The recipe for Amaro Lucano dates back to 1894. Pasquale Vena was working in this family’s cookie bakery in Pisticci, a small town in Lucania, Italy, when he developed this special blend of 30-plus herbs and essential oils. Over the…
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Swift is a new single malt whiskey being produced in Dripping Springs, TX by husband and wife team, Nick and Amanda Swift. The twice-distilled whiskey is made from 100% Scottish malted barley and modeled after a traditional Speyside Scotch. The…
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The Facundo Rum Collection comprises four hand-blended sipping rums from Bacardi. We reviewed the entry level Facundo Neo, a silver rum, last year and found a lot to like. Next up in the collection is Facundo Eximo, a blend of…
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Mezcal Amarás is a new-to-the-United States mezcal that was just recently introduced by Anchor Distilling Company. It’s a collaborative effort, handcrafted by five master mezcaleros in the village of San Juan del Río in Oaxaca, Mexico. Mezcal Amarás is made…
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Teeling Irish Whiskey dates back to 1782, when a Teeling ancestor began distilling whiskey in Dublin. And though it didn’t operate continuously since then, that’s a fine pedigree on which to hang your hat. So the brand was revived in…
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St. Patrick’s Day is more than just leprechaun’s and green beer. It’s also about whiskey. Lots of whiskey. So this year, put down that beer and pick up a good St. Patrick’s Day cocktail. Here, we’ve got three. First up:…
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Hudson Valley Distillers sits on Spirits Grove Farm in Clermont, NY. Opened in April 2014, it’s a recent addition to the Hudson Valley’s craft distilling scene, which includes Tuthilltown Spirits (the makers of Hudson Whiskeys), Hillrock Estate and a handful…
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Yellow Spot Irish Whiskey is now available in the US market, which should excite fans of its sibling whiskey, Green Spot. The single pot still whiskey is matured in a combination of American bourbon, Spanish sherry and Spanish Malaga casks….
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For most of the last several decades, sherry has been relegated to grandmothers’ cupboards, cooking and sickly sweet cocktails. This was partially due to the influx of low price (and low-quality) sherry that dominated the US market for much of…
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Recently we had the opportunity to taste the brand new Woodford Reserve Rye Whiskey with the man who made it: Master Distiller, Chris Morris. In introducing the rye, Morris noted that he’s not actually a rye whiskey fan. He’s a…
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Some scotch whiskies date back hundreds of years and conjure images of old men wearing plaid kilts and sporting impressive facial hair. But SIA, a new whisky that’s distilled and blended in Scotland but based in San Francisco, looks to…
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Amaro Montenegro is a traditional amaro that dates back to 1885. It’s distilled in Bologna, Italy from more than 40 herbs and spices, and its bittersweet character is accented by orange peels. These days, amari are front and center in…
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They often don’t get the same national attention as bars in New York and San Francisco, but Texas cities are producing some of the finest bars in America. With a talented cadre of barmen representing Austin, Dallas, Ft Worth, Houston,…
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When you think rum, you probably don’t think New England. But maybe you should. Because in the 1700s, the colonies were importing several millions gallons of Caribbean molasses, which then became rum in New England’s 100-plus distilleries. Those distilleries are…
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Our love affair with Japanese whisky is a serious affliction. A serious, delicious affliction. And while we’ve sampled nearly every Japanese whisky that’s available stateside, this is our first brush with Hibiki 21. It comes on the heels of our…
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As the ball drops, countdowns begin and people start angling for their first kiss of 2015, do you really want to be drinking warm Champagne from a plastic cup? If your answer is yes, well, you’re probably a lot of…
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Fernet Branca gets a lot of attention in the craft cocktail scene, especially among bartenders. Less known is its sweeter, mintier brother–Branca Menta. Made with Fernet Branca as its base, Branca Menta retains that herbal character, but brings an added…
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Parce is a new rum brand that’s produced in Colombia by a father-son distilling duo. Parce currently offers two expressions–an 8 year old rum and a 12 year old rum. Both are distilled from three different sugarcane varieties and then…
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We’re sitting here with a bottle of Amarula Cream. It’s the second largest selling cream liqueur in the world, behind only Bailey’s, yet it’s not a common sight behind American bars. That might change though, as the brand looks to…
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Last month Old Forester announced the launch of their new Whiskey Row series, a lineup of whiskeys that highlight the brand’s significant milestones and production innovations over the course of its history. The initial release is called 1870 Original Batch,…
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