Review: Frankly Organic Grapefruit Vodka
Frankly Organic Grapefruit Vodka was launched June 2018 by Be in Good Spirits Co-Founders Philip Rock and Kent Croutcher. It is one of five organically produced vodkas they craft in Texas. The vodka base is made from organic corn sourced from family farms and is distilled five times and filtered twice. Frankly Organic Grapefruit Vodka appears to hit all of the latest vodka trends. No refined sugars, no gluten, no GMO’s, and no artificial colors, are added. It’s certified organic by Oregon Tilth, its made with real fruit juice, and organic fruit and vegetable juice is added for color. Frankly Organic Grapefruit Vodka even prints their entire ingredient list on the bottle. That list reads organic corn vodka, organic ruby red grapefruit, organic apple, organic lemon juice, organic Ceylon cinnamon, organic maca root, organic grade A maple syrup, and natural flavors. Read more 
Review: Cole Swindells Pre Show Punch
A bottle of Cole Swindells Pre Show Punch has been sitting on my back bar for a month now as I’ve anxiously waited for it’s release. Pre Show Punch will start arriving on store shelves Friday January 18. It is produced and bottled by Sugarlands Distilling Company in Gatlinburg Tennessee. The neutral spirits base is made from Tennessee white corn milled onsite. The milled corn and pure cane sugar are combined with back-ins from the prior batch along with yeast and pure Smoky Mountains water. The fermentation process takes 4-5 days. Once fermented, the mash is transferred to a copper pot still for the first distillation. The spirit next moves through a copper distillation column where it condenses and is redistilled 5 more times. The heads and tails of the liquid are separated leaving only the heart. Natural flavors and certified colors are added before bottling at 50 proof. Read more
Review: Pinkertons Coconut Rum
Pinkertons Coconut Rum was released March 2017. It joins Pinkertons Platinum Rum and was followed by Pinkertons Gold Rum. Each rum starts with a base made from Texas grown cane sugar molasses from the Rio Grande Valley, water, and yeast. The molasses and yeast ferment for a week. Distillation follows in a still designed and built by Founder and Master Distiller Lucas Pinkerton. Once reduced to proof, coconut essence and natural flavors are infused. The spirit is redistilled before bottling at 60 proof. Read more
Review: Embajador Platinum Tequila
Embajador Platinum Tequila is made from 100% Weber Blue agave grown for 8-10 years on their estate located in Atotonilco, in the Highland Region of Jalisco. A portion of the agave is slow cooked in adobe ovens for 30 hours and then rested for 12 hours. Another portion is steam baked in autoclaves. The agave is first shredded. Rollers then squeeze out the juice. The extracted juice ferments in open steel vats for three to five days and is double distilled in traditional pot stills. The spirit rests for 40 days in steel vats before bottling. Read more
Review: Frankly Organic Strawberry Vodka
Frankly Organic Strawberry Vodka was introduced June 2018 along with Frankly Organic Grapefruit, Pomegranate, Apple, and their unflavored original Frankly Organic Vodka. Each flavor starts with a vodka base made from 100% family farmed organic corn. The vodka is distilled in small batches in Austin Texas and each variety is certified organic by Oregon Tilth. Frankly Organic Strawberry is infused with organic strawberries harvested in California, organic apples, organic turmeric, organic ginger root, organic coconut water, organic lemon juice from Spain, Vermont Grade A maple syrup and natural flavors. Organic fruit and vegetable juice is added for color. 1% of revenue supports animal welfare causes. Read more
Review: Teeling Single Grain Irish Whiskey
Teeling Single Grain Irish Whiskey was released in the US March 2015. That is the same year Jack and Stephen Teeling opened the Teeling Whiskey Distillery. This was the first new distillery built in Dublin in over 125 years. Currently they source their whiskey from other distilleries while their own produced whiskey ages. The Teeling family has been crafting whiskey for over 230 years, since Walter Teeling opened his distillery in 1782. Teeling Single Grain Irish Whiskey is made from 95% corn and 5% barley. The spirit is column distilled and aged for five years in red wine barrels first used to mature cabernet sauvignon in Napa Valley California. Read more
Review: Striped Vodka
Striped Vodka was first released September 2013. It is crafted at the Striped Pig Distillery in Charleston South Carolina. In 1838 the 15-Gallon act was passed which made the sale of alcohol illegal in any quantity under 15 gallons. To circumvent this law a true entrepreneur charged guests 4 pense to see a pig painted in strips. In return the guests were served a free glass of liquor. The Striped Pig distillery takes its name from this ploy to elude the Temperance law. Striped Vodka is made from 100% locally grown corn harvested at Myer’s farm in Bowman South Carolina. The corn is milled onsite at the distillery to exact specifications. It is small batch fermented with carefully selected strains of yeast and distilled five times. The vodka is rested before bottling on site. Read more
Review: 1800 Coconut Tequila
1800 Coconut Tequila was released in 2016. 1800 is named for the first year tequila was barrel aged. 1800 Coconut starts with a 100% Weber blue agave base made from agave grown for 8-12 years. The spirit is double distilled. A special selection of white tequila is blended together for added complexity and character. The tequila is then infused with natural ripe coconut flavor. Read more
Review: Fennellys Cappucino Irish Cream Liqueur
Fennellys Cappucino Irish Cream Liqueur is made by Robert A Merry Company in Clonmel County Tipperary Ireland. Cappucino is one of four varieties of Fennellys I found on the shelf of my local Total WIne and More store. The others include the original Fennellys Irish Cream, Fennellys Peppermint, and Fennellys Mint Chocolate. Fennellys Cappucino Irish Cream Liqueur is made with Irish whiskey, fresh dairy cream, neutral spirits, natural flavors, and caramel color. Read more
Review: The Walter Collective Vodka
The Walter Collective Vodka was introduced the summer of 2016 joining their previously released gin. It is made from spelt, an ancient wheat grain, and triticale, a wheat-rye hybrid developed in Scotland in the late 1800’s. Matt Melaik, founder of The Walter Collective was inspired by his grandfather Walter J Bade to pursue the art and craft of creating spirits. Walter was a former World War II veteran who worked for the Chicago Water Department by day, and at night enjoyed drinking martini’s, listening to music, and painting. It is Walters image that adorns each bottle. Matt Melaik does not have his own distillery, instead he relies on a collective effort to create the finest spirits. The Walter Collective Vodka is crafted by Master Distiller Ryan Hembree at Skip Rock Distillers in Snohomish Washington. The spirit is twice distilled in small batches in a Kothe still, and minimally filtered to retain the flavor of the grain. The vodka is hand bottled on site. Read more