Review: Zodiac Vodka
Zodiac Vodka was relaunched in 2014 with distribution initially limited to Texas. Zodiac has since increased availability with an eye on National distribution. Zodiac Vodka was originally introduced in 1999 so if the name sounds familiar you may have tried it years ago. Zodiac is produced in Rigby Idaho in a true farm to bottle process by Distilled Resources. This is the same distillery that produces Square One, Blue Ice, American Harvest, and 44 North Vodka. Zodiac is made with certified Russet potatoes and pure water sourced from the Snake River aquifer. After fermenting the potatoes, a 91 stage distillation in a four column still follows. The vodka is filtered once through Canadian birch charcoal. Read more 
Review: Zaya Gran Reserva Rum
Zaya Gran Reserva Rum is produced in Trinadad, the southernmost island of the Caribbean, at Trinidad Distillers. It is made from 12 different rare rums that are carefully selected and blended by the Zaya Master Distiller. These rums are aged a minimum of 12 years. Some are up to 18 years old. Zaya is one of several spirits in the Infinium Spirits stable that also includes Templeton Rye, Crystal Head Vodka, Tequila Corralejo, and Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur. Read more
Review: Concannon Irish Whiskey
Concannon Irish Whiskey was released in 2012. It is a blended Irish whiskey made from soft pure spring water from the mountainside of Slieve na gCloc, and locally harvested spring malted barley. The grain whiskey portion is made from corn. Concannon Irish whiskey is distilled in small long necked copper pot stills. The spirit is first aged for 4 years in bourbon barrels and later aged for four months in barrels previously used to age Concannon Petite Sirah wine. Fourth generation Vintner John Concannon created Concannon Irish whiskey in collaboration with Cooley Distillers, as a special tribute to his great grandfather James Concannon. James sailed from Ireland to America in 1865 when he was 18. In 1874 James and his wife traveled from Maine and settled in the Livermore Valley of California where he founded Concannon Winery in 1883. The bottle I am reviewing was distilled at the Cooley Distillery. Since Beam acquired the distillery and renamed it Kilbeggan Distillery, they reduced the number of brands they produce Irish whiskey for. This resulted in several brands death, since there were so few distilleries producing Irish Whiskey. Concannan Irish Whiskey has survived but I don’t know the current source of their Irish whiskey. Read more
Review: Two Hats Lime Light Beer
Two Hats Lime Light Beer joins Two Hats Pineapple Light Beer in the new MillerCoors beer lineup. Two Hats Lime is by no means the first lime flavored beer on the market. They follow Bud Light Lime, Labatt Blue Light Lime, Keystone Light Lime, Michelob Ultra Lime Cactus, and Miller Chill, a 100 calorie light beer with lime. Why is it all the lime flavored beers are light calorie beers? The 16 Oz. can I’m sampling this beer from describes Two Hats Lime as a Light Beer with a hint of Natural Lime flavor. I don’t know if the two head adornments worn by the two women pictured on the can, a crown, and a hair ribbon, qualify as hats. Maybe this is just the target market MIllerCoors is focused on with Two Hats. Read more
Review: West Cork Bourbon Cask Blended Irish Whiskey
West Cork Bourbon Cask Blended Irish Whiskey is made from a blend of 75% Grain Irish Whiskey and 25% Malt Irish Whiskey that are both aged in first fill bourbon casks. The West Cork Distillery was founded in 2003 by three close friends Denis McCarthy, Ger McCarthy, and John O’Connell in Union Hall West Cork Ireland. The whiskey is triple distilled in copper pot stills. The stills are only half filled in order to allow maximum copper-spirit interaction. Most of the mashing fermentation and distillation equipment was handcrafted on site by the team at West Cork Distillers. Read more
Review: Crispin Rose Hard Cider
