Review: Noble Wolf Vodka
Noble Wolf Vodka is to my knowledge the first and only vodka distilled from 100% Florida grapefruit. The idea for the brand came to former University of Texas football star Bryce Cottrell while he was flying to Iowa State for a game. He was watching an episode of the HBO show Entourage where Turtle launched a tequila brand. When he returned from Iowa he placed an ad looking for a chemist to create his vodka. For the cost of a Five Guys burger and $80 cash the chemist created the vodka and found a distillery to produce it. While still a student and starting defensive end at the University of Texas he launched the 8 time distilled vodka. They also produce Noble Wolf Pink Lemonade and their Facebook page teases a Noble Wolf Red Berry flavor. Read more 
Review: Vida de Louie Blanco Tequila
Vida de Louie Blanco Tequila was launched 2018. It is made from a blend of Highland and Lowland grown agave and volcanic spring water. The pinas are slow cooked for 36-48 hours in brick ovens and stainless steel autoclaves. Once cooled the pinas are shredded and the juice is extracted and fermented with a German yeast strain for 72 hours. After a double distillation the tequila is oxygenated for 48 hours prior to bottling. Vida de Louie is produced and bottled by Destiladora del Valle de Tequila. This distillery produces several dozen tequila brands including 21 Seeds, 6 Degree, Aguamiel, Cincoro, Contigo, Los Azulejos, Los Sundays, Sparkle Donkey, and Siempre Tequila. Read more
Review: Topo Chico Hard Seltzer
Topo Chico Hard Seltzer has arrived. For those unfamiliar with the Topo Chico brand it is a wildly popular mineral water sourced from a limestone spring under Cerro del Topo Chico, a mountain near Monterrey Mexico. It has been bottled and sold since 1895. In 2017 Coca Cola acquired the brand and expanded distribution throughout the US. In September 2020 Coco Cola announced they were working with Molson-Coors to manufacture, market, and distribute Topo Chico Hard seltzer. The brand was first released in Mexico and Brazil and it was recently introduced in Europe. In the US the four flavor 12 can variety pack includes three cans each of Strawberry Guava, Tropical Mango, Exotic Pineapple, and Tangy Lemon Lime. In Europe Strawberry Guava is replaced with Cherry Acai. Like the traditional hard seltzer brands Topo Chico is made from purified carbonated water and a cane sugar alcohol base. Natural flavors are added. Unlike other hard seltzer brands, minerals are added to align with the Topo Chico palate profile. Initial distribution is limited to Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Boston, Cape Cod, Chicago, NYC, N Jersey, Seattle, and DC. Read more
Review: AriZona Sun Rise Hard Seltzer
AriZona Sun Rise Hard Seltzer was recently released. Here is where things get a little confusing. It is not produced in Arizona but rather Warsaw Poland. It is made in partnership with Heineken USA and Hornell Brewing Company an affiliated entity of Arizona Beverages. Finally it is brewed and canned by Krynica Vitamin. AriZona Beverages is Americas number one selling Iced Tea brand, outselling both Lipton and Snapple brands. Had there not been a legal battle between the brands two founders, Hard Iced Tea may have been their first adult beverage. The company was founded in 1992. By pricing their 24 oz. can of Arizona Iced Tea at the same price as Snapple’s 16 oz. bottle, they took the market by storm. That price in 1992 was 99 cents. That price today is still 99 cents. It’s curious that this time around they are selling their hard seltzer in a smaller 11.5 oz. can compared to the 12 oz. industry norm. I’m sure this has more to do with the county producing their seltzer than any specific marketing plan. AriZona Sun Rise Hard Seltzer is made from a sugar alcohol base, carbonated water, and honey. Additional ingredients are flavor specific. Read more
Review: Corridor Vodka
Corridor Vodka is crafted from 80% Pennsylvania Rye and 20% Wisconsin Malted Barley at District Distilling Company in Washington DC. The distillery was founded by a group of siblings and spouses and was DC’s first combination distillery and pub. Corridor is distilled by Master Distiller Matthew Strickland in a custom 42 plate hybrid pot still made in Germany. The vodka is then aged 6 months in steel tanks at 42 degrees prior to bottling. Some of the other spirits made here include Buzzard Point Rum, Checkerbark Gin, Wild June Western Gin, Embassy Row Grappa, and 5 Whiskeys. In May 2019 the distillery closed with a press release stating they were searching for another location and would update soon. No further updates have been released. Read more
Review: Truly Citrus Squeeze Hard Seltzer
