Rated C
Reviews of spirits, wine, and beer (and various errata like mixers and garnishes) comprise more than 80% of the content at Drinkhacker. At the C level, products are considered common and lackluster at best. These products are almost never recommended, as better alternatives abound. On a five-star scale, these products would score 2 stars. On the traditional 100-point scale popular with many wine and spirits graders, these products would merit scores of 72 to 74 points.
As the holidays approach, cocktails will continue to get sweeter and sweeter, which means folks will be increasingly reaching for the Baileys, Kahlua, and chocolate-flavored liqueurs for their celebratory tipples. We’ve covered a number of Austria-based Mozart‘s choco-centric liqueurs over the years, but not these two, a coffee-meets-chocolate expression and a daring white chocolate offering.…
Read More
King Robert II is a budget Scotch brand that got a relaunch last year from its owners at Ian Macleod. Now available throughout the U.S., three expressions are on tap — a non-age-statement “treble cask” edition, a 12 year old, and a 15 year old. (We’re reviewing the first two today.) Some details: The brand…
Read More
Laneta’s website features but a single page and many images, all of which are overlaid with text. The most striking of these images features a farmer harvesting agave. “The Truth,” it proclaims, followed by a description of how the absurdly beautiful bottle and its faceted base were inspired by the toil and craft of tequila…
Read More
As I slowly continue the journey of organic erosion and cognitive decline we all inevitably face, I find my tastes occasionally regressing, drifting back to various points of origin. Sometimes it is out of necessity as to what is being served, but there are times when it’s to find out just how much my palate…
Read More
Today we dive into three very different beers from Boston’s Harpoon. No need to prolong the prologue. Let’s dive in. Harpoon Juicer Hazy IPA – Straightforward but dead-on perfect for the style, this concoction of Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy, and Azacca hops is made using a “unique brewing technique called ‘dip hopping,’ where the hops are…
Read More
Non-alcoholic spirits and other beverages continue to raise their profile, and a new brand called Tilden is taking the bottled cocktail approach toward NA, offering two ready-to-serve offerings in 750ml bottles, designed for enjoying over ice. We tasted both expressions and have some opinions to share. Tilden Tandem – A wild combination of savory and…
Read More
Summer sipping on the beach, the patio, or the tailgate now affords a dizzying array of ready-to-drink cocktail options to meet all tastes. On the lighter side, we’ve got Vaqit, a simple line of vodka-soda drinks with a low alcohol content of only 4%. These drinks are squarely designed for health-conscious people who want to…
Read More
Our friends at Indiana-based Sun King are back with a huge load of new beers, this round heavy on IPAs and, oddly, beers built around caramel of some sort. You’ll see what we mean as we dip into the specifics. Let’s crack open some cans. Sun King Surf Lessons IPA – Sweet, almost syrupy at times,…
Read More
Made by Master Distiller Stella Anguiano and fronted by pop star Rita Ora, Próspero Tequila first became available in 2019. Female distillers, particularly of tequila, are rare, but Stella Anguiano has paid her dues. She has been making tequila for over 30 years, including working at the Orendain family distillery for 20 years. Próspero tequila…
Read More
Today we delve in to a handful of wines from Georgia — the country, not the state — mostly comprising indigenous grape varieties you’ve never heard of. Two of the wines in the mix are amber wines, which is essentially the O.G. version of modern orange wine — made with white wine grapes, aged on…
Read More