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New Booze: Tequila, Sake, Rum, Vodka, and Tons of Whiskey

Here are some new booze launches of late:

Peligroso Cinnamon

The world’s first 84 proof cinnamon-flavored tequila is infused with 100% pure cinnamon and a blend of secret ingredients.

Peligroso Cinnamon launches March 2013, to key markets across the country including California and Nevada. The suggested retail price will be $29.99.

SakéMoto, imported by SakeOne

SakéMoto is brewed with rice from the Yamaguchi prefecture in Japan and created with mountain-sourced water from the Nada region. It is the result of over two years in development working with a Japanese brew master to craft the perfect Japanese style saké for the American marketplace. SakéMoto's brewer has 41 years of saké brewing experience and the brewery has been crafting saké since 1743.

SakéMoto is a Junmai saké – meaning, it is made purely from rice, water, yeast and koji (the natural mold that converts rice starches into sugars), and given that it is junmai grade, the rice is polished to 70%. SakéMoto is distributed nationally at a suggested retail price of $11. For more information, please visit sakeone.com.

 Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

The limited edition release Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Small Batch will begin shipping in mid-March with a national average retail price of $39.99. It is a 12 year old, barrel proof bourbon without chill-filtering.

It will have a hand written proof/alcohol by volume information, which will vary from one dump to the next. The proof of the initial release will be 134.2, or 67.1% alcohol/volume.

 Michter's Original Sour Mash Whiskey

During the 1970s and 1980s, Michter’s Original Sour Mash was the brand's best selling whiskey type. Despite its popularity it disappeared from the marketplace in 1989 when the distillery, which dated back to 1753, went bankrupt.

Since its rescue in the 1990s, Michter’s has focused on producing single-barrel rye, single-barrel bourbon, very small batch bourbon, and unblended American whiskey.

Twenty-three years passed before Michter’s resurrected its Original Sour Mash Whiskey. It will sell for a suggested retail of $44 for a 750ml bottle.

Jefferson’s Presidential Select 21 Year Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey

This new product joins the Presidential Suite (Jefferson’s Bourbon, Jefferson’s Reserve, Jefferson’s Presidential Select and Jefferson’s Rye). Jefferson’s Presidential Select 21-Year-Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey is aged in new oak barrels for 21 to 24 years and bottled at 94 proof (47% ABV). It will be released nationally on April 1, 2013.

Jefferson’s Presidential Select 21-Year-Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey consists of 15 lots of bourbon aged from 21 to 24 years. Because of the evaporation that occurred over the aging period, Jefferson’s will have just 2,000 cases to release of this spirit.

Jefferson’s Presidential Select 21 Year Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey is priced at $119.99 for a 750ml bottle and is available for purchase at fine spirits retailers across the country.

Mount Gay Black Barrel

This is a new marque was released in celebration of the brand’s 310th anniversary of Mount Gay with select availability nationwide beginning in April. Mount Gay Black Barrel boasts double pot distillation and maturing in bourbon oak barrels which are combined with the harmonious blending orchestrated by the Master Blender to create an outstanding rum.

All Mount Gay rums are made from a blend of single column and double copper pot distillates and matured in toasted oak barrels. Black Barrel has a higher proportion of double distillates and, after hand selection by Master Blender Allen Smith, Black Barrel is the only marque finished in charred bourbon oak barrels.

Black Barrel will retail for $29.99.

Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey

This bottling is 110 proof and non-chill filtered. Chill-filtration is a common process whereby the whiskey is chilled at temperatures below freezing and is passed through an absorption filter thus removing fatty acids and other flavor contributors such as esters and proteins. By avoiding the chill-filtration process, the whiskey is bottled with more flavor compounds and a deeper color which is denoted by an impressive haze when ice or chilled water is added.

Every expression of Russell’s Reserve – both the Bourbon and rye Whiskey - is matured in only the deepest number 4 or “alligator” charred American white oak. The  aged whiskey barrels are hand selected only from the center cut of the rick house – since that's where the optimal maturation occurs.

Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel (750ml) will be available nationwide at specialist liquor stores priced at $49.99.

EPIC Vodka

EPIC is made with hand-selected wheat harvested from the Champagne region in France and is distilled in the Cognac region.

EPIC vodka will be available in a classic unflavored vodka at 80 proof plus six different flavors in 70 proof each; Peach, Whipped Cream, Kiwi Strawberry, Cherry, Cake and Coconut. More flavors will be added at later dates. EPIC will start shipping to about 30 states in February and will be available nationwide as the year progresses. It is available in 1.75 ml, Liter, 750 ml and 50 ml. Suggested retail pricing for EPIC 750 ml is $12.99.

