The Alcohol Professor Magazine | Fall/Winter 2021

Why is

Bourbon Expensive...

So Crazy

& When Will the

Bubble

Burst?

A R E S M A L L B ATC H G I N S THE NEXT BIG THING? IS MICHTER'S 25 YEAR OLD BOURBON WORTH $1000?

Y E S , V O D K A R E A L LY D O E S PA I R W E L L W I T H C H E E S E AND HERE'S WHY

Inside T H E U LT I M AT E 2021 H O L I D AY GIFT GUIDE

syllabus 4

19

MEET THE PROFESSORS

HOW ARCHEOLOGISTS ARE DIGGING INTO THE ROOTS OF WINE & MAKING BEER

6

WINNERS OF THE 5TH ANNUAL BERLIN INTERNATIONAL BEER COMPETITION

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WINNERS OF THE 7TH ANNUAL BERLIN INTERNATIONAL WINE COMPETITION

10

WINNERS OF THE 12TH ANNUAL NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL SPIRITS COMPETITION

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HOW TAPPING INTO KEG WINES WITH THE GOTHAM PROJECT CAN HELP SAVE THE PLANET

TROPICAL GINS ARE BETTER THAN EVER: HERE ARE SOME OF OUR FAVORITES

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WHY IS BOURBON SO CRAZY EXPENSIVE AND WHEN WILL THE BUBBLE BURST?

30

ARE SMALL BATCH CRAFT GINS THE NEXT BIG THING?

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WHAT MAKES A GREAT TONIC WATER AND WHY IT MATTERS

38

HOW KŌ HANA IS RAISING THE BAR WITH SINGLE CANE AGRICOLE RUMS

42

GET TO KNOW VIETNAM’S TWO PREMIUM RHUM DISTILLERIES

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IS MICHTER'S 25 YEAR OLD BOURBON WORTH $1000?

47

7 OF THE BEST IRISH CREAMS THAT AREN'T BAILEYS

52

THE SURPRISING STORY OF ARTISAN CHEESEMAKING IN VIETNAM

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5 CHEESES THAT SHOW THE SURPRISING VERSATILITY OF ZINFANDEL

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A CLOSER LOOK AT VERMOUTH & CHEESE PAIRING

61

3 REASONS WHY IT'S TIME TO STOP THE CHEESE BOARD MADNESS

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YES, VODKA REALLY DOES PAIR WELL WITH CHEESE AND HERE'S WHY

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A CLOSER LOOK AT VERMOUTH & CHEESE PAIRING

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THE ULTIMATE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

Meet the P Adam was inspired to develop the competition when reading an article in Malt Advocate many in reality, some of the most well known West Coast and UK Based Competitions present medals to over 84% of the spirits that enter their contests. As a journalist and a consumer himself, Adam wanted to assemble a more evenhanded and honest competition – not a “medal factory” where the cost of entry ensures high odds of winning. As a native New Yorker, he was compelled to develop an impartial New York-based competition where real trade buyers serve as the voice to pronounce the winners by category and by actual price, so he founded the NY International Wine Competition, the NY International Spirits Competition, and the NY International Beer Competition. Since that first year, the success of the New York competitions has allowed him to expand to Berlin and Melbourne over 5 years ago and recently into Asia with a Hong Kong Based competition.

The Dean

ADAM LEVY

Adam Levy is the Alcohol Professor and the founder of the International Beverage Competitions, an annual wine, beer, and spirits competition series taking place in New York, Berlin, Melbourne and Hong Kong. It is Adam’s passion for good drink paired with a savvy journalistic observation that propelled him to create an unparalleled, authentic contest within the beverage industry.

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Before delving into the drink world, Adam earned a BA in Political Science and MBA in Business Strategy.

Throughout it all, he pursued his personal passion for the world of liquor and began writing for multiple print and online sources. Adam is a 25+ veteran of the tech and startup world and is also a Co-Founder of an Internet Security Solutions company providing secure network solutions to some of the top companies in the New York Metro Area. He has also been known to provide special tastings events for his clients and through his tasting company “All Spirits Events.” Adam takes his role as the Alcohol Professor seriously and is a strong believer in the “knowledge transfer” experience. As a recognized expert in the beverage industry, he is often asked magazine was built to answer all of the questions that anyone might have about beer, wine, cocktails, and everything else in the wonderful world of spirits.

Adam lives in New York with his dog, Garrett Oliver, so when he is not running a tasting, visiting a distillery, winery or brewery, or heading up a competition, he makes sure to schedule his events around Rutgers Sports. He is continually praying to the College Football Gods to give Rutgers a Winning Football Season!

Professors The Principal

AMY SHERMAN Editor In Chief Amy Sherman is a San Francisco-based freelance writer, editor and recipe developer. She is the author of WinePassport: Portugal and has written about beer, wine and spirits for both consumer and industry publications including Wine Enthusiast, Cheers,VinePair, Gastronomica, Architectural Digest, Fodor’s and TimeOut. For several years she developed wine pairing recipes for an online wine retailer and has written cookbooks for brands including Williams Sonoma and Keurig. Amy is a fan of bourbon, bubbly and Barolo and fell in love with beer during an extended stay in Belgium. She has a BA in Politics from UC Santa Cruz and an Italian language certificate from Instituto di Lingua e Cultura Michelangelo in Florence, Italy. She has been a speaker at many professional culinary, writing and blogging conferences, is a past board member of the San Francisco Professional Food Society and is currently on the board of Bay Area Travel Writers.

She can be found on Twitter and Instagram: @cookingwithamy

Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 5

WINN

5th Annual Berlin International Beer Competition DOUBLE GOLD

SILVER

HYBRID/MIXED BEER STYLES MAHOU BARRICA BOURBON

HYBRID/MIXED BEER STYLES KATI PATANG SNAPPY WHEAT MAHOU BARRICA ORIGINAL MAHOU CINCO ESTRELLAS SIN GLUTEN

LAGER BEER STYLES - EUROPEAN AND GERMAN ORIGIN BUDWEISER BUDVAR RESERVE MAHOU MAESTRA DUNKEL ALE BEER STYLES - NORTH AMERICAN ORIGIN NO-LI BREWHOUSE CASCADE FOG WHALERS BREWING COMPANY WANDERER ALE BEER STYLES - BELGIAN AND FRENCH ORIGIN THERESIANER STRONG ALE WHALERS BREWING COMPANY SIRIUS

GOLD HYBRID/MIXED BEER STYLES MAHOU BARRICA 12 MESES NO-LI BREWHOUSE THREEZY DOES IT THERESIANER SENZA GLUTINE ALE BEER STYLES - BRITISH ORIGIN GREAT BASIN BREWING COMPANY ICHTHYOSAUR ICKY" IPA" ALE BEER STYLES - GERMAN ORIGIN BIERKRAFT BERLINER WEISSE LAGER BEER STYLES - EUROPEAN AND GERMAN ORIGIN BUDWEISER BUDVAR DARK LAGER THERESIANER BOCK THERESIANER VIENNA ALE BEER STYLES - NORTH AMERICAN ORIGIN GREAT BASIN BREWING COMPANY FIRELIT HAZE NO-LI BREWHOUSE BIG JUICY NO-LI BREWHOUSE BORN AND RAISED

ALE BEER STYLES - BRITISH ORIGIN NO-LI BREWHOUSE WRECKING BALL LAGER BEER STYLES - STYLES OF OTHER ORIGIN BUDWEISER BUDVAR ORIGINAL LAGER LAGER BEER STYLES - GERMAN ORIGIN THERESIANER WIT ALE BEER STYLES - NORTH AMERICAN ORIGIN GREAT BASIN BREWING COMPANY TECTONIC EVENT DOUBLE IPA KATI PATANG ZESTY AMBER NO-LI BREWHOUSE CORNER COAST NO-LI BREWHOUSE JET JUICED WHALERS BREWING COMPANY RISE

BRONZE ALE BEER STYLES - BRITISH ORIGIN NO-LI BREWHOUSE PORCH GLOW ALE BEER STYLES - GERMAN ORIGIN BIERKRAFT ALTBIER ALE BEER STYLES - NORTH AMERICAN ORIGIN GREAT BASIN BREWING COMPANY DEATHWISH APA NO-LI BREWHOUSE RED, WHITE & HAZY THERESIANER INDIA PALE ALE LAGER BEER STYLES - EUROPEAN AND GERMAN ORIGIN GREAT BASIN BREWING COMPANY LEAVE NO TRACE LAGER MAHOU CINCO ESTRELLAS MAHOU 0,0 TOSTADA THERESIANER PREMIUM PILS LAGER BEER STYLES - STYLES OF OTHER ORIGIN THERESIANER PREMIUM LAGER

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NERS

7th Annual Berlin International Wine Competition

DOUBLE GOLD RED WINES CASA DO LAGO GRANDE RESERVA RED 2017 CORETO RED BLEND 2020 EHRET FAMILY WINERY HILLSIDE RESERVE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2016 WAKEFIELD TAYLORS WINES ST ANDREWS SHIRAZ 2019

GOLD BLUSH, PINK AND ROSE TABLE WINES ESCADA ROSE 2020 SARAH JESSICA PARKER ROSE 2020 RED WINES ALUADO ALICANTE BOUSCHET 2020 BAUMGARTNER BY KATHARINA CUVEE RESERVE ROT 2019 EHRET FAMILY WINERY BELLA’S CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2016 INVIVO MICHELLE’S PINOT NOIR 2020 PORTADA LOTE DFJ RED 2020 PORTADA WINEMAKER’S SELECTION RED 2020 VEGA DOC DOURO RED 2019 WAKEFIELD TAYLORS WINES MASTERSTROKE SHIRAZ 2019 WAKEFIELD TAYLORS WINES SHIRAZ 2019 SPARKLING WINES (METHODE CHAMPENOISE) LE CHEMIN DU ROI BRUT ROSE SPARKLING WINES (BULK OR CHARMAT PROCESS) CAMEL FARM WINERY LEGAMI BRUT 2019 WHITE WINES BAUMGARTNER BY KATHARINA WEINVIERTEL DAC GRUENER VELTLINER 2020 PAXIS BULLDOG WHITE BLEND 2020

SILVER BLUSH, PINK AND ROSE TABLE WINES PORTADA LOTE DFJ ROSE 2020 RED WINES ALTA CORTE RED BLEND 2019 CAMEL FARM WINERY PINOT NOIR PRIVATE RESERVE

2019 CASA DO LAGO RED WINE 2020 DOMANE BAUMGARTNER MERLOT SELEKTION RESERVE 2019 ESCADA TOURIGA NACIONAL 2020 GRAND’ARTE ALICANTE BOUSCHET 2017 HEREDAD DE PENALOSA 100% TEMPRANILLO 2018 JAG RED BLEND 2020 PAXIS BULLDOG RED BLEND 2020 PENNS WOODS WINERY PINOT NOIR RESERVE 2019 WAKEFIELD TAYLORS WINES CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 WAKEFIELD TAYLORS WINES MASTERSTROKE CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 WAKEFIELD TAYLORS WINES RESERVE PARCEL SHIRAZ 2019 WAKEFIELD TAYLORS WINES ST ANDREWS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2019 SPARKLING WINES (METHODE CHAMPENOISE) LE CHEMIN DU ROI BRUT WHITE WINES 46 PARALLEL WINE GROUP EL CAPITAN PINOT BLANC 2019 ALUADO CHARDONNAY 2020 BAUMGARTNER FUNDSTÜCK RESERVE GRÜNER VELTLINER 2020 BAUMGARTNER ROSENPRINZESSIN GRÜNER VELTLINER 2020 PAXIS ARINTO 2020 PORTADA LOTE DFJ WHITE 2020 SEGADA WHITE 2020 SIDEWOOD SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021 DESSERT, LATE HARVEST, SWEET (NON-FORTIFIED) LAILEY WINERY VIDAL 2015 FORTIFIED WINES LOST CREEK VINEYARD GOLDEN SPIKE 2017

