Review: Conncullin Irish Gin
Connacht is best known as a whiskey distillery in County Mayo, Ireland, but it also produces one of the country’s handful of gins, known as Conncullin. This pot distilled gin doesn’t disclose all of its botanicals, but juniper, citrus, and elderberry are known to be in the mix. Given the focus on fruit, I was…
Review: Stolichnaya Stoli Gold Edition Vodka
Stolichnaya Gold — “Stoli Gold” — is a small step up from standard Stolichnaya (and not nearly as pricey as Stoli Elit), and recently the brand redesigned its packaging — and its production process. This isn’t the first time Stoli has updated Stoli Gold… in fact, it used to be called something entirely different. First…
Review: Offshoot Beer Co. Relax [It’s Just a Hazy IPA]
As the name suggests, Offshoot Beer Co. started as a side project for another brewery, the Bruery, based in Orange County, California. What makes this hop-focused side project surprising is that the Bruery began with the express intention of brewing virtually every style and variety of beer — except IPA. They are known for…
Review: Tincup American Whiskey 10 Years Old
Deja vu? You bet, but while this new release of Tincup American Whiskey comes in the same bottle as the original, you’ll know the difference by the new, black cup. To refresh your memory, Tincup is made in Colorado by Jess Graber, best known as the founder of Stranahan’s single malt. Tincup is a much…
Review: Crispin Rose Hard Cider
You’ve got rose wine, why not rose cider? That’s the thinking anyway behind Crispin’s latest, a new year-round cider that is made from “real rose petals, hibiscus, and an elegant blend of fresh-pressed juices made from hand-picked apples and pears from the Pacific Northwest.” Unabashedly designed with women in mind, Crispin Rose is indeed quite…
A Visit to Alameda Island Brewing Co.
Established in 2015, Alameda Island Brewing Company is the third brewery in this small suburb of Oakland, California, where a naval base moved out and legions of hipsters moved in. Here you’ll find one of the most richly cross-cultural communities in the U.S. (want Lithuanian food, you got it!), despite a tiny population of well…
Review: Two Angels 2017 Sauvignon Blanc and 2015 Petite Sirah
A quick look at a few straightforward wines from Two Angels, sourced from California’s Lake County district. 2017 Two Angels High Valley Sauvignon Blanc – Initially quite tropical, with a surprising pineapple note, this sauvignon blanc quickly settles down to reveal a more mineral core, one which fades rapidly into a somewhat bitter, lackluster finish.…
Review: Glenmorangie Spios
Always an exciting part of the beginning of the year, Glenmorangie’s latest Private Edition release is upon us. For 2018, it’s Glenmorangie Spìos (Scots Gaelic for ‘spice’ and pronounced ‘spee-oss’), the distillery’s first single malt whisky fully matured in American ex-rye whiskey casks. As usual, no age statement is offered. I was initially skeptical that…
