Menu Close
short looking bottle with brown liquid and a white and bright green label with black lettering

Hudson Whiskey NY Do the Rye thing

Josh

I think this is the first time I’ve seen a label that makes me think of public transportation. But this simple and striking design successfully drew me in and made me excited to try Do the Rye Thing from Hudson Whisky NY.

Whiskey hadn’t been distilled in New York since prohibition until Ralph Erenzo decided to establish a distillery in 2003. A gristmill sitting on 36 acres of land in the Hudson River Valley became what is now Tuthilltown Spirits Distillery. To lean into their New York pride, Hudson sources their grains from local farms. Hudson are now fully owned by the Scottish company, William Grant & Sons. BOTTLE SPECS ❖ Spirit: […]

Read more →
Black glass bottle with a gold top and green label

Batch & Bottle Scotch Manhattan

Josh

As I became more interested in spirits in the past few years, I noticed a steady increase in pre-made cocktails for pretty much any classic cocktail. I didn’t pay too much attention to these products while I focused on making cocktails, until I came across Batch & Bottle Scotch Manhattan. There are currently four cocktails from Batch & Bottle, all featuring spirits from the William Grant & Sons portfolio: Glenfiddich Scotch Manhattan, Reyka Rhubarb Cosmopolitan, Hendrick’s Gin Martini and Monkey Shoulder Lazy Old Fashioned. I’ve previously reviewed and enjoyed three out of the four base spirits for these cocktails, so the Scotch […]

Read more →
light brown liquid in a tall glass bottle with a purple and gold label

Frisky Whiskey

Josh

Although flavored spirits have become much more popular in recent years, I somehow haven’t experienced too many for myself. But Frisky Whiskey was nice enough to provide us with a bottle of their flagship flavored whiskey for review, and I’m really excited to see how it compares to more traditional whiskies. Frisky Whiskey is a flavored whiskey that doesn’t attempt to mask the natural flavor of whiskey. Instead, two common whiskey notes, caramel and vanilla, are emphasized by adding pure caramel and natural vanilla to premium whiskey distilled in North Charleston, South Carolina at Wolf Distilleries. Frisky Whiskey CEO Nicole Young, one […]

Read more →
Clear Bottle filled with light brown colored liquid with a red wax bottle top

Maker’s Mark Bourbon

Josh

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 […]

Read more →
Tall, Clear bottle with a black label with white lettering

Aviation Gin

Josh

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 […]

Read more →