Plymouth Gin is the gin of the officers of the British Navy. While the enlisted men drank rum, the officers drank Plymouth Gin. Since 1793, Plymouth Gin has been produced in the town of Plymouth, England, a city located on the south-west coast of England. In fact, the pilgrims on the Mayflower took shelter from a storm there as they set sail for the new world. Maybe this is why they named their town Plymouth. Unfortunately form them, the Pilgrims didn’t shelter any Plymouth Gin on their voyage as the famous gin wasn’t distilled there until over 150 years later. …Read More

Italy has a long tradition of making spirits and liqueurs. However, you might not know it as Italy isn’t famed for their spirits or liqueurs. In fact, when you think of Italy and spirits, you probably think of Grappa. But, there is definitely more to Italian spirits than Grappa. One of them is called noisette, which are liqueurs that are made by soaking nuts in alcohol and then distilling part of the infusion again. Similar liqueurs are also made with rose, fruits and other florals. …Read More

I didn’t know much about Four Roses Bourbon other than that my friend Ingrid really, really likes it! We recently received a bottle of the Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon with the identification of Warehouse DS and Barrel 3-1I. Apparently, each of the Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon bottles come marked with their barrel identification and warehouse storage location. I thought that was pretty cool as bottles from different barrels can conceivably taste pretty different. It would be fascinating to track down a number of these bottles and do a taste test! …Read More

According to lore, Drambuie is fit for a King. In fact, it was allegedly invented by a Prince of Scotland who would have been King of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland if his insurrection has succeeded. We are speaking of Prince Charles Stuart, whose lineage included many of the Kings of Scotland and a few in England after the two countries united under James Stuart in 1603. In 1745, Charles sailed to Scotland and with the aid of the Scottish Highlanders, a fierce bunch of men, began their quest to retake Scotland for a “Scottish King”. During this period, there was much strife in England and Scotland. In Scotland, it was the Highlanders versus the Lowlanders, who had benefited the most from the merger of England and Scotland. The Highlanders wanted to be left alone with their Scotch and were no fans of the heavy taxes levied on their fine beverage. …Read More

Three Olives latest flavor should taste VERY familiar to most of us. If the name didn’t give it away, the bright and colorful “O’s” on the label should do the trick. It’s Froot Loop flavored vodka and although it sounds crazy, so did just about every other flavor of vodka that has become a staple behind the bar (think whipped cream, marshmallow, sweet tea). Three Olives themselves describe Loopy as “A dastardly delicious medley of tropical fruit and imported English vodka”. Dastardly delicious might just be the understatement of the year. From the tropical red berries to the strong scent of citrus, this one hits all the right notes to create a tasty vodka and completely emulate the taste/aroma of a fresh bowl of Froot Loops in the morning. Don’t worry, we wont think less of you if you break out the milk with this one but if your pour it in a bowl and try drinking it with a spoon, consider yourself judged. …Read More

When the flavored Martini craze hit in the late 1990′s, early 2000s, I was pretty excited. I really love Jolly Ranchers and the flavored schnapps reminded me of Jolly Ranchers. In fact, I used to joke that a Watermelon or Apple Martini was a Jolly Rancher for adults. Even thought the flavored Martini craze is supposedly now passe, I still love a good Watermelon or Apple Martini. We recommend you make up a pitcher to help the adults celebrate Easter. Here is our tasting note for the Hiram Walker Watermelon Schnapps: …Read More

Ketel One has a long and proud heritage.  It was started in 1691 in Schiedam, Hollland by Joannes Nolet and has been passed from father to son for over three hundred years.  We are looking forward to the day that it passes to a daughter as well given the increasing role of women in distilling and the industry.  Ketel One historically produced a dutch spirit genever, which reminds me of a cross between vodka and … Read more

In keeping with this week’s Mad Men theme, we are reviewing the Hiram Walker Creme de Menthe. Creme de Menthe was incredibly popular in the 1960′s and for good reason – it’s delicious. It makes me sad that we miss out on so much that is yummy and good by wanting to do the opposite of what our parents and grandparents did. I really think that we lose out on some truly delicious food and drink that way. Sometimes, we are rescued from the error of our ways by a glimmer through the vastness of time. That glimmer for the 1960′s is Mad Men. And, lucky for us, the fashion, the food and most importantly, the drink has come roaring back. …Read More

This scotch is the perfect spirit for beginning scotch drinkers. It expresses the essence of scotch with its soft nose and palate expressions of dried fruit and kernal flavors, such as toffee, with none of the intensity or smokey peat that may turn off beginning drinkers. This soft and approachable qualities also make it a great scotch to use in cocktails. The Glen Grant 10 Yr. Single Malt Whiskey also clocks at an entry level price at just under $40. …Read More

Today, in the heyday of the cocktail renaissance, there is probably more adored spirit than the Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur. This liqueur is it’s baby brother and while the two share the same DNA with the use of the sour marasca cherry, they are very different. The Luxardo Cherry Liqueur is similar to a cherry brandy. The juice of the marasca cherries are fermented and then aged in oak barrels, which gives the Cherry Liqueur a very different flavor profile than the Luxardo Maraschino. …Read More