BRONZE BLUSH, PINK AND ROSE TABLE WINES PORTADA WINEMAKER’S SELECTION ROSÉ PORTADA MEDIUM SWEET ROSE 2020 DESSERT, LATE HARVEST, SWEET (NON-FORTIFIED) LAILEY WINERY RIESLING 2015

Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 7

WINN

7th Annual Berlin International Wine Competition BRONZE (CONTINUED) RED WINES 46 PARALLEL WINE GROUP GRAND ADMIRAL MERLOT – CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018 ALUADO RESERVA ALICANTE BOUSCHET 2018 BIGODE DFJ RED BLEND 2020 CAMEL FARM WINERY BLAUFRANKISH PRIVATE RISERVE 2019 EHRET FAMILY WINERY CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2016 EHRET FAMILY WINERY MERLOT 2016 FAT DUCK RED 2020 POMAR RED 2020 PORTADA RESERVA RED 2018 PROUDLY ORGULLOSES EDUARDO SERRANO HERNANDEZ 2020 WAKEFIELD TAYLORS WINES ALDI SPECIAL RELEASE CLARE VALLEY SHIRAZ 2019 SPARKLING WINES (METHODE CHAMPENOISE) 46 PARALLEL WINE GROUP GRAND ADMIRAL BRUT NATURE 2018 SPARKLING WINES (BULK OR CHARMAT PROCESS) CAMEL FARM WINERY LEGAMI EXTRA DRY 2019 SIDEWOOD SPARKLING WHITE WINES BAUMGARTNER BY KATHARINA GRUENER VELTLINER ORANGE WINE 2020 CAMEL FARM WINERY KERNER PRIVATE RESERVE 2019 ESCADA RESERVA ARINTO 2020 GRAND’ARTE CHARDONNAY 2020 INVIVO X; SARAH JESSICA PARKER SAUVIGNON BLANC 2021 PENNS WOODS WINERY CHARDONNAY RESERVE 2020 POMAR WHITE 2020 PORTADA RESERVA WHITE 2019

CANADA ICE WINERY OF THE YEAR LAILEY WINERY FRANCE BRUT CHAMPAGNE PRODUCER OF THE YEAR LE CHEMIN DU ROI FRANCE ROSE OF THE YEAR SARAH JESSICA PARKER VIN DE FRANCE JAPAN JAPAN WINERY OF THE YEAR CAMEL FARM WINERY PORTUGAL PORTUGAL WINERY OF THE YEAR DFJ VINHOS SPAIN SPAIN WINERY OF THE YEAR CAMPO VIEJO SPAIN TEMPRANILLO WINERY OF THE YEAR BODEGAS PASCUAL UKRAINE UKRAINE WINERY OF THE YEAR GRAND ADMIRAL USA USA WINERY OF THE YEAR EHRET FAMILY VINEYARDS

INDIVIDUAL

USA FORTIFIED DESSERT WINERY OF THE YEAR LOST CREEK VINEYARD

AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA WINERY OF THE YEAR WAKEFIELD TAYLORS WINES

PENNSYLVANIA WINERY OF THE YEAR PENNS WOOD WINERY

AUSTRALIA SAUVIGNON BLANC WINERY OF THE YEAR SIDEWOOD ESTATE AUSTRIA AUSTRIA WINERY OF THE YEAR ING W. BAUMGARTNER

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NERS

12th Annual New York International Spirits Competition

DOUBLE GOLD AGAVE/TEQUILA CIERTO TEQUILA PRIVATE COLLECTION -ANEJO CIERTO TEQUILA RESERVE COLLECTION - ANEJO LOBOS 1707 TEQUILA REPOSADO MAESTRO DOBEL 50 MONTELOBOS TOBALA TEQUILA DON RAMÓN PUNTA DIAMANTE AÑEJO COGNAC COURVOISIER VS COGNAC GIN NEW AMSTERDAM ORIGINAL GIN NOROI MAPLE GIN OLD ST. PETE TROPICAL GIN TANQUERAY NO. TEN VARA HIGH DESERT GIN LIQUEURS, PRE MIX AND OTHERS BLUE MARBLE COCKTAILS SCREWDRIVER BOISSIERE SWEET VERMOUTH CUTWATER SPIRITS COCKTAIL POPS - RUM AND COLA CYNAR 70 PROOF LYRE'S SPIRIT CO. G&T MIXERS: CARBONATED FEVER TREE DISTILLERS COLA RUM BARRELL RUM PRIVATE RELEASE B547 CUTWATER SPIRITS CASK STRENGTH RUM TWENTY BOAT WHITE RUM VODKA BELVEDERE HERITAGE 176 HANGAR 1 STRAIGHT VODKA ROCK'N VODKA WHISKEY ARDBEG UIGEDALL BALCONES MIRADOR BEAR FIGHT BRAUNSTEIN DISTILLERY EDITION 12 BUSHMILLS BLACK BUSH DOC SWINSON'S ALTER EGO SOLERA AGED RYE ELIJAH CRAIG SMALL BATCH GARRISON BROTHERS LAGUNA MADRE GLENMORANGIE SIGNET LAWS WHISKEY BONDED FOUR GRAIN STRAIGHT

BOURBON WHISKEY OBAN 14 YO SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY REDEMPTION BARREL PROOF HIGH RYE BOURBON SPIRIT OF HVEN RYE WHISKEY STELLUM SPIRITS RYE TALISKER 10 YO SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY TEMPLETON RYE 6 YEAR THE BUSKER SINGLE MALT TX TEXAS STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY TX BLENDED WHISKEY WILD TURKEY AMERICAN HONEY

GOLD AGAVE/TEQUILA 1800 AÑEJO BACANORA IZO BACANORA SILVER CIERTO TEQUILA PRIVATE COLLECTION -EXTRA ANEJO CIERTO TEQUILA RESERVE COLLECTION - EXTRA ANEJO CUTWATER SPIRITS MEZCAL CUTWATER SPIRITS TEQUILA BLANCO FAMILIA CAMARENA TEQUILA SILVER GRAN CENTENARIO LEYENDA EXTRA AÑEJO JOSE CUERVO RESERVA DE LA FAMILIA® EXTRA AÑEJO JOSE CUERVO TRADICIONAL AÑEJO LOBOS 1707 TEQUILA EXTRA ANEJO LUNAZUL BLANCO TEQUILA INDIANOS AÑEJO TEQUILA DON RAMÓN LIMITED EDITION EXTRA AÑEJO TEQUILA HERRADURA ULTRA ZUNTE MEZCAL ARMAGNAC CHATEAU ARTON 2020 MILLESIME BRANDY BEEHIVE XO DISTILLERY KRAUSS BRANDY E&J DISTILLERS XO FRENCH BRANDY BARDINET LAIRD'S 10TH GENERATION APPLE BRANDY WILLIAMS & HUMBERT SHERRIES PANDO FINO CACHAÇA CACHAÇA GERMANA CAETANO'S CACHACA PITU VITORIOSA COGNAC BISQUIT & DUBOUCHE V.S.O.P. COURVOISIER VSOP COGNAC

Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 9

12th Annual New York International Spirits Competition GOLD (CONTINUED)

HIGH NOON HARD SELTZER BLACK CHERRY HIGH NOON HARD SELTZER PEACH

COGNAC (CONTINUED) COURVOISIER XO COGNAC D'USSE VSOP D'USSE XO DE LUZE VSOP

RUM AGE OF SAIL BACARDÍ GRAN RESERVA DIEZ BRUGAL 1888 CARTA VIEJA ANEJO DOUBLE CASK COPALLI BARREL RESTED CASK STRENGTH CUTWATER SPIRITS BARREL AGED RUM DISTILLERIE DE QUEBEC ST-ROC FONDATION END OF DAYS PORT OF ENTRY RUM MAINBRACE NAVY STRENGTH RUM MAINBRACE PREMIUM GOLDEN RUM RON COLÓN SALVADOREÑO COFFEE INFUSED RUM 81 PROOF SOUTH HOLLOW SPIRITS TWENTY BOAT SPICED RUM TANDUAY DOUBLE RUM VARA RUM BLANCO ZAYA RUM GRAN RESERVA

GIN BEAM SUNTORY ROKU GIN BARR HILL GIN CAORUNN GLENDALOUGH ROSE GIN GRIFFO DISTILLERY BARREL AGED GIN MODERN LOVE GIN NEW HARBOUR GIN NO.3 LONDON DRY GIN O'DWYER DISTILLERY AGED RADOUNE RADICO KHAITAN JAISALMER INDIAN CRAFT GIN TANQUERAY RANGPUR THE BALTIMORE SPIRITS COMPANY SHOT TOWER SKELETON GIN YORK GIN CHOCOLATE & ORANGE LIQUEURS, RTDS, AND OTHERS BARBOX NEGRONI BASBAS BELLEVOYE HENRY-DAVID-THOREAU BLUE MARBLE COCKTAILS COSMO COCALERO NEGRO COIT SPIRITS PARADISIO CUTWATER SPIRITS COCKTAIL POPS - VODKA MULE CUTWATER SPIRITS LONG ISLAND ICED TEA CUTWATER SPIRITS MARGARITA POPS - MANGO MARGARITA CUTWATER SPIRITS VODKA MULE CYNAR DISARONNO VELVET DOMENIS1898 TRITTICO BERGAMOT FASSBIND LES VIEILLES BARRIQUE RASPBERRY LEE SPIRITS COMPANY WHISKEY LEMONADE LONG DRINK STRONG LYRE'S SPIRIT CO. DRY LONDON SPIRIT LYRE'S SPIRIT CO. ITALIAN ORANGE NIXTA EL LICOR DE ELOTE OLE SMOKY APPLE PIE MOONSHINE TANQUERAY CRAFTED GIN COCKTAILS IN A CAN RANGPUR LIME & SODA TANQUERAY CRAFTED GIN COCKTAILS IN A CAN SEVILLA ORANGE & SODA TIA MARIA ICED COFFEE FRAPPÉ SUNTORY THE SERIES OF MARUGOTO LEMON CUTWATER SPIRITS MIXERS: CARBONATED BUNDABERG GINGER BEER CUTWATER SPIRITS GINGER BEER

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VODKA AISHAN VODKA BEAM SUNTORY HAKU VODKA BURNETT'S VODKA CUTWATER SPIRITS VODKA DOUBLE CROSS VODKA HANGAR 1 MAKRUT LIME J.A. BACZEWSKI VODKA MONOPOLOWA KOSKENKORVA VODKA KROL POTATO VODKA MARY WHITE VODKA OLD ST. PETE ARTISANAL VODKA RUSSIAN STANDARD PLATINUM SKYY VODKA TEXAS TAIL VODKA THE TIDES VODKA WARRIOR SPIRITS WARRIOR HRENOVUHA WHISKEY 10TH MOUNTAIN WHISKEY & SPIRIT CO. COLORADO CLEAR MOUNTAIN MOONSHINE ABERLOUR 16YO SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY ABERLOUR 18YO SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY ALBATROSS SINGLE MALT SCOTCH ARDBEG 10 YEAR ARDBEG WEE BEASTIE BARRELL BOURBON PRIVATE RELEASE BX1A BARRELL WHISKEY PRIVATE RELEASE DH32 BASIL HAYDEN'S DARK RYE BEAM SUNTORY HIBIKI JAPANESE HARMONY BELFOUR SPIRITS LIMITED EDITION STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY BERNHEIM BIRD DOG CHOCOLATE FLAVORED WHISKEY BRAUNSTEIN DISTILLERY DANICA WHISKY PEATED BRAUNSTEIN DISTILLERY WHISKY LIBRARY COLLECTION 20:2

