After having a surprisingly positive experience earlier this year with Trader Joe’s Small Batch Vodka, I started to pay more attention to the in-store liquor section. While they offer a handful of options, I was particularly interested in Trader Joe’s Rum of the Gods, as I’ve recently been exploring mixing spirits. Rum of the Gods is an affordable white rum made from cane sugar. It is initially distilled in Barbados, and then transported in bulk to a bottling plant in Wisconsin. BOTTLE SPECS ❖ Spirit: White Rum ❖ Distillery: Product of Barbados. Imported and bottled by Minhas Micro Distillery in Monroe, Wisconson. ❖ ABV: 40% (80 Proof) […]
Ritual Zero Proof Tequila Alternative is produced by Ritual Zero-Proof – a Chicago-based company that specializes in non-alcoholic spirits. Founded in 2019 by friends David Crooch, GG Sakey, and Marcus Sakey, they produce a variety of zero proof alternatives including tequila, rum, gin, whiskey, and apertif. As a brand, Ritual aims to create products that work as a 1:1 replacement in cocktails, while tasting like real spirits. This particular bottle of Tequila Alternative is made using natural botanical flavors including blue agave flower, Mexican lime, tropical guava, cracked sea salt, charred oak, mesquite smoke, black peppercorn […]
Whiskey production in California has been steadily growing in recent years, so now there’s plenty of options when I’m looking for something new. But, one brand I’ve consistently seen for the past few years is Redwood Empire. And, while they offer a few different whiskies, Redwood Empire Pipe Dream Bourbon seems like a great place to start. Redwood Empire Distillery, based in Sonoma County, California, draws inspiration from the natural beauty of Northern California. Each of their whiskies is named after a famous redwood tree, and features artwork inspired by the renowned conservationist John Muir. This bourbon is named for Pipe Dream […]
St. George Absinthe Verte is produced by St. George Spirits – a California-based company founded in 1982 by Jörg Rupf. Coming from a family with distillation experience in the Black Forest area of Germany, Jörg ended up in Alameda, where he became an integral part of the craft spirits movement. St. George produces a variety of spirits including gin, whiskey, vodka, brandy, liqueurs, and other specialty offerings. This particular bottle of Absinthe Verte was launched by the brand in 2007, making it the first legally-made American absinthe since it was banned in 1912. It is made from a brandy base and real botanicals including wormwood […]
Although I’ve already tried several affordable gins this year, I’m still eager to continue my quest for the perfect gin for cocktails. And, I wanted the London dry gin in the iconic green bottle, Tanqueray Gin, to be the next thing I test out. This iconic British brand was first established in 1830 by Charles Tanqueray. While the original distillery, Vine Street Distillery, is no longer in use, they still use the original recipe of juniper, coriander, angelica root, and licorice. BOTTLE SPECS ❖ Spirit: London Dry Gin ❖ Distillery: Produced and Bottled in Great Britian for Charles Tanqueray and Co. ❖ ABV: 47.3% (94.6 Proof) ❖ Low Price […]