Review: Black Band Vodka
Black Band Vodka is crafted at Black Band Distillery in Peoria Illinois. They also produce a Gin, Bourbon, Rye, Whiskey and Coffee Liqueur. Peoria was once hailed the whiskey capital of the world. Prohibition ended that. Peoria native and principal distiller Chris Ober began studying Peoria’s history of distilling and researching different distillation and fermentation processes in 2006. He acquired a century old building in the historic warehouse district of Peoria in 2017. Construction began in 2018. In 2020 whiskey production began. Black Band Distillery opened their doors the Spring of 2021 and now includes a farm to table restaurant and cocktail bar. Along the way Chris attended courses on distillation at Kothe Distillationstechnik, and Siebel Institute of Technology for Craft Distilling. He also worked a one on one apprenticeship with Master Distiller Robert Birnecker at Kovel Distillery in Chicago. Black Band Vodka is crafted from 100% Warthog wheat on a 5000L Kothe Hybrid Still. Read more 
Review: Truly Wonderworld Hard Seltzer
Truly Wonderworld was just released. It has been 4 months since Truly has released a new mix pack. In hard seltzer years that’s equal to about one year. A quick glance at the Truly web page shows this is one of nine Truly brand, 4 flavor Mix Packs. The others include Truly Berry, Citrus, Tropical, Lemonade, Iced Tea, Punch, Margarita, and Vodka Seltzer. Each of the four new flavors are a two fruit blend made with filtered water, alcohol from cane sugar, less than 2% real fruit juice from concentrate, and natural flavors. Truly and White Claw continue to dominate the hard seltzer market but sales have slowed and they have both introduced flavored vodka’s. Truly also released Truly Vodka Seltzer. Truly Wonderworld shows Truly has not forgotten that hard seltzer helped carry Boston Beer Company for several years as sales of some of their other brands including Sam Adams slowed. Read more
Review: White Claw Mango Vodka
White Claw, the worlds best selling hard seltzer is now available as a vodka. No not a vodka seltzer, not yet anyway, but a vodka that is available four ways. Unflavored and in three flavor varieties. Mango is said to be the second most popular hard seltzer flavor so it’s no surprise one of White Claws flavored vodka’s is Mango. White Claw Mango Seltzer was introduced to the world in it’s own individual flavor pack when White Claw only had five flavors. The other four were sold together in White Claws first variety pack. Before long White Claw added a second variety pack and Mango was included as one of the four flavors. Mango was also included in White Claw’s third variety pack. Passion Fruit recently replaced Mango in Variety Pack 2. Peach the 13th and newest White Claw flavor is only available in a single flavor six pack. Does this mean a 4th White Claw Variety Pack is on the horizon? Fingers Crossed. White Claw Mango is made from a 100% American Corn vodka base. It is distilled five times and filtered three times through charred coconut shells at a pressure of 6000 pounds per square foot. This is the same power exerted by a 30 foot ocean wave. Natural mango flavor is infused before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Acre Largo Tequila Blanco
Acre Largo Tequila Blanco was launched in 2022 by Portland Oregon natives Seth and Zac Longaker. The brothers attended college in San Diego and fell in love with Mexico. After college they opened Odd Ball Shoes in Portland 1997 selling shoes size 14 and over. The pair both over 6 foot 6 found it hard to find shoes to fit their feet. On a visit to source leather dress shoes in Mexico they came up with the idea to launch their own tequila brand. After several trips to Mexico visiting distilleries, agave farms, and estates they connected with the Lopez sisters and their mother at Destileria Hacienda La Esperanza. This 5th generation family owned distillery just outside Jesus Maria Mexico currently produces tequila for 7 brands including Herencia Mexicana, and U4RIK. Acre Largo in Spanish translates to Long Acre, in case you were wondering how the Longaker brothers came up with their tequila’s name. Acre Largo is made from agave sourced from the distilleries 3000 acre estate and natural spring water. The spirit is open air fermented and double distilled in stainless steel stills. The tequila rests in stainless steel tanks before bottling. Read more
Review: Copper Crow Whey Vodka