 

Knappogue Castle 14 Year Old Twin Wood Irish Whiskey 

Following in the tradition of sherry cask-aged Knappogue Castle 1951, the oldest known Irish whiskey, this single malt derives its Twin Wood name from the fact that it combines whiskey aged in two types of wood: Oloroso Sherry casks and bourbon barrels. Single malt Irish whiskey spends a minimum of 14 years in bourbon barrels; it’s then combined with more Irish single malt aged in casks infused for Knappogue Castle with Oloroso Sherry.

The Andrews family began bottling single malt Irish whiskey when most other producers were still making blends. Knappogue Castle is named after the 15th century castle in western Irelandbought by Mark Edwin Andrews II, who restored the castle in the 1960s. He amassed an impressive and rare collection of pure pot still whiskey; when the whiskey reached its peak age, it was bottled and named after his beloved Knappogue. The last of Mr. Andrews’s whiskey, Knappogue Castle 1951, is the oldest and rarest Irish whiskey in the world, and it is still available for purchase by special order. Many years later, Mark Andrews III continues his father’s legacy by with a line of premium vintage Knappogue Castle Irish whiskies and Castle Brands.

Knappogue Castle Twin Wood 14 Year was bottled in October of 2012. It is non-chill filtered and bottled at 92 proof, distinguishing it from the 80 proof 12 Year Old and 16 Year Old Knappogue Castle whiskies. The suggested retail price is $59.99.

 

Glenmorangie Ealanta

Glenmorangie Ealanta is the latest addition to its Private Edition range. Scots Gaelic for "skilled and ingenious," Ealanta is a 19 Years Old Glenmorangie, matured exclusively in virgin American white oak casks from the Mark Twain National Forest in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri.The casks selected from oaks of the Mark Twain National Forest were absolutely top quality and were unusual in that they had not previously held any liquor, such as bourbon.

Glenmorangie Ealanta is bottled at a strength of 46% and is non chill-filtered for extra texture and mouth feel. It will be available in limited quantities as only 1,500 9l cases have been made available for the US market.

Glenmorangie Ealanta is the 2013 addition to the ongoing Private Edition range, comprising so far of the Sonnalta PX, Finealta and Artein.

Phraya Rum

Phraya is a rum distilled, matured, blended and bottled in the Kingdom of Thailand.  Phraya is aged in oak barrels using a maturation technique developed to suit the tropical climate of south-east Asia. The warehouses are sited over cool lagoons which is fundamental the deep maturation process. The tropical climate cycle effectively slows down the ageing process and thus imparts a depth to the rum- Upon its coming of age between seven and twelve years old, barrels are selected for blending. The oak barrels are ‘fired’ to invigorate the wood within the cask. Phraya is distilled using the waters of the Ta Chin River. Phraya is sourced from an abundance of specially-grown sugar cane, nourished by the soil of Nakhon Pathom.

Phraya will have initial distribution in CA, IL, WA and NY and will be in stores in February for a suggested retail price of $39.99 - $49.99.

Westward Oregon Straight Malt Whiskey

House Spirits Distillery, the Portland-based craft distillery known for Aviation American Gin, has announced the launch of Westward Oregon Straight Malt Whiskey.

Westward is an original malt whiskey that is inspired by the Irish tradition, but crafted in a distinctively American style. Every numbered bottle begins with a wash of 100 percent locally-sourced Northwest two-row barley, which is then fermented with Scottish and American ale yeasts and double pot distilled. This spirit matures in full-size, two-char new American oak barrels for at least two years, allowing Oregon’s dry, hot summers and wet, cold winters to contribute to its flavor.

Available immediately in California and Oregon, Westward whiskey will be available in New York and DC in April, and it will roll out to other markets over the next few months. The anticipated retail price for a 375ml bottle is $49.99.

Pike Creek Whisky

Pernod Ricard USA announces the addition of Pike Creek Whisky to its portfolio of global whisky brands. Pike Creek is a small batch whisky, aged in American oak Bourbon barrels and finished in vintage Port barrels. Matured in warehouses in Pike Creek, Ontario, Canada. Making its debut in April 2013, Pike Creek will initially be launched at retail in WA, OR, ID, CO, TX, LA, GA, NC, NY and NH.

Pike Creek (40% abv/80 proof) will be available in 750ml for a SRP of $31.99.

