Review: Jefferson’s Marian McLain Bourbon
Jefferson’s is out with a new super premium bourbon release – its first in quite a while – and it comes with some interesting history and a charitable initiative, to boot. Jefferson’s Marian McLain honors the 8th generation grandmother of Jefferson’s founder, Trey Zoeller, who seems like she was quite the character in her day.…
Review: NV Laurent-Perrier Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature Champagne
We have enjoyed other offerings from popular Champagne producer Laurent-Perrier in the past, and today we try their Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature, which is 100% Chardonnay, spends six years on the lees, and has no dosage. The Champagne surprised me: trying it blind, I would not have guessed it was zero dosage. The wine…
Review: Wines of Gil Family Estates, 2023 Releases
Over the course of a century, the family of Juan Gil Giménez has very quietly established themselves as a family dynasty in Spanish wine lore, spanning over four generations and expanding to nearly a dozen brand names and more vineyards than one cares to count. With no signs of slowing down any time soon, it…
Review: Storywood Tequila Reposado and Anejo Speyside Scotch Barrel Aged
It isn’t always clear what barrels are used to age tequila. Most often it’s ex-bourbon and sometimes new oak. But Storywood is the first brand I know of to age all of its tequila in ex-Scotch casks. Begun in 2018, Storywood was founded by Michael Ballantyne, who was born in Scotland and raised in Houston,…
Review: Ghia Non-Alcoholic Aperitif (2023 Reformulation)
Ghia has been a leader in the non-alcoholic amari space, in part because it’s not a category that invites a lot of competition. Bitter liqueurs probably aren’t something the zero-abv set tend to demand a lot of. I’ve admired and enjoyed Ghia as an NA alternative since its 2020 launch — though I definitely consider…
Review: Wicked Weed Appalachia Session IPA and Dr. Dank Daily Haze IPA
We’ve barely scratched the surface on Wicked Weed Brewing, the Asheville-based craft beer Cinderella story founded in 2012 and added to the Anheuser-Busch/InBev stable not long after, in 2017. The brewery specializes in IPAs and sours, of which there are numerous expressions in their portfolio. Today, we’re taking a look at two sessionable IPA offerings,…
Cognac Misconceptions and the Challenge of Organic: An Interview with Benedicte Hardy
As Benedicte Hardy likes to tell it, when she took the helm of Hardy Cognac nearly 30 years ago, Cognac was in a very different place compared to today. There was little international education around the spirit. A post-millennium cocktail revolution had yet to break the Cognac from its perception as an after-dinner drink for…
Review: Industrious Spirit Company Ostreida Oyster Vodka
I’ve long known how well oysters and vodka go together, but I’ve always had them served separately. Until now… The Industrious Spirit Company’s (ISCO) Ostreida is vodka made in Rhode Island, with oysters used as part of the distillation process. Officially “a spirit made with oysters,” it’s made from scratch with a 100% corn distillate…
