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).
Smokeye Hill appeared on our bourbon radar seemingly overnight. The buzzy new brand that launched last year takes its name from a rugged Arizona cattle ranch famous for bootlegging during Prohibition. Owners Hazelwood Spirits Company have family ties to the land, but they chose to produce their bourbon in Indiana and Colorado. The bourbon is…
Founded by James Montero and crafted in partnership with fifth-generation Master Distiller Jimmy Villalobos Sauza, Cachasol may be a new tequila brand hitting the market, but it has a lot of experience behind it. It also has some cool innovation. To begin, it is 100% natural, made entirely without additives or sweeteners. I actually found…
The pros at The Whisky Exchange recently began sending regular releases of some of their most recent stock, all exclusives that are available only in its stores and on the TWE website. We’ve got a huge collection of new releases that have dropped over the last few months, including lots of single malt Scotch, some…
Misunderstood Whiskey Co., which began in a kitchen in Montclair, NJ, by two whiskey enthusiasts looking to create a whiskey that could be enjoyed by drinkers who don’t drink whiskey neat and those who don’t drink whiskey at all. They hoped that by creating a line of infused whiskey, they could bring more people into…
Millions flock to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, drawn by the majestic beauty of the Smoky Mountains and, for many, the enticing world of moonshine distilleries. Finding a pour is easy in this bustling town, with Sugarlands Distilling taking center stage on “the strip” as a prime destination. Most who step inside are content with their diverse moonshine…
For the fourth time in recent memory, Scotch distiller Bowmore and car maker Aston Martin have teamed up for a whiskey release. And in this instance, both the age statement and the price tag are among the highest ever for a spirit reviewed on Drinkhacker. Bowmore ARC-54 is a 54 year-old single malt, originally distilled…
The Hugo Spritz, made with the beloved French St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur in replacement of a traditional Italian bitter or sour liqueur, was created by local bartender Roland Gruber. There were several iterations as Gruber searched for a liqueur to use that wasn’t bitter; one early iteration featured a lemon balm liqueur until in 2007 when…
Irish whiskey brand Proper No. Twelve has been busy of late. At the end of 2024, owner Proximo Spirits dropped founding celebrity Conor McGregor, the UFC champion whose past misdeeds are apparently too toxic for a whiskey affiliation but not toxic enough to keep him from the Oval Office. The times we’re living in, folks.…
Our last encounter with Venezuela’s Ron Diplomatico Single Vintage expression was its 2007 release — though that release hit the market only a couple of years ago. Now Diplomatico is back with a follow-up from 2013. As is common with its rum releases, this is a blend of three different distillates, drawn from column, pot, and…
We don’t hear a lot from Oban, arguably the most boutique distillery in Diageo’s impressive Scotch stable. Its core offerings include only three expressions, not counting an annual Distillers Edition and the occasional one-off release, lately as part of Diageo’s Limited Edition line. When I visited the distillery last year, I was told that it…