It’s Friday once again and time for the Drinkhacker Shopping List, our look back at the best and the worst of products we’ve reviewed over the last few weeks. Plenty of wines to satisfy and a pretty intense campaign by Jim Beam with not one, but three new and high-quality limited expressions. We also had a pretty extensive tasting report from the Wines of Howell Mountain.
Posted in Shopping List
Last year Jefferson’s Bourbon conducted a wacky experiment involving aging barrels of bourbon at sea to see if the air and water quality had an effect on the final product. As the resulting product was so limited in quantity, few people got to taste the results and final verdict of this project. Along these lines, Mira Winery is about to retrieve four cases of its 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon from a three-month stay in the Charleston Harbor. Their mission? To determine whether or not light, tides, waves and temperature have an effect on the chemical breakdown of wine. They are slated to raise the wine on May 21, wherein they’ll announce the second phase of this experiment. We’ll bring you the latest as soon as news is delivered to us. Stay tuned. [PR Newswire]
The Bourbon backlash has begun! Charleston City Paper makes a case for switching from bourbon to rum when getting your next summer cocktail. Columnist Robert Moss dissects the current bourbon trend, reviews some new rums and samples some new cocktails. From our perspective, there should never be a superior spirit over another. Love all equally.
Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 05.15.2013 – Drinking Wine from the Ocean Floor” »
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The blogs were buzzing these past few days as Robert Parker has made the shift from wine critic to taking a stab at reviewing whiskies. Naturally, opinions on the results have varied; from the measured “wait and see”, to the frustrated and confused all the way down to the flat out irate. Although time will tell on just how much of an impact Parker will have on the whiskey world, reviewing something called “Rollins Creek” (pretty sure he means Rowan’s Creek) and comparing Hudson to Pappy suggest poor form at the start. Stay tuned.
CELEBRITY PRODUCT OF THE WEEK: Renee Zellweger’s ex-husband and country star Kenny Chesney is tossing his cowboy hat and horseshoes into the spirits world. Later this month he’ll launch his own line of rum, Blue Chair Bay. The line will come in white, Coconut, Coconut Spiced, and Chewing Tobacco flavors (just kidding about the last one), and will be promoted via an 18 city tour and numerous tasting events nationwide. It’s five o clock somewhere, y’all… [Blue Chair]
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Sunday brings us the time-honored tradition of celebrating everyone’s favorite person: Mom. Whether it was helping with algebra, forcing you to eat vegetables, or picking you up from school because you wore a Dead Kennedys “In God We Trust Inc.” t-shirt to class, Mom’s always been there to help out along the way. Here’s a few recipes we’ve encountered that you may want to mix up for your mom during Sunday brunch. It’s just a small way of saying “thanks” to a lady who put up so much for so long on your behalf.
Violet Femme
1 oz Lucid absinthe
1 oz raspberry liqueur
1 oz lemonade or sour mix
2 oz ginger ale
1 lemon wedge
Fill a tall glass with ice and add raspberry liqueur, Lucid absinthe and lemonade. Cover with cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Top glass with ginger ale, add a lemon wedge and serve.
Fig Coffee
1/2 oz. fig preserves
1/2 tsp dark brown sugar
4 1/4 oz. French roast coffee
2 oz. Camus XO Elegance Cognac
Prepare hot; stir to melt/blend; can also be chilled and served over ice.
Continue reading “Recipe: Mother’s Day Cocktail Ideas” »
Posted in Recipes
A supplement to our regular Shopping Lists, The A-List recognizes those bottles we’ve had the privilege to review and find to be of highest quality (A+ to A- range). Unlike last month’s diverse range of drinking options, the spirits and wine categories absolutely dominated the ratings in April. This month, we also had the opportunity to sample extensively from the offerings at the 2013 Berkeley Wine Festival and the San Francisco edition of the 2013 Whiskies of the World Expo. All in all, another great month of drinking in the books!
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“It’s a great advantage not to drink among hard drinking people.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
Ironic words from a writer who battled the demons of alcohol his entire life. Indeed, Fitzgerald would often take to introducing himself at parties as “one of the most notorious drinkers of the younger generation” or even better, as “F. Scott Fitzgerald, the well-known alcoholic.”
