Caleño Dark & Spicy Non-Alcoholic Rum is produced by Caleño – a U.K. based non-alcoholic spirits company founded by Ellie Webb in 2017. As a brand, Caleño aims to create more inspiring non-alcoholic drink offerings, while also capturing the vibrant spirit of Colombia. The company received B Corp status in 2023. To create their spirits, they use steam distillation to distill the macerated botanicals in a stainless steel drum for two days. This particular bottle of Dark & Spicy features coconut, pineapple, black cardamom, and kola nut. It also contains water, glycerine, caramel coloring, citric acid, and some necessary preservatives. […]
Agave Boom Prickly Pear Tequila is produced by Casa Maestri, and distributed by the Houston-based company Mexcor. The brand website proclaims that the goal with Agave Boom was to create a “new tequila for the new generations”, although it’s not immediately clear what they mean by this, as the production process they describe seems fairly standard. Each version features a fun, comic-inspired bottle design, including a 3D embroidered agave plant. Their agave is sourced from Tequila, Jalisco, Mexico, and roasted in a traditional oven for about 36-56 hours. It is then shredded, fermented in wooden vats, and distilled twice. This unaged blanco […]
Botran Ron de Guatemala No. 8 is produced by Industria Licorera Quetzalteca – a Guatemala based company obtained by a group of 5 Spanish brothers in 1940. These brothers created the Botran brand, which produces several different rum blends from start to finish. In 2022, they achieved new certifications including ICSS (for sustainability) and SGS Carbon Neutrality. The beginning stages of their production process take place in Retalhuleu, Guatemala. There, the sugar cane is grown, and the sugar cane honey is fermented with pineapple yeast, before being distilled in copper stills. Then, the distillates are brought to the high altitudes of […]
Sababa Mezcal Artesenal is produced by Sababa Mezcal. Their agave is sourced from a few different regions of Oaxaca including San Juan Del Río, Matatlán, Reforma Yautepec, and Santa Ana Del Río. It is grown for 10 years before being harvested. Their current expression, a mezcal joven made of Espadín agave, is created by master mezcalero Francisco de los Ángeles. Although they don’t go into much detail about their production process, they do mention that the mezcal is double distilled using traditional stills. As a mezcal joven, it is not aged before bottling. The brand also takes pride in their beautiful bottles, for which they teamed […]
Diplomático Planas Aged White Rum is produced by Destilerías Unidas S. A. – a family-owned company and distillery based in Venezuela. It’s a brand that I already have a fondness for, having reviewed their Reserva Exclusiva Rum a little over a year ago and giving it a good rating. That’s why I was so excited to receive this bottle of their Aged White Rum as a gift over the holiday season. Each of their rums are “field to bottle”, which basically means that Diplomático handles all the steps of production. The production process varies a little depending on which rum variety is being made. This particular bottle of Aged White Rum is a […]