 

The Wide World of the Ward Eight

In my latest column for FineCooking.com, I talk about how the Ward Eight cocktail is everywhere these days. 

You know how you learn the definition of a word and then suddenly you keep hearing that word everywhere? Over the past month it has been that way with me and the Ward Eight cocktail. 

I had just finished reading the book Drinking Boston: A History of the City and its Spirits by Stphanie Schorow, in which the author spends a great deal of time discussing this drink and its history. The Ward Eight is the most famous classic cocktail from Boston, supposedly invented at the Locke-Ober restaurant in 1898. 

In trying to verify the date of the drink's creation, Schorow studies the history of grenadine, the pomegranate syrup used in the drink. It was a new ingredient in America right around this time.

Coincidentally, I was also studying the history of grenadine on my website. I performed a literature review and drew some conclusions, including the surprising finding that grenadine has been made as an artificially flavored cocktail ingredient forover 100 years!

In another coincidence, two of my favorite drink writers also decided to look into the Ward Eight in the January 2013 edition of magazines. Historian David Wondrich took a look at the cocktail's history in Imbibe magazine, and writer Wayne Curtis covered the drink in searching for the quintessential New England cocktail in Yankee magazine. 

 

I went to look up a recipe to put on the post on Fine Cooking, and found that the Ward Eight recipe is different in nearly every book. 

The simplest is just rye, grenadine, and lemon juice. The most complex is those ingredients plus mint, bitters, and simple syrup. 

So I settled on a common recipe with rye, grenadine, lemon, and orange juice. Get the recipe here.

 

Related articles

When Did Grenadine Become an Artificial Ingredient?

The History of Grenadine Use in Cocktails: Literature Review

The History of Grenadine Use in Cocktails: Theories and Conclusions

How to Remove Pomegranate Seeds and Make Grenadine the Easy Way

A Rye Refresher

In my weekly recipe column for Fine Cooking, I talk about rye whiskey's comeback and list the following delicious recipe. 

Bulleit Rye Blinker
By Contemporary Cocktails

1 fl. oz Bulleit Rye
.25 fl. oz Raspberry Liqueur
.75 fl. oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1.5 fl. oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
.5 fl. oz Simple Syrup

Shake all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker and strain into a Collins glass with new ice. Garnish with a grapefruit peel. 

As I was late on my deadline, I whipped up that drink for today's breakfast. It hit the spot.

Here's the full story should you care to read it. 

Take Me to Saratoga

In my latest post for FineCooking.com, I discuss the Saratoga; a cocktail with two base liquors and one of my all-time favorites. 

I'm trying to warm up the Fine Cooking audience to understanding cocktail classification. 

Cocktails fall into many families and formats: sours, fizzes, flips, rickeys, and so on. With this nomenclature we can describe a drink without listing all the ingredients and quantities, no matter what someone has chosen to name it. For example, a Moscow Mule is just a vodka buck, and an Agricole Mule is a rhum agricole buck with mint. 

The basic recipe is

The Saratoga

1 fl. oz. Rye Whiskey 
1 fl. oz. VSOP Cognac
1 fl. oz. Sweet Vermouth
2-3 dashes Angostura Bitters

Stir all ingredients over ice. Strain into a cocktail glass.

Read the rest of the story here. 

Home Bar Recommendations: One of Each

When Jonny Raglin and Jeff Hollinger were looking to open Comstock Saloon (hopefully this month), they had a big limitation to work with: the size of the back bar. It only has room for one or two types of each base spirit. This is a challenge for Raglin in particular as between his former post as Bar Manager at Absinthe and his consultant gig at Dosa on Fillmore he was working with probably 30 different types of gin alone. 

This inspired a story I wrote for the April edition of 7x7 magazine. I also spoke with Martin Cate of Forbidden Island who had the luxury of choosing over 200 rums for the bar, but that didn't leave room for much else. Before opening he sent out an email requesting advice on one of each tequila (blanco, reposado, anejo) for the bar. I also spoke with Marcovaldo Dionysos, who was very selective when choosing the bottles for Clock Bar. He said he had to balance familiar brands that consumers know with less-recognized spirits he'd prefer to work with. 

In the story I asked each of Raglin, Cate, and Dionysos to pick one of each- vodka, tequila, rum, whisky, and gin- that would work the best in the most cocktails, while also being good enough for sipping. The results should point home mixologists who may also not have room for 30 brands of gin toward the one bottle to buy.

