Spirits
Spirits are beverages made by the process of distillation. The “Spirits” category is not commonly used at Drinkhacker because the vast majority of reviews we publish fall into this category. It is used only occasionally to help organize our category list (and mainly gets clicked by accident).
“Amarno” is not a typo. Rather, it’s a clever portmanteau of amaro and, well, no, part of the growing N/A amaro space. Dr. Zero Zero is a “100% Italian” product, and it refreshingly includes all of the ingredients on the label, which include water, sugar, extracts of sage, quassia, wormwood, Chinese rhubarb, orange, and caramelized…
When it comes to American whiskey, the world’s attention naturally gravitates toward Kentucky. Bardstown, Kentucky, proudly carries the title “Bourbon Capital of the World,” and with good reason — Kentucky has long been the epicenter of bourbon production, steeped in history and tradition. Yet, just a few hours north, a quieter but no less impressive…
Here’s a funny origin story. Waterloo Gin got started in 2009 at Texas’s Treaty Oak distillery, and it was sold by them until September 2024 when it was spun off from Treaty Oak and sold to John Paul DeJoria’s spirits company. DeJoria is a big deal in spirits, having previously purchased the Patron brand and making…
If you binge watch Drive to Survive and wake up unusually early on Sunday mornings for car races halfway around the world, you may have noticed recently that more and more spirits brands, many of the whisky variety, are partnering with Formula One. Last year, ahead of the first ever Grand Prix in Las Vegas,…
Finishing casks — also known as secondary maturation — have become a hot trend in the American whiskey industry. With the seemingly endless variety of cask-finished options now on the market, it can feel like this has always been the norm. However, the practice is relatively recent. The first commercially released finished American whiskey dates…
The final release in Wild Turkey’s incredible Master’s Keep series is here, ending a run of whiskeys that began in 2015 and culminates with Beacon, a selection of two bourbons blended together, one picked by Master Distiller Eddie Russell and one by Associate Master Blender Bruce Russell. Per the company: Master’s Keep Beacon is a blend…
It is almost hard to believe that boutique Scotch blender Compass Box has been with us for a quarter century. To celebrate their 25th anniversary, they recently released a commemorative edition of Flaming Heart, one of their earliest expressions and a bottle that helped put the Compass Box name on the whisky world’s radar all…
Bhakta Spirits, known for its rare whiskeys and Armagnacs, is moving into another spirits category, and this one’s a curious choice: Calvados, aka French apple brandy. Its inaugural bottling of Bhakta 1989 Pays d’Auge Calvados is its first-ever single varietal Calvados offering. Only 3 barrels are being turned out. Some details: Distilled in Normandy’s prestigious…
The Lemon Hart & Son rum brand gets its curious name from the nickname of the brand’s founder. Lehman “Lemon” Hart transformed his grandfather’s German-based rum import business into a blending powerhouse in the later 18th century, eventually becoming the first official supplier of rum to the British Royal Navy in 1804 (for the 150…
Founded in 2013 with a vision to revive Maryland’s proud — but nearly forgotten— rye whiskey tradition, Sagamore Spirit set out on a path few dared to tread. Backed by one of Under Armour’s original architects of hustle, Sagamore approached rye whiskey with the same grit and performance mindset that built a sportswear empire —…