Review: Declans Irish Cream Wine Cocktail
Declans Irish Cream Wine Cocktail is made with grape wine, cream, natural flavors, and caramel color. It is bottled by Brookstone Distilling Company in Lewiston Maine. To use the Irish Cream name the cream must come from Ireland. True Irish Cream is also made with Irish Whiskey. In Ireland, Irish Country Cream is the designation given Irish Creams made with wine. It is not quite clear as to what part, if any of Declans Irish Cream Wine Cocktail is actually sourced from Ireland. Read more 
Review: Tequila Dinastia Real Plata
Tequila Dinastia Real Plata is one of 5 Dinastia Real tequila expressions produced at Tequila Selecto de Amatitan. The others include a Reposado, Anejo, Extra Anejo, and Extra Anejo Cristalino. Some of the other tequilas made at this distillery include Manik, Blue Nectar, Asom Broso, and Insolente. According to their Facebook page Tequila Dinastia Real Plata is bottled immediately after distillation. Their website claims it is aged for 45 days in French oak barrels before bottling. When I sent an email to them they said after distillation they blended 90% unaged tequila with 10% Dinestria Real Extra Anejo Cristalino tequila to create Tequila Dinastia Real Plata. After tasting this tequila I will give you by thoughts as to which production method I believe is used. Dinastia Real is made from a blend of Highland and Lowland grown agave. Each bottle is hand labeled with the bottle number and date hand written on the label. As a bonus, the glass stopper doubles as a stylish shot glass once you have finished drinking the bottles contents. Read more
Review: Azeo From Apples Vodka
Azeo From Apples Vodka is crafted at Azeo Distillery in Paso Robles California. Winemakers David Vondrasek and Ryan Horn began making vodka from fruit in 2015. Their first vodka was made from wine grapes sourced from California vineyards. Their second vodka was made from apples. The distillery currently also produces rum, brandy, moonshine, and spirit of agave. Eighteen pounds of apples are needed to produce one bottle of Azeo From Apples Vodka. Granny Smith, Pink Lady, and Cripps Pink apples are pressed and fermented onsite creating a hard cider. The spirit is distilled in a steam jacketed 500 liter pot still with a 16 chamber column. Read more
Review: Smirnoff Spiked Sparkling Seltzer Variety Pack
Smirnoff Spiked Sparkling Seltzer was launched November 2016 with the release of three flavors. Cranberry Lime, Watermelon, and Orange Mango. The current Smirnoff Spiked Sparkling Seltzer lineup includes 8 different flavors. Watermelon, and Orange Mango are no longer produced. Like Truly, White Claw, and Bon & Viv, Smirnoff has tweaked their formula and flavor lineup since their initial launch. Their Variety 12 pack includes 3 cans each of Cranberry Lime, Pina Colada, Berry Lemonade, and Raspberry Rose. Smirnoff also sells 4 Ways to Rose, a variety 12 pack with 3 cans each of Pink Apple Rose, Strawberry Rose, White Peach Rose, and Raspberry Rose. Based on the success of Smirnoff Red White and Blue Seltzer I’m going to predict it will soon replace Raspberry Rose in this variety pack. Smirnoff Seltzer is brewed as a premium malt beverage. Natural flavors are added. Each can weighs in at 90 calories per 12 oz. serving with 4.5% alcohol, 1 carb., and Zero sugar. Read more
Review: Silo Gin
Silo Gin is crafted from barn to bottle in the barn distillery built by Peter Jillson and Anne Marie Delaney in Windsor Vermont in 2013. Erin Bell is Head Distiller. In recent years distillers have significantly increased the number of botanicals they use to produce their gin. Citadelle Gin uses 19. The Botanist Gin has 31. Monkey 47 Dry Gin is the current clubhouse leader packing 47 botanicals in each bottle of their gin. Silo Gin takes the opposite approach as they only add two botanicals, apple and juniper berries to their 100% non GMO corn distilled base. Silo is double distilled in a custom Carl stainless steel and copper still. After the first distillation, smashed whole locally harvested wild, hybrid, and semi sweet apple varieties, along with New England grown juniper berries are added to the pot and gin basket. The flavors are both boiled and steamed into the final product. The two types of flavoring are designed to diversify the elements pulled from the two botanicals as ingredients can change depending on how you cook and incorporate them. Silo Gin is bottled in the barn distillery at 90 proof. Read more
Review: The Art of The Still Vodka
