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).
Founded in 2014 in the Indianapolis area, West Fork Whiskey Co. has steadily grown into a presence in the Indiana spirits scene. Today, the distillery operates out of a modern facility in Westfield, just north of Indianapolis, which houses their distilling operations, a full-service restaurant, and an event space. Like many up-and-coming craft distilleries, West…
Cinco de Mayo, celebrated on May 5, commemorates the Mexican army’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. While it is a minor holiday in Mexico, it has become a major celebration of Mexican culture in the United States. What better occasion to enjoy cocktails that highlight Mexican agave spirits? Mezcal offers…
Yeyo has long been a solid tequila that refuses to release anything other than a blanco expression — or to go away. After a 2010 launch, the brand vanished, then was revived in 2019 at the same distillery. Now, finally, a new expression of Yeyo is on the market — and it’s not an aged…
Tennessee-based Chattanooga Whiskey has some out-there expressions as part of its long-running Experimental Single Batch Series, but experiment #42 may be the wildest of the series so far. The details: Made from a 5-grain mash bill, this finished whiskey was made with four varieties of malted rye, including a cherrywood smoked malted rye and a…
Mara Smith, a former Chicago attorney, launched the Inspiro Tequila brand in 2021. As a lover of tequila, Smith felt it was difficult to know which tequilas on liquor store shelves were truly additive-free, which is a growing concern amongst tequila consumers and which continues to draw controversy. The additive-free tequila movement faces issues from…
Just a short drive from Seattle, situated in the heart of western Washington wine and whiskey country, Woodinville Whiskey Co. has carved out a name for itself with its bourbon and rye. Known for a hands-on approach and a commitment to local sourcing, the distillery has catered to whiskey lovers with both its flagship expressions…
Wild Turkey recently made headlines for launching an odd line extension: An age-stated version of its standard Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon, with 8 years old proudly noted on the label. It’s particularly odd because standard Wild Turkey is said to be drawn from barrels between 6 and 8 years of age, so an 8 year…
OK, who’s Barry? He’s Barry Berish, the former chairman and CEO of Beam — and a friend of Fred Noe. Berish died last year and this batch of Booker’s Bourbon honors his memory. Here’s some detail on what’s in the bottle: “Barry’s Batch” is made up of barrels from four production dates that were aged…
Dingle has been an up-and-coming Irish whiskey for years, and now it’s finally come into its own with the launch of Dingle Samhain, the inaugural release in its Wheel of the Year series. Truth be told this whiskey dates back to 2022, only we’re just now getting access to it at Drinkhacker. It starts off…
Maker’s Mark’s Wood Finishing Series continues with 2025’s The Keepers Release, a direct follow-up to last year’s The Heart Release, named in honor of the “keepers” of Maker’s Mark — the folks that work in the rickhouses monitoring the aging of the whiskeys. The stave finishing here is simple: 10 virgin toasted American staves go…