Store Picks: Blanton’s Single Barrel – Chris Gasbarro Pick
Pick Information - This offering was chosen by Chris Gasbarro and his famous palate. This pick is 93 proof and was aged in rick house H, rick number 5. This is barrel number 38. The whiskey is a little over 7 years old.
Color – Nice copper color to it
Nose – First nosing I get a lot of cinnamon and baking spice. When I go back for a second nosing I get some great toffee notes as well.
Palate – Caramel, baking spice on the front of the palate...
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The most popular liquor in China, baijiu is a clear, grain alcohol with a long history. While its colorless appearance can have it mistaken for other East Asian liquors (Korean soju, for example) baijiu usually has a significantly higher ABV ranging from 35%-60%. It is important to note, though, that ‘baijiu’ is a broad term, like rum or whisky. There are many varieties of baijiu, but they are categorized into four main “aromas.”
Rice aroma – a light, floral flavor
Light aroma – a sweet, floral ta...
While there is some debate over where pisco originated, it is a usually clear spirit produced in winemaking regions of Peru and Chile. While both countries tout pisco as their national drink, there is an international trade agreement for protection of the beverage that prohibits branding including country names. Created through the ingenuity of Spanish settlers as an alternative to pomace brandy which needed to be imported and incurred high tax, pisco is made by distilling fermented grape juice...
Ingredients:
½ oz Elderflower Liqueur
1 oz Dry Gin
2 oz Lillet Blanc
2 oz fresh grapefruit juice
Few dashes of citrus bitters
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker
filled with ice. Shake vigorously then
strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with
a lemon twist or grapefruit peel and a
sprig of rosemary or thyme, if desired.
The French Blonde is a favorite of Taylor Swift - Easy to make but complex in flavor, this drink is not overly sweet but packs a citrus punch!
*You can also make this a French...
Even with an extra day this February, the month managed to slip away from me before I could make this final gin post.
Today, though, we are talking about a couple of gin outliers. To start, Genever. What is Genever, you ask? Genever is actually Dutch for "juniper" but don't let that fool you into thinking it is merely Dutch gin. While Genever does use botanicals (including juniper) it is a malted grain-based spirit made in Holland or Belgium that is really closer to a cro...
For a spirit with such a distinctive flavor profile, gin is surprisingly versatile. The light-bodied spirit, which is the base of many classic cocktails, can only be classified as gin if it is predominantly flavored by juniper berries. You might think this means all gin tastes the same, but because each gin maker uses a different mix of herbs, botanicals, and even citrus, they vary greatly from one to the next. As we become better acquainted with gin in the weeks ahead, we'll a...
Today’s featured gin cocktail is known as a cousin to the martini and the Manhattan (and perhaps borrows the best parts of each.) Before we get to the cocktail itself, I’d like to give a brief introduction to the necessary ingredients.
While I like to encourage BYOB – be your own bartender – I understand that when a recipe calls for ½ oz of something you’ve never used before, it might not seem worth it to buy an entire bottle. Thankfully, the ingredients in this cocktail have so many uses, they a...
A great example of how flavors of gin can vary exists within Hendrick's and their Cabinet of Curiosities. While all Hendrick's gins are infused with rose and cucumber, their Master Distiller has created a vast collection of gins using different herbs and botanicals.
Grand Cabaret is a limited release gin from Hendrick's and the newest offering from their Cabinet of Curiosities line. Available for sampling by request at our North Attleboro tasting center, the aroma of stone fruits - possibly...