BRECKENRIDGE DARK ARTS BRECKENRIDGE RUM CASK FINISH BROKEN TOP STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY BUFFALO CHIP AMERICAN WHISKEY BUSHMILLS 10-YEAR CANADIAN CLUB 1858 CLEAR CREEK DISTILLERY MCCARTHY'S OREGON SINGLE MALT COASTLINE COLORADO MOUNTAIN BOURBON WHISKEY COMPASS BOX WHISKY ARTIST BLEND COPPERCRAFT RYE WHISKEY CUTWATER SPIRITS AMERICAN RYE WHISKEY DALWHINNIE 2020 DISTILLERS EDITION DENTED BRICK DISTILLERY MOON'S BEST BOTTLED IN BOND STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY DISTILLERY 291 SMALL BATCH RYE WHISKEY DOUGLAS LAING ROCK ISLAND EASTERN KILLE DISTILLERY BOTTLED IN BOND STRAIGHT RYE EASTSIDE DISTILLING BURNSIDE BLACK EVAN WILLIAMS GARRISON BROTHERS BALMORHEA GARRISON BROTHERS HONEYDEW GARRISON BROTHERS SMALL BATCH GEORGE REMUS REPEAL RESERVE STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY SERIES IV GLEN BRETON 10 YEAR GLEN MORAY CABERNET SAUVIGNON FINISH GLEN MORAY PEATED SINGLE MALT GLEN MORAY PORT CASK FINISH GLENMORANGIE 18 YEAR GLENMORANGIE NECTAR GLENMORANGIE ORIGINAL GLENTURRET 12 YEAR OLD 2020 MAIDEN RELEASE GRIFFO DISTILLERY STONY POINT WHISKEY HIGH RYE HEAVEN'S DOOR BOOTLEG SERIES, VOL II HERITAGE COLLECTION CANADIAN WHISKEY HIGH PEAKS DISTILLING LLC CLOUDSPLITTER HIGH WEST WHISKEY AMERICAN PRAIRIE BOURBON HUDSON WHISKEY BACK ROOM DEAL INSURRECTION SINGLE GRAIN SCOTCH JIM BEAM DEVIL'S CUT JIM BEAM SINGLE BARREL KINSALE SPIRIT COMPANY RED EARL IRISH WHISKEY LAGAVULIN 16 YEAR OLD ISLAY SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY LAGAVULIN 2020 DISTILLERS EDITION LITCHFIELD DISTILLERY DOUBLE BARRELED BOURBON WHISKEY LONERIDER SPIRITS SINGLE BARREL SHERRY CASK FINISH BOURBON WHISKEY MORTLACH DISTILLERY 12 YEAR MORTLACH DISTILLERY 20 YEAR OLD NEW HOLLAND ARTISAN SPIRITS DRAGON'S MILK BOURBON WHISKEY OAKSMITH GOLD INTERNATIONAL BLENDED WHISKEY OBAN 18 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY OLD PULTENEY 12 YEAR OLD PAUL JOHN INDIAN SINGLE MALTS MITHUNA BY PAUL JOHN PAUL JOHN INDIAN SINGLE MALTS NIRVANA UNPEATED INDIAN SINGLE MALT PAUL JOHN INDIAN SINGLE MALTS OLOROSO SELECT CASK

RADICO KHAITAN RAMPUR ASAVA REDEMPTION BARREL PROOF RYE REDEMPTION BOURBON REDEMPTION HIGH RYE BOURBON REDEMPTION RUM CASK FINISH REDEMPTION RYE REDEMPTION WHEATED BOURBON RESTLESS SPIRITS DISTILLING COMPANY GULLYTOWN SINGLE MALT SAP56 SHELTER DISTILLING HIGH SIERRA WHISKEY SHELTER DISTILLING TRIBUTARY BOURBON SLAINTE IRISH WHISKEY SPEYBURN 10 YEAR OLD SPEYBURN ARRANTA CASKS SPIRIT OF HVEN MERCURIOUS CORN WHISKEY ST KILIAN SIGNATURE EDITION SIX STAUNING WHISKY RYE STELLUM BOURBON STRANAHAN'S ORIGINAL STRANAHAN'S SHERRY CASK TALISKER 18 YEAR TALISKER 2020 DISTILLERS EDITION THE REPRESENTATIVE TOMMYROTTER NAPA VALLEY HERITANCE CASK STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY TWELVE 33 DISTILLERY BIG SIX STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY UNCLE NEAREST 1856 PREMIUM AGED WHISKEY WESTLAND AMERICAN SINGLE MALT WHISKEY YITBOS SINGLE GRAIN SCOTCH

SILVER AGAVE/TEQUILA 1800 CRISTALINO 1800 REPOSADO 1800 SILVER CAMPANTE MEZCAL CASA MEXICO TEQUILA ANEJO CASA MEXICO TEQUILA BLANCO CIERTO TEQUILA PRIVATE COLLECTION - BLANCO CUTWATER SPIRITS TEQUILA ANEJO DESTILADOS DE LUCA COCUY 100% AGAVE MAGNO CHUMACEIRO DESTILADOS DE LUCA COCUY 100% AGAVE MAGNO GOLD EL ACABO RAICILLA HACIENDA EL DIVISADERO PLATA IZO MEZCAL JOVEN IZO SOTOL LOBOS 1707 MEZCAL ARTENSANAL LOS ARANGO TEQUILA REPOSADO LOS ARANGO TEQUILA SILVER LUNAZUL ANEJO MAESTRO DOBEL DIAMANTE PAQUÃ SILVERA TEQUILA PENTA TEQUILA ANEJO TEQUILA DON RAMÓN MEZCAL DON RAMÓN JOVEN TEQUILA DON RAMÓN LIMITED EDITION ANEJO TEQUILA DON RAMÓN LIMITED EDITION PLATA TEQUILA DON RAMÓN TEQUILA DON RAMÓN PLATINUM CRISTALINO REPOSADO

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12th Annual New York International Spirits Competition SILVER (CONTINUED) AGAVE/TEQUILA (CONTINUED) TEQUILA DON RAMÓN PLATINUM PLATA TEQUILA HERRADURA LEGEND TEQUILA INDIANOS, BLANCO TEQUILA INDIANOS, REPOSADO WIGGLY BRIDGE AGAVE BLUE PLATINUM YOLA MEZCAL ARMAGNAC CHATEAU ARTON LA RESERVE BRANDY NEW HARBOUR ALCHEMIST BRANDY OLD HOUSE VINEYARDS ESTATE BRANDY XO ÖÖMRANG BARTLETT PEAR BRANDY PISCO RESERVA DEL ABAD SUYO PISCO NO. 1 GIN ASBURY PARK DISTILLING GIN BARR HILL TOM CAT GIN BENTLY HERITAGE ESTATE DISTILLERY JUNIPER GROVE ATRIUM GIN BLEUROYAL GIN BOTANY 12 OLD TOM GIN BRAUNSTEIN DISTILLERY DANICA GIN CASTLE & KEY ROOTS OF RUIN CATHEDRAL LEDGE DISTILLERY ORGANIC GIN COLORADO MOUNTAIN CITRA GIN COVENT GIN DANCING GOAT DISTILLERY DEATH'S DOOR GIN DEACON GILES DISTILLERY ORIGINAL GIN DESTILLERIE DES MARIGOTS RECIF DEVIL'S KEEP HANDCRAFTED GIN DISTILLERIE FILS DU ROY (QC) INC. ROCHER MALIN FIFTH STATE DISTILLERY SEVILLE GIN FILIBUSTER GIN FRESCO 77 GIN G+ CLASSIC EDITION GIN GIN XII GLENDALOUGH WILD BOTANICAL GIN GOTHIC GIN GREEN HAT GIN ORIGINAL BATCH INDOGGO STRAWBERRY FLAVORED GIN JOS. A. MAGNUS & CO. VIGILANT NAVY STRENGTH GIN KINSALE SPIRIT COMPANY SUMMER COVE IRISH GIN LORE & LEGENDS GIN LUCKY SIGN SPIRITS LUCKY SIGN SPIRITS LONDON DRY GIN MAPLEWOOD SPRUCE GIN NIETS BOTANIETS NOROI BOREAL GIN O'DWYER DISTILLERY RADOUNE OLD HOUSE VINEYARDS CULPEPER'S OWN CLASSIC BLEND GIN REBRU GIN

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SHELTER DISTILLING O'PINYON GIN SHORTCROSS GIN SIPSMITH LONDON DRY GIN SOUTH HOLLOW SPIRITS DRY LINE CAPE COD GIN STEAMBOAT WHISKEY CO SLEEPING GIANT GIN TANQUERAY LONDON DRY TANQUERAY SEVILLA ORANGE VICTORIA DISTILLERS EMPRESS 1908 GIN YORK GIN GREY LADY YORK GIN LONDON DRY LIQUEURS AND RTD AND OTHERS 503 DISTILLING I’M YOUR HUCKLEBERRY LEMONADE ALTD SPIRITS GREEN GROCER ALTD SPIRITS SILVER PRINCESS AMARGUINHA ORIGINAL ANTIQUE PELINKOVAC BENDT DISTILLING CO. WITHERSPOON WHISKEY OLD FASHIONED BLUE MARBLE COCKTAILS BLOODY MARY BLUE MARBLE COCKTAILS COCONUT ISLAND BLUE MARBLE COCKTAILS GREYHOUND BRAULIO BRODY'S CRAFT COCKTAILS BLACK ORCHID CAROLANS COIT SPIRITS NORTH BEACH CONNEAUT CELLARS DISTILLERY ESPRESSO AMARETTO LIQUEUR CUTWATER SPIRITS MARGARITA POPS - LIME MARGARITA CUTWATER SPIRITS RUM & COLA CUTWATER SPIRITS RUM MINT MOJITO CUTWATER SPIRITS TIKI RUM MAI TAI CUTWATER SPIRITS WHISKEY MULE DISARONNO ORIGINALE DOMENIS1898 STORICA VERDE DOMENIS1898 VEGAN BLUEBERRY EIFEL-DESTILLERIE P.J. SCHÜTZ EIFELGEIST EIFEL-DESTILLERIE P.J. SCHÜTZ FLöCK ENRICO TORO GENZIANA FAIR GINGER LIQUEUR FAST PENNY SPIRITS AMARICANO GRIFFO DISTILLERY COLD BREW COFFEE LIQUEUR HEIMAT NEW YORK BLACKBERRY LIQUEUR JUMPING GOAT INFUSED WHISKY LIQUEUR ITALICUS ROSOLIO DI BERGAMOTTO LEE SPIRITS COMPANY STRAWBERRY LEMONADE LONG DRINK CRANBERRY LYRE'S SPIRIT CO. AMALFI SPRITZ LYRE'S SPIRIT CO. AMERICAN MALT LYRE'S SPIRIT CO. CLASSICO LYRE'S SPIRIT CO. ITALIAN SPRITZ LYRE'S SPIRIT CO. ORANGE SEC RHUM BARBANCOURT, 15 YEARS OLD, ESTATE RESERVE ABSENTE ABSINTH REFINED SHELTER DISTILLING LITTLE GREEN MONSTER SOUTH HOLLOW SPIRITS AMARO CIOCCOLATE LIQUEUR TIA MARIA COLD BREW COFFEE LIQUEUR TIPPLERS ORANGE LIQUEURVOLLEY SHARP GRAPEFRUIT

