Review: Luxardo Limoncello
Luxardo Limoncello was first advertised in 1905. A new formula with 25% more fresh lemon juice and essential oils from the peel of Sicilian lemons was released May 2010. Luxardo currently produces several spirits including Maraschino Liqueur, Sambuca, Amaretto, and Grappa. Girolamo Luxardo built the first Luxardo distillery in 1821 to produce Maraschino Liqueur. Today the sixth generation of the family is still active in the company. Read more 
Review: SpikedSeltzer Indian River Grapefruit
SpikedSeltzer Indian River Grapefruit is one of four hard seltzer flavors created in 2012 by Nick Shields in his Westport CT garage. Partnering with Dave Holmes the two launched SpikedSeltzer in 2013 creating the Hard Seltzer product category. Indian River Grapefruit is named for the Indian River Citrus District, a narrow strip of land on the East Coast of Florida stretching about 200 miles from Daytona Beach to West Palm Beach. 75% of Florida’s grapefruit crop is grown here. SpikedSeltzer Indian River Grapefruit is made from purified water and natural ingredients. Natural flavors are then infused. Read more
Review: Bribon Blanco Tequila
Bribon Blanco Tequila was created by Palm Bay International in partnership with Casa Don Roberto. This family has been making tequila since 1840 and opened this distillery in 1924. They currently also produce Don Roberto, Huizache, and the 88 Tequila brands. In Mexico a Bribon was a wildly charismatic and courageous man about town. Bribon Blanco Tequila is made from 100% Blue agave grown for 7-10 years and harvested by hand. Once harvested the agaves are taken to the distillery where they are cooked for 18 hours at 100 degrees Celsius and then shredded. The juice is fermented in tanks at a consistent 32 degrees Celsius using a proprietary yeast developed by Don Roberto. The tequila is double distilled utilizing a process that combines pot still distillate with column still distillate. Read more
Review: Redds Peach Ale
Redds Peach Ale was released in March. It is one of two Limited Pick Special Releases Miller-Coors has planned for 2017. They join Redd’s three year round flavors, Blueberry Ale, Rapsberry Ale, and their original Redds Apple Ale. Redds Peach Ale is available in 6 packs of 12 ounce bottles, 16 ounce cans, and the Redds 12 pack variety pack. Miller-Coors also produces the higher octane 8% Redds Wicked Ale. Combined these two Redds brands have produced 14 flavors. Redds promises a new Wicked Ale sometime this summer. Read more
Review: Azteca Azul Plata Tequila
Azteca Azul Plata Tequila is produced at Tequila Supremo, commercially known as Casa Camarena. I have also seen this tequila sold as Azteca Azul Silver Tequila. Owned by La Familia Camarena, the distillery was founded in 1938 by Augustin Camarena in 1938. This distillery also makes tequila for the Camarena, and Maracame brands. Azteca Azul Plata is made with 100% blue agave that is cooked and cooled in traditional brick furnaces in a process that takes 48 hours to complete. The distillery has developed a process known as Zero D which ensures the distillery emits no waste. Read more
Review: Redds Raspberry Ale
Redds Raspberry Ale was released March 2017. It is one of four ales currently featured on the Redds Apple Ale home page. I believe this is a year round flavor but Redds has had flavors come and go since the brand was launched in 2013. This division of Miller-Coors also makes several 8% alcohol flavored ales under the Redds Wicked Ale label. Raspberry is the 13th Redds variety I’ve sampled so far, and I will be posting my 14th Redds review later this weekend. Like all of their previously reviewed varieties, Redds Raspberry is brewed as a beer. Caramel color and natural flavors are then added. Read more
Review: Marble Gingercello Reserve
Marble Gingercello Reserve is one of four spirits currently produced at the Marble Distilling Co. A whiskey and bourbon are currently aging and will be available soon. The distillery is a family and friends owned business that includes a tasting room that features a marble bar, cut from two 9000 lb. blocks mined from the Yule quarry in nearby Marble Colorado. The bar back is made from bricks, from the historic stable originally built on this land. The distillery also has the worlds only inn housed within a working distillery. With a background in the pharmaceutical business, co-founder and head distiller Connie Baker attending distillery school at The Dry Fly Institute in Spokane Washington. Yes she transitioned from drugs to liquor. What’s next firearms? After graduating January 2011, she worked with her husband Carey to build the worlds only zero waste artisan distillery, on land she and friend Michelle Marlow had purchased as a long term investment. The distillery opened June 2015. The equipment used to craft their spirits is 100% American made. Marble Gingercello Reserve is made from a 60% ABV corn distillate. This spirit is redistilling in a 250 gallon Vendome copper pot still with vapor transferring through a botanical basket filled with fresh cut Brazilian ginger. There is macerated ginger in the belly of the still as well. The now 80% ABV ginger infused vodka rests for several weeks with lemons zested by hand. A light simple syrup made from beet sugar grown in Wyoming is blended with the ginger lemon vodka. The spirit is then rested in bourbon barrels once used to age Colorado Straight Bourbon at the Peach Street Distillers in nearby Palisade Colorado. Read more
Review: SpikedSeltzer West Indies Lime
SpikedSeltzer West Indies Lime is one of four hard seltzer flavors first produced in five gallon batches in founder Nick Shields garage. Nick’s Great Great Grandfather was Rudolph Haffenreffer who founded Haffenreffer Brewery in 1870. Now owned by Anhueser Busch the other SpikedSeltzer flavors include Velencia Orange, Cape Cod Cranberry, and Indian River Grapefruit. West Indies Limes are also known as Mexican limes and Key limes. Spiked Seltzer West Indies Lime is made exclusively from purified water and natural ingredients. Natural lime flavor derived from cold pressed citrus essence is then infused. Read more
Review: Three Olives Cucumber Lime Vodka
Three Olives Cucumber Lime Vodka was just released. Three Olives Fresh Watermelon Vodka was also launched. Cucumber is a surprisingly popular vodka with over a dozen cucumber flavored vodka’s already on the market. Lime is clearly cucumbers favorite dance partner as Three Olives is the forth cucumber lime flavored vodka. At one time Three Olives made over 30 flavored vodka’s. A lot of these flavors can still be found at major liquor stores. It is unclear as to how many of these flavors are still made, but the recently updated Three Olives website only shows 12 varieties. Read more
Review: Three Olives Fresh Watermelon Vodka
Three Olives Fresh Watermelon Vodka was just released along with their other new flavor, Cucumber Lime. At last count Three Olives had 32 flavors in their lineup. It is unclear as to how many are still made as their website no longer displays their available offerings. Three Olives Fresh Watermelon Vodka is made from English winter wheat and demineralized water from Lake Vyrnmy. It is distilled four times and triple filtered. The vodka base is shipped to Lawrenceburg Indiana where natural flavors and certified color are added. This is not Three Olives first watermelon flavored vodka as they released one in 2006. That version was made with imitation watermelon flavor. Read more