Review: Madam Pattirini Gin
Who, you may rightly ask, is Madam Pattirini? Well, how about a story to start things off? Madam Pattirini, aka Brigham Morris Young, (January 18, 1854–February 20, 1931) was the son of Brigham Young and one of his wives, Margaret Pierce. In 1875, B. Morris Young served a mission for the LDS Church in the…
Review: Virtue Cider Rose and Mezzo Spritz
Today it’s time for cider, with a visit to Michigan’s Virtue Cider. Specifically, we’re looking at one of the company’s oldest offerings (the Rose) — and its newest (Mezzo Spritz). Thoughts follow. Virtue Cider Rose – “A blend of hand-pressed heirloom Michigan apples aged in French oak barrels,” with added botanicals to give it color…
Review: Metaxa Greek Spirit 12 Stars
Founded in 1888, Metaxa has endured as one of the most unique spirits of Greece, a blend of brandy made from dried grapes that is infused with sweet Muscat wine plus rose petals and other botanicals, then aged in Limousin oak barrels. Metaxa is available in a wide range of quality levels — we reviewed…
Review: Wines of Butternut, 2019 Releases
Butternut is a brand from Napa- and Nashville-based BNA Wine Group, which — and I’m sure they would admit this — focuses on low-cost bulk wines packaged under a cute name. Butternut is also one of the pioneers in the burgeoning canned wine space, with four varieties available in familiar 12 oz. cans. The company…
Review: George Dickel Tennessee Whiskey Bottled in Bond 13 Years Old (2019)
George Dickel is awfully late to the Bottled in Bond party, but here it is at last, with a 13 year old Tennessee Whiskey spearheaded by Nicole Austin, the company’s new head distiller and general manager. Distilled in 2005, this release comes from the same mash as Dickel’s other whiskeys — 84% corn, 8% rye…
Review: Fabrizia Italian Style Lemonade
New Hampshire-based Fabrizia, which makes just about every type of alcoholic beverage you can that includes Sicilian lemons, is out with yet another lemon-heavy product: Italian Style Lemonade, a ready-to-drink, canned product that’s made with vodka, limoncello, and lemon juice. I love the idea of making lemonade out of limoncello, but Fabrizia’s rendition falls a…
Review: Los Vecinos del Campo Mezcal Espadin
Sazerac has recently partnered with Oaxaca-based Casa San Matias and a group of local mezcaleros to introduce a new family of mezcals called Los Vecinos del Campo. Some detail: These hand-crafted spirits are produced by 10 families in the Valles Centrales of Oaxaca who have been utilizing traditional methods to create rich agave spirits for…
Review: Bear Republic Challenge Series 06
In case you’re confused by our review of Bear Republic Challenge Series 11 a few months ago, the California brewery’s experimental series does not go in order (the numbers are generated from a random roll of Dungeons & Dragons dice — they don’t say which one). Challenge Series 06 is subtitled Smells Like Citrus IPA,…
