Review: Jim Beam Bourbon Cream
Jim Beam Bourbon Cream was launched October 2021. Beam is not the first bourbon cream on the market, and to be honest, with all of the flavored whiskies Jim Beam Bourbon makes, I’m a little surprised they took this long to produce a bourbon cream of their own. It is made with a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey base. The bourbon base is made from a secret mix of corn, rye, and barley malt. The spirit is aged in brand new charred oak barrels. Beam does not include an age statement for this bourbon or an ingredient list on the bottle. Jim Beam Bourbon Cream also does not yet appear on their website or Facebook page. Read more 
Review: Central Waters Hard Seltzer
Central Waters Hard Seltzer was introduced May 2021. It is made in Amherst Wisconsin. In 1996 friends Mike McElwain and Jerome Ebel bought an old brick building in Junction City Wisconsin. They cleaned and restored it then installed used dairy equipment retrofitted for brewing beer. Paul Graham started working at the brewery in 1998. In 2001 he bought out the original owners. Today Central Waters Brewery produces 7 year round beers but they are best known for their barrel-aged beer. They recently opened Central Waters Milwaukee Pilot Brewery and Taproom in the former Captain Pabst Pilot House located in a historic 145 year old building on the original Pabst Brewing Complex. Central Waters Hard Seltzers are made with carbonated water, alcohol from sugar, natural flavors, and citric acid. Read more
Review: Solento Organic Tequila Blanco
Solento Organic Tequila Blanco was released in 2019. Solento translates to slow sun. Filmmaker Taylor Steele partnered with the Montes family in crafting this tequila at Tequila Las Americas. The Montes family has over 60 years of experience making tequila. Some of the other brands created at this distillery include, 123 Organic, 4 Copas, Don Abraham, Dos Artes, El Sativo Organic, and IXA. Solento Organic Tequila Blanco is made from organic single estate agave grown for seven years in Amatitan. The hand trimmed agave hearts are slow cooked for two days in stone ovens. Once cooled the juice is extracted and fermented naturally, then double distilled. Read more
Review: Fennellys Tropical Colada Irish Cream Liqueur
Tropical Colada is one of ten Fennellys Irish Cream liqueurs sold at Total Wine and More stores throughout the US. The others include Original, Apple Pie, Salted Caramel, Almond, Strawberry, Dreamy Light, Cappuccino, Peppermint, and Chocolate Mint. Robert A Merry & Co. makes well over a dozen brands of Irish Cream liqueur including the Fennellys brand in Tipperary Ireland. While it may seem unfair to call Fennellys a discount Baileys copy cat brand, Fennellys is less expensive than Baileys and nine of the ten Fennellys flavor varieties were already made by Baileys before Fennellys introduced theirs. Read more
Review: Big Sky Spiked Seltzer
Big Sky Spiked Seltzer was first introduced May 2019. It is produced by Big Sky Brewing Company in Missoula Montana. They developed 20-30 adult seltzers before selecting the four flavors found in their 12 can variety pack. Big Sky was founded by Neal Leathers, Bjorn Nabozney, and Brad Robinson. They brewed their first batch of beer, Whistle Pig Red Ale June 1995. Today they produce several beers including Octoberfest, Hazy IPA, Huck It, Summer Honey, Space Goat, Big Sky IPA, Powder Hound, and Moose Drool Brown Ale. Big Sky Spiked Seltzers are made with pure Montana water, a dextrose alcohol base and natural flavors. Read more
Review: Texas Vodka
Texas Vodka is one of several vodka brands sold exclusively at Trader Joes stores. It is made in Texas from 100% corn, distilled 6 times, and comes with a plastic twist cap, leaving little doubt who they want to be compared with. When the vodka first appeared at Trader Joes it was labeled TX Vodka. The brand is owned by Dynasty Spirits. Dynasty Spirits was founded in 2010 by Devin Dell. Dynasty produces Painted Donkey Tequila, and several brands of vodka including Tower, Column 5, Green House, Stil, and Townes. Dynasty also created the Nue Vodka product line until they sold it to Southwestern Spirits. Read more
