Stephen Allison
Champagne and Sake are two beverages that youâd think wouldnât have much in common, but Heavensake proves otherwise. Founded by Piper-Heidsieck cellar master, Regis Camus, Heavensake fuses Champagneâs art of blending, and penchant for marketing flair, with the Japanese craft of sake brewing. The result aims to solve one of sakeâs biggest hurdles in the…
Read More
In April, we featured an article decoding Ginjo to get you started on your sake journey. One takeaway is that Ginjo sake can be seen as a ânewâ style because the technology needed to brew it, most notably the machines that can polish rice below 70%, were not widely adopted until about forty years ago.…
Read More
We have long had online wine clubs and beer clubs, but sake? Tippsy, which launched in November 2018, is quickly positioning itself to be the USâs major online sake retailer and yes, online sake club. Is the quality of the service and sake worth the monthly cost? Drinkhacker was sent Julyâs box for a tasting.…
Read More
On July 11th, Budweiser introduced its new limited-edition Harvest Reserve lager. While the standard Bud is a blend of malt and rice, this new offering is 100% malt roasted longer for a richer flavor. Does it compare favorably to the standard Bud? Letâs taste and find out. To start with, the beer simply looks better.…
Read More
While Pinhook is based on young MGP distillate, it’s expanding fairly dramatically as it positions itself as an inexpensive alternative on the premius shelf. Its 90.5-proof “Bourbon Country” bottling is becoming popular, and now Pinhook has released its first cask strength version of the whiskey. Will it pull ahead of the competition? Letâs taste and…
Read More
Late last year I went shopping at one of the USAâs only sake specialty retailers, True Sake in San Francisco. When I mentioned that my favorite sake is Takasagoâs Divine Droplets Junmai Daiginjo I was told some unpleasant news: 2018âs batch would be the last one. Devastated, I emailed importer Vine Connections looking for answers.…
Read More
I am delighted to be reviewing a Brooklyn Brewery beer for two reasons. One, after more than thirty years in the business the brand is finally distributing in my home state of California. Second, master brewer Garrett Oliver is a little bit of a hero of mine. If it werenât for his brilliant book The…
Read More
Back in December of last year Drinkhacker covered the Hopsy Home Draft system, earning a respectable B+. The conclusion was that the machine was of high quality and succeeded in its mission of providing a beer-bar draft experience at home, however it was not without flaws. Now, only months later, Hopsy is proud to introduce its…
Read More
Schafly Beer, Missouriâs largest independent craft brewery, is no stranger to experimentation. Their line-up includes unusual creations such as a Coconut Creme Ale and a Blonde Ale brewed with cocoa and coffee beans. With the Summer months fast approaching Schafly kindly provided a sample of their pink Raspberry Hefeweizen for review. Let’s dig in. Right…
Read More
Troegs Independent Brewing, founded in 1997 by Chris and John Trogner in Pennsylvania, has created something special with this new sour ale. As a sour brewed with lactobacillus, coriander, and sea salt, Boysenberry Tart Ale is made decidedly in the Gose style. Gose originated in the Middle Ages in the town of Goslar on the…
Read More