Inside Bord Bia, Ireland’s Big Global Spirits Push
Irish spirits — whiskey in particular — is one of the fastest growing liquor categories in America. U.S.-based sales of Irish whiskey are up over 90 percent in the last decade. Much of that growth comes from major brands like Jameson and Bushmills, but dozens of new labels are gaining market share as well as…
Review: Wines of Truth and Valor, 2021 Vintage
Truth and Valor produces a range of wines — all reds — in the Paso Robles area. Recently we received the full lineup of wines from the winery, all from the 2021 vintage. Let’s taste. 2021 Truth and Valor Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles – A gooey expression of blueberry jam, filtered through anise and tannin.…
Review: Lost Irish Whiskey
Lost Irish burst on the scene a few years ago as the brain child of whiskey expert and writer Tim Herlihy, who figured he could do something a little different in what has long been the relatively sleepy yet growing category of Irish whiskey. The idea: “modernize the category and offer whiskey that travels beyond…
Review: Devil’s Foot Non-Alcoholic Craft Sodas
When is a RTD cocktail not a cocktail? When it’s a soda. These products may have the names of cocktails on the cans, but the non-alcoholic beverages are technically all sodas, as they don’t really pretend to be cocktails but rather fizzy drinks that draw inspiration from boozy drinks. All are collaborations with breweries, mostly…
Review: Rolling Fork The Wheated Wonder Rum
Rum has a long tradition with historically colonial islands. While many rum-producing islands are now independent of their colonizers, the original mother countries in Europe are still involved in the rum production process. Most of the rums on the market are distilled in tropical climates, but they’re not necessarily aged in tropical climates for the…
Review: Saint Viviana Dealcoholized Wines
Saint Viviana is retailer The Zero Proof’s proprietary line of non-alcoholic wines, made by California winemakers by dealcoholizing “fantastic wine,” and keeping additives (like oak extract) to a minimum. A white and a red are on offer. We tried both. Saint Viviana Sauvignon Blanc Dealcoholized Wine – This definitely smells the part, with a brisk…
Review: Chattanooga Whiskey Founder’s 12th Anniversary Blend
Every year Chattanooga Whiskey celebrates its anniversary with what else: a special edition whiskey. This 12th installment is described as a look at the “past, present, and future” of the Tennessee-based distillery’s various endeavors, with three primary components in the solera-style mix. Here’s what the finished product looks like (which is a lot like 2023’s version):…
Review: Doladira Aperitivo
Summertime is spritz time, and there’s a new, lower sugar aperitivo on the market looking to bring some Alpine influence to that most refreshing of warm weather cocktails. Doladira’s creator, Meredith Erickson, first teased an early version of the product as a Rhubarb Elixir in her 2019 cookbook, Alpine Cooking, but its popularity with readers…
