As some of you might remember, my last experience with an r/Bourbon pick was a bit, well, unaligned with my palate. Since then, I enjoyed their Old Elk Wheat pick (“Bullwinkle” as my father calls it) but also had received a subsequent sample of a pick from a high profile brand that I was left […]
In Jerry Thomas’ 1887 The Bar-Tender’s Guide (or How to Mix Drinks) he details an improvement to his originally published Whiskey Cocktail (published in 1862 and 1876). The cocktail takes a very reminiscent old fashion and tweaks it with Maraschino, more bitters, and absinthe. The results are more impressive than you might think, and create […]
Rum starts lower than bourbon when it comes to cost, so finding reasonable rums for cocktails at under $20 isn’t a huge stretch. We’ve previously expressed our fondness for Plantation’s other offering, Plantation 3 Star. Slightly up the chain from a cost perspective, and with significantly more aging, is their Plantation Original Dark Rum. Sliding […]
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof was one of the first bourbons that captured my attention in a way that I felt the need to try to obtain a bottle of it. The reviews discussed soaring notes of caramels, brown sugar, toasty oak, and amazing desserts. They spoke as though the burn doesn’t exist, and that it tastes […]
Found in Boothby’s World Drinks in 1934, the Frisco hails from just after prohibition and is named after the established cocktail community. The resulting drink is a simple, strong, and elegant. A simple two part drink, this one is easy to make, and only requires Rye and Benedictine to make. Frisco Frisco 1 ½ oz […]
When someone told me that George Dickel Rye Whiskey was an amazing rye at $20, I was skeptical. I bold this, because most people associate Dickel with a particular flavor of minerality that is occasionally construed as ‘Flintstone’s Vitamins’. This doesn’t sound like the kind of thing you’d want in a Fancy Free or […]
Our final bottle (for now) as we travel through Barton’s 1792 series is 1792 Full Proof. Where as the small batch comes in at 93.7 proof and the Bottled In Bond is an obvious 100 proof, the Full Proof tips the scale at a whopping 125 proof. This additional proof should result in additional flavor, […]
We’re now less than a month from Mardi Gras, and you might be starting to think about ending dry January. If you’d like to switch up your Sazerac this year, why not consider a De La Louisiane? Originally from Famous New Orleans Drinks, this Manhattan cousin adds some flair with the addition of absinthe and […]
While almost all gin is clear (or lightly colored if aged), there are a handful of exceptions. Amongst them is damson / sloe gin. This variant is made with a variety of native plums, known as sloes or damsons (Prunus Damascena). While these are technically related to plums, they fell out of popularity compared to […]
We’re continuing on in our exploration of 1792’s bourbon with 1792 Bottled In Bond. Distilled in one season, this bourbon is bottled at 50% A.B.V. and has spent a minimum of four years in a government bonded warehouse. Age aside, the biggest step up from their Small Batch is the additional 6ish proof points. So […]
Originally appearing as a variation in The Savoy Cocktail Book, the modern Greyhound Cocktail evolved from a variation mentioned below the Grapefruit Cocktail. It was described as follows: The following Cocktail, although apparently harmless, is sometimes liable to be snappy. It is a variation of the Grapefruit Cocktail. Take three and half glasses of Gin […]
We love El Dorado 3, it remains our go to lightly aged rum for making drinks. We’ve also gushed about their 12 as well. In between these offerings are two very reasonably priced offerings, El Dorado 5 and El Dorado 8. Aged at least 5 years, this rum promises to offer darker sugar notes in […]