Review: Dented Brick Craft Gin
Dented Brick Craft Gin is made using a cold maceration process where the highest quality botanicals including juniper berries, coriander, fennel, citrus peel, and angelica roots are stepped in cold high-proof grain spirits made from 100% corn. The spirit is then re-distilled to clarify the genever, and brought to proof using pure artesian limestone filtered water that starting as snowmelt from the Wasatch Mountains in Utah. The water is sourced from a 300 foot deep well. Dented Brick Craft Gin is one of four spirits in their premium line of well spirits. Read more 
Review: Bud Light Seltzer Cocktail Hour
Bud Light Seltzer Cocktail Hour was released April 25, 2022. This is a limited release seltzer that will be sold through the summer. As the name would imply this is Bud Light’s cocktail inspired hard seltzer. This appears to be a relaunch of last years, Bud Light Seltzer Out of Office variety pack. This year’s Cocktail Hour variety pack has the same flavors with the exception of Tropical Punch replacing last years Mango Mai Tai. Each of the four flavors found in this 12 can variety pack weigh in with 100 calories 5% alcohol, 0 sugar, and 2 carbs. Like the other Bud Light seltzers the Bud Light Cocktail Hour flavors are made from a cold fermented cane sugar alcohol base with natural flavors, and malted rice. Each flavor of Bud Light Seltzer Cocktail Hour also contains sucralose. Read more
Review: Suzies Organic Hard Seltzer Beach Pack
Suzies Hard Seltzer was launched July 2020 by Chris Barhyte. They currently produce three variety packs of hard seltzer including their Beach Pack, Mountain Pack, and Suzies Loaded Hard Seltzer pack, their higher octane cocktail influenced seltzer that tips the scales with 9.5% alcohol. Today we are reviewing Suzies Beach Pack. Suzie’s starts with water sourced from the Blue Mountains of Northeast Oregon. The water is carbonated, and blended with organic alcohol from organic cane sugar and flavor specific organic natural flavors. Each 12 ounce slim can weighs in with 100 calories and 5% alcohol. Read more
Review: Warrior Peanut Butter Cup Whiskey
Warrior Peanut Butter Cup Whiskey was launched May 2020 by former vet Rich Clemson and his wife Mary. They sold their business, Pasta USA, in 2006 and instead of retiring they looked for their next challenge. Their previous business gave them several grain based connections so the decided to start crafting spirits. By December 2017 they were producing vodka and gin at their Liquid Brands Distillery, built in a 7500 square foot renovated warehouse in East Spokane Washington. They currently produce 22 spirits including several whiskey’s, vodka’s, and gins. The whiskey base is made from locally sourced corn grown in Palouse Hills Washington. Once distilled in their custom build still the whiskey rests in new American white oak barrels. Natural flavors are blended before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: San Juan Seltzer Pacific Northwest Variety Pack
San Juan Seltzer was inspired during a girls weekend at founder Katy Enger’s family home in the San Juan Islands. Their first flavor was launched June 2018. It is crafted in the former Schooner Brewing Company building on 1st Ave. South in Seattle. San Juan Seltzer is made from a cane sugar base with natural fruit essences, natural flavors, and natural organic acids. Each 12 oz. slim can weighs in with 4.2% alcohol, and 85 carbs. San Juan Seltzer also produces a Spiked Punch, Spiked Lemonade, and Seltzer Cocktails variety pack. Read more
Review: Milagro Reposado Tequila
Milagro Reposado Tequila was launched in 1998 by college friends and Mexico City natives Danny Schneeweiss and Moy Guindi who shared a passion for tequila. Working with Master Distiller Pedro Juarez they created the Milagro brand. William Grant & Sons acquired the distillery and brand in 2006. Milagro is made from 100% blue agave grown in the Highland region. The timmed pinas are slow roasted for 36 hours in traditional brick ovens. Once cooled the pinas are shredded and pressed. The juice is fermented for 36 hours in stainless steel tanks. The spirit is distilled in a pot still and then a column still. Once complete the tequila rests in American oak barrels for 2-4 months before bottling. Read more
Review: Truly Poolside Mix Pack
Truly and Grammy award winning pop singer Dua Lipa have partnered in creating Truly Poolside, a Limited Release summer cocktail inspired hard seltzer scheduled to splash down at your favorite beverage store May 15, 2022. While we initially sat on the sidelines when it came to reviewing cocktail inspired hard seltzers, the people have spoken. Truly and A-B have releasing new cocktail inspired hard seltzer variety packs. Several other have already released their hard seltzer cocktails. A-B’s has actually released two mix packs. So we felt the time was right to jump in the hard seltzer cocktail pool. We will jump in again next week to review Bud Light Cocktail Hour. Truly Poolside is made from a sugar alcohol base with the usual cast of ingredients including filtered water, stevia sweetener, and natural flavors. Read more
Review: Topo Chico Ranch Water Hard Seltzer
Topo Chico Ranch Water Hard Seltzer was released January 2022. It joins a growing list of ranch water hard seltzers now numbering over 20 brands. Some of these ranch waters are made by brewing companies such as Dos Equis and Modelo. Some are made with tequila like Cantina and Painted Donkey. Texas is home to nearly a dozen brands, but ranch water is far from being just a Texas thing. Waterbird Ranch Water is made in Virginia, Cutwater Ranch Water in California, Arizona Ranch Water in Arizona, and Agave Twist Ranch Water is made by Great Lakes Brewing Company in Cleveland Ohio. With so many companies producing a canned Ranch Water hard seltzer it was a little amazing none of the biggest hard seltzer brands had created their own. Until now. Topo Chico is produced by Molson-Coors the maker of Vizzy and Topo Chico Hard Seltzer. Since the original ranch water cocktail is made with three ingredients blanco tequila, lime juice, and Topo Chico mineral water, I wonder why it took so long for them to join the party. Read more
Review: El Mayor Reposado Tequila
El Mayor Reposado is made from 100% blue weber agave estate grown for 8-10 years at 7500 feet above sea level. El Mayor was relaunched in the US in 2007. It is crafted by third generation Master Distiller Rodolfo Gonzalez. The hand picked trimmed agave is chopped and slow cooked for 24 hours in an autoclave oven. Once cooled the pinas are gently crushed by a millstone to release the juice. The agave nectar is fermented with a proprietary yeast in stainless steel vats and double distilled in a copper lined pot still. The tequila then rests for 9 months in American oak barrels for 9 months prior to bottling. Read more
Review: Astral Blanco Tequila
Astral Blanco Tequila was recently released by Diageo. If the name sounds familiar it was previously owned by Davos Brands who sold their portfolio which included Aviation American Gin, Astral Tequila, Sombra Mezcal, and Tyku Sake to Diageo for up to $610 million August 2020. Diageo not only changed bottle designs they have also changed distilleries moving production from La Cofradia to Mieles Campos Azules. Mieles Campos Azules only produces one other brand of tequila. Kendall Jenner’s 818 tequila. The new Astral Tequila Blanco weighs in at 80 proof. The original version was bottled at 92 proof. Astral is made from 100% blue Weber agave. Few production details have been revealed but the cooked pinas are crushed with a traditional stone wheel tahona. The agave fibers normally discarded are used in the fermentation. It is double distilled in copper pot stills. The spent agave fibers, “bagazo”, are used to make adobe bricks that will be used to create new places for people to gather in local communities in Mexico. Read more