Review: Straight Shooter Juicy Dill Pickle Hard Seltzer
Shiner Beer has just released Straight Shooter Juicy Dill Pickle Hard Seltzer. Shiner first entered the hard seltzer market August 2020 with the release of their four flavor hard seltzer variety pack. Since then they have added a Lemonade Hard Seltzer variety pack and Tall Tails a cocktail inspired hard seltzer variety pack. While some may be surprised at the creation of a dill pickle flavored hard seltzer I stopped being surprised at any flavor when Jones Soda released a Turkey and Gravy flavored soda in 2003. It sold out in two hours and was followed up with the addition of Mashed Potatoes and Butter, Green Bean Casserole, Wild Herb Stuffing, Brussels Sprout, Salmon Pate, and Broccoli Casserole flavored sodas. Juicy Dill Pickle sounds tame compared to those flavors. All Shiner hard seltzer’s are made from a cane sugar alcohol base. Straight Shooter Juicy Dill Pickle is made with real dill pickles from Brew Master Jimmy Maurics family recipe with natural flavors including distilled white vinegar. Read more
Review: Brightonwoods Apple Brandy
Brightonwoods Apple Brandy was introduced May 2019. Unlike E&J and Christian Brothers who make their apple brandy from a grape base, Brightonwoods Apple Brandy is distilled entirely from Brightonwoods Orchard apples. With over 200 heirloom apple varieties Wisconsin’s Brightonwoods Orchard is the perfect source for their apples. Brightonwoods Apple Brandy is crafted at Great Lakes Distillery in Milwaukee Wisconsin. Great Lakes Distillery was Wisconsin’s first new distillery to open since Prohibition when Guy Rehorst opened the doors in 2004. Only one Wisconsin distillery returned after Prohibition, First National Distilling went back to distilling gin for a brief period until they realized producing yeast was more profitable. They changed their name to Red Star Yeast and they are still making yeast today. Great Lakes Distillery currently produces Vodka, Gin, Rum, Whiskey, Liqueurs, Absinthe, and Brandy. In crafting Brightonwoods Apple Brandy a few carefully selected apple varieties are distilled using a custom Arnold Holstein copper pot still. The brandy is then aged for over two years in new charred oak barrels, and used bourbon barrels. The brandy is not chill filtered prior to bottling at 90 proof. Read more
Review: Ciroc Pomegranate Vodka
Ciroc Pomegranate Vodka was just released. For now it is a Limited Edition release. Ciroc currently crafts seven year round flavored vodka’s, and four Limited Edition varieties. Ciroc Vodka was created in 2001 for the Diageo Group by Jean Sebastien Robicquet, founder of the Cognac based Maison Villevert. The vodka base is made from a blend of Ugni Blanc and Mauzac Blanc grapes. The juice is made into a wine. It takes 5 bottles of wine to create one bottle of Ciroc. The wine is distilled four times in copper column stills. A fifth distillation follows in a traditional custom copper pot still. Natural flavors are blended before bottling at 35 proof. Read more
Review: Pseudo Seltzer
Pseudo Seltzer was recently released by Toppling Goliath Brewing Company in Decorah Iowa. Toppling Goliath was founded in 2009 by Clark and Barbara Lewey. Toppling Goliath beer is distributed in 30 states and they create more than 40 beers that rotate throughout the year. Their year round beers include Pseudo Sue Pale Ale, Pompeii IPA, Dorothy’s New World Lager, and King Sue Double IPA. Toppling Goliath has been named the second best brewery in the world by Beer Advocates. Pseudo Seltzer is made from a malt beverage base with natural flavors. It is currently available in a 4 flavor 12 can variety pack with 3 cans each of Strawberry, Pineapple, Mango, and Watermelon. Read more