Monthly Archives: January 2011

Review: Cynar Liqueur

Posted on January 31, 2011 by Christopher Null| 7 Comments

Most shoppers and bargoers don’t get past the label when checking out Cynar. Yes, that is an artichoke, and Cynar is indeed a liqueur flavored with, among other things, artichokes. (Most shoppers mispronounce the name, too, by the way: It’s (roughly) “chee-nar.”)

Launched in Italy in 1952 and bought by the Campari group in 1995 (here it is distributed by Heaven Hill), Cynar became a popular cocktailcrafting ingredient a few years ago but bartenders seem to have lost some of their passion for it as a host of other bitter digestifs have hit the scene. Yet some purists swear by it, both in mixed drinks and especially after dinner, on the rocks.

Why? Because Cynar has a flavor that is nothing if not unique. Don’t let the giant artichoke scare you. It is indeed vegetal, but not in a bad way. The nose is curious with cinnamon and tree bark character. The body offers a touch of sweetness on the tongue before quickly delving into a deep, dark void of bitterness. It is said that Cynar is one of the most bitter spirits sold today, and the lingering bitterness on the tongue and in the throat bear this out. Minutes later a sip of Cynar is still with you.

There are 13 flavoring ingredients in Cynar, but artichoke is impossible to peg specifically. Cinnamon, quinine, dark green vegetable (think V8), and root beer notes make this a complex liqueur that sounds wholly disgusting but in reality is, well, if not quite refreshing then at least a perfect palate cleanser.

33 proof. Reviewed by request.

A- / $22 / camparigroup.com

cynar Review: Cynar Liqueur

→ 7 Comments

Posted in Liqueurs, Rated A-, Reviews

Super Bowl Punch Cocktails

Posted on January 31, 2011 by Christopher Null| 2 Comments

Tired of Budweiser on game day? Our pals at Exclusiv Vodka (review coming later this week) sent us these Super Bowl themed punch recipes, both of which sound, if not complex, quite drinkable.

super bowl cocktails Super Bowl Punch CocktailsPacker Bowl

750 ml Exclusiv Citrus vodka
500 ml melon liqueur
1 can of frozen lemonade
2 liters of lemon lime Soda
Honeydew melon balls
Kiwi fruit slices
Lemon slices

In a punch bowl, put frozen lemonade in and then pour all liquids in to bowl and stir. Once mixed, add ice and then garnish. Enjoy. Go Packers.

Steeler Bowl

750 ml Exclusiv vodka
375 ml black raspberry Liqueur
2 bottles champagne
64 oz pineapple juice
12 oz ginger ale
Black raspberry garnish
Pineapple garnish

Mix Exclusiv Vodka, black raspberry, and pineapple juice. Stir. Add Champagne and ginger ale then ice and garnish. Enjoy. Go Steelers.

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Recipes, Vodka

Review: Absolut Wild Tea Vodka

Posted on January 30, 2011 by Christopher Null| 3 Comments

Absolut flavored with elderflower and black tea. Hmmm, where have we heard this one before? Ah yes, about a year and a half ago, when it was first released as the limited-edition Absolut Boston.

Absolut must have had a hit on its hands with Boston, and I can back that up: It’s the only one of the “city” Absoluts that has been completely consumed here at Drinkhacker HQ. While not a stellar vodka for sipping straight, it was a peerless mixer, and I regularly turned to it when a party guest would ask to be surprised with a cocktail they’d never tried before. To date, it’s the only one of the city vodkas to be reissued by the Swedish company.

Absolut Wild Tea works because it’s the best of both worlds: Fruity from the elderflower and bitter and earthy from the tea. The elderflower hits you first, but lightly, while the tea finish lingers. I’m not sure if Absolut has tweaked the recipe, but the medicinal notes and harsh bitterness I commented on with Boston is muted here. Now, the black tea is pleasant, refreshing, and authentic, a solid counterpoint to not just the elderflower but also the toughness of straight Absolut.

I’m rating this a touch higher than Boston (whether it’s changed or I’ve changed, who knows), but there’s more to like here, too: The price has dropped considerably, making Absolut Wild Tea a bargain to boot.

80 proof.

