Alcademics.com

New Booze: First Peated American Single Malt Whiskey from Westland Distillery

First Peated American Single Malt Whiskey from Westland Distillery Seattle-based Westland Distillery has released a limited edition peated single malt whiskey titled “First Peated”. Westland’s First Peated American Single Malt Whiskey (SRP $65.00 a 750-ml) is the first peated expression released by the distillery and it serves as a prelude to Westland's Peated Malt Whiskey, which will soon become a mainstay in the distillery’s regular lineup of American Single Malt Whiskies. First Peated began as a mash of two separate malts that was distilled in Seattle by Westland then matured in charred new American oak casks. The first malt was... Read more →

New Booze: Canne Bleue and Select Barrel from Rhum Clément

Rhum Clément Canne Bleue and Select Barrel Rhum Clément, AOC Martinique RhumAgricole, is adding two rums to its current US portfolio. Unlike rum distilled from molasses, a by-product of sugar production, the making of Rhum Agricole begins with sugarcane, which is pressed to extract fresh sugarcane juice, and then fermented and distilled to produce the end product. Rhum Agricole production must adhere to the standards of the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée of Martinique, an agricultural standard. Clément USA announces Clément Canne Bleue and Clément Select Barrel. Clément Canne Bleue is a white rhum made from a unique varietal of sugarcane: Canne... Read more →

New Booze: Five New Vodkas Representing Elvis, Mongolia, Texas, and Water

Soyombo Vodka From Mongolia comes Soyombo Vodka, a vodka produced by The APU Company, Mongolia's first national beverage company since 1924. Soyombo is produced, distilled, and bottled in Mongolia and is the number one selling super-premium vodka in Mongolia. Soyombo will be launched in five US markets: California, New Hampshire, New Jersey, upstate New York and Ohio; as well as at online spirits retail site Caskers.com; and in Canada. The suggested price is $29.99 (40% ABV; 750ml). Soyombo Vodka is distilled on the site of the last Emperor's palace, the Bogd Khan’s Winter Palace located in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of... Read more →

Snap Shots: Jack Colorized

This is a statue of Jack Daniel near the water source at the distillery in Tennessee. I messed with the color of the shot for no good reason. Read more about the visit here. Read more →

New Booze: Sixteen (Make that 18) New Whiskies

A ton of new whiskies have come out in the past three weeks. Here they are: Chocasmoke Whiskey The First in the Seven Hills Series by Seven Stills is Chocasmoke Whiskey. The product is distilled from a chocolate oatmeal stout. It was brewed the wash at Mill Valley Beerworks and distilled at Stillwater Distillery in a 500 gallon Vendome copper pot still. It was aged 6 months in new charred American Oak barrels. Chocasmoke is the first release in the Seven Hills series, an ode to Twin Peaks, where the Seven Hills concept was born and recipe testing began. Only... Read more →

Turquila? The Weird World of Meat-Distilled Mezcal on Details.com

In my latest story for Details.com (upgraded to a feature!) I wrote about pechuga-style mezcals. These are mezcal redistilled with seasonal fruits and nuts, plus a chicken or turkey (or deer or rabbit or pig) hanging in the still. I thought there were only a couple on the market, but there are at least 8 different brands available in the US. I looked into the origins/history of pechuga and how a few of them differ from each other. Plus: 26 different bars in which to drink it. Have a look! Related articles The Celebrity Tequila Index New Booze, Agave Edition:... Read more →

Snap Shots: Barrels on Fire

April 2012: Barrels being charred on the inside to prepare them to hold bourbon. Photo taken at the Brown-Forman Cooperage. Read more →

Snap Shots: Agave Crisscross

November 2007: This was my first trip to the tequila-producing region of Mexico with Tequila Don Julio. Here, huge agaves with their spiky leaves overlap -this isn't a field you'd want to run through naked. Read more →