Book Review: The Drinkable Globe: The Indispensable Guide to the Wide World of Booze
Ever wonder how they drink in Panama? Finland? West Africa? Jeff Cioletti’s book The Drinkable Globe: The Indispensable Guide to the Wide World of Booze is the atlas you never knew you needed, a surprisingly thick guidebook that takes you on a fairly deep dive into spirits both familiar and wholly obscure. The book is…
Review: Hendrick’s Orbium Gin
Not content with being the self-described oddest gin on the block, Hendrick’s has upped the ante with a new, limited-edition expression that “reinterprets” its unique style. Hendrick’s Orbium is infused with additional extracts of quinine, wormwood and lotus blossom, giving it a significantly unusual character. “Orbium, the first-ever new Hendrick’s expression, is available in the…
Review: Veramonte 2017 Chardonnay and 2018 Sauvignon Blanc
Two new wines from Chile’s Veramonte, both summery whites, both very affordable. 2017 Veramonte Chardonnay Casablanca Valley – A surprisingly bright and well-rounded wine, this chardonnay features notes of lemon and peach, with a hint of apricot and some unusual, intriguing blood orange notes on the finish. It’s got a bounty of fresh fruit, with…
Review: Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Tasters’ Selection – Barrel Reunion #1
Last November Jack Daniel’s introduced its first experimental whiskey releases — ever. The two Tennessee Tasters’ Selection releases were both solid but unusual (to varying degrees), and a third release was promised to come down the pike in the near future. Now that third release is here, Barrel Reunion #1 (or Reunion Barrel #1, depending…
Review: Firestone Walker XXII Anniversary Ale
We’ve been fans of Firestone Walker’s Proprietor’s Vintage Series for a while now, but only recently did we get the chance to sample their Anniversary Ale. We’re clearly late to this party because they’ve already released thirteen of them! In 2006, on the occasion of their 10th anniversary, they started the tradition with the appropriately…
Review: Martini & Rossi Riserva Speciale Line – Ambrato Vermouth, Rubino Vermouth, and Bitter Liqueur
Martini & Rossi is a staple of the mass market vermouth world, and now the brand is moving upmarket with the launch of its Riserva Speciale line. The collection includes two vermouths — Ambrato Vermouth, a dry white vermouth, and Rubino Vermouth, a sweet red expression — and a red, bitter liqueur in the Campari…
Review: Mountjoy CBD Sparkling Water (2019)
Last year we reviewed a series of flavored sparkling waters from Mountjoy, notable because they are infused with 10mg of CBD (with a couple of versions infused with THC). Recently Mountjoy wrote to let us know they’d “refined their process,” and thus refined the finished product. Would we like to take a fresh look at…
Tasting the Wines of Cartograph, 2019 Releases
If you find yourself in the quaint town of Healdsburg on the northern end of Sonoma County, you’ll find the tasting room of Cartograph Wines in a primo spot just a block off the town’s lovely main square. Cartograph is a brand established by Alan Baker & Serena Lourie in 2008, and it’s been quietly…
