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).
I’ve written a lot about Maker’s Mark — hell, I spent like half a day with one of the “Makers,” Rob Samuels — but somehow I never got around to actually writing about the bourbon they make. I’m not going to rehash the distillery’s history, but I will talk a bit about this phenomenally popular…
Thanks to new Mexican legislation, flavored tequilas continue to arrive, and Tanteo has two of the most intriguing concoctions we’ve seen yet (plus one already-familiar infusion). All 100% agave, these three tequilas add natural flavors to an 80 proof base, with curious results. All appear to use unaged blanco tequila as the starting point: Though…
This is an insane amount of work for a drink (and it’s barely a drink), but I absolutely love the presentation. This recipe for a reinvented (and alcoholic) BLT sandwich comes from Gina Chersevani. P.B.L.T. 1 oz Plymouth gin 1 cube of lettuce water 1 cube of tomato water Spray vinegar on one side of…
Who knew they grew potatoes on Long Island? Who knew they made vodka out of them? Crazy, yet here we are, with LiV Vodka — aka Long Island Vodka, 80 proof, all potato-based, and bottled in French glass. The flavor is unique. While it lacks a discernible nose, it’s got a huge rush of flavor…
Nothing about Oro de Oaxaca Mezcal screams “premium.” It’s got a cheap bottle (with plastic cap), primary-color logo, and mystery bag of “chile” attached to the neck (more on that in a moment)… and of course it’s also got a worm sunken to the bottom of the bottle. Ignore all that and tuck into a…
If nothing else, Casa Noble wins a prize for its gorgeous bottle design. Good thing for us: The company’s tequila — 100% blue agave, triple distilled to 80 proof, and (save the blanco) aged in French oak barrels. All are worth your consideration — all equally good in their own ways. Casa Noble Crystal (Blanco)…
Previously we’ve raved about three of Thatcher’s Organic Liqueurs, and now we’re about to rave about two more, so put on your happy hats. Thatcher’s Blueberry Liqueur is as simple as they come: Organic blueberry smashed into 30-proof oblivion. The flavor is clean and authentic, a berry bomb that is clearly sweet, unadulterated blueberry. It’s…
The Dominican Republic’s biggest-selling rum arrives in a new incarnation (well, new to the U.S. anyway): “Extra Viejo,” or “Extra Old.” This bottling is a blend of older rums — no age statement is given — but age is certainly in mind when one sips this spirit. Deep brown in color, the nose is immediately…
The world is awash in $30 vodkas. It takes serious cojones to price what is supposed to be a flavorless, clear spirit at more than twice that. At $73 and up, The Diamond Standard Vodka is one of the most expensive vodkas on the market (though there are pricier ones). Calling itself “fashion you can…
The Cognac Ferrand brand doesn’t just sell its cognac on its own, it also mixes the spirit with fruit infusions to create cognac-based liqueurs. We tried the company’s Orange XO, one of five liqueurs the company sells. For starters, this is a dark, 80-proof spirit that’s in the Grand Marnier family (not the Cointreau/triple sec…