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.
It’s typical for a spirit company to describe its product as “smooth,” a meaningless term that is typically used to describe spirits that don’t burn the throat. Actually putting the term on the label is something else entirely. What makes Seagram’s bottom-shelf Vodka “extra smooth?” It’s hard to say without tasting, because Seagram’s notes only…
Weed fever is running wild in California, which is why we have products like Sonoma County-based Mountjoy, a cannabis-infused sparkling water available in various flavors (with no alcohol). Launched late last year, Mountjoy Sparkling originated as an infusion for CBD (the non-psychoactive compound in cannabis), with each 16 oz. bottle containing 10mg of cannabidiol. Recently,…
With its velvet labels and funky scripting, first impressions of Big Smooth wine mainly run to raised eyebrows and tempered expectations, even though it is part of the Don Sebastiani & Sons empire. Made from grapes grown in Lodi, the wine is actually produced and bottled in Napa. We tasted both expressions available from the wine’s 2015…
Evans Brewing sent more of its offerings for our consideration. We tasted them all from 16 oz cans, but they’re available in bottles of various sizes, too. Evans Brewing Co. Son of a Beach Blonde Ale – This foamy blonde ale is bursting with lemon notes, something like a shandy on steroids. Honestly it doesn’t…
Charleston Distilling is a South Carolina-based craft distillery that takes a farm-to-bottle approach to all of its spirits, starting with South Carolina-grown corn, rye, wheat, and millet that are milled at its own millhouse in Summerton, South Carolina, and then distilled at its operation in downtown Charleston. Its whiskeys are aged in new, charred oak…
This year, Mendocino-based Fetzer celebrates its 50th anniversary, marking, as it says, “50 years of pioneering leadership in sustainable winemaking.” And, I would add, building a legacy of low-cost wines “for everyday enjoyment.” To mark the occasion, Fetzer is releasing one of its most iconic wines — its California Cabernet — in a special bottle…
Irvine-based Evans Brewing Co. bills itself as “Orange County’s oldest craft brewer,” and by all accounts the company has seen impressive growth since its 1994 opening, especially in recent years. Recently the company sent us three of its brews (out of many) to check out, representing some of its most popular offerings. Let’s take a look…
Hardly the first name in high-end wine, Barefoot has made a major name for itself in the world of wines served exclusively at baby showers. But seriously, the number of wines this mass producer is churning out is incredible, and today we look at no fewer than six of them, none priced above $9.99, including…
The big new trend in home cocktailing? Powdered cocktail mixers that give you a true “just add booze” method to cocktail crafting. Taking a cue from the Crystal Light model, Minute Mixology comes in a box of single-serve packets designed to dispensed directly into a glass, with the addition of the appropriate liquor, ice, and…
Is canned wine a thing? Yes. Is canned wine necessarily a good thing (as it has been for beer)? Not really. The latest entry into this burgeoning field is Backpack Wine, which comes in picnic-friendly one-and-a-half serving cans, four to a box. What’s in the can? Who knows!? This trio of low alcohol, nonvintage wines…