Review: Blackland Vodka
Blackland Vodka is a grain to glass vodka crafted with locally grown Texas wheat. It is distilled in Fort Worth Texas on a custom built still made in The Netherlands by iStill. The distillery opened its doors 2019 and they currently also produce gin, bourbon, rye whiskey, and Texas Pecan Brown Sugar Bourbon. Founder Markus Kypreos started his career as an attorney and later graduated from the Culinary School of Fort Worth. He is also a certified sommelier. The Blackland Distillery is named for the Blackland Prairie that runs from the Red River to the North and San Antonio to the south. Head Distiller Ezra Cox had brewed beer and distilled spirits for 25 years including crafting spirits at his own Ezra Cox Distillery in Washington prior to joining the Blackland team. Read more 
Review: Buena Fe Organic Quencher
Patty Baer and Andrew Bushby were looking for a cleaner organic cocktail alternative, to what they refer to as the “hangover in a can” spiked seltzers on the market today. They spent 8 months searching, blending, and batching until they came up with Buena Fe Mango Pineapple and Buena Fe Watermelon Strawberry Organic Quencher. Buena Fe translates to “good faith”. Each 12 ounce slim can is made with a 100% organic blue weber agave blanco tequila base crafted at Tequila Galindo. This distillery also produces the El Luchador, and Galindo brands. The tequila base is blended with organic fruit juice, sparkling water, a touch of organic agave, and organic natural flavors. It is sold in individual flavor 4 packs and is currently available in Kansas, Michigan, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. Next up is Washington, California, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New York. Read more
Review: Yave Tequila Blanco
Yave Tequila Blanco is crafted from 100% agave grown in both the Highland and Lowland region, a proprietary yeast, and water naturally filtered through thousands of feet of porous lava rock. Joe Cruz Jr. a New York native with over 25 years in the beverage alcohol industry building spirit brands for others decided to create and build his own brand. He partnered with Destiladora del Valle de Tequila to craft Yave tequila. This distillery currently produces 163 brands of tequila including Cincoro, Hussongs, Nosotros, Los Azulejos, and Siempre. In addition to a blanco expression they produce Yave Reposado, and several flavored tequilas including Yave Mango, Yave Jalapeno, and Yave Coconut. Read more
Review: Upstate Vodka
Upstate Vodka was just released. This is not the same 90 proof version of Upstate Vodka previously released. Upstate is farm to bottle craft distilled at Sauvage Distillery in Charlotteville New York, from 100% New York State grown apples, by Head Distiller Ken Wortz. 70-80 apples are needed to produce 1 bottle of Upstate Vodka. Once the juice is extracted from the apples it is fermented with Kosher Champagne yeast and twice distilled in 16 and 18 plate two-column stills. Only one state produces more apples than the state of New York, and with over 700 orchards in New York it should come as no surprise Upstate Vodka is made from apples instead of grain. Upstate Vodka is currently available at select New York and Connecticut liquor stores and it is available to purchase online and ship to 30 states from Sauvage. Each bottle is numbered and dated. My bottle is from batch 1, bottle number 7768. Read more
Review: Zarpado Tequila Blanco
Zarpado Tequila Blanco is crafted from 100% blue agave grown in the mineral rich soils of Los Valles of Jalisco. Zarpado is one of several wine and spirit brands owned by Latitude Beverage. Steel Dust Vodka, Wheel Horse Whiskey, and Copper & Cask Whiskey are a few of the other brands. Zarpado is produced at Cavas de Don Max, a Becherano family owned distillery in Las Pintas Jalisco. Unlike some tequila distilleries that produce dozens of tequila brands Zarpado is one of three brands made there. The others include Cantera Negra, and Mano a Mano. The hand selected agave is slow cooked, fermented in a steel tank, and small batch double distilled in Alembic stills. Read more
Review: Beach Road Coconut Rum
Beach Road Coconut Rum is crafted at Paradise North Distillery in Green Bay Wisconsin. While Green Bay Wisconsin is not exactly where you might picture a beach, much less a place where coconut rum is produced, Green Bay Wisconsin does have a beach on Lake Michigan, and the distillery is located on Bay Beach Road. Tom Feld opened The Paradise North Distillery in 2021. They currently produce several rums, vodka, and whiskey. Beach Road Coconut Rum is made from their Beach Road Silver rum base distilled from domestically sourced black strap molasses, and raw can sugar. Natural coconut flavor, and pure cane sugar are blended before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Petoskey Craft Hard Seltzer
Petoskey Craft Hard Seltzer is crafted at Petoskey Brewing Company in Petoskey Michigan in an old brewery first built in 1898. Back then it was used to brew Petoskey Sparkle Beer until 1915. Since closing in 1915, the brewery served as retail shops, a warehouse, and a goat barn. Patrick Dowd and Lou Gostinger completely renovated the building and in 2012 they opened Petoskey Brewing Company. Petoskey Craft Hard Seltzer is made with Michigan artesian spring water and 100% natural ingredients. It is sold in three flavor six packs and each 12 ounce can weighs in with 110 calories and 5% alcohol. Read more
Review: Wild Common Tequila Blanco
Wild Common Tequila Blanco was founded by Andy Bardon, a National Geographic photographer and former mountain guide. Wild Common is crafted by Master Distiller Salvador Rosales Trejo, nick named ” Chava” at Tequila Cacahuin with 100% blue Weber agave cultivated in the Jalisco valley. The trimmed pinas are slow roasted for 72 hours in small 12 ton brick ovens. After cooling for 24 hours the agave is crushed in a traditional 2 ton stone tahona and roller mill. The extracted juice is naturally fermented with natural yeast from agave fibers. The spirit is distilled twice in small stainless and copper pot stills and non chill filtered with nothing added prior to bottling at 84 proof. Read more
Review: Quirk Raspberry Rocket Pop
All right I will admit it we were trying to review Quirk Raspberry Rocket Pop hard seltzer before July 4th. After reviewing 5 other bomb pop hard seltzers we had hoped to review Quirk Raspberry Rocket Pop and then post a bomb pop hard seltzer feature including our thoughts on all six bomb pop flavored hard seltzers on the market today. Two things happened, first we didn’t get our hands on a can of Quirk Raspberry Rocket Pop hard seltzer until after July 4th, and then we found out there were at least 4 other brands of bomb pop hard seltzer yet to review. Oh well millions of people enjoy bomb pops all summer long so its not like we are reviewing a candy cane flavored vodka the day after Christmas. Quirk Raspberry Rocket Pop is one of 13 hard seltzers crafted by Boulevard Brewing Co. and the only one not currently available in a 4 flavor 12 can variety pack. It is only available in individual flavor 12 packs. Read more
Review: Cascahuin Blanco Tequila
Cascahuin Blanco Tequila is crafted at Tequilera Cascahuin a fourth generation family distillery founded by Salvador Rosales Briseno in 1904. Cascahuin translates to Hill of Light referring to the nearby hills in El Arenal known for attracting lightning. This is one of three Cascahuin blanco tequilas. The others include Cascahuin 48 a 96 proof tequila and Cascahuin Tahona Blanco Tequila a 84 proof tequila made with agave crushed by a tahona wheel. This distillery produces several other brands including Tequila El Rey, Revolucion, Siembra Valles, Wild Common. Cascahuin Blanco tequila is made with 100% blue agave grown in the Lowland region. The agave is brick oven roasted and distilled in a steel and copper alambique stilll. Read more