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vodka bottle with white and neon orange label on a light would table

Reyka Vodka

Josh

Since vodka is a neutral spirit without any bold flavors, It can be difficult for vodka brands to stand out. But Reyka Vodka is able to leverage their unique distilling process and location to help attract attention in a out crowded market.

Most of the distilling process takes place in the small coastal town of Borgarnes, Iceland. But first they source a neutral grain spirit from Scotland, where wheat and barley are easier to grow, then proof it down with locally sourced glacial water. The local spring flows through a lava rock field and is naturally filtered.

Next comes the distilling process. Reyka use a rare Carter-Head Still most […]

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Bottle of Capitan Bucanero Viejo Blanco Rum, sitting on a wooden table in front of a mixed white and wooden background

Capitan Bucanero Viejo Blanco Rum

Emmeline

Capitan Bucanero Viejo Blanco Rum is a Dominican White Rum produced in association with Beveland Distillers, a Spain-based distilling company. Unfortunately, Beveland keeps their production information quite close to the vest, only disclosing that this Rum is produced somewhere in the Dominican Republic using “traditional processes”. This particular Viejo Blanco rum is a blend of different rums aged between […]

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liquor bottle with a brown label and green agave leaf logo on a brown table

Casamigos Tequila Reposado

Josh

With the recent increase in popularity and demand for high quality spirits, many newcomers are finding success in the growing industry. But few have found as much as Casamigos, who benefited from a head start to turn a simplified line of tequila, including Casamigos Tequila Reposado, into a massive profit.

Casamigos began as a passion project in 2013 by three friends, actor George Clooney and businessmen Rande Gerber and Mike Meldmen, with no previous tequila producing experience. While together on one of their frequent vacations in Mexico, the trio had an idea to create the perfect tequila for their personal tastes. This lead to […]

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Blue, teardrop-shaped bottle of Freeland Spirits Gin, sitting on a mixed wood and stone table

Freeland Spirits Gin

Emmeline

Freeland Spirits Gin is produced by Freeland Spirits – a woman-owned distillery based in Portland, Oregon. Launched in 2017, Freeland produces several different spirits including Gin, Bourbon, Geneva, and canned cocktails. On the whole, the company’s branding emphasizes a community spirit that celebrates womanhood. Indeed, women lead in every step of the production process from farming to distillation.

This […]

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green bottle with a thick white top and white label containing small green fruits

CHOYA Umeshu

Josh

I’ve always been curious about the bottles of umeshu on the shelfs of my local Japanese market but this is my first experience with the drink. And CHOYA Umeshu is the perfect introduction since it’s one of the most popular brands in Japan.

“Ume” means plum and “shu” means wine in Japanese but umeshu is really closer to a liqueur than wine. It’s made by aging green, unripe ume in shochu and sugar. Shochu is a distilled Japanese spirit that shares some similarities to sake. The CHOYA website has more detailed information on the history of umeshu and the traditional Japanese ingredients.

A visually appealing aspect of Choya Umesue is the […]

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