Review: Vavoom Vodka
So, I guess we have to talk about the bottle first. Yes, the design is of a woman, as if she was carved from a block of ice, and yes those are her breasts, as if they were carved from watermelons. If nothing else, it’s certainly fun to hold the bottle of Vavoom Vodka. Lift…
Review: 2017 Zocker Gruner Veltliner Edna Valley
Another Edna Valley offering, this is an unconventional wine made from an unlikely southern California grape — Grüner Veltliner from Edna’s Paragon Vineyard, where 15 acres of the varietal are grown. Zocker (“gambler” in German) presents itself as crisp, grassy, and laced with lime leaf — lightly perfumed with white flowers but finishing on a…
The Best Sweet Vermouth Roundup – 25 Bottles Tasted, 1 Winner
I swore off doing a monster roundup like this last time I did a big vermouth writeup — with 16 dry vermouths taste-tested and reviewed. Well, here am I again, facing a phalanx of sweet vermouth bottles that is even larger: 25 in total. Like dry vermouth, sweet vermouth was historically defined and categorized by…
Review: East Brother Pre-Pro Lager
Richmond, California-based East Brother‘s latest brew is called Pre-Pro Lager, not because it’s made for amateurs but because it’s made in a pre-Prohibition style, made with “an authentic recipe for East Brother Beer’s Pre-Pro Lager, using the barley and hops that most reflect the ingredients prevalent and used before Prohibition completely changed American brewing.” That…
Review: Remus Repeal Reserve Series IV Bourbon
For the fourth annual release of Remus Repeal Reserve, MGP decided to hit the market a little earlier this year. Past bottlings of this bourbon have made it to shelves starting on November 13 (George Remus’s birthday), but according to MGP, growing demand convinced them to move up the release date to September, which fittingly…
Recipe: Arnaud’s French 75
The French 75 is a classic cocktail made with gin, lemon juice, sugar, and Champagne, but way down yonder in New Orleans, Arnaud’s bar puts a delightful spin on the drink, replacing the gin with Cognac. I categorically prefer the NOLA version, and this week we’re presenting the drink as intended. You can play with…
Review: 2018 Baileyana Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Baileyana is a big producer in Edna Valley, which is centered on San Luis Obispo. It comprises a number of brands and sub-brands, which we’ll be writing about over the next few weeks. Let’s take a look at a pair of new releases from this cool climate producer. 2018 Baileyana Firepeak Chardonnay Edna Valley –…
Review: Kooper Family Rye and Sweetheart of the Rodeo Bourbon
Kooper Family Whiskey is a Dripping Springs, Texas-based distillery that we last visited in 2016 when we reviewed its (now discontinued) 100% Rye release. Today we take a fresh look at Kooper’s current lineup, which is built around a blended rye and straight bourbon. Everything is sourced, but much of the aging is done in…
