Review: R6 Distillery Single Malt Whiskey
Hit the American whiskey section of any bottle shop and try to find something that isn’t a rye or bourbon. While there are plenty of great choices, seeing the same two categories dominate shelf space can feel monotonous. R6 Distillery in El Segundo, California must have came to the same conclusion, as they have released…
Recipe: El Presidente
The daiquiri may be considered the classic rum cocktail, but the El Presidente, which also hails from Cuba, is nearly as old. It was a popular drink with thirsty U.S. tourists right after Prohibition, but it supposedly got its name before that, from President Mario García Menocal, who ran the island nation just prior to…
Review: Cork Pops Legacy Wine Opener
Screwing a piece of metal into a cork and physically yanking it out from the neck of the bottle? How barbaric. One of the more novel ways to get a cork out of a bottle of wine is to use compressed air. The Cork Pops Legacy works like most of these devices: You jab a…
Review: Old Forester Single Barrel Rye
Old Forester’s standard rye, which launched in 2019, is a fine, versatile product. But what if a mere 100 proof doesn’t do it for you? Why, pump it up to Old Forester Single Barrel Rye, a cask strength expression of what is otherwise extremely self-explanatory. (The mash remains 65% rye, 20% malted barley, and 15%…
Bar Review: Gupshup, Manhattan, New York City
In Manhattan, there’s a four-block stretch along Lexington Avenue many have come to affectionately call “Curry Hill,” no doubt due to the extensive (and diverse) selection of Indian restaurants, cafes, bars, and specialty food shops. While Curry Hill has earned its reputation as a locus of great food and drinks, there’s a spirits-forward highlight ten…
Review: ReBru Vodka, Gin, and Sweetcane
What does one do with leftover beer that’s otherwise destined for the drain? Why, distill it of course. San Diego-based ReBru isn’t the first company to turn beer into hard liquor, but it’s one of the few that only makes it out of “high-quality, out-of-code, and overstock craft beer.” At present, the company is producing…
Review: Wines of A to Z, 2021 Releases
A to Z Wineworks is one of the best-known producers of Oregon wines, and today we’re looking at three of their flagship releases, all dropping in 2021. 2020 A to Z Pinot Gris Oregon – Pinot gris doesn’t get fresher and more effusive than in this wine, a floral and fruity number that starts with…
Review: Barrell Seagrass
You’ve got to hand it to the folks at Barrell Craft Spirits; they come up with some interesting names for their special releases. Then again, most of their products get released into the world as just a batch number, so when they do get a chance to flex some creative muscle, it should be memorable.…
