an easy-sipping bourbon, but its vanilla, caramel, and woody flavors…
Recipe: The Chocolate Brownie Cocktail
Sorry, chocolate haters, here’s another nice little dessert drink. The Chocolate Brownie 1 oz. vodka 1 oz. chocolate liqueur (I used Godiva) 1/2 oz. walnut liqueur (I used Nocello) 1/4 oz. Licor 43 1/4 oz. butterscotch liqueur Add all ingredients with ice to a cocktail shaker, strain into a coupe glass. Tastes just like a…
Recipe: Grand Elderflower Cocktail
If you haven’t tried St. Germain’s Elderflower liqueur yet, run, don’t walk, to your nearest liquor store and buy a bottle. Or rather, ask them to order you a bottle, because chances are it won’t be on hand. I lucked out and found some last week and have been enjoying experimental cocktails with it ever…
Review: Tsingtao Lager
It’s been years since I tried Tsingtao (also written Tsing Tao), but they were out of Sapporo last night, so I figured, why not? Pleasantly surprised, this crisp Chinese didn’t have the medicinal taste I’d recalled. Rather, it was light, slightly sweet, fragrant, and without a hint of “chemical” aroma. Some reports say that quality…
Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Martini
Here’s a fun holiday cocktail, courtesy of Blue Ice Vodka, which I’ll be reviewing in the near future. Pumpkin Pie Martini 1 oz. vodka 1/4 oz. Da Vinci Pumpkin Pie Syrup Rim a cocktail glass with cinnamon sugar. Shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and strain into glass. Garnish with an orange wheel.…
Review: 2005 Robert Hall Winery Rhone de Robles
I came to this Rhone-style blend with no real expectations. I don’t even know where the bottle came from. Color me surprised. Just sitting in the glass, three feet away, it fills the air around you with heavenly berry scents, cherry, raspberry, a precious hint of spice, and lush fruit. Blended from 44% Grenache, 40%…
