Review: Bibo Barmaid Cocktail System
Let’s say you want to make a quick-and-dirty margarita. You might take a bottle of margarita mix out of the fridge, dump some into a glass with ice, pour in tequila, stir, and drink. Wow, that sounds like a lot of work, you might say. What if I could instead make that drink with a…
Drinkhacker 2018 Wine Cheat Sheet / Vintage Chart
Flummoxed as to whether 2014 or 2015 is the better buy for your Bordeaux bucks? Was 1969 a good year in the Rhone? You can Google it, or you can just put the Drinkhacker Wine Cheat Sheet in your wallet or purse, to make it easy to figure out what wine is worth your while. Just…
Review: Gran Patron Smoky
If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em? The popularity of mezcal is seemingly beginning to have an impact on the tequila old guard, and Patron has now responded in the most unexpected way imaginable: Not by launching a new brand or acquiring a mezcal producer, but by making a new version of Patron that closely…
Review: Wines of Amici and Olema, 2018 Releases
Amici is a Napa-based wine producer, and Olema is one of its sub-labels — both living proof that good wine needn’t cost a fortune. Here’s a look at three Amici wines plus four recent bottlings under the Olema label, which include three wines from California and one from France, representing the brand’s entire lineup. 2016 Amici Chardonnay…
Review: Oban 18 Years Old
Oban is a Highlands-based distillery — “West Highlands,” as the label notes — that doesn’t get nearly the chatter of other, more name-droppable single malt brands. That’s a shame, too, because while Oban isn’t a whisky that ever really results in transcendent experiences, it’s almost always worthwhile and memorable — and, in general, not too…
Book Review: Adventures with Old Vines
Richard L. Chilton, Jr.’s book Adventures with Old Vines, is, in no uncertain terms, a book of vintage charts. “Vineyard Profiles,” rather, as the book puts it. From page 53 to 269 (the end of the book), Chilton — who owns and operates Napa’s Hourglass Winery — runs through a collection of wine producers, painting a portrait…
Review: Booker’s Bourbon “Kentucky Chew” 2018-03
“Kentucky Chew” is the third special release of Booker’s Bourbon for 2018. This Jim Beam classic has seen a real renaissance of late, and with 2018-03, it’s showing no signs of letting up. Those who knew founding distiller Booker Noe, know that his larger than life personality – and his affinity for making robust, delicious…
Review: New Holland Dragon’s Milk Bourbon Barrel Stout and Banana Coconut Stout
Michigan’s New Holland Brewing went on a bit of a tear in 2018 — bottling three seasonal editions, four sours, five limited batches, and three special reserves to complement the six core offerings it has widely available. The last of the three special reserves available this year is a variation on the widely available Dragon’s…
