Review: Lakefront Pumpkin Lager
Lakefront Pumpkin Lager was one of the first pumpkin beers when it was launched in 1989. It is also one of the few Pumpkin Lagers made in the world. Most are ales. It is made from a recipe Thomas Jefferson used to craft his pumpkin beer. The lager is brewed with real pumpkin mash and spices sourced from The Spice House, a Milwaukee institution. Those spices include cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and allspice. Brothers Jim and Russ Klitsch started brewing their beer in 1987 in an old bakery building on the Milwaukee River. By 1998 production had reach 3000 barrels a year and they moved to a building built in 1908 to house the Milwaukee Electric Railway. Read more 
Review: Redds Ginger Apple Ale
Redds Ginger Apple Ale is one of three limited pick, seasonal release ales. The others include a Cranberry and a Blueberry Ale. Redds Ginger Apple Ale was released in September. Redd’s also makes three year round flavors, Apple, Green Apple, and Strawberry. They also produce the 8% alcohol, Redd’s Wicked Ale. Redds Ginger Apple Ale is brewed as an ale. Natural flavors and caramel color is added before bottling at 5% alcohol. Read more
Review: Jackson Morgan Banana Pudding Southern Cream Liqueur
Jackson Morgan Banana Pudding Southern Cream Liqueur was just released. This is their seventh whiskey cream flavored liqueur. If you have tasted any of their other six Southern Creams, including Peaches and Cream, Peppermint Mocha, Salted Caramel, Brown Sugar and Cinnamon, Whipped Orange Cream, or Southern Bread Pudding, you are no doubt as excited as I am to try their newest offering. Jackson Morgan Banana Pudding is crafted with the finest Tennessee Whiskey, and grain neutral spirits. Natural fruit and spiced flavors are then infused before it is blended with real dairy cream. Read more
Review: Buffalo Bills Pumpkin Ale
Buffalo Bills Pumpkin Ale was introduced in 1985. They claim to be Americas Original Pumpkin Ale. The brewery was one of the first brewpubs in America when it was opened in 1983 by Bill Owens. In 1994 he sold the brewery to Geoff Harries who after being turned down for a loan, took $70,000 in cash advances on his credit card. Pumpkin Ale is one of two pumpkin beers and one of ten beers they currently craft in Ukiah California. Their other pumpkin beer is Black Pumpkin Oatmeal Stout. Buffalo Bills Pumpkin Ale is brewed with real pumpkin and spices. This year it is bottled at 6% ABV. I have seen previous years reviews claiming a 5.2% ABV. Read more
Review: Naked Turtle White Rum
Naked Turtle White Rum was launched by Diageo in 2012 to compete with Bacardi. It is distilled five times with sugarcane molasses and the pristine water of the Virgin Islands, at the same St. Croix distillery where Captain Morgan is made. The Naked Rum Company thinks that rum, like life is best enjoyed naked. That’s why Naked Turtle Rum never touches the inside of an oak barrel. Naked Turtle has a partnership with the Sea Turtle Conservancy, a group that works for the long term survival of the sea turtle. Read more
Review: Truly Spiked and Sparkling Sicilian Blood Orange
Truly Spiked and Sparkling Sicilian Blood Orange was just released. It is one of 4 hard seltzer flavors made by this division of the Boston Beer Company. Their other flavors include the previously reviewed Colima Lime, Pomegranate, and Grapefruit and Pomelo. This is the company that also produces Samuel Adams Beer, Angry Orchard Hard Cider, Twisted Tea Hard Iced Tea, and Coney Island Hard Soda. These guys know how to have fun. Hard Seltzer is a relatively new product category but it is growing fast and with the recent acquisition of Boathouse Beverage, the makers of Spiked Seltzer by Anheuser Busch, things are sure to heat up. The Mark Anthony Group, the makers of Mike’s Hard Lemonade, also recently launched White Claw Hard Seltzer. Truly Sicilian Blood Orange is made with filtered water, alcohol made from cane sugar, citric acid and Mandarina hops. Read more
Review: Don Modesto Blanco Tequila
Don Modesto Blanco Tequila was introduced in 2009. The Modesto Spirits Company was created as a tribute to the late Modesto Toro Anaya. For several years he produced a tequila without the use of modern chemicals, and sold it locally in towns near his ranch. Upon his passing in 2007 the Toro family inherited his land and his unique process for crafting tequila. It is crafted with 100% organic Weber Blue agave grown in the Lowlands. The agave is slow cooked in traditional brick ovens. Once the juice is extracted it is fermented for 5 to 10 days. The tequila is twice distilled and then bottled in hand blown bottles. Read more
Review: Wasatch Pumpkin Ale
Wasatch Pumpkin Ale is one of two pumpkin beers crafted in Park City Utah at the Wasatch Brewery. The brewery is named for the mountains, east of Salt Lake City. After moving from Milwaukee Greg Schirf had two questions. Where’s the beer and where’s the breweries? In 1986 he opened the states first brewery and in 1988 he opened the states first brewpub on Main Street in Park City Utah. Wasatch currently crafts 13 beers including two seasonal pumpkin beers, Pumpkin Ale, and Black O’Lantern Pumpkin Stout. Wasatch is part of the Utah Brewers Cooperative but they continue to brew their own beer. Read more
Review: CH Vodka
CH Vodka was introduced in August 2013 when Co-Founders Tremaine Atkinson and Mark Lucas opened the CH Distillery in the West Loop of Chicago Illinois. CH takes its name from the fundamental compounds in alcohol, carbon and hydrogen, while also tipping its hat to their Chicago home. Since opening, the distillery now also crafts 2 Gins, 2 Rums, several liqueurs, an aquavit, and a Peppercorn Vodka. This is the second pairing for Tremaine and Mark who also co-founded North Beach Brewing Company in San Francisco in 1989. That brewery closed one year later due to a lack of capital. After a successful second career, Tremaine became a partner at LSV Asset Management and Mark launching a courier company in Austin Texas that became the cities largest, the two decided to give it another go. This time distilling spirits instead of brewing beer. Their vodka is made from grain, winter wheat and rye, sourced from a farm 65 miles west of Chicago. The grain arrives in 2000 pound bags and so far CH has consumed over 260,000 pound crafting their vodka. The vodka is distilled in a two column still made in Germany by Carl Artisan Distilleries and Brewing Systems. Read more
Review: Bold Rock Carolina Apple Hard Cider
Bold Rock Carolina Apple Hard Cider is one of 10 hard cider varieties crafted at their cider barn in Nellysford Virginia and the Mills River Cidery just outside of Asheville North Carolina. Bold Rock produced their first cider in 2012 and today they are the largest independently owned craft cider company in the US. Bold Rock Carolina Apple is crafted from apples grown in orchards in the Blue Ridge mountains. Read more