Copper Crow Whey Vodka is crafted at Copper Crow Distillers in Bayfield Wisconsin. Copper Crow is the first native American owned distillery in the US. The distillery was established 2016 by Linda and Curt Basina. Both are members of the Red Cliff band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Curt a retired Wisconsin State Trooper is the distiller. He also makes a wheat vodka, gin, and rum. Copper Crow Whey Vodka is made through a partnership between the University of Wisconsin Stout in Menominee and Copper Crow Distillery. It is made from Wisconsin whey, a by-product of the cheese making industry. The whey is sourced from Burnett Dairy in Grantsburg Wisconsin. It is distilled in small batches and then continuously filtered for 24 hours. The spirit is cut with well water from a Lake Superior aquifer. Read more
Review: Bare Bone Vodka
Bare Bone Vodka was founded by Justin McColgan who was a president of a Napa Winery for over ten years. One day he challenged his friends that he could make the best vodka in America. Eighteen months and 82 batches later Bare Bones was launched. Inspired by bourbon, Bare Bone is made from a two grain mash bill of Texas grown corn and wheat. The corn spirit is distilled six times and the wheat spirit three times. The spirits are blended and reduced to proof with locally sourced triple distilled water then triple charcoal filtered before bottling at 80 proof. Read more
Review: Los Arango Tequila Blanco
Los Arango Tequila Blanco was originally crafted and gifted by an agave field worker to Pancho Villa after he helped defeat the ruling class in the Mexican Revolution. Pancho was so impressed with the quality of the tequila he asked the Master Distiller to put his family name on the bottle. Pancho Villa was born Jose Doroteo Arango. Infinium Spirits revived the brand in 2018. It is one of three tequilas crafted at Tequilera Corralejo. Corralejo and Quinta Penas are the other two. Los Arango is made from 100% blue weber agave harvested after 8-10 years of growth in Guanajuato Mexico. The trimmed pinas are slow cooked for 38 hours in adobe clay ovens followed by a 12 hour rest. The juice is fermented with a specifically formulated yeast developed in house. The spirit is double distilled in a Charentais still before hand bottling in a hand blown bottle. Read more
Review: Vita Coco Spiked with Captain Morgan
Vita Coco Spiked with Captain Morgan was just released. It joins a crowded field of canned cocktails including brands made by Malibu and Bacardi. The Captain Morgan name should make it easy to gain shelf space. Captain Morgan parent Diageo has enjoyed success creating canned cocktails for several of their brands including Crown Royal, Smirnoff, Ciroc, Ketel One, and Tanqueray. As the name would suggest it is made with Vita Coco the best selling coconut water brand, and Captain Morgan the worlds number one selling spiced rum. Vita Coco Spiked is sold in individual flavor 12 ounce 4 packs. Three flavors are available, Pina Colada, Strawberry Daiquiri, and Lime Mojito. Each 12 ounce slim can weigh is with 5% alcohol and 145 calories. By comparison one can of Bacardi Rum Punch tips the scale with 5.9% alcohol and 273 calories, Malibu Pina Colada 7% alcohol and 335 calories. Read more
Review: Carolans Peanut Butter
Carolans Peanut Butter was announced January 24, National Peanut Butter Day. It will only be available in the US market with a release date early in February. Carolans Peanut Butter is made with Original Carolans Irish Cream as a base. That base is made with farm fresh cream, Irish Whiskey, and naturally harvested honey. No additional ingredients are included on the Carolans Peanut Butter press release but the bottles label states it does not contain peanuts. Carolans is made by Heaven Hill Brands. Heaven Hill produces dozens of brands including Deep Eddy and Burnetts Vodka, Lunazul Tequila, Evan Williams, and Larceny Bourbon and Christian Brothers Brandy. While R.A. Merry Co. produces a Peanut Butter wine based Irish Country Cream under several labels including McGraths, O’Reillys, and Sheelin, Carolans is the first peanut butter flavored Irish Cream liqueur. Read more
Review: White Claw Vodka
White Claw Vodka was just released. It is made from 100% American corn. It is distilled five times and then filtered three times through charred coconut shells at a pressure of 6000 pounds per square foot. The equivalent power exerted by a 30 foot ocean wave. It is bottled in Bardstown Kentucky. They also released a Pineapple, Mango, and Black Cherry flavored vodka. Why has Mark Anthony Brands launched White Claw Vodka? Well there are several reasons why. First, this is not Mark Anthony’s first spirit brand. They already produce BEARFACE Canadian Whisky, Glendalough Irish Whiskey and Irish Gin, and they own Dillon’s Small Batch Distillers. With over 150 brands of hard seltzer on the market today White Claw has seen their market share reduced to 52% and the total market size is not growing like it used to. Finally market research found 50% of White Claw Hard Seltzer drinkers also drink vodka weekly, and 77% of them mix vodka with hard seltzer. So why not produce a vodka your core audience can enjoy mixed with their favorite ice cold can of White Claw. Read more