MIXERS: CARBONATED FEVER-TREE SPARKLING LIME AND YUZU FEVER TREE SPARKLING PINK GRAPEFRUIT HIGH NOON HARD SELTZER LIME MIXERS: NON-CARBONATED CIRCLE B RANCH, LLC TOP TOMATO BLOODY MARY MIX CUTWATER SPIRITS MARGARITA MIX CUTWATER SPIRITS MILD BLOODY MARY MIX CUTWATER SPIRITS SPICY BLOODY MARY MIX RUM ADMIRAL NELSON BALCONES WHITE RUM COCONUT CARTEL SPECIAL ANEJO RUM COPALLI CACAO RUM CUTWATER SPIRITS BALI HAI TIKI DARK RUM EASTSIDE DISTILLING HUE HUE COFFEE RUM END OF DAYS BARREL RESTED RUM MAINBRACE GOLDEN RUM MAINBRACE NAVY STRENGTH RUM RHUM BARBANCOURT, 15 YEARS OLD, ESTATE RESERVE STILL FIRED DISTILLERIES AMBER RUM TANDUAY ASIAN RUM GOLD TANDUAY BORACAY CAPPUCCINO TEN TO ONE RUM CARIBBEAN DARK RUM THE KRAKEN BLACK SPICED RUM TWELVE 33 DISTILLERY CRUSADER SPICED RUM VARA RUM ANEJO VODKA 229 VODKA ADAM. VODKA AIR COMPANY AIR VODKA BELVEDERE ORGANIC INFUSIONS LEMON & BASIL BLUE MARBLE VODKA BRECKENRIDGE VODKA CH DISTILLERY CH CENTER 100 VODKA CRYSTAL HEAD VODKA ORIGINAL CRYSTAL HEAD VODKA ONYX DEEP EDDY VODKA DUTCHCRAFT VODKA END OF DAYS PORT OF ENTRY VODKA FOURTH & PRIDE VODKA GHOST TRAIN PROVEN SPIRITS VODKA HANGAR 1 BUDDHA'S HAND CITRON HANGAR 1 ROSÉ KHOR PLATINUM LEAP PREMIUM VODKA LIVE PROUD VODKA PINNACLE ORIGINAL VODKA ROYAL MASH VINTAGE VODKA RUSSIAN STANDARD ORIGINAL SCOTTY'S VODKA SKYY INFUSIONS CITRUS SMOKE LAB ANISEED FLAVORED VODKA SOUTH FORK VODKA VOA VODKA WHISKEY 10TH MOUNTAIN WHISKEY & SPIRIT CO. BOURBON 10TH MOUNTAIN WHISKEY & SPIRIT CO. RYE WHISKEY 10TH STREET AMERICAN WHISKY CALIFORNIA COAST BLEND 10TH STREET AMERICAN WHISKY PEATED SINGLE MALT

ABASOLO EL WHISKY DE MEXICO ABERLOUR A'BUNADH ABERLOUR A'BUNADH ALBA AMASS BOTANIC VODKA ARDBEG AN OA ARDBEG CORRYVRECKAN BALCONES LINEAGE BARRELL BOURBON BATCH 027 BARRELL WHISKEY ARMIDA BARRELL WHISKEY SEAGRASS BEAM SUNTORY SUNTORY WHISKY TOKI BEARFACE CANADIAN WHISKY BELFOUR SPIRITS BOURBON WHISKEY FINISHED WITH TEXAS PECAN WOOD BELLEVOYE AUGUSTIN LEFORT BELLEVOYE BLANC BIB & TUCKER SMALL BATCH BOURBON BIRD DOG 7-YEAR-OLD KENTUCKY BLACK BUTTON DISTILLING CASK STRENGTH STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY BRICKWAY SHERRY CASK AGED SINGLE MALT WHISKEY BUFFALO CHIP WOODY'S RESERVE BOURBON BUSHMILLS RED BUSH CALUMET FARM KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY SMALL BATCH CASTLE & KEY RESTORATION RYE COAL CREEK DISTILLERY BOURBON COALITION KENTUCKY STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY MARGAUX BARRIQUES COLORADO MOUNTAIN INCLINE RYE COPPER DOG COOPERSTOWN DISTILLERY SELECT BLENDED AMERICAN WHISKEY CREAG DHU SINGLE MALT WHISKEY DARROW BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKEY DISTILLERY 291 SMALL BATCH BOURBON LAMAS DESTILARIA - PLENUS DOC SWINSON’S ALTER EGO TRIPLE CASK BOURBON DOUGLAS LAING THE GAULDRONS EASTERN KILLE DISTILLERY TOASTED BARREL FINISH STRAIGHT BOURBON EIGHT OAKS FARM DISTILLERY BOURBON WHISKEY EVAN WILLIAMS EXCLAVE RYE FILIBUSTER BOONDOGGLER GARRISON BROTHERS COWBOY GARRISON BROTHERS SINGLE BARREL GEORGIAN BAY WHISKEY GLEN MORAY CHARDONNAY CASK FINISH GLEN MORAY SHERRY CASK FINISH GLENDALOUGH DOUBLE BARREL IRISH WHISKEY GLENKINCHIE 2020 DISTILLERS EDITION GLENMORANGIE LASANTA GLENMORANGIE QUINTA RUBAN GLENTURRET 10 YEAR OLD PEAT SMOKED 2020 HARTMAN'S DISTILLING CO. STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY HEADFRAME SPIRITS KELLEY SINGLE MALT HEAVEN'S DOOR LIMITED RELEASE HENRY MCKENNA HIGH WEST WHISKEY DOUBLE RYE! HOOD RIVER DISTILLERS TRAIL'S END HOOTEN YOUNG AMERICAN WHISKEY HUDSON WHISKEY BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG BOURBON HUDSON WHISKEY DO THE RYE THING

Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 13

12th Annual New York International Spirits Competition SILVER (CONTINUED) WHISKEY (CONTINUED) INIS TINE UISCE TEORANTA GRACE O'MALLEY BLENDED IRISH WHISKEY JIM BEAM BLACK JOS. A. MAGNUS & CO. JOSEPH MAGNUS BOURBON JOS. A. MAGNUS & CO. MURRAY HILL CLUB BOURBON BLEND KAMIKI INTENSE WOOD WHISKY LAGAVULIN 12 YEAR LAWS WHISKEY SAN LUIS VALLEY STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY LEGENT BOURBON LIVE FREE DISTILLERY WHITE BEARD WHEAT WHISKEY LITCHFIELD DISTILLERY STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY LONERIDER TEQUILA CASK FINISH BOURBON WHISKEY MAD RIVER DISTILLERS BURNT ROCK BOURBON MAPLEWOOD FAT PUG AMERICAN MALT WHISKEY MASTERSON'S STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY MORTLACH DISTILLERY 16 YEAR MYTHOLOGY DISTILLERY BEST FRIEND BOURBON NELSON'S GREEN BRIER TENNESSEE WHISKEY NEW HOLLAND ARTISAN SPIRITS BEER BARREL BOURBON NOBLE HOUND RYE WHISKEY OAKSMITH INTERNATIONAL BLENDED WHISKEY OBAN 2020 DISTILLERS EDITION OBAN LITTLE BAY SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY OLD HANSFORD OLD LINE SPIRITS AMERICAN SINGLE MALT WHISKEY GOLDEN EDITION OLD ST. PETE SUNSHINE WHISKEY PAUL JOHN INDIAN SINGLE MALTS PX SELECT CASK PURSUIT DISTILLING CO. COLD BREW COFFEE WHISKEY RED BEAR WHISKY RITTENHOUSE ROAMING MAN EDITION 10 ROULETTE RYE SKREWBALL WHISKEY PEANUT BUTTER WHISKEY ST KILIAN BUD SPENCER WHISKY THE LEGEND SWEETENS COVE SPIRITS TENNESSEE BLENDED STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY TALISKER STORM SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY TEMPLETON RYE WHISKEY 10 YEAR THE BALTIMORE SPIRITS COMPANY EPOCH RYE BOTTLED IN BOND THE BUSKER TRIPLE CASK TRIPLE SMOOTH THE BUSKER IRISH WHISKEY SINGLE POT STILL THE GLENALLACHIE 12-YEAR-OLD THE GLENALLACHIE 15-YEAR-OLD THE SEXTON SINGLE MALT IRISH WHISKEY THE SINGLETON OF GLENDULLAN 12 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY THE SINGLETON OF GLENDULLAN 15 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY THE SINGLETON OF GLENDULLAN 18 YEAR OLD SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY TINCUP RYE

14 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

TUMBLIN' DICE HEAVY RYE BOURBON DEADWOOD PRESENTS- TUMBLIN DICE3YO UNCLE NEAREST 1820 PREMIUM SINGLE BARREL WHISKEY - US-16 UNCLE NEAREST 1884 SMALL BATCH WHISKEY VAPOR DISTILLERY BOUNDER SPIRITS BOTTLED IN BOND SINGLE MALT WANDERIN’ ROGUE WARRIOR SPIRITS WHISKEY WELDON MILLS RESERVE WEPPON WISE OWL WHISKEY X BY GLENMORANGIE WHITE SPIRITS TOKKI SOJU GOLD

To view all of our Bronze and Individual U.S. and International winners, please go to page 73.

HOW TAPPING INTO KEG WINES WITH THE GOTHAM

PROJECT CAN HELP

SAVE THE PLANET

BY CARRIE HONAKER

16 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

AS I WANDERED INTO THE BARREL CHEST IN ROANOKE, VIRGINIA TO BUY A BOTTLE OF WINE I CAME UPON A SURPRISE IN THE BACK—A SMALL BAR WITH A SMATTERING OF TAPS AND OLD CHURCH PEW SEATING. I THOUGHT IT MUST BE BEER, BUT WAS SURPRISED TO FIND A FEW WINES ON TAP. NOT LOWER QUALITY WINE, BUT BETTER STUFF I WOULD BUY IN A BOTTLE FOR $15$20. I WENT FOR MALBEC, A PERSONAL FAVORITE. IT WAS DELICIOUS. AND IT GOT ME THINKING… MY FORAY INTO TAPPED WINE IS EXACTLY THE

KIND

OF

EXPERIENCE

BRUCE

SCHNEIDER WAS GOING FOR WHEN HE PARTNERED WITH CHARLES BIELER TO START THE GOTHAM PROJECT. SCHNEIDER, A SEASONED WINEMAKER, WANTED TO PRODUCE A BETTER GLASS OF WINE. THEY EVEN HAVE A MANIFESTO. IT STATES, “OUR PROMISE TO YOU IS A BETTER GLASS OF WINE. ONE THAT YOU ARE PROUD TO SERVE, YOUR CUSTOMERS WILL ENJOY, AND IS SUSTAINABLE.”

HOW CAN KEG WINE HELP THE

PLANET?

According to Nielsen, 73% of Millennials are willing to pay more for a sustainably sourced and packaged product. As more consumers grow cognizant of the impact of their choices, kegged wine becomes a more responsible choice.

“The Boston consulting group BCG came out with a study about how during COVID-19, consumers’ awareness and the importance they place on sustainable packaging has grown at a very fast clip. I think that's had to do with some of the things we've seen, like the wildfires in California. People believe the choices they make as consumers need to reflect that awareness and appreciation for everybody's responsibility to do their part, to keep the planet healthier,” Schneider said.

Noble ideas, but how does this all work? For The Gotham Project Schneider said, “We use exclusively stainless steel kegs. So they're infinitely reusable as long as you take care of them. Probably the biggest benefit is the sustainability of the process. You're not wasting glass bottles that, in theory, and the best case scenario, get recycled. But less than 30% of them actually get recycled. [Kegging is a] much more sustainable way to do wine by the glass.”

Free Flow Wines on the West Coast sees keg wine similarly, “We believe that together we can build a category that will make a difference, from the wines that are poured into your glass to saving the world – one keg at a time,” Jordan Kivelstadt, Co-Founder of Free Flow Wines said. They also use stainless steel kegs, and according to their website, “[Those kegs] put into service will save 2,340lbs of trash from the landfill over their lifetime, equaling tens of millions of pounds of waste to date. The facility has a custom water reclamation system that cleans over 95% of wastewater for reuse.”

And, if you are curious, check out their website Try Wine On Tap’s constantly updating calculator of pounds of bottles, corks, foil, and boxes saved with the use of Free Flow’s reusable kegs—it is like watching The National Debt Clock, except it is tracking something good for the planet.

