Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey traces its roots back to 1757 and the founding of the Old Kilbeggan Distillery. That’s more than 250 years. For some perspective, in 1757 the British Empire was just establishing itself in India. America was a collection…
Read More
** This is the second post in a new series by Mack McConnell called West Coast Whiskey. Mack’s a contributing writer for Cocktail Enthusiast. When he’s not writing about whiskey, he’s probably drinking it. He also runs Taster’s Club Whiskey…
Read More
** This is the first post in a new series by Mack McConnell called West Coast Whiskey. Mack’s a contributing writer for Cocktail Enthusiast. When he’s not writing about whiskey, he’s probably drinking it. He also runs Taster’s Club Whiskey…
Read More
“Whisky, like a beautiful woman, demands appreciation. You gaze first, then it’s time to drink.” The words of one of my heroes, literary great Haruki Murakami. He’s a Japanese man who loves his Scotch. And he’s not alone. Ever since…
Read More
Until last week, I’d never met Irish poteen. Which makes sense, considering it’s only recently been legalized in Ireland. And I live in America. This spirit, that the Irish have been distilling for centuries, has only been available for commercial…
Read More**Editor’s Note: Please welcome Ian Reilly — bartender, writer and new Cocktail Enthusiast contributor. For his first post, we threw him into the fire. With Akvavit.** Let me start by addressing the uninitiated akvavit/aquavit drinker: this is one bizarre tipple….
Read More
Knockeen Hills Heather Gin is dubbed a “super premium” London Cut Dry Gin. It hails from England, but it’s produced with Irish whey distillate. And, it’s distilled five times. That’s nothing for vodka, but unusual for gin. More fun facts…
Read More
Monkey Shoulder Scotch Whisky is a bottle that’s caught our attention recently. Partly because of the odd name, and partly because it’s an interesting blend of three Speyside malts — Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Kinivie. Those malts are individually matured in…
Read More
Crown Royal recently unveiled the latest Crown Royal Extra Rare Whisky. The original Crown Royal XR was introduced in 2005, and its selling point was the inclusion of rare whiskey stocks from the now-defunct Waterloo Distillery. The new Crown Royal…
Read More
Tequila Revolucion makes a full line of 100% agave tequilas, including a silver, reposado, anejo, extra anejo and 100 proof expression. The brand traces its roots back to El Arenal, Jalisco, where the distillery was established in 1994. Tequila Revolucion’s…
Read More
In what’s been a busy year for the whiskey brand, Wild Turkey recently introduced Wild Turkey 81 Rye Whiskey, an 81-proof spirit that joins Wild Turkey’s flagship 101-proof rye. This follows last year’s release of Wild Turkey 81 Proof Bourbon,…
Read More
Captain Morgan Black Spiced Rum launched in April 2012 with a lot of fanfare. In addition to the very visible advertising campaign, the “darker, bolder” rum sports a higher proof and a more sophisticated package for an overall grownup feel….
Read More
Z Tequila is the product of Jose “Pepe” Zevada. As the story goes, he spent his career in the spirits industry working with brands like Jack Daniels, Sauza and Espolon Tequila, among others. It was during this time that, as…
Read More
Of all the bourbons we’ve been drinking this past year – for the record, there’s a lot of them – Bulleit bottles might be drained the quickest. For a number of reasons: 1) it’s good; 2) it’s moderately priced; and…
Read More
Rum is a fun category. Aside from the differences between aged and unaged, there are spiced rums as well as designations to denote from what the spirit is distilled. Rum is usually, but not always, distilled from molasses, which is…
Read More
Eagle Rare Single Barrel Bourbon is a 10-year-old straight bourbon from Kentucky. It is distilled and distributed by Buffalo Trace. Eagle Rare first hit the market in 1975 as a 101 proof straight bourbon, and since its inception has changed…
Read MoreA lot goes into producing Clase Azul Plata Tequila. First, the agave: the plants are matured for at least nine years before being harvested for distillation. From there, the agave hearts are slow cooked for 72 hours in traditional ovens…
Read More
Nolet’s Silver Dry Gin is crafted in Holland by the same family that brought us Ketel One Vodka. But the Nolet’s are not newcomers to the category, as the Nolet family has been producing gin since 1691. Nolet’s Silver is…
Read More
Greenhook Ginsmiths Distillery is a new Brooklyn-based outfit headed by gin aficionado, Steven DeAngelo. The company launched an American Dry Gin in February and will eventually be releasing a full line of small-batch, handcrafted gins. Greenhook Ginsmiths hopes to offer…
Read More
Caorunn Gin (pronounced ka-roon) is a small batch Scottish Gin produced at the Balmenach Distillery in Scotland’s Spey Valley. Caorunn builds on the standard gin botanicals – like juniper berries, coriander seeds, angelica root and citrus peels – with five…
Read More