A- / $19 (750ml) or $23 (1 liter) / absolutwildtea.com

absolut wild tea Review: Absolut Wild Tea Vodka

→ 3 Comments

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

Review: Vodgria

Posted on January 29, 2011 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Is this sangria-flavored vodka? Or vodka-infused sangria?

The world may well debate it forever, but while you noodle over that one, we turn our attention not to Vodgria’s name but its very essence.

At 30 proof, it’s a touch stronger than most wines (and considerably stronger than most sangria, which is wine cut with fruit juice and spices). The color is dark red, and it’s unmuddled with pulp and herbal bits, the usual hallmark of actual sangria.

In the glass, the semi-syrupy liquor looks more like juice than wine, and the taste follows through on that. Wine character is vague and overpowered by strong cherry and a touch of orange citrus and grape juice flavors. The effect is more like a punch than a sangria, and it while it doesn’t have a lot of nuance, it’s considerably more exciting and palatable than cherry infused vodkas.

I prefer real sangria — or even the bottled stuff — to Vodgria, but I imagine a younger crowd would find this more to their liking. They would also be far less likely to be paralyzed by the name, too.

B- / $13 / temperancedistilling.com

vodgria sangria vodka Review: Vodgria

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Flavored Vodka, Rated B-, Reviews, Vodka, Wine

Review: Campari and Tempus Fugit Gran Classico

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Christopher Null| 6 Comments

It’s a bitter bitter spirits battle here at Drinkhacker tonight!

In one corner we have Campari, the classic, bright-red bitter spirit that’s a key part of the Negroni and other ultra-bitter cocktails. In the other, cross-country foe Gran Classico, from Tempus Fugit Spirits. How do these bitter aperitifs measure up? Let’s find out!

Campari is made in Milan, Italy and has been around for 150 years. A pungent infusion of various fruit and herbs — and natural red coloring — Campari is intense on the nose with cloves, cinnamon, and some lemon notes. The taste is initially sweet, then the bitterness comes on strong. It’s actually quite pleasant to sip neat, much like a Fernet, and the bitterness is bracing. The red color, though, starts to mess with your head when it’s alone in a glass. It’s hard to shake the idea that you’re drinking pre-Jello or melted Jolly Ranchers… though the body thankfully doesn’t back that up. 48 proof. B+ / $22 / campari.com

Tempus Fugit Gran Classico was originally made in Turin, Italy but is now produced in Switzerland. It’s incidentally also about 150 years old. A more natural burnt sienna color, it looks more appealing in the glass, but the nose is immediately odd, a woody and earthy beast with a sort of, dare I say, rhubarb character to it. The body is quite sugary up front, and the bitterness that follows is about on par with Campari. Then Gran Classico throws a twist: It doesn’t linger on the bitterness, it finishes with a slight return to sweetness. Curious, but it’s not quite enough to make Gran Classico as interesting as, say, a Fernet. This is an aperitif with some interesting characteristics, but it’s lacking the balance that Campari has. 56 proof. B- / $30 / granclassico.com

Italy wins the round!

→ 6 Comments

Posted in Liqueurs, Rated B+, Rated B-, Reviews

Tasting Report: 2008 Red Bordeaux and Sauternes

Posted on January 27, 2011 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

It’s not every day that several dozen Bordeaux purveyors show up in San Francisco, but that’s exactly what happened recently, when the tour of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux made a pit stop in SF to show off the new 2008 vintage.

I was excited to taste through the vintage – though I skipped the whites, focusing only on reds and sweet Sauternes – to see where the highlights were. What I found were a surprisingly wide variety of styles in what is shaping up to be overall a genrally good year. Of course, these notes are based on current drinkability: Remember that Bordeaux will usually evolve, and it will evolve well.

Favorites could be found all across the Bordeaux region, including a string of excellent Saint-Emilions, favorites being Château Canon-La-Gaffelière and the tiny Château La Couspaude. Pomerol’s Château Beauregard. Cabernet-heavy wines from Château Gruaud Larose in Saint-Julien and Château Haut-Bages Libéral in Pauillac offered richer, more cocoa-inflected flavors.

Tasting notes for all wines tasted follow.

