Review: Vly Creek Vodka
Vly Creek Vodka was named for one of the many mountain creeks in Arkville New York. Friends and construction workers Brian Mulder and Todd Pascarella built Union Grove Distillery in a former roller rink that was constructed in 1920. Union Grove also crafts FirGin, Catskill Mountain Maple Spirit, and Drie Brook Rye Whiskey. Vly Creek Vodka was the first spirit they produced when they opened the distillery February 2016. They started with apples sourced from Hubbell Family Farms, only 6 miles away from the distillery. The apples were pressed on an antique apple press that has been in service since the 1880’s. The cider ferments over several weeks and is then distilled with a wheat GNS spirit the equivalent of 30 times in a high tech Genio still, custom made in Poland. The spirit is charcoal filtered and proofed with pure Catskill Mountain Water before hand bottling onsite. Read more 
Review: H2Roads Hard Seltzer
H2Roads Hard Seltzer is crafted at Two Roads Brewing Company in Stratford Connecticut. Two Roads was founded in 2012 by four friends who dreamed for years of starting a craft brewery. Two Roads currently produces 11 year-round beers along with dozens of Seasonal, Limited Release, Sour, and Lambic Style beers. They were named one of the Ten Best Breweries in America by Paste Magazine. H2Roads was launched September 2019 with three flavor varieties. They have since added a fourth, with three cans of each flavor found in their 12 can variety pack. Those flavors include Raspberry, Black Cherry, Cranberry Lime, and Grapefruit. H2Roads is made from only three ingredients, water, 100% fermented cane sugar, and real fruit juices. Read more
Review: PB Chocolati
PB Chocolati is a chocolate and peanut butter flavored whiskey that was released November 2020. It is produced and bottled in Spring Valley California by SARP LLC. It is made with American Whiskey, dark chocolate, allergen free peanuts, and pure cane sugar. It is currently available in the San Diego area or through several online retailers. This is the only spirit they currently produce. The success of another California flavored whiskey, Skrewball, has led dozens of others to produce their own peanut butter whiskey. A handful of these companies have also added chocolate to their peanut butter flavored whiskey. Read more
Review: Grey Goose Essences Strawberry & Lemongrass
Grey Goose has just released Grey Goose Essences a new vodka infused with real fruit and botanical essences. They join a growing list of 0 sugar 0 carb botanical infused vodkas that include the Smirnoff Zero Sugar Infusions, Ketel One Botanical, Svedka Pure Infusions, and Prairie Organic Sustainable Season brands. Grey Goose Essences come in three varieties, Strawberry & Lemongrass, Watermelon & Basil, and White Peach & Rosemary. Grey Goose Strawberry & Lemongrass starts with a vodka made from soft winter wheat grown on farms in Picardy, Northern France. Little production information is available except that cold distilled lemongrass is noted on the bottle. Cold Distillation is a process used by some in crafting gin. Original Grey Goose Vodka is distilled once using a five column distillation process. Pristine Gensac La Pallue Spring water naturally filtered through Champaign limestone in the Cognac Region of France is blended to reduce to proof. The vodka is filtered through cellulose and carbon. It would appear a similar process is used to craft their Essences line with the addition of cold distilled lemongrass, and a real fruit essence infusion. Read more
Review: Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade
Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade was released today. I was lucky enough to get my hands on one of their 12 can variety packs. Each 12 pack includes three slim cans each of Original Lemonade, Black Cherry Lemonade, Strawberry Lemonade, and Peach Lemonade. This follows last years successful release of Truly Lemonade. The Truly Lemonade 12 can variety pack is now the third best selling Hard Seltzer SKU, holding a 10% market share. Market Leader, Mark Anthony Brands will soon join the mix but not with White Claw Lemonade Seltzer. Instead they will names theirs Mikes Hard Lemonade Seltzer. A tip of the cap to the brand that put them on the map when they launched Mikes Hard Lemonade, April 1999. Mark Anthony currently sells Mikes Hard Seltzer in the UK. Molson-Coors also promises an April release of Vizzy Lemonade Hard Seltzer. Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade is made with water, cold fermented cane sugar, natural flavors, cane sugar, Stevia leaf extract, and malted rice. Each flavor weighs in with 100 calories 5% alcohol, 3 carbs, less than 1 G of sugar. They and are colored with fruit and vegetable juice.
