Review: Ballast Point Calico, California Kolsch, Sculpin, and Big Gus
Ballast Point recently celebrated a quarter century of San Diego beermaking by releasing a mix pack of some of its greatest hits from those years, including four offerings: Calico (Amber Ale, 1996), California Kölsch (German Style Pale Ale, 1996), Sculpin (IPA, 2005), and Big Gus (IPA, 2021). You’ll get three cans of each in each…
Review: Remus Repeal Reserve Series V Bourbon
MGP is once again getting ahead of the flood of fall bourbon releases with their crown jewel in the Remus line, Repeal Reserve. For those new to this one, it’s an annual limited edition that commemorates the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. This year marks the fifth release, and as always, it’s a blend of…
Review: Firestone Walker Mezca-Limón and Tequila Barrel Sunrise
Firestone Walker continues to churn out creative barrel-aged brews from its venerable Vintage Series with two particularly unique releases dropping earlier this summer: Mezca-Limón and Tequila Barrel Sunrise. These “cocktail beers” are designed for warm weather sipping and meant to evoke classic flavors of Mezcalita and Tequila Sunrise, respectively. As of this writing, we’re still…
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…