That said, Fitzgerald’s most accomplished and famous work has once again been adapted for the silver screen, with Leo DiCaprio and Toby Maguire replacing Robert Redford and Sam Waterston as Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway. Never one to miss an opportunity for new drinks, the folks at Wild Turkey supplied us with a few new cocktail ideas inspired by one of America’s greatest novels.
Hotsy-
Totsy
Created by Dushan Zaric, Employees Only and Macao Trading Co.
1 oz. Campari
1 oz. Wild Turkey 81 Rye whiskey
¾ oz. ruby port
5 drops of orange blossom water
2 dashes of orange bitters
Stir all ingredients, except orange blossom water, in a mixing glass briefly. Add 5 drops orange blossom water over ice in rocks glass. Strain liquid in mixing glass into rocks glass. Garnish with ground cinnamon and an orange half-wheel.
Campa
ri Cucumber Cocktail
Created by Eric Alperin
1 oz. Campari
1 oz. gin
½ oz. fresh lime juice
½ oz. simple syrup
2 bruised/cracked slices of English cucumber
1 cucumber wheel
seltzer water (to top)
Build all ingredients into a shaker tin. Crack or lightly bruise the two slices of cucumber into the tin. Lightly mix the ingredients with a piece of ice. Strain the ingredients into a Collins glass with ice. Top with seltzer, garnish with a cucumber wheel, and add a straw.
La Floridita
No. 3
1 ½ oz. Flor de Caña 4 Year Old White Rum
½ oz. fresh lime juice
¾ oz. maraschino liqueur
1 oz. fresh grapefruit juice
Shake with ice, and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a cherry.
Posted in Recipes
In bourbon news, MSN Money reports that Beam saw a hefty spike in sales during the first quarter of 2013, much of that attributed to the drama surrounding Maker’s Mark and the reduction of its alcohol content. Many theories abound if this was all just a business ploy, or a bad marketing decision, or a really good marketing decision made to look like a bad one. Whatever the case, Beam (which owns Maker’s) brought in the dough to the tune of a 44% sales increase. Not too shabby for something that sort of did but didn’t happen. [MSN]
Everyone coming off a cinco-hangover take note: Tequila is actually good for you. Or so says Forbes, who attempts to make folks feel better by delivering five different reasons tequila can be beneficial to a person’s constitution. [Forbes]
And if tequila or bourbon isn’t your thing, CNN rattles off its list of the best beer towns in America. Is CNN keeping with its recent track record of getting things way wrong (Asheville over Kalamazoo? Really?), or is this list spot on? They report (sort of), you decide. [CNN]
Finally today, some crafty folks have developed a contraption which (in theory) allows a thirsty individual to open an entire case of beer at once. While the accuracy rate isn’t exactly stellar, the enterprising ambition most certainly is present and so is the potential to make a nice sum of money off this thing. We’ll drink to that. [Huffington Post]
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In 1862, the great nation of Mexico held off Napoleon’s invading forces after a lengthy battle. What better way to celebrate the most festival of occasions than with a great drink? It’s the best holiday Mexico ever invented! Here’s a few recipe ideas for your consideration during this swell symbol of spring’s arrival!
Korbel Citrus ‘Rita
2 oz. Korbel brandy
1 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 oz. freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 oz. agave nectar
1/4 oz. triple sec
Coarse salt
Combine all ingredients and pour over ice in a salt-rimmed glass.
Garnish with orange slice and lime wedge.
Korbel Brandy-Pear Sangria
1/2 cup Korbel brandy
1 750ml bottle Sauvignon Blanc
2 red bartlett pears, chopped
2 yellow bartlett pears, chopped
1 orange, sliced
1/2 lemon, sliced
1 lime, sliced
1 1/2 oz. triple sec
2 Tbsp. sugar
12 oz. of Sprite or 7-Up
Chop one red and one yellow pear into bite size pieces, and reserve the other pears for serving. Combine all ingredients except the Sprite into a pitcher, cover and store for a few hours. Stir once before serving to re-mix any remaining sugar. Serve chilled over ice with fresh pear, orange and lemon slices and add a splash of Sprite or 7-Up. Makes 6 – 8 cocktails.
