Review: Skyy Infusions Vanilla Bean Vodka
“Vodka infused with vanilla bean and other natural flavors,” so you really are getting real vanilla in this latest flavored vodka from Skyy. The nose isn’t so much vanilla bean as it is vanilla cake frosting. One whiff gave me flashbacks of my son’s 8th birthday party. With vanilla, what are you gonna do, I…
Review: Sapling Vermont Maple Liqueur and Maple Bourbon
Maple syrup continues to grow as a cocktail trend, and enterprising Vermonters are using it directly to make their own spirits. Enter Sapling, aka Saxtons River Distillery in Brattleboro, Vermont, which produces a maple syrup liqueur and a maple-infused Bourbon. (There’s also a maple-infused Rye, not reviewed here.) All are made with Grade A Vermont…
Review: Beers of Peak Organic Brewing Company
West coast readers can be forgiven for never having heard of Peak. The brewery is based in Maine, about as far from our shores as you can get. Things are changing, though, and Peak is making its way west. As part of its expansion to Northern California, we got to sample six of Peak’s (many) brews.…
Review: Stone Go To IPA
The problem (for some) with IPA: The alcohol level is through the roof. Finish off a bottle and you’re done for the night. Solution: Stone’s new Go To IPA, which offers brisk hop flavors while clocking in at just 4.5% abv. The name is a play on words, not just that this should be your…
Review: BarSol Perfecto Amor
“A Peruvian tradition revived.” That tradition: An aperitif wine made from fermenting grape juice, fortified with Pisco. The grapes used for both the juice and the Pisco are Quebranta (50%), Italia (25%), and Torontel (25%) — the classic grapes that are used in Peruvian Pisco. Sherry and Madeira fans will probably eat this right up. The…
Recipes: 2014 Spring Cocktails
For a least some of the nation (sorry New England and Midwest!), the brutal, crushing cold of winter has passed and things are starting to warm up and become tolerable once again. With that we’ve had a plethora of cocktail recipes heading our way over the last few weeks, and we’ve culled and tested the…
Review: 2012 William Hill North Coast Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon
Gallo-owned William Hill has just launched a new “Coastal Collection” of wines from California’s indistinct North Coast, a vast region that covers a huge swath of land comprising the entirety of both Napa and Sonoma, plus a smattering of other NorCal AVAs. Designed with the shopper’s budget in mind, here’s how these two new wines…
Review: Captain Morgan White Rum
OK, on one hand, Captain Morgan has no business making a white rum. What, someone’s going to go to a bar and ask for a “Captain Morgan White and Coke”? Come on. On the other hand, why not? Captain Morgan is one of the biggest rum brands on the planet, so why not have the biggest…
