Review: Qui Platinum Extra Anejo Tequila
Qui Platinum Extra Anejo Tequila was launched in 2013 by Medhat Ibrahim, Mike Kerikos, and Pete Girgis. Qui was the worlds first Extra Anejo Cristalino tequila. The goal was to produce a beautifully aged tequila at an accessible price. They worked with Master Distiller Miguel Cedeno Cruz to craft their tequila. When it was first released it was priced around $59. Since then the price has gone up much closer to $100 and it has been produced by the 8 different distilleries in 10 years. While switching distilleries is not uncommon in the tequila industry 8 in 10 years is. The bottle I’m reviewing today was distilled at NOM 1605, Inulina y Miel de Agave. Throughout the changing distilleries the formula has remained the same. The 100% agave grown in the Highland region is cooked in an autoclave, fermented, double distilled, and aged for 3 1/2 years in former Tennessee whiskey barrels and French Bordeaux barrels. Once blended the tequila is filtered 9 times and then distilled a third time. Read more 
Review: River Run Vodka
Karl Loewenstein taught History at UW Oshkosh for 21 years before retiring to start a second career as the Founder of Sturgeon Spirits Craft Distillery. The sturgeon name is taken from the areas history of sturgeon spear fishing typically done on ice over Lake Winnebago. In 2021 he purchased their building and in November 2022 they opened their doors. River Run Vodka was one of their first spirits and they currently also craft 16 flavored vodka’s including a Garlic Vodka, 5 Liqueurs, 3 Gins including a Mushroom flavored gin, rum, and 2 agave spirits. River Run Vodka is made from locally grown corn and it is distilled on their custom built still. Read more
Review: Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
PJ Rigney opened the Shed Distillery in 2014 on the shores of Lough Allen at the foothills of Sliabh an Iarainn in Drumshanb Co. Leitrim Ireland. PJ had worked in the spirits business for 30 years and was on the team that invented Baileys. He teamed with Head Distiller Brian Taft and they currently craft 3 versions of Gunpowder Irish Gin, Sausage Tree Vodka, and Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey. Drumshanbo Single Pot Still is made using malted Irish barley, unmalted Irish barley, and Irish Barra oats. It is triple distilled on custom copper pot stills crafted by Arnold Holstein in Germany. The spirit is then aged for 5 years in a combination of single use Kentucky bourbon casks, and Sherry Oloroso barrels. The whiskey is blended and not chill filtrated before bottling at 86 proof. Read more
Review: Cava de Oro Anejo Cristalino
In the 1990’s Don Gilardo Partida Melendez and Dona Leticia Hermosillo Ravelero planted and harvested agave on their land. They built a distillery next to their agave field and with the help of Master Distiller Alberto Partida began producing tequila. The distillery Tequileria Puerta de Hierro now produces tequila for 23 brands including Adictivo, Amatitena, Compoveda, and Tierra Sagrada. Cava de Oro Anejo Cristalino is made from 100% agave grown on their field in the Lowland region. The agave is slow cooked in brick ovens, fermented with wild yeast and double distilled. The spirit is aged for one year in French oak barrels and charcoal filtered to remove the color. Read more
Review: Ciroc Limonata
Ciroc Limonata was just launched. It is the first new Ciroc flavor released since Diageo and Sean Combs parted ways after a partnership that began in 2007 where they shared profits equally. Ciroc was created by Jean Sebastien Robicquet at Maison Villevert, a distillery that has been in the family for 500 years in the South of France. The vodka base is distilled from a blend of Ugni Blanc and Mauzac Blanc grapes. The juice is made into a wine. It takes 4 bottles of wine to make 1 bottle of Ciroc. The wine is distilled four times in a stainless column still and a fifth time in a traditional copper pot still. The vodka is then infused with citrus and Italian lemon flavor before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Mijenta Tequila Reposado
