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Cocktail Hour - The Bar Blog

Archive for the 'Liquor Reviews' Category

Dos Luas Anejo Tequila

Monday, April 28th, 2008

Dos Lunas AnejoCinco de Mayo is just around the corner and the folks at Dos Lunas sent over a bottle of their award winning Anejo.

Dos Lunas Anejo is super-smooth, 100% natural ultra-premium tequila. It is double distilled and aged for eighteen months in Bourbon and New American oak barrels. The bouquet is sweet with a slight spiciness. On the tongue, the Anejo offers accents of warm vanilla and spiced plums. This a wonderful sipping Tequila.

Dos Lunas Anejo won the Gold Medal at the 2008 Agave Spirits Challenge in Cancun, Mexico.

Dos Lunas Tequila
more liquor reviews
Tequila Cocktails

Veev - Susutainable Acai Spirit

Saturday, April 5th, 2008

VeeV Veev is a spirit made from Brazil’s National fruit, the Acai (pronounced ah-SIGH-ee) berry. The acai is a packed with antioxidants, Omega3s, calcium, vitamin C & E and protein. The spirit also contains natural hangover cure, prickly pear and Acerola Cherry. Veev base spirit is hand crafted and column distilled from wheat.

Veev is a sustainable company that donates $1 from every bottle towards green initiatives. The product is 100% natural and is made from a 4 column distillation process that uses 200% less energy that a traditional pot still. Packaging is made from recycled materials and the the product is produced at Distilled Resources, the only distiller in America to get at leat 25% of is power from wind. The company supports the Sustainable Acai Project and the Rainforest Action Network and is active is a host of other environmental organizations.

The 60 proof spirit is slightly yellow with a sweet citrus scent. The taste is a bit sweet with hints of cherry, chocolate and citrus. It makes a great mojito and fine Martini. I like it with ice and Pelligrino.

Veev is currently available at stores and bars in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami.

Veev

more Green Cocktails and Spirits
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Stoli Blackberi

Tuesday, March 4th, 2008

stoli blackberi

One of the many product we had the pleasure to try in Vegas is Stoli’s newest flavor, Blackberi. I don’t think it is available yet, but trust me it will be worth the wait. I tried it over ice with soda, a what a delightful twist to straight vodka. As with many other Stoli flavors, the Blackberry flavor does not over power or taste too sweet. It is almost a essence of the fruit.

I am sure that Stoli Blackberi makes a wonderful Martini. Can’t wait for a whole bottle!

Stolichnaya

more liquor reviews

Pinky Vodka

Saturday, February 9th, 2008

Pinky is a new vodka from Sweden. Made by master wine tasters, it is a super premium vodka distilled 5 times. Pinky is then blended with 12 botanicals most notably wild strawberries, rose petals and violets. Each of these botanicals is distilled separately prior to being blended with the Vokda. This gives Pinky it’s name sake hue and vibrant flavor. Unlike other flavored Vodkas, the Pinky process yields a ton of flavor, but none of the sweetness that many have.

Dubbed by it’s makers as the World’s Most Beautiful Vodka, it makes a wonderful martini or simply straight up with ice and water. They have created some great cocktails that becoming real popular with the Hollywood club set.

Here are a couple made just for lovers.

Chocolate Pinky Valentini
Hibiscus Pinky Valentini

more about Pinky
peepculture by way of Bottle Watch.

Pinky Vodka is available here.

Canton Ginger & Cognac Liqueur

Tuesday, January 8th, 2008

Recently introduced to the US, Canton - Indochine Originale, is a modern interpretation Ginger infused elixirs created in French Indochina during the 19th Century. Canton is a super-premium ginger liqueur, hand crafted from an infusion of Cognac with rare baby ginger, ginseng, vanilla beans, and a touch of honey.

The bottle, made to resemble a bamboo stalk, is one of the more creative we’ve seen.

The nose is unmistakably ginger. It does over power, but I love it.

The taste is a sweet at first, followed with the sharp, spicy bite of ginger. It warms on the way down.

We made it in a martini, which was delightful. We used 2 parts Vodka and 1 part Canton. Just the right amount of spice to liven up the classic.

We also tried this great cocktail sent in by one of our readers, Heather. The Strawberry Ginger Martini combines Gin, Canton, Lime Juice and fresh Strawberries. Truly amazing.

Dale de Groff, in a recent interview, said “Canton is back on the market. It’s made in France, and it’s a ginger liqueur with Cognac. It’s fabulous, and I’ve been using it a lot already.”

We agree with Dale, Canton is a great addition to any bar.

Canton retails for $29 and is available in New York and LA.

more on Canton Liqueur (we couldn’t find a website)

Absolut 100

Wednesday, December 12th, 2007

absolut100.jpgOnly one word can be used to describe Absolut new 100 proof Vodka - Boozy. That’s what came to mind when we first cracked the bottle.

This entrant is the first Absolut product not packaged in a clear bottle. The makers wanted some mystery around the vodka, so they encased it in a impressive black bottle. With silver lettering, Absolut 100 is ready for a night on the town. Perfect for New Year’s Eve!

While the initial aroma demonstrates it’s strength, we found Absolut 100 is smooth as silk on the tongue.

Absolut 100 makes a surprisingly smooth Martini that comes with a touch of spiciness. However, this vodka shines in a mixed drink. Giving the basic cocktail that extra kick while not overpowering the drink.

Here are a few cocktail recipes from the folks at Absolut

Pumpkin Martini

Hauntini

and more vodka drinks
for more on Absolut 100

Pumpkin Liqueurs

Wednesday, October 31st, 2007

Every Halloween, I get a bunch of emails from people looking for pumpkin liqueur for their pumpkin martinis. Unfortunately, the only one around was Bols Pumpkin Smash and they stopped sending it to the US a few years back.

This year I finally have good news for Pumpkin lovers. Why? No less than 3 Pumpkin Liqueurs are now on the market!

Bols Pumpkin Smash - Yes! It is coming back to the US this month. Pumpkin Smash is a unique combination of pumpkin, spices and cinnamon.
(more…)