There are few things more iconic in bourbon than the bright red wax bottle top of Maker’s Mark Bourbon. It always catches my eye on store shelves, but I’d never tasted it until now. Maker’s Mark was first put into production in 1953 by Bill Samuel, Sr. He and multiple generations of his family have continued to run the distillery on the same grounds in Loretto, Kentucky called Star Hill Farm. While Bill Samuels ran the distillery operations, his wife, Margie, had just as big an impact on Maker’s Mark. She named it, designed the logo and and came up with the iconic waxed dipped bottle top. BOTTLE SPECS ❖ Spirit: Kentucky Straight Bourbon […]
Maybe I was a bit too influenced by Ryan Reynolds’ handsome face, because I was pretty eager to try Aviation Gin. But, I was also looking to try some affordable American gin, so maybe that’s not a bad thing. Aviation Gin was first created by Portland, Oregon based House Spirts in in the mid 2000’s. Years of growth drew attention from larger spirit companies and celebrities, and the Davos Group and actor Ryan Reynolds bought the brand with House Spirts continuing to distill the gin in their facilities. Aviation was bought a second time by Diageo in 2020 with Ryan Reynolds retaining an ownership interest. Aviation is made with seven […]
There’s nothing better than a refreshing whiskey cocktail during the hot summer months, so it’s the perfect time to try some reasonably priced bourbon. And Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is one those bottles I see everywhere, but never actually tasted, so I was excited to finally give it a shot.
Woodford Reserve is a relatively new brand with a long history in Kentucky whiskey. The Woodford Reserve brand was launched in 1996, but its distillery was originally built in the early 1800’s. The distillery changed hands a few times over the next century until the current owners, Brown-Forman, purchased the land in the […]
The striking black bottle and clean label design of Hendrick’s Gin always caught my eye on the store shelves, so I’m not sure why I waited so long to try it. But, I was looking to make some refreshing summer cocktails, so it seemed like the perfect time to try this uniquely produced gin from Scotland. William Grant and Sons, the same company behind Monkey Shoulder and other Scotch whiskies, launched Hendrick’s Gin back in 1999. Master distiller Leslie Gracie used a combination of eleven botanicals and a unique distilling process to create the signature Hendrick’s flavor. The eleven botanicals are: juniper, chamomile, elderflower, lemon […]
I’m always a big sucker any spirit bottle with a green or blue label, so Pergote Gin always caught my eye on the Total Wine shelves. And, I also don’t remember seeing many Italian gins, so I was really excited to try this out. Pergote Gin is produced in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, and uses ingredients from all across the country. They use wormwood and raspberries from Piedmont, Juniper from Tuscany and Citrus From Calabria and Sicily. BOTTLE SPECS ❖ Spirit: Italian Gin ❖ Distillery: Produced and Bottled for CAPSICA LTD in Castelnuovo Don Bosco, Italy ❖ ABV: 42% (84 Proof) ❖ Moderate Price ❖ Available in 325 ml bottles […]