Monthly Archives: July 2009

Is It Worse to Drive Drunk or on the Cell Phone?

Posted on July 21, 2009 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Here’s a wholly unscientific look at the question I undertook back in 2005 courtesy of a closed track at a Malibu Grand Prix, a friend with an oversized liver, and half a bottle of Absolut.

The answer: Inconclusive.

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Posted in Drinking Science, Vodka

Review: Vermont White and Vermont Gold Vodka

Posted on July 20, 2009 by Christopher Null| 3 Comments

In this business, you learn something every day. Today I have learned that you can make vodka out of anything. Vermont Spirits makes its two vodkas, Vermont White and Vermont Gold, out of truly unique base ingredients: milk vodka and maple syrup, respectively.

Vodka out of sugar? I’d have thought that distilling sugar would net you rum, not vodka, but they’re not really rummy at all. Both are 80 proof. We tried a bottle of each.

Vermont White is the milk vodka, a New England take on a traditional Tuvan spirit, triple distilled from pure milk sugar (sort of like powdered milk, but sweeter) and blended with local spring water. Rest assured, despite the cow on the bottle there is no milk-like character here. It’s a traditional vodka with a bracing yet moderately light medicinal approach, then a finish that fades into a nice and lingering sweetness. Creamy, with just a hint of bittersweet chocolate, this is a steal at $27 a bottle. A- / $27

Vermont Gold is the company’s top-shelf vodka, triple distilled from maple sap boiled over a wood fire, then charcoal filtered. It’s far closer to rum territory than Vermont White, with which it shares very little DNA. There’s no mystery that syrup is the base here; it’s big on the nose, and the body includes a strong caramel character, with light wood and charcoal notes. Not as sweet as Vermont White, it’s still got plenty of sugar in it, but it’s not cloying. With all those other characteristics at play, this is a really unique drinking experience that should be a go-to vodka for any dessert drinks… or for drinking on its own. For some reason, drinking it reminds me of jelly beans. Though unaffiliated with this spirit, I blame the Tuvans. A / $38

vermontspirits.com

vermont gold and white vodka Review: Vermont White and Vermont Gold Vodka

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Posted in Rated A, Rated A-, Reviews, Vodka

Review: Gran Sierpe Pisco Quebranta Grapes

Posted on July 18, 2009 by Christopher Null| 3 Comments

Distilled in Chile and Peru — where the definition of what is “real” pisco remains a national preoccupation on both sides — pisco is grape brandy that, unlike French brandies, is unaged (or aged very little), and generally used in cocktails.

Gran Sierpe is Peruvian pisco, and the company makes three varieties, using three different grapes or grape blends.

We got a look at Gran Sierpe’s Quebranta Grape Pisco, which is made with quebranta grapes — probably the only time you’ll ever consume anything made with them.

Quebranta grapes are mild and non-aromatic, and this pisco is also on the easygoing side. The nose is mild and charcoalish, the body reminiscent of a lighter style of grappa or, even more intriguingly, cachaca. It’s smooth, with only a minimal, rubber-like finish. I’d be curious to try this pisco as a substitute in a caipirinha, just to see what happened. It’s not really designed for drinking straight, but it isn’t bad served this way.

By the way, if anyone can clue us in on what the object on the label is supposed to be, we’re all ears. By common consensus here it is believed to be a Transformer head.

84 proof.

B+ / $39 / discoverpisco.com

gran sierpe pisco quebranta Review: Gran Sierpe Pisco Quebranta Grapes

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Posted in Brandy, Pisco, Rated B+, Reviews

Review: Monte Alban Mezcal

Posted on July 17, 2009 by Christopher Null| 2 Comments

Monte Alban is perhaps the most widely available mezcal on the market, but that doesn’t mean it’s rotgut.

Monte Alban may lack sophistication, but it’s a fine entry point into the mezcal arena. Briny and with the distinct smell of sweat, it comes across as hot. But a little judicious sipping shows that Monte Alban has more to it than that. The palest gold in color, its smoke character is moderate, not overdone, with some fruitiness in the finish. The salty character remains throughout, but it’s not as biting as the initial approach would lead you to think.

80 proof, and every bottle includes a worm — even the 50ml minis.

B / $23 / montealbanmezcal.com

monte alban mezcal Review: Monte Alban Mezcal

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Posted in Mezcal, Rated B, Reviews, Tequila

Review: Brady’s Irish Cream Liqueur

Posted on July 16, 2009 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

Brady’s isn’t the biggest name in Irish Cream liqueurs… but it sure sounds a lot like it.

Turns out it tastes a lot like it, too.

At $12 a bottle (sometimes as little as $10), Brady’s is an extremely credible and, possibly of more importance, inexpensive knockoff of Bailey’s, the most noteworthy of standby dessert drink ingredients.

The flavor is mild, with a gently creamy milk chocolate character plus a bit of vanilla and just a hint of whiskey (that’s what makes it Irish, folks). Maybe some malted milk in there, too. Not too sweet, but not terribly complex, either.

Fine on the rocks, fine with coffee, it’s a perfectly acceptable cream liqueur. The dude on the bicycle that’s pictured on the label may not create the effect you’re looking for when trying to romance your gal pal, but if you pour it into an old Bailey’s bottle and pass it off as the “real” stuff, well, we won’t tell anyone.

34 proof.

B+ / $12 / castlebrandsinc.com

bradys irish cream liqueur Review: Bradys Irish Cream Liqueur

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Posted in Liqueurs, Rated B+, Reviews

Wine in Plastic Bottles? 2006 Fog Mountain Merlot Reviewed

Posted on July 15, 2009 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Take a look at the bottle below. Looks normal enough, though the observant may recognize it’s about a half inch taller than your average wine bottle.

