Spirit Reviews

Caorunn Highland Strength Gin, Speyside, Scotland

1 min read

This is a serious gin. For three reasons. First because the aroma immediately envelopes you in another time and place:...

What We’re Drinking – Gonzalez Byass “La Copa” Vermouth

David Honig

Features Spirit Reviews Wine Reviews

1 min read

Cocktail lovers, take heed. This new sherry-based vermouth from Gonzalez Byass is going to give you something to shout about. It's a revival of the 19th century La Copa vermouth, made from 8-year old Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherries, with wormwood, clove, orange peel, nutmeg, angelica and quinine. The orange peel has Read More

Milwaukee’s Bitter Brews: A Cocktail Tour

W. Blake Gray

Features Spirit Reviews Spirits

5 min read

Milwaukee is so famous for beer that its baseball team is named the Brewers, and a guy used to slide into a vat of beer every time one of them hit a home run. Laverne and Shirley ran for seven years, into the early '80s, featuring two women who capped bottles in Read More

Monday’s Martini – A Clockwork Monkey

David Honig

Spirit Reviews

1 min read

Monkey 47 is not your typical London Dry Gin. If you want to think London think Malcom McDowell's Alex, raging through a futuristic London in the first 20 minutes of A Clockwork Orange. Barely recognizable from just hints of juniper, it's pounding milk-plus and doing ultra-violence, with Beethoven from its home in Germany Read More

Monday’s Martini – Dry Fly Washington Gin

David Honig

Spirit Reviews Spirits

1 min read

It's Monday again. I got through it. How about you? Let's celebrate. Today we're going to start with Dry Fly Washington Gin, a delightful offering from Dry Fly Distilling, in Spokane, Washington. It's a lovely gin, intensely fruity, with berries taking the front seat to traditional juniper. Too much vermouth, Read More

Monday’s Martini – Principe de los Apostoles Mate Gin

David Honig

Spirit Reviews Spirits

1 min read

Juniper? Of course, but that's not what drives Principe de los Apostoles Mate Gin. It's the peppermint, the eucalyptus, and yerba mate, used in traditional Argentine tea, that makes this go. The peppermint and eucalyptus take the lead, but a silky chocolate lingers on the finish. Turning this into a Read More

Monday’s Martini – North Shore Distiller’s Gin No. 6

David Honig

Spirit Reviews Spirits

1 min read

Today's martini started with North Shore Distiller's Gin No. 6. It's a lovely gin, a bit off-dry, with juniper that gives way to Valencia orange and honeysuckle. We went through 9 different vermouths, and a few more combinations, before hitting on the preferred recipe to match this gin. North Shore Read More

Monday Martini – American Bluecoat

David Honig

Spirit Reviews Spirits

1 min read

Monday. The toughest day of the week. So we're going to top them off for a while with martinis, Monday Martinis. What is a Monday Martini? First, of all, it's a martini. That means it is made with gin and vermouth. There won't be any stories about perfect moonbeams, or Read More