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).
Read any bar menu and you’re likely to find at least one cocktail containing 10 Cane Rum. Why’s it so popular? Let’s explore. For starters, unlike most rums, which are made of molasses, the 80-proof 10 Cane is made from pure, pressed sugar juice. Though it’s technically a white rum, it’s also aged in oak…
Did you know: It was illegal to distill vodka in Switzerland until 1999? A vestige of World War II, when it was felt inappropriate to turn grain, in short supply, into booze instead of bread. (Though, if I had my druthers, I know what I’d give up.) Xellent was the first — and so far…
Bartender Don Lee won $1,500 for this cocktail as part of a contest sponsored by Averna, a bittersweet amaro that is tricky to make cocktails out of. It intrigues me. La Cola Nostra 1 oz Averna 2 oz Ron Zacapa Centenario 23yr .75 oz Lime Juice .5 oz Simple Syrup .25 oz St. Elizabeth Allspice…
It’s like east coast vs. west coast all over again. From O2 Sparkling Vodka‘s press release: O2 Sparkling Vodka, patented in 2003 after over 2 years of research and development, has been a top seller in Europe since 2002 and launched in the USA in January 2008 with great success. Dr. Dre has recently announced…
Today is Mexican Independence Day. (Independence from Spain in 1810, Einstein.) That means you should be drinking tequila right now. Or at least a Pacifico. Alas, I’ve but one bottle of tequila in the Drinkhacker review queue, and it’s not exactly something you’re going to want to suck down til dawn. Sorry. Anyway, you read…
If you’re looking for major names in absinthe, they don’t get much bigger than Pernod. The company started making absinthe in 1792 (which earns it the title of the “original” absinthe producer) and was the biggest brand of absinthe up until the 1915 ban. After that, the company moved to Spain and continued to make…
Somewhere between Drambuie and Almendrado lies Agavero, the curious tequila liqueur in the distinctive bottle. Agavero is a blend of 100% agave tequilas (both reposado and anejo) to which Damiana flower essence is added. (If that sounds familiar it’s because Damiana is also the namesake of the eponymous herbal Damiana liqueur, something I use liberally…
Tequila makers sure do like naming their spirits after multiples. Perhaps less fanciful than most is Dos Manos (two hands), which is in keeping with its rather humble nature. Though 100% agave (though reportedly there are mixto versions available, too), Dos Manos is not nearly as smooth and layered as many ultra-premium tequilas we review…
OK, there’s no getting around it. AsomBroso comes in a bottle that can be described only as, well, unique. Never have I heard so many comments directed at the uniqueness of a bottle at Drinkhacker HQ. And in case you’re curious, the base is old-style glass but the stopper is plastic. Putting aside the bottle,…
“Fusing more than 500 years of tradition with advanced technology” brings us Sagatiba Pura cachaça, another big entrant into the rapidly proliferating cachaça craze. Sagatiba is a largely representative example of the spirit, 80 proof, fairly clean and noticeably sweet when sipped straight. There is citrus — lemon/lime and a bit of orange — on…