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Review: Truly Lemonade Hard Seltzer
Truly Lemonade Hard Seltzer was released January 2020. In one year, the Truly Lemonade Mix pack has already become the third best selling hard seltzer SKU. With Bud Light Seltzer Lemonade set to be released next week we thought it was time to review Truly Lemonade. First we asked ourselves was Truly Lemonade the first Hard Seltzer Lemonade or the second reduced calorie Hard Lemonade? Mike’s Lite Hard Lemonade was first released May 2011. This is also not parent company Boston Beer Company’s first adult lemonade. Their Twisted Tea division introduced Twisted Lemonade in 2014 to compete with Mikes Hard Lemonade. In my opinion this was the first sub-category of Hard Seltzer. Truly recently released Truly Iced Tea Hard Seltzer. Each 12 can variety pack of Truly Lemonade Hard Seltzer has 3 cans each of Original Lemonade, Black Cherry Lemonade, Mango Lemonade, and Strawberry Lemonade. Truly Lemonade is produced with an alcohol base made from cane sugar, filtered carbonated water, natural flavors, citric acid, lemon juice concentrate, cane sugar and Stevia. Read more
Review: Detroit Steam Vodka
Detroit Steam Vodka is distilled and bottled by Rusted Crow Spirits in Dearborn Michigan. The distillery was established in 2013 by Joe Schebel who partnered with his father of the same name. Joe grew up in Dearborn Michigan and he graduated from College For Creative Studies in Detroit. His love of Industrial Steam Punk Style is on display in each bottles design. The Detroit Steam Vodka bottle not only features the old Cadillac Building but also a column still, and the Rusted Crow custom fabricated 1930 Ford Rat Rod Joe built with a 350 Chevy Motor. He used 7000 rivets to puzzle piece copper together with used bourbon barrels on the side. The Rusted Crow spirit lineup also includes Ginger Devil Sinnamon Whiskey, Ginstache Gin, Grey Stache Earl Grey Tea Flavored Gin, Davy Jones Rum, Straight Rust Belt Bourbon, and Murder Mitten Moonshine. Detroit Steam Vodka is made from 100% Michigan grown corn and is distilled 12 times and filtered through activated coconut charcoal. The spirit is blended to proof with artesian alkaline Michigan Spring water. Read more
Review: Copper Still Chocolate Peanut Butter Whiskey
Copper Still Chocolate Peanut Butter Whiskey is made from hand selected barrels of Indiana Bourbon blended with chocolate and natural peanut butter flavoring. It is produced by Copper Mountain Beverages and bottled by Best Vineyards in Elizabeth New Jersey. Copper Mountain Beverages was formed in 2004 when they decided to start producing a line of beer. Four O was the first brand. They now produce 12 beer brands, Suavecito Tequila, Country Fair Lemon Shake Up, Firebreather Cinnamon whiskey, Mallet Straight Bourbon, Doc Whiskey, several wine brands and Mad Hard Seltzer. The Copper Still Brand also includes a Peach, Caramel, and a 90 proof single barrel straight bourbon. Read more
Review: Wiggly Bridge Vodka
Wiggly Bridge Vodka was released in 2016. It is crafted at Wiggly Bridge Distillery in York Maine. The distillery and vodka are named for The York Maine Wiggly Bridge, the smallest pedestrian suspension bridge in America. The bridge was built in 1930 and the 75 foot long bridge runs from shore to shore over the York River on one side and Barrell Mill Pond on the other. Father and son team David and David Woods first built a 15 gallon pit still and made bush rum from molasses, sugar cane, and fruits from the rain forest while at their winter residence on the Caribbean Island of Montserrat. Their success there lead to them building a distillery they opened on Repeal Day 2013 in their home town of York Maine. Vodka was the third spirit they produced. Besides Vodka they also produce premium agave spirits, dry gin, rum, and whiskey. Wiggly Bridge Vodka is small batch distilled in a home made 60 gallon traditional pot still from French wheat. Read more
Review: Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer
Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer was just released and it is available in a 3 flavor 12 can variety pack. A second 3 flavor 12 can variety pack is promised for later in the year. The current variety pack include Peach Pear, Cucumber Lime, and Spicy Pineapple. Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer is 6 times filtered and made from purified water, organic cold-fermented cane sugar, organic natural flavors and organic malted rice. Malted rice is also present in Bud Light Seltzer and Bon Viv Spiked Seltzer. A 12 ounce can of Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer weighs in with 4% alcohol, 0 carbs, 0 sugar and 80 calories. Read more