Crispin Rose Hard Cider was recently introduced. Founders Joe and Lesley Heron started making cider in Minnesota in 2004 after moving to the US from South Africa. In 2010 they acquired Fox Barrel Cider and moved all production to the Colfax California. In 2012 they were acquired by Miller-Coors. Today the Heron’s craft Copper and Kings American Brandy. Crispin Rose is the second of four Rose flavored ciders that have either been recently released or will be released shortly. Why? Rose wine sales grew 40% in 2017. Crispin also sites a Nielsen study that showed Crispin Cider drinkers consumed four times as much wine as cider. Crispin Rose is naturally fermented using raw unpasteurized juice of fresh pressed apples and pears through classic cold fermentation, and specially selected wine yeasts. Rose is bottled at 5% ABV and sold in 6 packs of 12 oz. bottles. Read more
Review: Malibu Lime Rum
Malibu Lime Rum was just released. This is not the first time Malibu has created a lime flavored rum. A previous Malibu Lime was produced until 2003. This is one of 15 rum varieties Malibu currently produces. With lime being such a popular flavor to mix with rum, I’m a little surprised Malibu went 15 years without having a lime flavored rum. But checking Bacardi Rums flavor lineup they don’t a lime flavored rum either. The rum base for Malibu is made from molasses created from the finest sugar cane crops and pure water. After fermenting with a proprietary yeast the spirit is distilled 3 times at the West Indies Distillery in Barbados. The rum is barreled and shipped to Canada where lime liqueur is infused with the rum before bottling at 42 proof. Read more
Review: Angry Orchard Rose Cider
Angry Orchard Rose Cider is one of six year round varieties in their Core Line of hard ciders. The others include Crisp Apple, Green Apple, Easy Apple, Pear Cider, and Stone Dry. American Orchard Rose is made from Gala, Fuji, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith apples grown on their 60 acre apple orchard in Walden New York, and Red Flushed apples sourced from France. Cane sugar, sweet potato, radish, and hibiscus also appear on the bottles ingredient list. The Crist family took ownership of the Walden orchard in the heart of the Hudson Valley in 1963 and have been leaders in the apple growing industry growing both culinary and bittersweet cider apples. This is where the majority of the domestic apples used to craft Angry Orchard are sourced from. Read more
Review: Paddy Irish Whiskey
Paddy Irish Whiskey was first produced in 1779. It was originally made by Cork Distilleries and named Cork Distilling Company Old Irish Whiskey. In 1882 the Cork Distilleries hired Paddy Flaherty as a salesman. Paddy visited the pubs of Cork buying whiskey for customers. He had such a presence at these pubs the whiskey became better known as Paddy’s Irish Whiskey. In 1912 the distillery officially changed the name of it’s whiskey to Paddys Irish Whiskey. In 1966 Irish Distillers was formed when a merger took place between John Powers and Son, John Jameson and Son, and Cork Distilleries. In 1988 Irish Distillers joined Pernod Richard. The Paddys brand was acquired in May 2016 by Sazerac, the makers of Buffalo Trace Bourbon and Corazon Tequila. Sazerac also acquired the rights to Michael Collins Irish Whiskey in 2015, and plans on bringing that brand back to life. For now Paddys will still be produced at Irish Distillers in Midelton Ireland. Paddys is currently the worlds fourth best selling Irish Whiskey, no doubt helped with its decision in February 2010 to start shipping to the US. Paddy Irish Whiskey is a blended whiskey that is triple distilled and aged up to 7 years in oak barrels. Read more
Review: Two Hats Pineapple Light Beer
Two Hats Pineapple Light Beer was recently released by MillerCoors along with Two Hats Lime Light Beer. Depending on your market area, Two Hats is sold in 4 and 6 packs of 16 Oz. cans. MillerCoors has targeted the 20 something drinker who may be more inclined to order a cocktail or glass of wine than a beer. Those watching their weight or living a healthier life style will be happy to learn Two Hats weighs in at 4.2 % alcohol with 112 calories per 12 Oz. serving. No doubt MillerCoors would also like to steal some of those currently consuming Bud Light Lime. Heads up, Bud Light Orange will soon be released. Could flavored light beer be the hot beer trend for 2018, following the wave of hard ciders, adult soft drinks, spiked iced teas, hard seltzers, and apple ales? Read more