Midori debuted in 1978 in New York’s famed 54 Club with none other than John Travolta in attendance. For the next nine years, Midori all but disappeared and could only be purchased in Japan until it was relaunched onto the public market in 1987. Midori is made by Suntory and it’s made ingredient is a special variety of honeydew melon that is grown in Japan.
Many of you may recognize Midori by it’s bright green … Read more
This Vodka hails from Hawaii! I have to admit the fact that Pau is made in Hawaii and has an awesome bottle (more on that later) made me want to like it even before I even tried it. But, the good news is that I liked it just as much after I tried it. Pau Vodka is made by Haliimaile Distilling Company in upcountry Maui and distilled from Maui pineapples.
The Pau Vodka bottle is … Read more
Believe it or not, Don Julio is actually a man. A man who is still alive, living in Mexico and making Tequila! While Don Julio has passed on the reins of the distillery to the next generation, he is still an active participant in the business. I think that is pretty cool. I am always impressed when a distiller or a winemaker is actively involved in it’s operations, especially, the person who started them. No … Read more
The Chivas Brothers started as grocers in Aberdeen Scotland, then became purveyors of fine food stuffs and liquor, including rum, and starting in 1843, were given a Royal Warrant to supply Queen Victoria on her trips to Scotland. In the 1850’s, one of the famed Chivas brothers turned his attention to Scotch and developed a blended Scotch Whisky where softer grain Whiskys were blended with the aromatic but often harsher Single Malt Whiskys. Viola, a … Read more
There are certain words that are just fun to say and Effen happens to be one of them. Supposedly Effen means smooth in Dutch but its close proximity to another word probably doesn’t hurt its reputation either. But, all kidding aside, the folks at Effen take their Vodka very seriously and the Vodka, itself, shouldn’t be overshadowed by its name.
Effen Vodka is a Dutch wheat Vodka based on a 125 year old recipe and … Read more
Bulldog London Dry Gin is a relatively new entrant into the gin market, having been released in 2006. But its timing is impeccable; Bulldog’s release perfectly coincided with the resurgence of gin. There isn’t much information to be had about Bulldog Dry Gin. The website says that it is distilled by a distillery that has over 250 years experience. A press release states that the brand was started in 2003 by a former banker and … Read more
Another offering from the folks at Wild Turkey, who never cease to surprise us. At this point, Wild Turkey is truly an American icon. And we love the story on how this bourbon got its name—a turkey hunting trip that one of its marketing executives went on and took samples. The next year, the friends asked for some of that “wild turkey.” It’s a great story!
Wild Turkey has a Rare Breed society for bourbon … Read more
One of the six offerings of bourbon from Wild Turkey. The 81 Proof (or 80 as the website says but my bottle reads 81 Proof) is bottled at a slightly lower proof than the original Wild Turkey recipe and was created to offer a lower octane alternative with the same spicy kick as the original and the famed Wild Turkey 101. In addition to being bottled at a lower proof, the 81 Proof was also … Read more
A relatively recent offering from Wild Turkey, it’s the sweeter, honied side of turkey. Actually, Wild Turkey American Honey is a blend of Wild Turkey and honey liqueur with the honey liqueur being added just before bottling. It tames the Wild Turkey but not completely. I wish that I had more to tell you about the history of the American Honey but I have searched high and low and there is nothing much out there … Read more
Basil Hayden’s is a small-batch bourbon from Jim Beam Brands that was first released into the market in the 1980’s. Besides having a cool name (for some reason, I really like Basil Hayden’s), it is also in a beautiful, rustic bottle (seriously, I want to use the band around the bottle as a bracelet). I know that I have cautioned readers from purchasing wine based on the appearance of the bottle before and I will … Read more