2008 Red Bordeaux Tasting Report

2008 Château de Chantegrive / Graves / A- / tart, good balance

2008 Château Bouscaut / Pessac-léognan / B / less balanced, overpowering

2008 Château Carbonnieux / Pessac-léognan / B+ / lighter, not a lot to it

2008 Domaine de Chevalier / Pessac-léognan / B / a bit unripe

2008 Château de Fieuzal / Pessac-léognan / B+

2008 Château Haut-Bailly / Pessac-léognan / C+ / thin, green

2008 Château Haut-Bergey / Pessac-léognan / B+ / good fruit, dusty finish

2008 Château Larrivet-Haut-Brion / Pessac-léognan / A- / layered, big green herbs, huge earth finish

2008 Château Latour-Martillac / Pessac-léognan / B+ / light and easygoing, tart finish

2008 Château Malartic-Lagravière / Pessac-léognan / A- / new world style, young and tart

2008 Château Pape Clément / Pessac-léognan / B / overwhelming tannin

2008 Château Smith Haut-Lafitte / Pessac-léognan / A- / tannic, showing promise with a deep finish

2008 Château Canon / Saint-Emilion Grand Cru / B+ / good structure, odd candy flavors

2008 Château Canon-La-Gaffelière / Saint-Emilion Grand Cru / A / exceptional balance, earth and fruit in a complex melange

2008 Château Figeac / Saint-Émilion Grand Cru / A- / drinking well, balance is on target

2008 Clos Fourtet / Saint-Émilion Grand Cru / A / cocoa notes, good tannin, a real winner

2008 Château La Couspaude / Saint-Emilion Grand Cru / A / fruity, lush, velvety

2008 Château La Gaffelière / Saint-Émilion Grand Cru / B+ / more earthy

2008 Château Larcis Ducasse / Saint-Émilion Grand Cru / A / full berry fruit, ready to go now

2008 Château Larmande / Saint-Émilion Grand Cru / A- / solid, rich

2008 Château Pavie-Macquin / Saint-Émilion Grand Cru / B- / incredibly tart and jammy

2008 Château Troplong Mondot / Saint-Émilion Grand Cru / A-

2008 Château Beauregard / Pomerol / A / plum and chocolate, nice balance

2008 Château Clinet / Pomerol / A- / lighter, some greenery in it

2008 Château La Conseillante / Pomerol / C+ / thin, unflattering

2008 Château Chasse-Spleen / Moulis-en-Médoc / B / finish is wrong

2008 Château Belgrave / Haut-Médoc / C- / very unripe

2008 Château Cantemerle / Haut-Médoc / C+ / thin, unbalanced

2008 Château Greysac / Médoc / B

2008 Château Brane-Cantenac / Margaux / B+ / not much structure, some unusual nuance

2008 Château Cantenac-Brown / Margaux / B / chalky, earthy

2008 Château Ferrière / Margaux / A- / good berry fruit, balance is good

2008 Château Rauzan-Ségla / Margaux / C+ / rocky finish

2008 Château Branaire-Ducru / Saint-Julien / A- / beautiful, silky, rich

2008 Château Gruaud Larose / Saint-Julien / A / classy and silky

2008 Château Lagrange / Saint-Julien / B+ / on the tart side

2008 Château Léoville Barton / Saint-Julien / A- / great body, slightly weak finish

2008 Château Léoville Poyferré / Saint-Julien / B / green

2008 Château Batailley / Pauillac / C / thin, green

2008 Château Clerc Milon / Pauillac / B- / unbalanced

2008 Château d’Armailhac / Pauillac / B+ / too young, promising with time

2008 Château Grand-Puy-Ducasse / Pauillac / B+ / jammier style, curious

2008 Château Haut-Bages Libéral / Pauillac / A / rich and well structured

2008 Château Lynch-Bages / Pauillac / B / way too young

2008 Château Pichon-Longueville / Pauillac / A / complex, intriguing finish

2008 Château de Pez / Saint-Estèphe / B / thinnish

2008 Château Phélan Ségur / Saint-Estèphe / B+

2008 Sauternes

2008 Château Climens / Barsac / B+ / tropical character

2008 Château Coutet / Barsac-Sauternes / B+ / tropical notes, big mango, very sweet

2008 Château de Rayne Vigneau / Sauternes / B+ / herbal notes, interesting

2008 Château Doisy-Daëne / Sauternes / B+

2008 Château Guiraud / Sauternes / B- / overwhelming sugar, burnt

2008 Château La Tour Blanche / Sauternes / B+ / somewhat less nuanced

2008 Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey / Sauternes / B / too sweet, candylike

2008 Château Sigalas-Rabaud / Sauternes / A- / interesting lychee notes

2008 Château Suduiraut / Sauternes / A- / light, honeyed, not cloying

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Reviews, Wine

Review: El Gran Jubileo Tequila

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Christopher Null| 1 Comment

This tequila brand has been available in Mexico and in limited distribution at that. Now it has arrived on U.S. shores, you can try it too. All expressions are 100% agave of course and are 80 proof.