(Author’s note: this was absolutely incredible, and went over very well at a pre-Cinco gathering this past weekend. Home run recipe!) Continue reading “Recipe: Cinco De Mayo Celebration Cocktails” »
The Kentucky Distiller’s Association has announced that bourbon production topped over 1 million barrels in 2012. The 1,007,703 barrels filled tops the previously recorded record of 1,004,877 barrels filled in 1973, according to the article published in the Lexington Herald-Leader. Bourbon production is up 120% since 1999, with absolutely no signs of slowing down. This comes on the wings of an announcement earlier this week that the Kentucky legislature is attempting to find new ways to generate tax incentives for bourbon distillers. [Herald-Leader]
With the trend of bourbon barreled beer showing no signs of slowing down, Anderson Valley Brewing Company and Wild Turkey Bourbon announced yesterday that its has begun bottle production of Anderson Valley Wild Turkey Bourbon Barrel Stout. This once draft-only product was released in the fall 2012 as part of an exclusive partnership between the two companies. [PR Newswire]
Elsewhere in the trend file the Washington Post files a report that while Germans are drinking less beer, the beer they are consuming is coming from elsewhere. Craft brewers in the United States are getting a bigger reach into the German home market due in large part to their non-traditional and unfamiliar flavors, with more German microbrewers attempting to emulate them as a result. [Washington Post]
Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 05.02.2013 – 2012 Is Record Year for Kentucky” »
Posted in News
For one Saturday afternoon in May, the world looks away from other sporting events and focuses its eye on the commonwealth of Kentucky for a time-honored tradition: the Kentucky Derby. The 139th running of the roses will bring another packed Churchill Downs full of loud hats and high hopes that their lucky number will come in, bringing with it payday. It is also the only time of year A-list celebrities actually want to come to Kentucky, which brings in numerous galas and a weekend packed with festivities. And of course there’s always a healthy abundance of the drink du jour, the Mint Julep: Bourbon, sugar, mint. But why stop there? Here are a few new variations on this classic cocktail, supplied by some of Kentucky’s finest mixologists.
The Ginger Julep ’68 Fastback
1 .5 oz. Bulleit Bourbon
.5 oz. organic brown sugar
.25 oz. peeled minced fresh ginger
1.5 oz. soda water
1 lemon or lime twist
Muddle the ginger and brown sugar together until all of the sugar is moistened and nearly dissolved. Add a dash of soda to finish dissolving the sugar, stir in your Bourbon. Finish with ice, soda to taste and a lemon or lime twist.
Knob Creek Storyville Julep
(Created by Bobby “G” Gleason, Beam Master Mixologist)
1½ parts Knob Creek Bourbon
½ part thin honey syrup (3 parts honey, 2 parts water)
1½ parts fresh pressed pineapple juice
6 fresh mint leaves
club soda
Muddle pineapple, honey syrup and mint in an Old Fashioned glass. Fill with ice, add Knob Creek and stir. Top with club soda. Garnish with a pineapple clip and mint top.
Basil Hayden’s Triple Crown Julep
(Recipe by Joy Perrine – Louisville, KY)
4 parts Basil Hayden’s Bourbon (figure 2 oz.)
4 chopped strawberries
10 Kentucky Colonel or spearmint leaves
4 lemon wedges
1 part water (1/2 oz.)
2 tbsp. brown sugar
Muddle brown sugar and water in pint glass until sugar dissolves. Add chopped strawberries, lemon wedges and mint leaves and muddle well. Add Basil Hayden’s and shake. Add ice and shake once again. Strain cocktail over crushed ice and garnish with a mint sprig and strawberry.
Ole Smoky Moonshine Mint Julep
2 oz. Ole Smoky Original Moonshine
1 oz. simple syrup
Fresh muddled lime
2-3 sprigs of mint
In a mason jar or silver julep cup muddle two sprigs of mint with simple syrup and 1 ounce of Ole Smoky Original Moonshine, until mint leaves are crushed and give off their liquid. Add remaining moonshine and serve over ice and with a sprig of mint.