Sommelier Sarah Tracey, a wine pro Certified by the Court of Master Sommeliers and owner of The Lush Life, thinks the sustainable packaging is what attracts consumers, “the environmental benefits, like minimizing the waste from bottles, corks, and packaging, especially in the markets where I'm working in New York city, [is important]. People are pretty savvy and very interested in what they can

do to be more sustainable. They get into how many thousands of bottles from landfills kegs save. Then they try it, and they actually like the wine—then you have a fan for life.”

Founded in 2009, Free Flow Wines wanted to create a product that moved wine beyond the bottle and provide a fresher, more sustainable

WHAT ABOUT

QUALITY?

glass for restaurant and bar patrons.

Free Flow Wines have kegged over 250 premium wine brands and distributed them to more than 4,500 restaurants, hotels, sports, and entertainment venues across the nation.

On the East Coast, The Gotham Project has also moved into bars, restaurants, and hotels with their premium wines. At the core of Gotham Project is the ethos, “sustainable farming practices are really important for us. The wines have to be delicious and authentic and really good—they need to be very good representations and expressions of the grape varieties, and the places they come from.”

Hand-selecting quality wines is only the first step. These two companies do not have vineyards. They source from ones they trust and then bulk transport the wine in large bladders to ports and then their filling facilities. According to Schneider, “The wine is well-protected from air [in the bladders] so the wine stays really fresh in transport. Then we have tanks at our winery in New Jersey where we store the wine, and then we keg on a regular basis.

It stays totally fresh. And, it is a really responsible way to move the product.”

From the wine service side, Tracey

Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 17

emphasized, “minimizing waste has been a huge concern. Kegs solve that problem. [For example] you have a bottle open behind the bar for a day or two too long, and hopefully servers are quality controlling every glass that goes out to guests.

But, there's always those moments where things tend to fall through the cracks and it's a busy service.

The bartender is just pouring and not actually making sure the bottle is fresh. I had very few returns on glasses of wine that come from keg. They're always at a consistent temperature, and ready to go. I say that ‘set it, and forget it’ aspect of streamlining wine by the glass to me was a huge reason to give it a try.”

distribution even easier. In 2017, they launched a filling station.

According to Schneider, “We have a joint venture in a New Jersey production facility. We pooled our keg fleets, so we have a shared fleet that's just dedicated to wine.

And together we're able to get the kegs back to one of the two filling stations, either our filling station in New Jersey or their filling facility in California. And it just makes it that much more efficient—kegs can go to whichever facility is closer.”

This cooperation leaves a smaller

THE COST OF KEGGING

There is a school of thought that putting in the facilities to serve keg wine make it prohibitive for small, independent restaurants, bars, and hotels. But this is a fallacy.

According to Schneider kegged wine typically is 10-15% less expensive than wine by the bottle, but “there's definitely an upfront cost. Based on the savings in bottle cost, and labor savings, on average we estimate it takes the restaurant six months to pay back their investment in the system. After six months it's cost neutral for them. From that point, they're actually saving money.”

And now the two flagship keggers of wine have teamed up to make

carbon footprint, saves fuel, and allows for wider distribution of delicious, sustainably sourced, and environmentally-friendly packaged wine.

ADVANTAGES

BEYOND SUSTAINABILITY

There are many reasons to embrace keg wine just based on the benefits for the planet, but in a more

18 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

practical look at adoption among restaurants, hotels, and large venues there are many benefits as well.

Storage space, especially in places with small kitchen footprints like NY and California,an important consideration. Storing a set of kegs takes a lot less space.

According to Tracey, one of the most important benefits for retail is “ease of use. Wines by the glass in any restaurant setting can be really labor intensive. You have staff that's constantly moving cases from the wine room out to behind the bar and stocking. You have a really busy service and bartenders are trying to get bottles open when there are 25 tickets up at the service bar, the recycle bins and trash bins fill so quickly during a busy night. It takes a lot of effort to manage that. That was the first thing that sold me on giving it a shot just. I also think kegs would be [viable] for cruise ships and theme parks. Keg wines really streamline service.”

“It's a great way to do wine by the glass because the first glass and the last glass taste the same. Every glass is fresh and delicious, the way that winemaker wants it to taste,” Schneider said.

HOW

ARCHEOLOGISTS ARE DIGGING INTO THE ROOTS OF WINE & MAKING BEER

BY CARRIE HONAKER

Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 19

T

he story of winemaking is as old as humanity itself. Archeologists have been uncovering wine’s relationship to the human experience for decades, and we can safely say it dates back to at least between 6000-5800 BC.

HOW TO FIND ANCIENT WINE Dr. Patrick McGovern, known as the “Indiana Jones of Ancient Ales, Wines, and Extreme Beverages,” has been studying biomolecular archaeological and archaeobotanical evidence for grape wine and viniculture for decades.

The findings in Georgia in the South Caucasus (the earliest known wine) were a result of McGovern and fellow researchers applying archaeobotanical, climatic, and chemical testing on excavated pottery. Dr. McGovern elaborated on the process of finding evidence of ancient wine.

20 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

1

“You want to start with archeological sites that have very wellpreserved remains. We don’t want to waste time and energy on doing samples that are disturbed or contaminated in various ways.”

2

“We generally [examine] vessels for [evidence of] wine—generally you get the precipitation settling out materials at the bottom on the inside. Then you get a soil sample associated with it to use as a control sample. And you’re interested in that base sherd from the vessel so you can look under a microscope, and see if there’s any residue that’s visible, but it doesn’t have to be visible. It can be just absorbed into the pottery.”

3

“We take an organic solvent, like methanol, and we extract out compounds that are bound up in the matrix of the pottery. We usually run infrared analysis, which is passing infrared light through the sample.

That’ll tell us if there was any organic material. In the case of grape wine, you’re looking for tartaric acid, which you can find using liquid chromatography, or mass spectrometry.”

4

“We look for other compounds of interest, especially herbs and tree resins with gas, chromatography, mass spectrometry.

We have a sequence of analysis depending on what we find, what we observe, and what we think is possible.”

Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 21

UNIQUE COLLABORATION McGovern, the Scientific Director of the Biomolecular Archaeology Project for Cuisine, Fermented Beverages, and Health at the University of Pennsylvania Museum in Philadelphia, and adjunct Archeology Professor is a pioneer in the study of Molecular Archeology.

He has traveled the globe unearthing some of the most profound evidence of ancient fermented beverages, including the reconstructing of the funerary feast at the tomb of King Midas, as well as chemically confirming the earliest fermented beverage, a mixed drink of rice, honey, and grape or hawthorn tree fruit, found in Neolithic China.

In his book, Uncorking the Past, McGovern explained, “...through a number of techniques, including liquid ch ro m at o g r a p hy - m a s s spectrometry, carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis, and infrared spectrometry, we identified the chemical fingerprints of the principal ingredients.” The presence of tartaric acid indicated ancient wine.

M c G o v e r n ’ s groundbreaking success in Molecular Archeology led to a unique collaboration with Dogfish Head Craft Brewery. Some of McGovern’s most important findings have translated into a line of Ancient Brews crafted alongside Sam Calagione, founder and CEO of the brewery. The Midas Touch, a brew based on the residues found in vessels in King Midas’ tomb, is the most awarded of the Ancient Ales line.

A little closer to home, Dr. Crystal Dozier, an Anthropological Archeologist at Wichita State University, is digging into possible evidence of Native American winemaking. In 2020 Dozier and colleagues published findings from the first dig in Texas. 54 pieces of pottery from six sites dating from 1300-1650 CE were examined. Absorbed residues in the pottery were put through chemical analysis using ultra-high precision chromatography.

This process compares unknown molecules to known chemical signatures to narrow down possible ingredients. Their analysis showed evidence of tartaric acid and succinic acids, but results could not be replicated inmultiple trials.

22 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

MYTH BUSTING: NATIVE AMERICANS AND ALCOHOL According to Dr. Dozier, “Caffeine and alcohol are two of the most popular substances today and are incredibly important components of religious, social, and political life in many societies. It should be no surprise that indigenous Texans also innovated, experimented with, and used these chemicals.”

(Editor’s note: Anthropologists estimate that in prehistoric times indigenous peoples who are the ancestors of modern American Indians existed in Texas.). And this is just the first piece of the puzzle of Native Americans producing their own fermented beverages prior to colonization. Dr. Dozier has two other active field sites where she hopes to unearth conclusive evidence of indigenous winemaking.

Dozier is on a mission to disprove the concept that Native Americans were corrupted by alcohol brought by colonizers. She wants to show they were producing, and consuming fermented beverages before settlers arrived. “The Jackson Administration perpetuated that indigenous people were naturally inclined to alcoholism. And the story [to paraphrase] was, ‘Oh, they never developed alcohol themselves. This is why it's destroying their communities. That's why we need the central government to take over and manage their lands.’

There's been a long history of this perspective of Native Americans being particularly sensitive to alcohol, which I'm not sure is actually supported by any evidence.”

With direct findings around the world of early fermented beverages, it is hard to believe Native Americans were not a part of this story.

Dozier explained it may

be attributed to the fact that most brewers, in all societies, were women.

“Knowledge is often gendered and passed down mother to daughter.

And we know the earliest European colonizers were majority men, and also particularly negative against indigenous women.

So, I can understand why those pieces of knowledge have not been shared with the Western world.”

As far as the future, Dozier hopes her research challenges the stereotype of indigenous people as prone to alcoholism. “That stereotype is incredibly damaging. I hope this research helps us realize these people had similar relationships to alcohol as all people on earth, and that alcoholism is due to the repercussions of colonialism, poverty, and trauma.” Research of this kind is still in its nascent stages, and there is much to learn about the history of brewing in North America.

As Pliny the Elder said, “In Vino Veritas”—in wine there is truth. And, maybe insight into the human condition.

Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 23

TROPICAL GINS ARE BETTER THAN EVER HERE ARE SOME OF OUR FAVORITES

By Lisa Futterman

PINEAPPLE GIN

W E ASKED

J a r e d Brown, Master Distiller at London’s Sipsmith, about the rise of tropical gins, and he dove deep into the history of pineapple’s popularity in Europe: “Pineapple gin never hit the heights of enduring popularity reached by pineapple rum beginning in the early 1800s, but it was selling from Brooklyn to Savannah, GA, in the late 1840s up

Have you noticed that fruity island flavors have been spilling over from fizzy and frivolous drinks into the more staid, traditional gin category?

Widely available and quite popular in Europe and Great Britain, spirits like Hoxton Gin with its coconut and grapefruit profile and That Boutique-y Spit-Roasted Pineapple Gin represent an emerging tropical flavor trend, while in the states, Hali’imaile Distilling Company makes their Fid Street Gin on Maui with local pineapples.

to the mid-1850s. I have not seen any references to it in the 1920s (during Prohibition). However, just after Repeal pineapple gin saw a resurgence as part of a flavored gins portfolio from Mr. Boston. There may have been a few other brands available as some advertising from the time only lists “pineapple gin” without mentioning the brand.

24 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

The pineapple itself had major cultural significance well before the Victorian Era. From the moment Columbus’ sailors first encountered it and named it ‘piña’ for its resemblance to a pinecone, the pineapple enthralled Europeans and was a symbol of hospitality. By the mid1600s, Brits returning from the tropics would bring pineapples. Sailors put them on the gateposts of their homes to show the voyage had been successful. Meanwhile, a wealthy home might feature a pineapple as a dining table centerpiece during a week of dinner parties prior to actually cutting up and serving it, as it was such a pricey luxury.

In 1723, the first pineapple was successfully grown in the UK in a hothouse (obviously, this never led to widespread production).”