Last month with little fanfare Boston Beer Company replaced Truly Orange with Truly Citrus Squeeze in their 12 can Citrus Mix Variety pack. The slim 12 oz. can was designed by artist Gemma O’Brien. Also new is a number designation on the can. Truly Citrus Squeeze is NO. 017. I don’t know which flavors are included in this numbering system, but when I do I will update the post. Citrus Squeezed is described as an explosion of orange, lime, and grapefruit. 2021 has already been a busy year for Truly as they launched their Truly Iced Tea Hard Seltzer variety pack, Truly Extra Black Raspberry, and Truly Extra Peach Mango Hard Seltzer. Read more
Review: Baileys Colada
Baileys Colada is the latest flavor variant offered by Baileys. It is a Limited Edition summer flavor. Strawberries and Cream, Red Velvet, and Apple Pie all started as Limited Edition flavors and they are still available. Pumpkin was a Limited Edition Flavor that returned each fall until it didn’t. Colada is one of eleven Baileys varieties still available including Baileys Original, Strawberries and Cream, Salted Caramel, Apple Pie, Vanilla Cinnamon, Red Velvet, Chocolate Cherry, Espresso Creme, Almande, and Deliciously Light. Read more
Review: Ciroc Summer Citrus Vodka
Ciroc Summer Citrus Vodka was just released. This is a limited release, and Ciroc’s third summer seasonal vodka flavor following Ciroc Summer Colada, and Ciroc Summer Watermelon. It joins Ciroc’s flavored vodka lineup that currently includes Ciroc Peach, Mango, Apple, Pineapple, Red Berry, and Coconut. The vodka base is made from a blend of Ugni Blanc and Mauzac Blanc grapes. The juice is made into a wine. The wine is distilled four times in stainless column stills by Master Distiller Jean-Sebastien Robicquet at his 500 year old family owned Maison Villevert Distillery. A fifth distillation follows in a traditional custom copper pot still at Distillation de Chevanceaux in the South of France. A blend of natural orange and citrus flavors are infused before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: White Claw Variety Pack 3
Mark Anthony Brands just releasing a third White Claw Variety Pack. While I knew it was coming I didn’t expect it before April. This pack includes three new flavors Pineapple, Strawberry, and Blackberry. Mango currently found in White Claw Variety Pack 2 is also included. What’s up with that. Couldn’t they come up with a fourth new flavor? The hard seltzer market grew 160% in 2020 with sales topping $4.1 billion. I wish my 401K grew that fast in 2020. While White Claws overall market share dropped from an estimated 58% in 2019 to 50% in 2020, they still sold over $2 Billion of product. In 2018 there were 10 hard seltzer brands, growing to 26 in 2019. By the end of 2020 there were about 70 brands so it’s amazing to me they still command such a large market share. To prove they are not happy with just growing sales in 2021, but also maintaining or growing market share in a market that will soon include 100 brands, Mark Anthony has already released Mikes Hard Lemonade Seltzer, and White Claw Hard Seltzer Iced Tea in 2021. Each flavor of White Claw is made with purified carbonated water, sugar cane alcohol, natural flavors and product specific natural juice concentrate. Read more
Review: Hermosa Organic Tequila Silver
Hermosa Organic Tequila Silver is a certified organic, true farm to bottle artisan distilled small batch tequila. Founder Will Elger wanted to create a brand based on the bottle of tequila given to his father using the original 1939 Hermosa Tequila recipe. He selected Tequila Las Americas and Master Distiller Eladio Montes to craft the tequila. This is a third generation family owned distillery and Eladio Montes is a third generation Master Distiller. The organic Tequilana Weber Blue agave is grown on a family owned single estate 5000 feet above sea level. The agave is grown in mineral rich rust colored volcanic soil for 8-12 years, hand selected and hand trimmed based on its brix level. The agave hearts are slow cooked and steamed in traditional stone ovens for 48 hours, and left in the oven to cool for another 24 hours to prevent the natural sugars from caramelizing. Once extracted the juice is open air fermented for 5 days without the use of yeast, as yeast will impact the flavor of the organic agave. Citrus trees surround the distillery and if there is an impact to the final nose and flavor profile of the finished product it is only that, as no artificial or natural additives are used. Once fermented the spirit is small batch double distilled on a Alambique still. Mineral rich water is added to bring to proof. Hermosa Organic Tequila is committed to respecting the environment and sustainability. For every bottle sold they will plant a tree. Silver is currently the only Hermosa Tequila product available, but Hermosa tequila is currently barrel aging and when the time is right both Hermosa Reposado, and Hermosa Anejo will arrive.