Our love of Wild Turkey 101 is something we have no shame about. At $20ish a bottle, it delivers enormously consistent and powerful flavors without breaking the bank. While there is the lower proof 86 offering, there up market bottle, Wild Turkey Rare Breed Bourbon is far more interesting. Coming in at 116.8 proof, this […]
Few drinks are so well known as the Rum and Coke. Made with two ingredients, this drink is known by practically every bartender and cocktail enjoyer on the planet. Just by naming it, you can make it. But would you believe that the origins of this cocktail go back to the early 1900’s in Cuba? […]
Perhaps few bottles suffer so greatly from both hype and barrel variation as Henry McKenna Single Barrel. Amongst the bourbon lovers, Mckenna is notorious for consumers greatly enjoying one bottle, and then being disappointed in the next. While there are a variety of possible reasons for this, including actual differences in production and what the […]
Orgeat (pronounced or-zhaat[american] or or-zsa [french]) is a sweet syrup made from almonds, sugar, and either rose water or orange blossom water. Originally made from barley, it was used as a shelf stable substitute for milk. While you can make your own, there are numerous commercial, high quality options available, such as Small Hand Foods […]
Our first run in with Hampden Estate Rum Fire Overproof Rum was at the amazing Porco Lounge & Tiki Room in Cleveland, OH. If you haven’t been, you simply must go. The drinks are well crafted, the staff entertaining, and the collection of tiki memorabilia is tops. While Porco’s is amazing, the moment Rum Fire […]
While Maker’s Mark FAE-01 was all about the flavors involved in barrel extraction, Maker’s Mark FAE-02 focuses instead on texture. To do this, Maker’s Mark instead used French Oak (leading to more vanilla that is typically associated with French oak, compared to the banana and spice from American). Using new techniques, Maker’s double heat treated […]
The Emperor’s New Groove* is one of our favorite movies, While thematically it isn’t really a Halloween movie, the villainess, Yzma, is “scary beyond all reason”. The plot follows the self centered ruler, Kuzco, who soon into the film, decides to let Yzma go. Instead of taking this news in stride, Yzma plans to take […]
A chill has settled in the air and candy is lining the shelves in every store. That can only mean that it’s almost time to don our costumes and prepare to roam the streets for free candy! If you need something to help you get through the chill, endless miles of candy trekking, or that […]
A part of Maker’s Mark’s Wood Finishing series, Maker’s Mark FAE-01 is their spring expression for 2021, and the latest in a line of annual releases focused on unique aspects about Maker’s Mark. Sometimes affectionately referred to as the “license plate” series due to their name, the 2021 releases chose to focus on unique elements […]
Unsurprisingly, for our wedding we wanted to share our passion for cocktails with our family. While I love bourbon and rye, my wife has a penchant for tequilas, rum, and Tiki inspired drinks (even after the wedding, we went to Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room and Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto). As such, we wanted something with […]
When I originally purchased this bottle (back before the packaging changes), I thought this was Knob Creek’s regular bourbon offering. After taking a picture of it, I realized that I had purchased Knob Creek Smoked Maple. Unable to return liquor in the state of Ohio, I did what anyone would do. I opened it. So […]
Plantation Xaymaca Special Dry is a 100% Pot Still Rum, and aims to show off the traditional rum funk of 19th century rum. The rum is an aim to return to the original aspects of Jamaican rum. With access to both “Long Pond” and “Clarendon”, this rum is a dream of Alexandre Gabriel, the master […]