TOP TROPICAL GINS We tried several of the excellent tropical gins available in the United States, which range from Tiki-style to intriguing botanical infusions. Here’s our round-up:

BIMINI COCONUT FLAVORED GIN ROUND TURN DISTILLING - BIDDEFORD ME Inspired

by Hemingway’s gin-drinking escapism and a Death and Co. coconut martini, married Mainers Kristina Hansen and Darren Case use the mixologist’s technique of fat washing to add a rich coconut flavor to their original gin, enhancing the delicate fruits and florals without any suntan lotion taste.

Hansen and Case credit their packed column Trident still, which “keeps the proof high and the vapor temperature low during hearts collection, which leaves the heavy juniper notes behind,” for their pleasingly delicate spirit.

PRIVATEER SEASONAL RELEASE TIKI INSPIRED GIN IPSWICH MA From the highly regarded New England rum distillery, this gin is made from the same molasses-based spirit as their rum, then infused with spices and citrus to add the classic tiki flavors and aromas.

Aged for 3 months in stainless steel tanks, this citrus and baking spicy gin is ready to take your gin cocktails to the tropics, whether you are foraying into modern tiki drinks or just taking an island vacation in a glass. Split it with sloe gin in a Singapore sling, or play around with a pineapple negroni.

RUSSELL HENRY HAWAIIAN WHITE GINGER GIN TAMAR DISTILLERY - REDWOOD VALLEY CA Distiller Crispin Cain uses a pot still and an antique cognac still, plus sources ginger from an organic grower on Kauai to make this incredibly gingery gin. The combined process of adding a ginger infusion to his London Dry Gin and then re-distilling preserves the heat one finds in fresh ginger but is elusive to capture, and the result tastes fresh and exciting in cocktails—you may never go back to vodka in your Moscow Mules.

PORTER’S TROPICAL OLD TOM GIN LANGSTANE LIQUOR COMPANY - ABERDEEN, UK This far from frivolous Scottish gin begins 100% British wheat and classic juniper, then makes a left turn. The spirit is cold distilled in a glass still at about 55°C, layered with distillates of passion fruit, guava and white tea, then lightly sweetened with cane sugar.

The result: an elegant spirit without any cloying, cooked, or artificial fruit flavors. Bartender and Langstane Liquor cofounder Alex Lawrence says, “Tropical flavors are enormous in the drinks industry, but they’re often very saccharine, quite juvenile in their profile. Gin being a refined kind of spirit, I thought it would be a great vehicle.” According to Lawrence, a regular martini “becomes a juicy and unctuous apertivo” when crafted with Porter’s Tropical Gin. “You can take quite stuffy cocktails and suddenly they have a subtle kind of fruitiness.”

Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 25

WHY IS BOURBON SO CRAZY EXPENSIVE...

& WHEN WILL THE BUBBLE BURST?

By Tom Johnson

26 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

F

Pappy is old news. There’s a new Most Expensive Bourbon on the block.

In fact, there are several of them.

They’re delicious and rare and have good stories. The movement of their prices in secondary markets says a lot about how bourbon is doing in times of COVID and what some people assumed would be an inevitable bursting of the bourbon bubble.

ORGET PAPPY.

The Bourbon Bubble The bubble clearly has not burst, though a recent study of bourbon as an “alternative investment” in Unbridled Spirit: Illicit Markets for Bourbon Whiskey economists C o n o r Lennon and Tom Shohi indicate the rate of inflation for American whiskey has slowed.

Pappy remains, of course, the benchmark against which all other bourbons are measured.

Every year Buffalo Trace releases another batch of approximately 7000 cases into a market frothy with anticipation. Every year the price goes up and people tuttut that it can’t last forever. The nominal price of Family Reserve 23 Year Old Bourbon is about $300 a bottle. But even with a soft economy and COVID, on the secondary market, the price continues to rise at a rate that

recalls Venezuelan hyperinflation.

The secondary market price, depending on how connected you are and where you catch it in the grey market supply chain, is around $3500 a bottle.

“The prices go up and they’ve never come down,” says the operator of a Kentucky-based whiskey business who both buys and sells large

lots o n the secondary market. He would prefer his name not be used, so we will call him Victor, and he has gone from doubt to true belief in the secondary market’s staying power.

“Look at scotch,” Victor explains.

“Look at the course of the scotch market for the last 30 or 40 years.

You see how the scotch industry has created a niche where collecting

bottles is an adult variant on collecting comic books.”

COLONEL E.H.TAYLOR The driver of the scotchification of Bourbon is not perennials like Pappy, but in the freaks and one-and-done outliers that are increasingly driving secondary markets. “Rockstar products that are pushing the needle,” is how A.J. Heindel, who operates Unicorn Auctions, describes them.

“Growth is about as strong as it’s ever been.” The king of that particular hill – for now – is another Buffalo T r a c e product: Colonel E . H .

Ta y l o r

Warehouse C Tornado Survivor Kentucky B o u r b o n W h i s k e y.

“Tornado” to its friends, is the fortuitous product of a 2006 storm that blew the roof off one of Buffalo Trace’s rick houses. It looked, at the time, like a major disaster, potentially rendering hundreds of barrels of whiskey worthless by exposing them to the elements. “My first concern was safety,” says Harlan Wheatley, Buffalo Trace’s Master Distiller. “We had to make sure the ricks weren’t going to collapse.”

While

the

engineers

worked

Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 27

designation. It is widely reported that the barrels were less than 40% full, the unblocked wind having accelerated the angel’s share.

BUFFALO TRACE The distillery declines to say how much Tornado they bottled, but some reasonable rumor-mongering and back-of-the-envelope math indicates they ended up with between 1000 and 1200 cases.

Buffalo Trace released Tornado at about the same price point as its regular EH Taylor: $69.00. The climb up the secondary market started almost immediately. The reviews were terrific, the story was interesting, the supplies were finite. A few years later it’s selling for close to twice what Pappy Van Winkle gets, $7000 a bottle.

“We’re flattered,” says Wheatley, “but it doesn’t change how we do business.”

things out, the whiskey roasted unprotected in the Kentucky sun. Eventually, Wheatley’s crew threw a series of tarps over the building to protect the barrels, but for the next several months the wind blew freely through the roofless warehouse. One observer says you could smell the whiskey evaporating from a quarter-mile off. Six months later, during a routine quality check, it occurred to Buffalo Trace’s tasters that the exposure to the elements hadn’t, in fact, destroyed the whiskey.

Instead, it seemed to have given the whiskey a special character.

Sensing opportunity, Buffalo Trace designated Bourbon from the top two tiers of the roofless rickhouse – reportedly just under 100 barrels – to be sold under a special

In fact, it did. The surprisingly pleasant result of what was generally assumed to be a destructive aging process was one of the reasons why Buffalo Trace started its Warehouse X project, testing all kinds of unorthodox theories to see if they turn out distinctive whiskeys.

LIMITED RELEASES It’s hard not to notice that the very top of the secondary market is increasingly ruled not by trophy brands like Pappy, but by very limited releases that, like Tornado, won’t have a next year. And that the rising cost of those top-ofthe-charts bottles is attracting people who buy and sell whiskey intending to trade, rather than drink. “Typically, the most frequent approach of a major investor is they will leverage their investment

28 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

in other products to pay for the consumables they actually drink.”

Says Heindel. “They designate a brand or two for consumption and then use the rest of their enterprise to fund that.”

Others engage with almost no interest in the whiskey as anything but an “alternative asset.” With the prime rate hovering around 3.5%, the current annual 9% return on bourbon reported in Unbridled Spirit looks pretty good. And, it’s worth noting, whiskey is a lot more fun to invest in than corporate bonds.

“When focusing on bourbon’s investment potential,” wrote the authors of “Unbridled Spirit”, who ignored repeated requests for interviews, “we see that bourbon’s real arithmetic return is higher than a variety of stocks,

bonds, and other commodities over our sample period.”

THE SECONDARY MARKETS The limited editions, while perhaps not built deliberately for the return-oriented secondary market, certainly fuel it. The top of that for-profit (as opposed to for-consumption) secondary is dominated by two distilleries adept at marketing ultra-limited editions, Buffalo Trace and Michter’s.

Buffalo Trace has Tornado, Old Fashioned Copper, and Taylor Cured Oak, a throwback to the days before barrel staves were kiln-dried, all selling at Pappy-orabove prices. Michter’s has bottled a variety of “expressions”, as they call them, reaching far back into what is arguably Bourbon’s Golden

Age, for sale in – you guessed it – very limited and collectible editions.

“Everyone is gaming the system,” says Victor. “Sellers have more avenues to sell than ever before.

There are more buyers than ever before. And now the distilleries are in on the joke. They explicitly produce highly collectible oneoff editions as a marketing tool, coming up with some weird, selectstock editions.” Of course, no matter how skilled the marketers, bad whiskey doesn’t command thousand-dollar prices. Check the reviews of the one-offs by Buffalo Trace, Michter’s, and the others at the top of the price ladder; there’s no question they’re releasing damned fine whiskey. But

it is whiskey that not that many years ago would have disappeared quietly into brands that, like Pappy, release new stocks every year. Wheatly puts it like this: “We make a specific recipe today that can end up in several different products,” he explains, going into no detail. “We are very fortunate to have some outstanding whiskeys to choose from.”

Tornado may be the archetype, but the secondary markets have taught distilleries not to drop their special editions at anything close to the same retail price as their other whiskies. “The secondary markets have been of great use to distillers,” says Victor. “They bat their eyes at it, but the fact is its pushing prices higher.”

Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 29

ARE SMALL BATC CRAFT GINS THE NEXTBIG

T HING?

By Lisa Futterman

30 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

I

n the printing i n d u s t r y, the word “halftone” describes a style of layering different colors of dots on top of each other to create a composite effect.

“That’s like how I make gin,” says Andrew Said Thomas, the co-owner and distiller at Halftone Spirits in Brooklyn, New York.

Instead of ink, Thomas uses a palette of everchanging botanicals to layer new flavors into his small batches (one hundred bottles per) of gin.

Thomas describes what he makes as “modern gins for the modern drinker.” Gin always features juniper, which contributes the piney notes that consumers either love or hate.

Like many producers, Thomas adds multiple types of spices, herbs, fruits, and flowers to his one hundred gallon column still (at differing stages, more on that later), which starts with a base of 100% New York grown corn. His flagship gin shows clean, dry, and spicy, with delicate notes of pink peppercorn and lemongrass. His more traditional London Dry offers a masculine expression of a trio of citrus peels, spice, and spruce tip that is robust and true to style. Both are bottled at a vigorous 94 proof—perfect for mixing a nice strong cocktail.

Three

Styles of Gin

The fun really begins with Thomas’s experimental gins, which he creates seasonally within 3 categories. The Wavelength series presents gins based on color. Last Spring’s Magenta reportedly reminded tasters of a dry rosé wine, its pink hue giving way to “full on fruit” flavors of the rose hips, raspberry, and hibiscus within. Next up: a black gin, earthy with

tea and smoked peppercorns. Just released: the even brighter pink 2021 version. Other new and notables include a black gin, earthy with tea and smoked peppercorns and a Mojito Lime packed with fresh mint in limited release for the company’s one year anniversary on June 12, 2021.

The Overlay series nods to Halftone’s partnership with Finback Brewery, combining hops with more traditional aromatics to great effect. In the opening version, cascade hops provide their classic grapefruit-y notes and Thomas’s addition of wormwood, licorice, and orris root, among other botanicals, creates a unique forest-y brew, with a slight haze from the hop oil.

The third series, called Modular, features gins named with 3 letter international airport codes, represented by local flavors like genmaicha and shiso for last year’s HND (Haneda Airport in Tokyo), or the upcoming SVQ , with Seville orange, sea kelp, and olive leaf.

