Review: Number Juan Blanco Tequila
Number Juan Blanco is another celebrity owned tequila. Ron White, aka Tater Salad, one of the stars of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, and Alex Reymundo, a member of the Latin Kings of Comedy, are lead owners of this brand. They also produce a Reposado and Extra Anejo expression. Ron and Alex have known each other for over 30 years. Their first encounter came after Ron White’s first stand up gig when Alex, then a bartender, served Ron a beer and a shot at a bar in Texas after the show. They have been friends ever since. Ron even married Alex’s sister. Years later Alex gave Ron a bottle of Regalo de Dios Tequila, which translates to Gift of God. Ron thought it was the best tequila he had ever tasted. It was produced by the Rivera family who had been making tequila for three generations spanning almost 100 years. The tequila was not sold outside of Mexico. It took several years for Alex and Ron to convince the family to partner with them to launch this tequila under the Number Juan label in the US. Number Juan is made from 100% blue weber agave grown for a minimum of 7 years in the Lowland region of Amatitan Jalisco. The tequila is double distilled and reduced to 80 proof with natural spring water from the great volcano tequila, and sold in a beautifully design pina shaped bottle. Read more 
Review: Smirnoff Watermelon & Mint Zero Sugar Infusions
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mirnoff Watermelon & Mint Zero Sugar Infusions joins the previously reviewed Strawberry & Rose, and Cucumber & Lime flavors in Smirnoff’s recently released Zero Sugar Infusions line of vodka. Gone are the days of desert flavored vodka. Todays two hottest flavored vodka trends are real fruit juice infused, and zero sugar infused vodka. Smirnoff also offers 4 fruit juice infused vodka flavors in their Sourced line of vodka. The timing for this release is perfect. Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer and no fruit represents summer more than watermelon. Smirnoff Watermelon & Mint is made from a gluten free vodka base distilled from corn. Natural flavors and essence of real botanicals are infused before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: SomruS Chai Cream Liqueur
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omruS Chai Cream Liqueur (also known as The Original Indian Cream Liqueur outside the US) was introduced September 2014. SomruS means Nectar of Gods in ancient Sanskrit. The inspiration for SomruS came on a return flight from India when Pankaj Garg wanted an alcoholic drink to follow his India inspired dinner. He ordered a Baileys and while it was good it just didn’t mesh with his spicy meal. He wondered why there wasn’t a cream liqueur that utilized the rich flavors from India. He spoke with his wife and together they formed SomPriya. Somrus Original Indian Cream Liqueur was their first creation. They have since added SomruS Mango Cream Liqueur ( also known as The Original Mango Cream Liqueur outside the US). SomruS Chai is made from a Caribbean rum base with all natural ingredients including cardamom, saffron, turmeric, almonds, pistachio, rose, and pure dairy cream. It is sold in a beautifully designed Indian themed gold bottle, and weighs in at 27 proof. Read more
Review: Dixie Southern Vodka
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ixie Southern Vodka was introduced in 2013, and originally carried the General Beauregard name and image. General Beauregard commanded the defenses of Charleston South Carolina during the Civil War. Dixie is part of the Grain and Barrel spirits brand that includes Endless Summer Rum, and Chicken Cock Whiskey. They also produce several flavored vodka’s including Dixie Mint, Black Pepper, Citrus, and Wildflower. Dixie Southern Vodka is made from 100% non GMO corn, and distilled six times in a column still, and filtered through a patented process called TerrePURE. TerrePURE uses ultrasonic energy and oxygenation to enhance drinkability by reducing impurities in the distillate. Read more
Review: Novo Fogo Tanager Cachaca
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ovo Fogo Tanager is one of three varieties of cachaça in Novo Fogo’s Two-Wood Series. The other two are Novo Fogo Graciosa, and Novo Fogo Colibri. Wood is very important in the production of cachaça and the Atlantic Forest has lost 88% of its original size of 375 million acres due to deforestation. Novo Fogo has a reforestation project aimed at reversing the journey towards extinction of several threatened native Brazilian tree species. Tanager was the first two-wood cachaça broadly available in the USA. Novo Fogo crafts their cachaça at a distillery in the heart of Brazil’s coastal rainforest, Floresta Atlantica from organic sugar cane hand cut with a machete and pressed within hours. Like Novo Fogo Chameleon it is aged for one year in repurposed oak barrels. Tanager is finished in casks of Arariba, (Brazilian Zebrawood), non chill filtered, and bottled at 84 proof. Read more