One of the most intimidating hitters in major league baseball is trading bats for hops, as retired Chicago White Sox great Frank Thomas is getting poised to move his Big Hurt Beer into the big time. Crain’s Chicago catches up with five-time all star, two-time MVP to talk about his adventures in the craft beer world. [Crain’s Chicago]
This week features two of our favorite holidays literally back to back this week: the running for the roses in the Kentucky Derby this Saturday, and Cinco De Mayo on Sunday. Of course we’ll be giving recipe suggestions later this week for all of the fantastic parties you’ll be throwing. But just a heads up for those collectors looking for the Four Roses limited edition Secretariat decanter: it’s just not happening. Four Roses has cancelled this year’s decanter because the quality wasn’t up to standards. Folks who have already paid for one will be entitled to a full refund. [WHAS]
Two bottles of rare whisky salvaged from the shipwreck of the SS Politician in 1987 were put on the auction block last week. The shipwreck inspired a book and comedy by the name of Whisky Galore, according to the BBC. If interested, you may place your bid over at Scotch Whisky Auctions but a bit of caution: the whisky is not thought to be safe to drink. It’s more of a novelty piece. [BBC]
Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 04.29.2013 – Frank Thomas Replaces Home Runs With Beer” »
Posted in News
It’s Friday once again and time for the Drinkhacker Shopping List, our weekly look back at the best and the worst of products we’ve reviewed over the last few weeks. This week we’ve had some new gadgets to test, excellent new whiskey and less than excellent “mangria”. We’ve also covered tastings at the Whiskies of the World Expo in San Francisco and of the entire Budweiser stable of beers.
Posted in Shopping List
The world’s oldest and rarest Japanese whisky is now available to the general public for a cool $19,000. Bottled in 1960, this 52-year-old Karuizawa was aged in sherry oak and comes in a case fashioned with pieces from the original cask’s head. It’s available in an extremely rare edition of 41 and only at four locations around the world. Time to get that second paper route. [via press release]
ABC News runs an interview with Crystal Head Vodka CEO/Conehead/conspiracy expert Dan Aykroyd, in which he discusses mass quantities of topics such as Saturday Night Live, Crystal Head Vodka, UFOs, Ghostbusters 3, and the possibility of Crystal Conehead Vodka. [ABC News]
Posted in News
The British Gin renaissance continues to be in full swing, with sales reported to be up 12% in the UK last year and no slowing down in sight. The Telegraph takes a closer look at the boom, takes a look at gin’s place in popular culture, and offers up some cocktail recipes along the way. [The Telegraph]
With Cinco De Mayo looming on the horizon the day after the Kentucky Derby, things are looking up for drinking next weekend (look for recipe suggestions to celebrate both shortly). The Daily Meal takes a closer look at the recent surge of tequila consumption in the U.S., and offers up its list of the best tequila bars in the nation. [The Daily Meal]
Normally we don’t like to point out mistakes and typos [That's my job. -Ed.], but this one takes the cake. Fox News apparently has discovered a new product called Pappy Von Winkle in an article discussing the 5 most expensive bourbons. We hear it’s good, but Poopy Van Shtickle is better. [Fax News]
Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 04.24.2013 – All Hail Pappy Von Winkle!” »
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A bottle of Macallan 1962 bearing the signatures of actors Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, and Berenice Marlohe recently fetched $14,692 in an auction at Sotheby’s. The bottle played a small but important role in last year’s Bond blockbuster, Skyfall. The single malt, distilled the same year Bond made his debut in Dr. No, was donated by Macallan. Proceeds from the sale will go to charities supporting British security and intelligence services. [PR Newswire]
Good news for Johnnie Walker fans: Diageo has announced plans to make the Johnnie Walker Double Black edition a permanent fixture in their U.S. line. Originally launched as an exclusive to duty free shops, the demand and response for Double Black has been positive enough to make it a full-fledged member of an already stacked team. [PR Newswire]
This item’s for fans of Michigan beer: Beerpulse is reporting that beer baron Larry Bell has purchased a sizeable chunk of land in the upper peninsula of Michigan, specifically the Escanaba region near the Michigan-Wisconsin border. According to sources, he’s planning on developing a new brewery for the long-fabled Upper Hand label he’s been rumored of starting for some time. Spokespeople for Bell’s have declined to comment for BeerPulse, and we’ve asked for a comment as well. We’ll report back if we receive any word other than a continuing silence. [Beerpulse]
Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 04.22.2013 – Bond Macallan Fetches $14,692 At Auction” »
Posted in News
If it’s Friday and time for the Drinkhacker Shopping List — our regularly scheduled survey of the best (and worst) items arriving at our office over the past few weeks. We’ve had an incredibly busy past few weeks, including an extremely spirited overview of the Budweiser family of products from our resident beer expert and a tasting report from the recent Whiskies of The World 2013 expo. Between these reports and the list below, there’s plenty for you to use as a resource during your next trip to the store.