El Gran Jubileo Blanco – For those who like a lot of agave, but not so much bite, this is the blanco for you. Triple distilled, it is not a tequila with a lot of nuance, but one that speaks to the purity of the plant from which it came. Hunt in the body and you may turn up some light vanilla and lemon notes, but in the end it’s that agave that just pours over you. B+ / $30

El Gran Jubileo Reposado – Aged for 10 months in new American oak (not ex-Bourbon) barrels, Jubileo’s Reposado ventures close to anejo territory. The nose is heavy with wood, replacing the agave that you find with the Blanco. The body is sharp and woody, then it fades into big vanilla notes. A touch of agave reminds you you’re drinking tequila, and after it mellows out a bit with some time open to the air, a pretty good one at that. A- / $35

El Gran Jubileo Extra Anejo – Whoa, no one told Jubileo it goes from Blanco to Reposado to Anejo, not Extra Anejo? This monster spends five years in those white oak barrels, giving it a deep amber hue. The nose is quite mild and mellow. The body is gorgeous, sweet and silky, the wood giving the tequila loads of vanilla and light chocolate character. Nougat and nuts give this a huge dessert feel. Drink it with your flan. A massive bargain. A / $65

elgranjubileo.com

Jubileo Group White Review: El Gran Jubileo Tequila

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Reviews, Tequila

Ice Is Nice

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Christopher Null| 2 Comments

How do you get good ice at home?

My quest took me from my freezer to New England and back again.

Some say the world will end in fire. Some say it will end in ice. I hope it’s the latter. Finding a good ice cube to chill your cocktail is hell enough as it is.

Wired has the rest of my adventure in all its glory…

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Barware, Mixers

Review: Zaca Organic Hangover Patch

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

I’ve reviewed all manner of hangover remedy products in the last few years, but Zaca takes the cake for the strangest one of all: It’s a patch that you wear on your body (a la a nicotine patch) while you drink (and on into the next day), designed to combat the effects of alcohol without you having to swallow a thing.

File under “it’s so crazy, it just might work.”

The tiny mesh bandage is organic and all-natural, and the ingredients are as follows: Vitamin C, Lycopene, NAC, B1, Prickly Pear, B5, B3, Magnesium, Taurine, Lipoic Acid, and Milk Thistle, all in 1mg to 5mg portions. I can’t comment on how well any of these elements absorbs through the skin, but I will say that I was impressed with how well Zaca seemed to work. (Though with these kind of things, you never really know.)

I put the patch on an hour before going out for the evening, and when I got up in the morning I felt just fine. The only possible side effect I experienced was having to pee more than I normally might have had to.

The cool thing about Zaca is that you slap it on before you go out — when you might actually remember it. So many hangover products require drinking some nastily-flavored liquid, making the cure worse than the problem. Pills meant to be consumed while you’re drinking are also a problem: I don’t have a purse, where do I keep these things? Morning-after pills are fine… but by then the damage is done.

I was skeptical of Zaca at first, but it really does have all the hallmarks of a great idea: It’s as tasteless as humanly possible (since you don’t eat it), it prevents hangovers rather than remedies them, and it seems to actually work. It can even slip into your wallet… in case of emergency. Give it a whirl.

A / $20 for 6 patches / zacalife.com

Zaca hangover patch Review: Zaca Organic Hangover Patch

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Hangover, Reviews

Drinking Habits of the Rich and Fictional

Posted on January 24, 2011 by Christopher Null| Leave a comment

Who knew Ol’ Blue Eyes enjoyed not just a martini but Jack Daniel’s as well? My pal Kayte sends along this link to the favorite cocktails and other drinks of various celebrities and a few fictional characters, too. Lotta martinis on there.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Recipes