Thomas infuses these flavors at different stages in the process depending on the nature of the ingredient. Alcohol-soluble ones like citrus peels, juniper, and the unique hawthorn berry (a member of the rose family native to New England whose floral notes figure prominently in the flagship gin) are added to the distillate for maceration in the 55% alcohol. More delicate aromatics like sumac and lemongrass are placed in a gin basket to allow the vapor to pass through them, picking up aroma and flavor along the way. For a new distillery (the company launched production in Spring 2020 and will celebrate at their Brooklyn studio’s first Juniper Fest on June 12, 2021), experimentation can be exciting but costly.

Says Thomas, “we aim to make 10-12 gins per year, but embossed labels are expensive, and getting the formulas approved by the federal government can take up to 4 weeks.”

Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 31

More

Experimental Gin

Other prominent gin distilleries have seen great success in making experimental gins in limited quantity. Chicago’s Letherbee Distillers sells out of their Vernal and Autumnal gins (past versions include a complex green chile and charming strawberry vanilla) within weeks of each seasonal launch. London’s Sipsmith shares their experiments via post with the members-only Sipping Society—just a few winners have made the cut and gone into larger production, like their chocolatey Orange and Cacao Gin. Along with the aforementioned SVQ and Black gins and the return of Magenta, Halftone Spirits fans can look forward to several additions to theW lineup in 2021, including a breakfast gin flavored with fenugreek and warm spice, and the next Overlay with Kashmir hops enhanced with tropical notes of pineapple husk and coconut.

Stop by the cocktail lounge to try a frozen shot of the already popular Aquavit, a robust “caraway and dill forward” version of the traditional Scandinavian spirit, and get a taste of Halftone’s botanical prowess.

Try Before

The lucky guests at Halftone’s Gowanus cocktail lounge (which they share with Finback’s taproom) get to test out Thomas’s latest recipes (or take them to go), both on their own and in creatively customized drinks. “Our bartenders like to challenge drinkers with what they concoct—and that keeps our patrons engaged,” says Thomas. Currently, the gins are bottled in 375 mls—perfect for trying different styles at home, and distribution in New York State is slated to launch this month. Halftone Spirits is considered a farm distillery, a license that regulates production volume, but allows onpremise consumption, to-go bottles and cocktails, and in-state shipping.

32 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

PHOTOGRAPHY BY COLIN BECKETT

You Buy

What Makes a Great Tonic Water e Hur t t By e t Je a n

and Why it Matters Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 33

A

tonic water is a tonic water, except, really, it’s not. Gone are the days when practically every tonic water on the market was made with high fructose corn syrup and tasted like Sprite with a dash of quinine. Instead, craft tonic makers are creating a diverse and aromatic array of styles and flavored tonic waters as well as tonic adjacent mixers.

“We started with the tonic because this is what the consumer was really missing on, and then we (moved into) the ginger ale, and then we start thinking about the opportunity to elevate a cocktail, and that’s where it always starts,” says Tim Warrilow, co-founder of Fever-Tree. In fact, according to a 2020 tonic water trends and market analysis from Grand View

Research, the global tonic water market size was valued at $1.72 billion (USD), and it’s expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7.2 percent through 2027.

“The first rule I have (for tonic waters and spirits) is to have fun,” says Jordan Silbert, founder of Q Mixers. “There aren’t any hard and fast rules. Just because one tonic is intended to do one thing doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be used for others. You should do what tastes right.” While just about every tonic water on the market – from classic to Indian to elderberry – goes with gins and vodkas, tequilas, rums, whiskeys and even aperitivos and fine coffees can play well with them. “I’ve seen some creative coffee roasters make some

34 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

wonderful drinks with our Indian tonic,” says Mary Pellettieri, founder of Top Note Tonic.

“It’s a phenomenal time to be a drinker,” Silbert says. “There are all of these amazing craft distilleries all making these very interesting gins, and when you taste the difference between a good spirit and a good mixer with a good spirit and a bad mixer, it’s night and day. One is delightful.

The other is like, eh.”

Here’s an overview of some tonics that are anything but eh.

Classic Tonic Waters

Whether made by Fever-Tree, Fentimans, Q Tonic or Top Note, classic tonic waters are made to pair with classic, juniper-forward gins and vodkas. “Most classic tonic waters have that quinine bitterness, a lemon-lime top note, with an actual middle level of sweetness,” Pelletieri says.

Light Tonic Waters Q , Fentiman’s and Fever-tree each make tonic waters with reduced calories, but offer the same profile of a regular classic tonic. Sometimes classified as “diet,” these tonic waters aren’t the diet soda equivalents, as they usually combine different sweeteners, but their calorie counts come in to less than half or a third of regular tonic waters, and they usually pair well with both gins and vodkas. And most craft tonics have a lot less sugar and calories than mass-produced tonics. “Our Spectacular tonic is 40 calories per bottle, and our light one has 20 calories per bottle,” Silbert says. This sector of tonic waters is “anticipated to be the fastest growing segment,” according to the Grand View Research analysis. “We know that low calorie is on trend in the marketplace,” Warrilow says. “Over one-third of all Fever-Tree sold is low calorie, but low calorie should never come at the expense of taste.”

Indian Tonic Waters The name Indian tonic references the time when quinine was used to prevent malaria in India.

Some Indian tonics have a more intense quinine flavor, that pairs really well with gins, vodkas and even fortified wines like port and sherry. Pellettieri

says her Top Note Indian tonic is quite different.

“A traditional Indian tonic is just a super strong tonic,” she says, adding that the main bittering agent remains quinine.

“For us, we use both gentian root and classic

bitters found in aperitivos, as well as quinine, and to me, it has a grapefruit top note, a hoppy element like an IPA so I called it Indian tonic water,” says Pellettieri, who worked for Goose Island and Miller/ Coors before starting her tonic company. “In my

mind, I think more like a brewer. Top Note Indian tonic, she says, goes really well with subtle and higher end gins that are more delicate rather than a London dry style, which most Indian tonics pair well with. “Indian Top Note is going to amplify

Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 35

the floral notes and not overwhelm those gins,” she says. “This tonic is really meant for finer gin drinkers who want a better experience. But it’s not a vodka tonic kind of

tonic, as it almost comes off as sweet. It’s not really sweet, but the vodka doesn’t do much for it, and it kind of dilutes some of the flavors and muddies it up.”

She says her Indian tonic also goes really, really well in espresso and coffee drinks. “Something about the Indian tonic mixes so much better than a regular tonic,” she

says. “It has a flavor like a chocolate covered citrus peel when it’s paired with the right coffee. It’s light and has this honeysuckle note.”

Specialty Tonics Specialty tonics include flavored or aromatic tonics, and this category includes everything from cucumber and lemon to elderberry, and each craft tonic company has its own specialty tonics. Fever-Tree has six different tonics in this category, along with a couple of light versions, as well as some tonic adjacent mixers.

“How much time do we have to discuss this?” says Charles Gibb, CEO of Fever Tree North America. “I just really encourage people to experiment and enjoy playing with them.” For example, FeverTree’s Aromatic tonic goes really well with gin, but “an Aromatic tonic with whiskey is absolutely delicious,” Gibb says. Also, he notes that the Fever-Tree Cucumber tonic and Refreshingly Light Cucumber tonic do pair with a herbal gins, but it also pairs “amazingly well” with Aperol.”

“It creates this amazing, low calorie, low alcohol spritz drink, which is fantastic,” Gibb says.

Another really interesting specialty tonic is Elderflower.

36 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

Silbert says his sister’s life partner made an elderflower syrup, which he added to their gin and tonics. “It was like a garden party on a Saturday night,” Silbert says, adding that inspired him to create a Q Elderflower tonic. Q Elderflower tonic goes really well with gins that have strong citrus notes, but it also balances out more juniper-forward gins. “The first rule I have is to have fun,” he says.

“There are not any hard and fast rules, and just because a tonic is intended to do one thing doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done with another spirit.”

Pellettieri’s third tonic is a Bitter Lemon tonic. Like her Indian tonic, it has gentian root and quinine as the bitter backbone, but it also has a lot of lemon juice in it, not just lemon essence or lemon flavoring. “There’s a little more sweetness,” she says. “You can drink it as an aperitivo soft drink on its own, but it pairs really well with a London Dry, and a lot of bartenders mix it with a variety of liqueurs and spirits.”

Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 37

HOW KŌ HANA IS RAISING THE BAR WITH SINGLE CANE AGRICOLE RUMS

EDITOR’S NOTE: JUST RECENTLY KŌ HANA DISTILLERS ANNOUNCED THAT IT HAS LEASED AN ADDITIONAL 220 ACRES OF FARMLAND IN HALE‘IWA ON O‘AHU’S NORTH SHORE, FURTHER EXPANDING ITS HEIRLOOM HAWAIIAN SUGARCANE FARMING OPERATION. THE HARVESTS FROM THIS NEW FIELD WILL ENABLE THEIR RUM PRODUCTION TO REACH 75,000 CASES PER YEAR – AN OVER 300 PERCENT INCREASE.

CENTURIES AGO,

ancient Polynesian way-finders crisscrossed the Pacific Ocean in search of islands to colonize and settle on. Along with supplies and domestic animals, they carried seedlings of native plants onboard their canoes to propagate in their new homes.

In about the 13th century, the voyagers hit Hawaii and planted

sugarcane, among the other “canoe crops” like taro and yams. Fast forward 800 years or so, and examples of these now “heirloom” varieties of cane could be found only in botanic garden exhibits, vacant lots, or “Auntie’s backyards.”

Influenced by Dr. Noa Lincoln, an ethnobotanical researcher, and native Hawaiian, Jason

38 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

Brand, and Robert Dawson, founders of Oahu’s Kō Hana Distillers, set out to find cuttings of these native cane species.

Lincoln helped the founders understand the importance of preserving the original strains of kō (sugarcane), not just for their botanical value, but also for their traditional medicinal and spiritual uses. What better use of sugarcane than to make rum?

cane juices in their ferments, Kō Hana, an Oahu distillery located 20 miles NW of Honolulu, juices each variety in the field, then ferments, distills and bottles them individually to create single cane expressions. “It felt disingenuous to lump them all together… we treat these plants the way a winemaker will treat grapes,” says Kyle Reutner, Kō Hana’s general manager. “Ko Hana” means “work of the cane,” and this sugarcane works very hard indeed.

Kō Hana Cane Field

The payoff is huge—they’ve created 11 versions so far, with about 20 more varieties to go.

The juice, which oxidizes almost instantly, making it essential to ferment right away, varies in flavor from cane to cane. Earthy like the deep purple Pāpa'a.

Savory like the red and purple Mahai'ula. Tropical, tart, and floral like the light green Lahi.

Saline with black olive notes like the purple and green striped Manulele.

The distillers add a proprietary champagne-style yeast, and the 500 gallon batch of juice is left to ferment for 4-6 days until the proper low sugar level (brix) is attained. The ferment is then transferred to their modern hybrid still, then is left to rest in stainless steel for 3 months to mellow. The white spirit, called Kea, is bottled at 80 proof in distinctive square bottles labeled with the name of the cane whose spirit is within.

RUM IN THE HAWAIIAN AGRICOLE STYLE A couple of Hawaiian distilleries are making rum in the Hawaiian Agricole style from fermented, freshly pressed sugarcane juice.

Most rums are distilled from either molasses, cane syrup, or both.

A byproduct of sugar refineries that is produced in various forms all over the Caribbean, Central America, and South America, rum has more recently been distilled in the United States. In Martinique, a French colony, cane growers began to produce rum directly

from fermented sugar cane juice when sugar prices collapsed in the mid-1800s and there were no industrial byproducts to be had.

The resulting unaged Rhum Agricole tastes grassy, earthy, funky, and herbaceous—a complete departure from the caramel-ly, brown sugar notes found in traditional white rums.

Kō Hana Cane Bundles

While Kuleana, a rum producer from the northernmost tip of the Big Island, combines multiple Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 39

I was lucky enough to try four different varietals, and each one brought its own flavor notes (herbal, earthy, fruity, briny) to the daiquiris that I shook.