But pick up this bottle of Fog Mountain Merlot (crafted by the folks at Boisset Family Estates) and you’ll realize something surprising: It’s made out of PET type plastic, not glass. A special “oxygen barrier” keeps the air out and the wine fresh.

Why do such a thing? Clearly Fog Mountain isn’t aiming for the high end, but it does have noble goals. The bottle can’t shatter, so it’s great for outdoor environments or the feeble-fingered. The company also claims the bottles have a 60% smaller carbon footprint than glass, and are 100% recyclable. And then there’s one killer addition: Because of the thinner plastic and slight height advantage, Fog Mountain can pack more inside than a standard bottle: A full liter instead of 750ml. That’s two extra glasses of wine in no extra space. Magic!

Fog Mountain’s 2006 Merlot, sourced from all over California, isn’t great, but it’s not bad. Jammy and jelly-like, there’s a cloying sweetness on the palate, and a fair bit of smoke on the nose, too. Kind of an off finish, with vegetal characteristics. Drinkable, but more appropriate for a summer BBQ than a dinner by candlelight.

C+ / $12 (one liter) / boissettfamilyestates.com

fog mountain merlot wine Wine in Plastic Bottles? 2006 Fog Mountain Merlot Reviewed

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Posted in Rated C+, Reviews, Wine

Bastille Day Review: Ricard Pastis

Posted on July 14, 2009 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Today is Bastille Day, and in honor of the French Revolution, the folks at Pernod-Ricard sent us a bottle of Ricard Pastis (and a pétanque set) to help us celebrate.

Pastis is an anise-flavored liqueur — not the same as absinthe (but it’s the closest category we have here) since it has no wormwood, but it tastes and behaves quite similarly. Flavored strongly of licorice, pastis is high in alcohol (Ricard is 90 proof), and is served with lots of cold water, whereupon in creates a cloudy louche effect. Unlike with absinthe, sugar is not added because the pastis has sugar already in the bottle.

The golden-hued Ricard (which is based on beet spirits) is quite alcoholic without water, but its sweetness and anise still come straight through. It louches into an eggnog color with water, and once diluted to something more approachable (the company suggests 5 parts water to 1 part Ricard), it’s really quite tasty and refreshing. It’s on the sweet side for pastis, but not overly so. The anise is well done, the overall effect being more licorice-candy like, with hints of lemongrass and cocoa powder.

Just the thing for celebrating all that French bloodletting.

A- / $26 / pernod-ricard.com

ricard pastis france Bastille Day Review: Ricard Pastis

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Posted in Absinthe, Liqueurs, Rated A-, Reviews

What Liquor Will Cure My Cold?

Posted on July 13, 2009 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

Based on what gets the most hits on Google in conjunction with the words “cure cold”: rum.

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Posted in Drinking Science, Rum

Review: Southern Comfort Sweet Tea and Hurricane Cocktails

Posted on July 11, 2009 by Christopher Null| 6 Comments

Let’s be frank. Southern Comfort has a difficult reputation. Everyone I know has a story involving the peach-flavored liqueur, and it usually ends up with a blackout or someone’s head being shaved against their will.

Hey, it’s party booze. Nothin’ wrong with that.

SoCo is expanding its little empire with the craze du jour — premixed cocktails. As with many of these, no doctoring is intended. You just fill a glass with ice, pour in the stuff, and drink away.

Two flavors are launching, and we got to try a handle of each. Both are 30 proof and come in 1.75 liter bottles.

Southern Comfort Sweet Tea Cocktail is meant to evoke the flavors of sweet tea, a natural fit considering SoCo’s southern roots. The peachiness of SoCo is upfront here, a good slug of that apricot-like, sweet peach, with a backbone of tea. I don’t want to undersell it: It’s got a ton of peach flavor to it, which may be a turn-off for you if you’re looking for an authentic tea character. Ultimately I far prefer something like Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka with water and ice than this, but in a pinch it’ll do. Try adding a little water to cut down on the overpowering peach character. B-

Southern Comfort Hurricane Cocktail has an authentic, day-glo red color, but again it’s so peachy you won’t be reminded of those slurries served in every quickie-mart in New Orleans. Maybe that’s a good thing, dunno. Imagine SoCo mixed with a can of Big Red and you’ll have a sense of what drinking this concoction is like. Some cherry, some orange. Lots of peach, even more sweetness. Again, this all improves if you let the ice melt a lot or add water, but this one’s a bit tougher to recommend. C

$20 each per 1.75-liter bottle / southerncomfort.com

southern comfort hurrican sweet tea cocktail Review: Southern Comfort Sweet Tea and Hurricane Cocktails

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Posted in Liqueurs, Mixers, Rated B-, Rated C, Reviews

Recipe: Sweet Basil Cocktail

Posted on July 10, 2009 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

This recipe comes to us from Virginia mixologist Todd Thrasher, as published in Food & Wine Cocktails ’09. Fun little cocktail… as long as you like basil!

The photo in the book is a whole lot greener, I have to say.

Sweet Basil
10 basil leaves, plus one for garnish
3 oz. Lillet Blanc
1/2 oz. gin
1 oz. simple syrup

Lightly muddle 10 basil leaves in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and other ingredients, and shake well. Double strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with extra basil leaf.

sweet basil cocktail Recipe: Sweet Basil Cocktail

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Posted in Gin, Recipes, Wine