Review: 2019 Castiglion del Bosco Brunello di Montalcino DOCG
Tuscany’s Castiglion del Bosco has been preserved almost as-is for the last 400 years, at least in size. The 5000 acre estate now boasts a Michelin Star restaurant, private golf club, and of course a crack wine operation, where this Brunello di Montalcino is produced. I can’t comment on the golfing, but we did taste…
Review: Mary Dowling Winter Wheat Bourbon
Last fall, Rabbit Hole launched a new bourbon line named for the “Mother of Bourbon,” the pioneering (and bootlegging) distiller Mary Dowling. The first offerings in the Dowling lineup included an impressive toasted double oak bourbon and one with a unique tequila cask finish, a nod to Mary’s distilling endeavors south of the border during…
Review: Hoste Ready-to-Drink Cocktails, Complete Lineup
Hoste is a newer booze brand in Chicago that is built around one thing and one-thing only: large-format ready-to-drink cocktails, all high-test riffs on classics like the Negroni, Martini, and Manhattan. The company has three permanent offerings, plus an annual Old Fashioned rendition it calls the Gold Fashioned. If this sounds familiar, it’s because Hoste…
Review: Harpoon x L.L.Bean Harvest Lager
Harpoon is known for making beers themed or in collaboration with sports teams, donut shops, and more, but this is our first encounter with Harpoon and its decision to collaborate with an outdoor-oriented retailer. With Harvest Lager, Harpoon joins forces with L.L.Bean, an over-100-year-old brand from Maine that, if you learn nothing else from this…
4 Must-Have Bitters for Your Holiday Cocktails
Bitters are the salt and pepper of cocktailing, adding that special touch to your favorite drinks but living under the surface. Before bitters became an essential part of cocktail culture, people used them for medicinal purposes. Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, you found bitters in pharmacies. A popular one you may have heard…
Shaken, Stirred, and Served: The Essential Tools Every Cocktail Enthusiast Needs
Crafting the perfect cocktail is both an art and a science, a delicate dance between flavors, aromas, and presentation. Just as a painter relies on a fine brush and vibrant palette, a mixologist needs the right tools to transform ordinary ingredients into extraordinary libations. Quality cocktail tools are essential. From precision jiggers that measure with…
Review: 2022 Prince Hill Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Prince Hill is a new Oregon winery that is part of the Silver Oak portfolio. Launched in partnership with Oregon mainstay Dick Erath, Prince Hill can be found in the Dundee Hills AVA. Prince Hill Vineyards, by the way, are the U.S. origin of Pinot Noir Clone 95 from Burgundy’s Clos Vougeot, and was planted…
Review: Ron Barcelo Imperial Porto Cask Rum
Ron Barcelo recently dropped a new addition to its Rare Blends Collection, which is also part of the Imperial line (denoted by the oversize decanter). As the name suggests, this rum, made from Domincan sugar cane, is aged in oak barrels with different degrees of toasting, then finished in 10 year old Tawny Port casks.…
