Review: You and Yours Vodka
You and Yours Vodka or as the bottle reads Y&Y Vodka is made in San Diego’s East Village. The You and Yours Distillery was founded in 2017 by Laura Johnson. She was inspired by a trip to Cuba she took with her father as a High School graduation gift. After touring the Havana Club Distillery she became fascinated with the whole distillation process. The distillery currently also crafts two gins, a Summer Citrus Vodka, and a line of canned cocktails. The vodka was originally going to be comprised of a blend of grape, corn, and potato, but to create a blend you have to perfect each component first. They started with grape, and they liked to result so much they decided to let it stand alone. Y&Y is made from California wine grape varietals distilled from bulk wine in a 250 gallon hybrid eau de vie still with a brandy cap and eight plate 10 foot column. Y&Y is bottled unfiltered. Read more 
Review: Cutwater Bali Hai Tiki Monkey
Cutwater Bali Hai Tiki Monkey was released April 2019 in California. Distribution is spreading throughout the US. Since starting as an off shoot of Ballast Point Brewing back in 2007, Cutwater Spirits is now a completely separate company. They have grown into a 50,000 square foot production facility where they produce over a dozen spirits, a growing line of canned cocktails, and soon frozen cocktail pops. Cutwater Bali Hai Tiki Monkey is made with rum, cream, natural cocoa rib, banana, cold brew coffee, and caramel color. Read more
Review: Caorunn Gin
Caorunn Gin is crafted by Gin Master Simon Buley at the Balmenach Distillery. This distillery was one of the first to be licensed to make Scotch whiskey when it opened in 1824. It is made from neutral grain spirit vaporized in a 1920 era copper berry chamber. The botanicals are infused into the spirit. Five locally foraged botanicals are amount the eleven botanicals used to craft Caorunn Gin. The entire list includes Juniper Berries, Cassia Bark, Lemon Peel, Coriander Seed, Angelica Root, Orange Peel, Rowan Berry, Bog Myrtle, Heather, Coul Blush Apple, and Dandelion Leaf. Terrior is a French word translated in English to, a sense of place. It has been used for years to differentiate climate, soil, and terrain in the wine industry. The tequila industry has used the term to differentiate between agave grown in the Highland and Lowland region for years. For years many gins have promoted their ingredient list sourced from several to a dozen different countries. The gin industry is now filled with several craft gins and it’s good to see some like Caorunn promote the terrior of their locally grown botanicals. Read more
Review: Aviation American Gin
Aviation American Gin takes it’s name from the classic Aviation cocktail. The cocktail is made with gin, maraschino liqueur, and fresh lime juice. Aviation gin is probably best known as Ryan Reynolds gin. The Deadpool star husband of actress Blake Lively acquire the Aviation brand February 2018. Aviation Gin was created by co-founder Ryan Magarian a Seattle bartender, and Christian Krogstad the owner of House Spirits Distillery, based in Portland Oregon. After 30 different blends Aviation Gin was ready for release June 2006. Eight botanicals are used including Juniper, Cardamom, Coriander, French Lavender, Anise seed, Sarsaparilla, and 2 kinds of Orange Peel. The botanicals are placed in nylon sacks and suspended in a pure neutral grain spirit for 18 hours in a macerating tank. The spirit is distilled in a 400 gallon stainless steel still. Only the heart of the run is collected, about 140 gallons. Once complete the spirit weighs in at 142 proof. Pure water is blended to reduce to 84 proof. Now completed the Aviation American Gin goes into a bottling tank with a 6-sprout gravity filler and is pumped into each bottle. Read more
Review: D George Benham’s Sonoma Dry Gin
D George Benham’s Sonoma Dry Gin was introduced February 2016. This was the first spirit produced by Derek George Benham at Granton Distilling Company. Derek also founded Purple Wine and Spirits in 2001. Benham’s Sonoma Dry gin is made from a neutral grain spirit with twelve botanicals including juniper, peppermint, orris root, grains of paradise, coriander, chamomile, galangal, Meyer lemon, star anise, cardamom, Buddha’s hand, and angelica. The spirit is distilled on a continuous micro-column still custom built by Headframe Stills in Butte Montana. Special botanical baskets individually infuse the aromas and flavors of each botanical in a vapor distillation process. Read more
Review: Glass Vodka
Glass Vodka was launched in 2012 with the opening of the Glass Distillery in the SOHO area of Seattle by Ian MacNiel. Glass Vodka may be best known for its 100% crystal bottle made with a one of its kind stopper. Glass vodka is made from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc Grapes. It is distilled in a kettle and column still custom made in Germany. The distillery currently also makes Kona (coffee), Nectar (honey), and Spice (cinnamon) vodka from the Original Glass vodka base. They also produce Gridiron Vodka made from grapes and California Organic Wheat. Read more
Review: Clase Azul Plata Tequila
Clase Azul Plata Tequila is made with 100% organic Tequilana Weber blue agaves grown for a minimum of 9 years. The pinas are cooked in old-fashioned brick ovens for 72 hours. Once cooled they are crushed to extract the juice which is blended with a proprietary yeast and fermented in open steel vats. The spirit is double distilled in copper alembic stills. Water refined in a five step process is married with the tequila. A triple filtration follows before bottling at 80 proof. Speaking of the bottle, over 100 artisans dedicate their time to creating each 14 inch tall Clase Azul bottle, one at a time. Clase Azul had been produced at NOM 1416. It is now produced at Casa Tradicion, NOM 1595. For the record I am reviewing a bottle crafted at NOM 1595. Read more
Review: Trader Joes Cocoa Cream Liqueur
Trader Joes Cocoa Cream Liqueur as the name would suggest is sold at Trader Joes stores. It should not be confused with Crème de Cacao, a liqueur best known as an ingredient in making a Brandy Alexander or Grasshopper. Cocoa Cream is made with real dairy cream and premium spirits by Levecke Corporation in Mira Loma California. Levecke is a private label bottler who also makes Trader Joes Eggnog. Premium spirits is a nice way of saying grain spirits or vodka. Cocoa Cream Liqueur is only available through the holiday season or while supply lasts. Read more
Review: Revel Stoke Peanut Butter Whisky
Revel Stoke Peanut Butter Whisky was just released. If it seems like I just reviewed a peanut butter flavored whiskey you are wrong. I just reviewed two peanut butter whiskeys. While I don’t expect the number of peanut butter whiskeys to eclipse the number of cucumber flavored vodka’s, I do expect more to follow. A quick glance at the Revel Stoke web site shows 10 other varieties including Pecan, Apple, Cinnamon, Pineapple, Maple, Root Beer, Honey, Vanilla, Spiced, and their Original Blended Canadian Whisky. Each variety starts with a base made from a blend of rye, corn and barley malt. It is triple distilled in copper stills and aged for 3 years in charred white oak barrels. It is then shipped to Phillips Distilling Company in Minnesota where natural peanut butter flavors are blended before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Cutwater Bali Hai Tiki Holiday Spirit
Cutwater Bali Hai Tiki Holiday Spirit is a seasonal Limited release cream liqueur. Cutwater Spirits produces a complete line of spirits at their distillery in San Diego California. Their spirits include Vodka, Gin, Whiskey, Tequila, Rum, and Liqueur’s. They also make a complete line of canned cocktails and a mild and spicy Bloody Mary cocktail mix. In crafting Tiki Holiday they start with the Bali Hai Tiki Gold Rum base that is made from pure cane sugar. Cream, cinnamon, allspice, and natural pineapple and coconut flavors are blended before bottling at 40 proof. Read more