The Ultimate Five-Bottle Bar, Perfect for Apartment Dwelling

by Camper English

What happens when the city’s top bartenders are forced to choose? Introducing the ultimate five-bottle bar, perfectly sized for apartment dwelling. 

Click the link above to read the story. In the print edition there are also recommendations for one each of sweet and dry vermouth and an orange liqueur/triple sec.

Glossy Booze: Late June Edition

Glossy Booze is regular Alcademics feature; a round-up of spirits stories in magazines.

Details (June/July) has a story on punch and places to get it around the country, plus a small feature on Hauz Alpenz products. 

ReadyMade (June/July) has another story by Alex Day, this one on ice. Looks like some good advice on how to freeze and split a pan of ice.

Town and Country  (July) has a feature on new food and drink cookbooks for summer.

GQ (July) has three fizz recipes: the Ramos Gin Fizz, the Rum Fizz, and the Gin Fizz.

Mutineer (June/July) has a story on the movie Beer Wars, a feature on craft distillers of the Pacific Northwest, a big story on absinthe, a tour of Maker's Mark, and an interview with Max Riedel of Riedel glass.

Bon Appetit (July) has some recommended blanco tequilas, lists a recipe for the Strawberry Muddle (recipe: muddle strawberries. add prosecco),and a story on IPA beers. 

In Esquire (July), David Wondrich takes a break from writing about cocktails to tell us we don't drink enough champagne.

In Food and Wine (July), we have a recipe for Peach Sangria, a story on creating a wine list, a story on texture as a wine pairing guide, one on Argentinian wines, some recommended restaurants in which to drink wine, and the best beers for wine lovers.

Men's Journal (August) has a ton of booze coverage: recommendations for High West whiskey, Sam Adams Imperial White, and Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka, plus a story on four summer classic cocktails with a twist with recipes by Sean Muldoon of Belfast's Merchant Hotel, Chris Hannah or Arnaud's, Jamie Boudreau of Tini Bigs, and Jeffrey Mortenthaler of Clyde Common. There is also a recipe for an Heirloom Bloody Mary, and Jimmy Buffet recommends a drink that's just rum, coconut water, and a slice of lime.

Rock and Rye

In this past weekend's Wall Street Journal, Eric Felten looks at Rock and Rye, a supposedly-medicinal pre-mixed cocktail. I was just starting to look into the history of the Rock and Rye when Greg Lindgren of the bar Rye in San Francisco send me some information about it, but now Greg's concoction is mentioned here and Felten did my research for me. Thanks!

At Rye in SF, they serve a Rock and Rye Manhattan and in the winter use it in a Hot Toddy.

One thing that Lindgren mentioned is that he thought Southern Comfort might have been a Rock and Rye in the beginning. I checked with Sean Wachsmand, PR Manager of Southern Comfort about this. He got back to me:

"I’ve done some asking around about your question and we don't think was created to be a rock and rye. We think Rock and Rye's date was after the intro of SoCo, but we’re verifying it.  Rock and Rye’s purpose to be consumed as a medicine and often contained mint of some type. They were also made as bottled goods and Northern in their origin.

Heron (Southern Comfort's inventor) was obviously making a cocktail at first and did not include any digestif herbs in his recipe. He used honey as a sweetener."

So there you have it. Southern Comfort was probably not meant to be medicine, but if you take it as a shot with lime juice, it'll combat scurvy anyway.

Cocktails for the Lazy: Saratoga

My favorite cocktails to make at home have a few things in common:

- Not many ingredients. If I want a fancy complicated drink, I'll go to a bar and be served by a professional.

- Easy-to-remember proportions so I don't have to look up the recipe. When I'm pulling out books to make drinks, it feels like work. 

- No fresh ingredients. I have nothing against fresh ingredients, it's just that I tend to run out of them. Even citrus, which I can purchase on a two-minute walk from my front door. But that would mean I would have to put on pants.

Drinks that qualify in this category include the Manhattan, Martini, Negroni, and drinks with bottled beverages like tonic and soda water, as I always have those around.

Long story finishing up: I found another one to add to my repertoire: the Saratoga. I tried one for the first time last night at the SF Cocktail Week closing party. While the Saratoga normally calls for rye whiskey (and it would, being a Jerry Thomas-era recipe), last night they made it with Yamazaki 12 year old scotch and it was delicious. Versatile, too? I'm in heaven.

Saratoga Cocktail

1 ounce rye whiskey (or scotch, it seems)
1 ounce sweet vermouth
1 ounce cognac
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Stir over ice and strain into a cocktail glass.