Mijenta Tequila Reposado was launched December 2020, following the September 2020 release of Mijenta Blanco. Former Bacardi CEO Mike Dolan partnered with Maestra Tequilera Ana Maria Romero in crafting the Mijenta brand. Mijenta is made from 100% agave grown in deep red soil in the Highland region. Once hand trimmed the agave is slow cooked in an autoclave. The extracted juice is fermented with proprietary yeast strains and triple distilled. The tequila is then aged up to 6 months in 42 hand selected casks made from American white oak, French oak, and French Acadia casks. The 180 liter barrels are filled to a specific level allowing room for oxygenation. Each of the casks are tested every 15 days. Once mature the tequila is blended before bottling in recycled glass bottles with labels created from agave waste. Read more
Review: Rush Creek Vodka
Rush Creek Vodka is crafted at Rush Creek Distilling in Harvard Illinois. The distillery opened July 2017 and was founded by four friends and Harvard Illinois residence. Mark Stricker a third generation baker, Todd Stricker a Plastics Engineer, Jay Nolan the former Mayor of Harvard, and Jeff McCarthy a former Airforce mechanic each brought a special skill to building the distillery and creating the spirits. Rush Creek Vodka is made from locally grown heirloom corn, and pure deep spring water from the Rush Creek Watershed. The vodka is six times distilled on a 600 gallon custom still they named Liberty that was built in Boise Idaho. Rush Creek Vodka is filled, sealed, and labeled by hand at the distillery. Read more
Review: Pantalones Organic Tequila Blanco
Pantalones Organic Tequila was founded by Matthew and Camila McConaughey. This is not the first rodeo in the world of spirits for Matthew. In 2016 he began serving as a Creative Director for Wild Turkey. While there he worked with Master Distiller Eddie Russell where they created Longbranch Bourbon, an 8 year old bourbon filtered first through American oak charcoal and then Texas Mesquite charcoal. Pantalones is made from 100% organically grown blue weber agave sourced from 7000 acres of natural farming land owned by 4th generation farmers who have farmed the land since the 1920’s. Pantalones is distilled at Tequila Tap. This distillery opened in 2019 with Iliana Partida as Master Distiller. They produce several tequila brands including Tres Agaves, Cazcanes, Hijole, and Inspiro. Pantalones is slow cooked in autoclaves, fermented with organic yeast, and double distilled. Pantalones is a member of 1% for the Planet pledging 1% of revenue to environmental non profit partners. Read more
Review: Absolut Vodka Cranberry Variety Pack
Absolut has partnered with Ocean Spray to produce a 4 flavor 8 can variety pack of Absolut vodka mixed with real cranberry juice from concentrate, natural flavors and soda water. This is not Absoult’s first vodka canned cocktail mix pack. The Absolut Vodka Cocktails 8 pack includes 2 cans each of Grapefruit Paloma, Pineapple Martini, Mango Mule, and Berry Vodkarita. Those canned cocktails contain between 7-10% alcohol. The Absolut Vodka Cranberry Variety Pack contains 2 cans each of Cranberry, Cran-Grape, Cran-Pineapple, and Cran-Raspberry. Each weigh in with 4.5% alcohol. Read more
Review: Cantera Negra Tequila Silver
Cantera Negra translates to Black Quarry. The journey of Cantera Negra Tequila starts November 2006 when Lance Gildner won a fishing tournament in Los Cabos. He celebrated at a local bar where he tasted a very special tequila. He asked the owner what the name of the tequila was so he could purchase when he returned to the US. The bar owner told him it was a secret. It took 9 years when in October of 2015 Lance with the help of local friends was able to identify the tequila. Less than a week later he met with the Becherano family and left with an exclusive license to import the tequila to the US. Don Alberto Becherano began making tequila around 1985 as a hobby. He spent more than a decade perfecting his proprietary method of making tequila. Cantera Negra Silver is made from 100% blue agave grown in the highland region and deep well water. The agave is cooked in autoclaves and fermented in stainless steel tanks. Read more