The Art of The Still Vodka is one of three private label brands of vodka sold at Trader Joe’s. The other two are Trader Joes Versatile Spirit Vodka, and Vodka of the Gods. While more expensive per ounce than the other two brands The Art of the Still is hardly a premium priced vodka. It is made from single vintage organic yellow corn. The vodka is distilled 4 times at US Distilled Products in Princeton Minnesota. US Distilled Products is one of the largest blenders and bottlers of alcoholic beverages in the US. They produce hundreds of Private Label and Contract Manufactured brands. A couple of the vodkas produced there include UV, and Prairie Organic Vodka. Read more
Review: NEFT Vodka
NEFT Vodka is one of the most hyped vodka’s we have ever reviewed. NEFT received a 98 rating from The Tasting Panel Magazine, as well as scoring two consecutive Double Gold Medals from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2018 and 2019. Vinepair.com also named NEFT one of their 20 Best Vodkas. NEFT has been on our radar for some time. Jeff Mahony acquired the brand the end of 2018, and he has significantly increased distribution. NEFT, Vodka was conceived of by Alexander Kuzmina a third generation petroleum engineer from Western Siberia. Neft is the Russian word for oil. This explains the oil barrel Neft is packaged in. The container itself is more than just a nod to the oil industry, or a marketing gimmick. Aluminum is unbreakable and lighter weight than glass, reducing freight costs. Aluminum is more recyclable, chills faster and keeps the vodka cold longer than glass for picnics and trips to the beach. NEFT is crafted at Destillerie Freihof, a 130 year old family run distillery in Lustenau Austria. It is made from 4 grains of ancient rye species, Rapidly, Amato, Pollino, and Askari. The 100% NON GMO rye is farmed locally in Lower Saxony. NEFT is distilled three times in a copper pot still. A proprietary carbon-layer filtration process follows. Oxygen rich Alpine spring water from beneath the Rhawtian Alps of Austria is blended to proof the spirit. It takes 50 years for this water to make its way traveling through slate and granite from its source to their secured aquifer. No additives or sweeteners are added. NEFT donates 50 cents from every barrel sold to one of six charities they support. Read more
Review: Natural Light Seltzer
Natural Light Seltzer was first released August 2019. Their product lineup currently consist of three flavors. Catalina Lime, Aloha Beaches, and House Rules. To say A-B is all in on Hard Seltzer is an understatement as they also produce Bud Light Hard Seltzer, Bon & Viv Spiked Seltzer, and Kona Spiked Island Seltzer. Priced significantly lower than the competition, Natural Light Seltzer is hoping to ride the same value priced wave Natural Light Beer has navigated for years. Natty Light was the 8th best selling beer in the US in 2019. Natural Light was actually Anheuser- Busch’s first light beer when it was released in 1977. Bud Light was launched in 1982. Natural Light Seltzer is made from a malt beverage base. Natural flavors are added before canning at 6% alcohol with 133 calories per 12 oz. serving and 4 carbs. Natty seltzer is sold in 12 and 24 can packs and also a 25 oz, single serve can. Read more
Review: Disaronno Velvet Cream Liqueur
Disaronna Velvet Cream Liqueur was just released. This is the second line extension for Disaronno. The first, Disaronno Riserva was launched in 2015. It was a blend of scotch sourced from the Highland and Speyside Region and Disaronno. After blending together it was aged in Marsala wine barrels. Disaronno was first commercially bottled in 1900 but it is based on a recipe said to date back to 1525. Until 2001 it was named Amaretto di Saronno. While the exact recipe is a secret, it is made from a pure alcohol base made from sugar beet or sugar cane. Vanilla and bitter almond are the only two named ingredients. Bitter almonds are actually apricot pits. The pits are crushed to extract the oil. In crafting Disaronna Velvet, Disaronna Originale is blended with real dairy cream before bottling at 34 proof. That is the same alcohol content as Bailey’s Irish Cream. Read more
Review: Silo Vodka;
Silo Vodka is made from 100% Non GMO Vermont corn grown in North Clarendon Vermont at Grembowicz Farm. The Good Food Foundation has awarded Silo Vodka a 2020 Good Food Award for Spirits. Everything is done from grain to glass including milling, mashing, distilling and bottling in the Barn Distillery that was built in 2013 by Peter Jillson and Anne Marie Delaney in Windsor Vermont. The spirit is distilled on a custom build stainless steel and copper Carl Still built in Germany. Silo’s process aims to be as sustainable as possible. They recycle the water they use throughout the process and ship spent grains to local farmers to use for feed. Read more