Posted in Shopping List
Becoming a tradition itself alongside the Kentucky Derby, Woodford Reserve is once again issuing its $1,000 limited edition mint julep cup set, with this year’s theme being “gold.” What does $1,000 get you? Ice made of gold-filtered mineral water sourced from the easternmost coast of Nova Scotia, mint leaves dusted with gold, Woodford Gold sorghum, and a hand-engraved cup featuring a thoroughbred. 79 cups will be available for auction starting at $1,000 each, 9 cups will start bidding at $2,000 and feature a cup cut with diamonds, and one special package will start at $5,000. The lucky winner of that auction will present the trophy at the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic on Kentucky Derby Day, enjoy a private tour and dinner of Woodford Reserve, and get a private tour of Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Center with a Hall of Fame jockey as your host. You can place your bids at Woodford Reserve’s Mint Julep website. [Woodford Reserve]
Chivas and Italian design firm Pininfarina have teamed up together to present “The Drop,” a series of conceptual cases inspired by air and liquid. The Drop will be available in three editions, each of which will feature Chivas 18 inside. The first edition will feature a streamlined case, limited to 1,500 units at a price of $140. The second edition will be a more upscale rendition: 120 editions at $495 each. And for the drinker who truly has everything, a limited edition hand made 7-foot-4-inch sculpture will be commissioned in an edition of five, each at a cost of $100,000. [Chivas]
Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 04.17.2013 – Woodford Reserve’s $1,000 Mint Julep” »
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In a soft-hitting expose, NPR reports on findings from researchers in Germany that most beer contains scant traces of arsenic with some brews containing twice the amount allowed in drinking water. This is largely attributed to the traditional and time-tested filtering processes involved in making beer. While the findings offer an opportunity to investigate the filtering process anew, there’s really no major cause for alarm. [NPR]
Huffington Post food writer Carey Polis crafts an elegant anti-love letter to the spirits industry, begging them to reconsider its merciless onslaught of flavored vodkas being rushed to market over the past several years. She makes some excellent points, and we couldn’t agree more. It’s time for the brakes to be put on this trend. No one wins with Peanut Butter and Jelly vodka. [Huffington Post]
Elsewhere in vodka news, Absolut has teamed up with legendary Mexican visual artists and tattoo icon Dr. Lakra to design a limited edition Absolut Mexico bottle, celebrating the rich visual history of Mexican and Mayan cultures. The bottle, which has been available in Mexico for some time, will be ready to ship stateside shortly, and will retail for $19.99 for a 750ml bottle. [PR Newswire]
Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 04.15.2013 – Arsenic in Beer, You’re in the Clear!” »
Posted in News
If it’s Friday, it’s time for the Drinkhacker Shopping List — our regularly scheduled overview of the best (and worst) items arriving at our office over the past few weeks. It’s printable and ready for you to take along on your next trip to the store!
Posted in Shopping List
In its ongoing quest to find the “holy grail” of bourbon, Buffalo Trace announced on Friday it has broken ground on the enigmatically christened Warehouse X, a comparatively small warehouse only able to hold 150 barrels at capacity. This facility will be able to test for such factors as natural light, temperature, airflow, and humidity and how all of this impacts barrel storage. Slated to be complete by August, fans can watch the progress and see BT’s vision and renderings on Buffalo Trace’s microsite. [Warehouse X]
And in more bourbon news, The Spirits Business sits down with one of the nicest guys in the business, Tom Bulleit, for a quick drink to discuss his company’s rise, his partnership with Diageo, and the future of the company. Nothing too revelatory, but an enjoyable read nevertheless. [Spirits Business]
Continue reading “Drinkhacker Reads – 04.08.2013 – Buffalo Trace Builds Warehouse X” »
Posted in News