Review: Smirnoff Cucumber & Lime Zero Sugar Infusions
Smirnoff Cucumber & Lime Zero Sugar Infusions joins Strawberry & Rose, and Watermelon & Mint in Smirnoff’s just launched Zero Sugar Infusions line of vodka. Cucumber and Lime have been a popular flavored vodka combination, as Svedka, Three Olives, Burnett, and Rain have previously released their own Cucumber and Lime flavored vodkas. At 72 calories per 1.5 Oz. serving I view Smirnoff Zero Sugar Infusions and Diageo stablemate Ketel One Botanicals as the next generation of reduced calorie vodka. Previous reduced calorie flavored vodka brands include Bethenny Frankel’s Skinnygirl and Pitbull’s Voli Vodka. Both were good concepts, backed ,by popular celebrities, but both lacked an important ingredient, good taste. Neither brand currently produces a flavored vodka. Smirnoff Cucumber & Lime is made from a corn distilled vodka base. Natural flavors and essence of real botanicals are infused with the vodka base before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Driftless Glen Vodka
Driftless Glen Vodka is produced at the Driftless Glen distillery build around the hillsides of the Baraboo valley nestled along the Baraboo river in Baraboo Wisconsin. Baraboo Wisconsin is located about 50 miles Northwest of Madison Wisconsin, near the Waterpark Capital of the World, The Wisconsin Dells. The site was selected by husband and wife team Renee and Brian Bemis as much for it’s water supply, as it’s great scenic beauty. About 10-12,000 years ago a glacier moved its way to what is known as the Driftless area where it stopped and melted off, creating a huge underground aquifer unloading massive amounts of sand and sediment that naturally filters the water making the water some of the purest in the country. The distillery opened in 2015. They also produce Bourbon, Rye, Brandy, Moonshine, and Gin. At launch their vodka was branded with the Sleepover Vodka name. Driftless Glen Vodka is made from their own blend of corn and sugarcane based spirit. Both are redistilled in a hybrid pot still made by Artisan Still Design. That pure water is used to reduce to proof. Read more
Review: Bom Bom Coco Mochanut
Bom Bom Coco Mochanut was launched by husband and wife team Kevin Mowers and Eva Maria Janerus in 2016. Coco Mochanut was inspired by Kevin’s attempt to deconstruct a Mounds candy bar, Eva Maria’s favorite sweet treat, while trying to craft a cocktail with the same flavor DNA. Kevin is a food scientist. Bom Bom translates to “my sweetheart” in Spain. Coco Mochanut is an all natural, gluten free, and kosher blend of chocolate, coffee, cream, coconut, and Caribbean rum. It is produced and bottled at 36 proof, by LiDestri Spirits, a private label bottler in Rochester New York. By comparison Baileys weighs in at 34 proof. Read more
Review: Skyy Infusions Cold Brew Coffee Vodka
Skyy Infusions Cold Brew Coffee Vodka was just released. While I have reviewed several espresso flavored vodka’s, this is my first experience with a cold brew coffee vodka. The only other brand I know of is Beak and Skiff 1911 Cold Brew Coffee Vodka. This is produced in Lafayette New York, and distribution is limited, so we haven’t been able to get our hands on a bottle to review. For those not familiar with cold brew coffee, it differs from Iced Coffee. Cold Brew is coffee brewed with room temperature or cold water for 12-24 hours. Skyy Cold Brew starts with a vodka base made from Midwestern grown wheat. It is quadruple column distilled and triple filtered through California limestone. Water filtered through reverse osmosis is blended to reduce to proof. Real Arabica coffee beans and natural flavors are infused with the vodka before bottling at 70 proof. Read more
Review: Smirnoff Strawberry & Rose Zero Sugar Infusions
Smirnoff Strawberry & Rose Zero Sugar Infusions is one of three flavor variants in Smirnoff’s new Zero Sugar Infusions line of vodka. The other two flavors are Cucumber and Lime, and Watermelon and Mint. Vodka has long been the adult beverage of choice for those counting points and calories. An ice filled glass, a shot of Smirnoff, topped with your favorite flavored seltzer water, was, and is a popular healthier lifestyle option. That option has been challenged with the popularity of Hard Selzer’s. Turn about is fair play as Smirnoff Zero Sugar joins Ketel One Botanical in launching a sugar free flavor infused vodka. Smirnoff Zero Sugar is gluten free and infused with natural flavors and essence of real botanicals. Add a splash of soda and you are still sitting pretty at 72 calories per serving. Read more