Review: Banter Rum – White and Amber
Maggie Campbell has been making and blending rum for decades, first at Privateer and then at Mount Gay. Now she’s running her own operation, American Cane, which is a Louisiana-based blender with two rums on the market. Banter is billed as a “revival rum,” designed to be a no-nonsense, “low-drama,” good-value pick for cocktailing. There’s…
Review: William Chris Rebecca Caroline Sparkling Wines and Mary Ruth, 2026 Releases
Today we’re diving into Texas winery William Chris‘s new sparkling wine division, Rebecca Caroline, along with coverage of a new white wine blend, Mary Ruth. Watch for a full report of our visit to the Rebecca Caroline tasting room soon. 2023 William Chris Rebecca Caroline Dell Valley Vineyards Cuvee Brut – 60% Chardonnay 40% Chenin…
Review: Another Hendrick’s Gin
Hendrick’s seems to have no trouble coming up with names for its line extensions, with monikers like Oasium and Neptunia a couple of its recent drops. What then do you call Hendrick’s first permanent line extension in nine years? (Orbium was the last to get full-time treatment.) Well, Another Hendrick’s is as good a name…
Review: Redwood Empire Pipe Dream, Emerald Giant, and Lost Monarch (Updated 2026)
Only two years ago Sonoma-based Graton Distillery released Redwood Empire, a blend of its own microdistilled spirit and sourced whiskey. Now the brand is back with not one, not two, but three new expressions which collectively replace the 2018 release. Here’s all the details to get you started. Purple Wine + Spirits today announced its…
Review: Cantrip Elixir Hemp Spirit
Cantrip makes a variety of THC-infused sodas, but Elixir is its only hemp “spirit,” a milky-cloudy blueish serum that contains 166mg of THC per 750ml bottle, or about 10mg per serving. What Elixir tastes like is hard to describe. Imagine a melted and watered-down mix of bubble gum and cotton candy, cut through with a…
Review: Sugarlands Eggo Blueberry Waffle Moonshine
Located along the main strip in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Sugarlands Distilling Company opened its flagship distillery in March 2014. Serious whiskey drinkers may know the company for the straight rye whiskey released under its Roaming Man label, but among the crowds that pass through its doors each year, Sugarlands is best known for an extensive lineup…
Review: Maison Wessman 2023 White Raven and 2020 Raven Blood
The pair of Raven wines we are trying today were made at the Maison Wessman winery in Limoux in southern France and are the result of a collaboration between winemaker Róbert Wessman and JJ Julius Son, lead singer and songwriter for the popular rock band Kaleo. Collaborations between celebrities and wineries aren’t new anymore, but…
Review: Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine III
To mark 25 years since its resurrection, Bruichladdich is releasing a new whisky, Yellow Submarine III, a companion to its similarly honorific Bruichladdich Old Skool (which we have not seen, sadly) and a follow-up, of course, to Yellow Submarines I and II (which we also have not reviewed). Bruichladdich’s Yellow Submarine series begin in 2005…