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).
Gordon & MacPhail is one of the most — if not the most — well-respected independent bottlers of Scotch whiskys in the world. Recently the company put out three young and inexpensive renditions of whiskys drawn from the casks of some major-name distilleries. Here’s how they stack up. All are 86 proof and, oddly, eight…
I’ve had this recipe, ripped from Imbibe Magazine, on my fridge for the better part of the year. Finally whipped a few up in recent days — and they’re quite tasty. The original recipe is noted here, but I recommend easing up on the St. Germain, maraschino, and honey syrup by at least 25 percent…
The folks at Compass Box make some unusual whiskys to begin with, but Orangerie is something unlike any other Scotch you’re likely to have tried: Take a Highland single malt whisky (from Fife) and add hand-zested Navalino orange peel, Indonesian cassia (cinnamon), and Sri Lankan cloves to it. Bottle the infusion and you have Orangerie,…
The folks at Rain — which makes vodka from organic white corn and distills it seven times — have recently expanded their lineup to four uniquely flavored vodkas. We got our hands on the complete lineup. All are 70 proof and flavored naturally. Rain Lavender Lemonade Vodka is a comparably mild concoction, but quite sweet…
Kahlua keeps expanding its product lineup, and the latest member of the Kahlua family is this limited edition bottling: Kahlua Coffee Cream 100% Arabica. The recipe is pretty simple: Kahlua liqueur mixed with real cream and bottled for your convenience. It’s slightly lower in proof than standard Kahlua — 34 proof vs. 40 proof —…
It takes balls to launch a new herbal liqueur these days. Bittersweet amaro-type liqueurs are not exactly part of a category which has bartenders and consumers jumping up and down, clamoring for more. But Art in the Age did it anyway, adding to their mixing bowls 13 herbs, spices, roots, and other ingredients — and…
Big thanks to all who organized and publicized WhiskyFest San Francisco. Had a wonderful time and was dazzled by dozens of whiskeys… and I hope to try them all in greater depth in the coming months (some of the spirits sampled at the show weren’t even “finished” with their aging and bottling). Bummed by the…
Yes Virginia, they make whiskey out of wheat. Not all wheat, mind you, but mostly wheat. While Scotch is made from malted barley and bourbon is made primarily from corn, Bernheim Original is the only known whiskey on the market to use winter wheat as its primary grain. To be sure, wheat is a grain…
Most tequilas try to trick you into feeling nostalgic with their fancy, old-school bottle designs, calligraphied labels, and rich histories. 901 says to hell with all that: This is a modern tequila with up-to-the-moment styling. (Curious why? This is a Justin Timberlake project. No, really.) The tequila, however, is indeed a classic experience. Available exclusively…
Don Roberto is a tequila that’s been made in Mexico since 1840. Now it finally arrives in the U.S., and the company had master mixologist Junior Merino on hand to talk teq (did you know: There are only 128 tequila distilleries in Mexico but over 1,000 tequila brands?) and mix up some delicious tequila cocktails…