VenusSpiritsis a micro-distillery for many tastes. Be it gin, aquavit,blue agave spirit, rye, or single malt whiskey, Venushas a best in class expression for you. But bourbon fanatics are finally getting their fill with the release of the Venus Wayward Bourbon.
With the release of “JOY” rum, Appleton celebrates a woman who has broken through in an industry that continues to be dominated by men. After graduating with multiple science degrees, Joy Spence joined Appleton in 1981 as Chief Chemist, and became enthralled with the process of blending rum. After working for 16 years under the previous Master Blender, Joy had developed an unrivalled palate and was named Master Blender in 1997. Both an artist and a scientist, Joy has spent the last twenty years creating some of the finest rums the world has ever tasted, and was even recognized by the Jamaican government for her contribution to the rum industry.
Fortaleza simultaneously raises the bar for what agave can taste like, and holds the bar down of any establishment worth its margarita salt. Its signature style is a bit drier and spicier than most tequilas, which is what makes it so intriguing and fun to drink, but their elegant finishing makes it so easy to sip.
Move overJ. Wrayand whoever his Nephew is, there’s a new overproof Jamaican rum in town and it’s onFire. Part of Hampden Estate’s relaunch, Rum Fire is pure unadulterated Jamaican rum in all its ester-full glory. Rum Fire has been in production since 2011 and we here in the United States could only enjoy it on the rare trip abroad. That is until early 2016 when it had its first US launch in Seattle. It quickly spread through the local tiki scene showing up in cocktail bars from Rumba to Tacoma Cabana.
I’m a sucker for a good turn of phrase, pair the origin story behind an idiom with my other favorite thing, booze, and I’m happier than a pig in shit. So why do we call the genuine article “The Real McCoy?” During Prohibition, an entrepreneurial gentleman named Bill McCoy sailed down to the Caribbean, filled his ship with rum, then opened a liquor store three miles off the NYC coast in international waters. His success inspired competition, but other rum runners had a nasty habit of cutting their product with unsavory additives. By shunning that particular practice, Bill had those Gatsby flappers calling his rum that one that was The Real McCoy.
The world renowned Sherry house, Bodegas Lustau, makes a wonderful vermouth that is now available at Bitters & Bottles.
Lustau Red Vermouth uses not one but two sherry wines as its base: sweet and velvety Pedro Ximénez and dry and nutty Amontillado. Those sherries are combined with botanicals like gentian, sage, absinth, coriander and orange peel.