LESS IS MORE Jen Ackrill, who runs the beverage program at the newly opened Kaimana Beach Hotel in Waikiki, says that “The lessis-more approach to utilizing Kō Hana rum is the key, let the spirit shine, say, in a Daiquiri or a ‘Ti Punch. Currently, I am using it for the Kunia Castaway on the Hau Tree Bar menu but in a modifier fashion, using the unique grassiness to funk up the Stiggins Extra Fancy in a very simple but delicious rum sour.”

Kō Hana also has a unique barrel-aging program—their Koa is aged in oak and then finished in endemic koa wood barrels, giving it an acacia red hue and complex, warm spice and butterscotch flavors.

Ackrill agrees, “The real magic is in the aged Koa: dry and funky like a bourbon on vacation, making that spirit ripe for an old-fashioned variation.”

KUNIA CASTAWAY Recipe courtesy of Jen Ackrill, Hau Tree Bar 1oz Stiggins Extra Fancy pineapple rum .5 oz KoHana Kea .75 oz lemon juice .5 oz simple syrup Shake well and fine strain into a chilly coupe and garnish with an

Hau Tree bar

expressed lime peel.

Castaway Cocktail

KOA OLD FASHIONED Recipe courtesy of Jen Ackrill, Hau Tree Bar 2oz KoHana Koa .25 oz simple syrup 1 dropper Bitterman’s tiki bitters Stir over cubed ice till well chilled and pour over a large cube.

Garnish with an expressed lemon and orange peel.

40 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

BY LISA FUTTERMAN Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 41

GET TO KNOW VIETNAM’S TWO PREMIUM RHUM DISTILLERIES Once the day’s coffee quota is met, Vietnam’s citizens partake in a bia aka beer. During special occasions, shots of locally-made rice wine get passed around while speakers blast karaoke. Imported (and often expensive) spirits have long appeared in high-end restaurants and cocktail bars around the country. But it’s not until recently Vietnam began distilling award-winning alcohol.

1

RHUM BELAMI

The creation of a Vietnamese rhum started in 2016. Rhum Belami’s Owner, Master Distiller, and Blender Rhoddy Battajon knew he wanted to make a spirit as soon as he tasted the fresh sugar cane juice on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City. “Rhum was not that popular before I came and introduced Rhum Belami to the country,” says Battajon. With his roots in the Caribbean island of Lesser Antilles, Battajon learned how to make alcohol in France. “My family is dedicated to the food and beverage industry, so it was kind of natural for me to forge my own legacy. When I saw that no rhum was made locally, I saw my opportunity to follow the same path as my father,” says Battajon.

Rhum Belami uses fresh local sugarcane, homemade baker yeast and various Vietnamese botanicals. One of their most popular is their Premium Dark Rhum 55 percent alcohol, aged for five years in an oak cask pre-filled with Vietnamese roasted coffee beans and cocoa beans from Marou, Vietnam’s most famous chocolate maker. Their rhum is also sold in France, Taiwan, and the Netherlands.

42 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

SAMPAN RHUM Two years later, Sampan Rhum emerged onto Vietnam’s burgeoning spirit scene. Founded by three French immigrants, they set up their distillery, Distillerie d’Indochine, outside of the ancient town of Hoi An. “Vietnamese people are more and more curious about local, premium, and natural products. We have many people who come to our distillery to visit. It’s a very unique place in Vietnam with unique equipment,” says Co-Owner and Master Distiller Antoine Poircuitte. The equipment, like the massive full column copper, still is imported from Armagnac, France.

2

Sampan is made with 100 percent natural ingredients, including locally-sourced pure yellow sugarcane that adds to the flavor. “We set up our distillery close to the [sugarcane] field to get the minimum time between the cut and the press to guarantee the maximum freshness of the sugar cane juice we are using,” says Poircuitte. “We are also located at the same latitude as the French Caribbean, where the pure sugar cane rhum is born. It’s like a tribute to the origin of sugar cane in Southeast Asia and the origin of rhum.” At their small distillery (which also houses a tasting room and villa for rent), they produce four award-winning white rhums ranging from 43 percent alcohol to 64 percent alcohol and are currently distilling two single barrel rhums, and a vintage rhum aged for three years in a retired Cognac barrel.

“Rhum is not well known in Vietnam,” says Porcuitte. So, Sampan is working closely with mixologists, highlighting that their product is natural, locally-made, and award-winning to promote the spirit in different bars, hotels, and restaurants around the country. It’s available in nine countries worldwide, including France, the UK, and Cambodia. They plan to be available in 15 countries by the end of the year.

Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 43

Is Michter's 25 Year Old Bourbon Worth

BY TONY SACHS Kentucky bourbon isn’t supposed to age for 25 years, unless you want it to taste like tree bark. So

why are Scotch single malts in their 30s, 40s and even 50s desirable, while a 20 year old bourbon is pushing the outer limits of aging? First off, bourbon must, by law, be aged in new American oak. Those barrels, once used, are then sent all over the world where they’re used to age other spirits, most famously Scotch whisky. By that time, the bourbon has soaked up a lot of the tannins — the stuff that gives whiskey its dry, spicy, woody flavor — from the barrel. Then there’s the climate. Kentucky’s hot summers and freezing winters expand and contract the wood, pushing the liquid in and out of the barrel much more than the fairly constant, chilly climate of Scotland. That’s why a bourbon reaches what many distillers and drinkers think of as its maturity, roughly 6-12 years, when a Scotch whisky of that age can be downright childlike by comparison.

44 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

$1000?

There are, however, exceptions to every rule. And that’s why you’ll see bourbons aged two decades and longer on the shelves of your more upscale liquor stores (often behind glass and under lock and key, due to the price), or being offered at whiskey auctions. That doesn’t mean they all taste good. People who invest in bottles of Pappy Van Winkle’s sought-after bourbons often go for the 23 year old family reserve, but most people who actually drink the stuff will tell you that the 15 year old is better. Some of the most awful bourbons I’ve ever tasted were probably perfectly good a decade before they were finally bottled. In a nutshell, when a bourbon’s age statement makes it old enough to vote or drive a car (though a bottle of bourbon would obviously fail a breathalyzer test), proceed with extreme caution.

Michter’s: A Proud History Which brings us to Michter’s.

Though its history can be proudly traced back to colonial times, the story of the brand as we know it today really begins in the 1990s, when the American whiskey industry was mired in a decades-long slump. Current president Joe Magliocco revived the thendefunct name, moved its base of operations from Pennsylvania to Kentucky, and started sourcing aged whiskeys from distilleries that couldn’t move them and didn’t want them. Later on, Michter’s started making its own whiskeys at other brands’ distilleries. Today, the brand has two distilleries of its own in Kentucky, and its whiskeys are some of the most sought-after in the world, rivaling even Pappy

in the auction market.

Michter’s was putting out 25 year old bourbons and ryes before American whiskey took off, and they’re still doing it today, although not on any particular schedule. When there’s a barrel or two deemed worthy of release by the Michter’s team — most notably Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson and master distiller Dan McKee — it’s bottled. When the latest 25 Year Old came out this fall, it had been more than three years since the last one, despite the fact that they could have sold out of pretty much anything they decided to stick in a bottle with a “25” label on it. But quality control trumps profits at Michter’s, and it reaffirms their belief that even the rarest of unicorn bottles are meant for drinking, not for sticking on a shelf and admiring.

Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 45

Though at a suggested retail price of $1,000 for the 348 bottles available (emphasis on “suggested,” as the actual price, if you can find a bottle, is already several times that), there’s no shame in treating it as a family heirloom.

We don’t know the provenance of the 25 Year Old Bourbon — which distillery made it and when it was purchased remain secret for legal reasons, and the mashbill has never been made public. But it does taste like a Michter’s, big and robust and flavorful. The nose is quite sweet, with caramel, toffee, creme brûlée, and less wood than a quarter-century in oak had prepared me for. On the palate, it’s rich and intense, with concentrated flavors of dark chocolate, burnt caramel, some chocolate-covered orange peel, and a little vanilla. At its cask strength, a hefty 58.1% ABV, the finish is dry and spicy, but a few drops of water mellow it out and also bring up surprising,

subtle notes of pear and melon.

The tannins so prevalent in extra-aged bourbon do, of course, show up here — how could they not? — but I didn’t feel like picking splinters out of my tongue after a few sips. It’s definitely an elder statesman as far as bourbon is concerned, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sean Connery was a handsome man when he was 40, and a handsome man at 70.

Which one you prefer is entirely subjective.

A Grand Bourbon For A Grand The million-dollar question, or rather the thousand-dollar question, is whether this bourbon is worth a grand (or far more, depending on the vagaries of the secondary market). Certainly, you can find a terrific bottle of bourbon for a tiny fraction of the price that will be just as enjoyable, if quite different, than Michter’s 25. But anyone who’s seriously in the market for it isn’t buying the damn thing solely for how it tastes. It’s the collectability, the rarity, the sheer improbability of it existing in the first place, the knowledge that a very finite quantity exists. Add up those factors and throw in a lot of disposable income and you’ve got a whiskey that actually lives up to the hype. As for whiskey geeks on a more modest budget, yes, you can live without it. But should an opportunity to taste it ever come your way, don’t pass it up.

46 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

The Surprising Story of Artisan Cheesemaking in Vietnam

By Katie Lockhart

52 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

Here at the Cheese Professor we are interested in cheese from all over the world so we are happy to have Katie Lockhart, who is currently living in Vietnam share this story about artisanal European style cheese. You might think that with a colonial French history Vietnam favors French cheeses, but as you’ll learn from it’s a bit more complicated than that.

M

iles and miles of greenhouses dot the horizon in Đà Lạt. The Central Highland city is well recognized for its agricultural prowess, producing Vietnam’s best avocados, coffee, wine, strawberries, and milk. Besides the Laughing Cow cheese used in street-side banh mi, Vietnam isn’t known for its love of lactose. But the beloved Japanese/Italian fusion chain restaurant Pizza 4P’s is changing that.

Located about an hour from the city of Đà Lạt is Đơn Dương cheese factory, where Pizza 4P’s make the majority of highquality cheese in Vietnam. “We’re inspired to make original products that can only be made in Vietnam. We want to use Vietnamese ingredients in our cheese-making processes. For example, using Vietnamese rice wine with lactic cheese and Vietnamese pepper with string cheese,” says Pizza 4P’s CEO and Founder, Yosuke Masuko.

After opening in 2011, the restaurant struggled to find fresh mozzarella for its pizzas. Instead of settling for imported, past-date cheeses, they began to produce their own. While the cheese is homemade, the lactic acid bacteria, molds, and yeast are imported from France and Italy. The high elevation and cool Central Highlands climate of Đà Lạt make it an ideal place for growing produce. It also raises healthy cows, resulting in better quality milk with a higher fat and

protein content. To ensure the best quality cheese, Pizza 4P’s imported cows from Thailand and Australia, conducted feed and environmental research for the cows and trained in cheese factories in France and Japan to learn more about the cheese-making process.

Today, they make 13 different kinds of all-natural cheese sent to more than 300 different restaurants and hotels throughout Vietnam. The variety of Italian cheeses is impressive, from fresh mozzarella to scamorza to ricotta to their signature burrata. They also produce and sell blue cheese, camembert and raclette, They’re the first company to make burrata in Vietnam, and it’s one of their most popular sellers placed on top of thousands of pizzas per day. “We have improved the quality of burrata many times over the years. We are very proud of the balance between the thin-surfaced skin and the rich, creamy flavor,” says Masuko.

Cheese enthusiasts can sample the different types of cheese through menu items like the assorted cheese plate or 4P’s cheese fondue in any one of their locations in Hà Nội, Hồ Chí Minh City, Đà Nẵng, and Nha Trang. Pizza 4P’s is looking to expand its pizza and cheese empire in Vietnam and throughout Southeast Asia.

Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 53

5 Cheeses That Show the Surprising Versatility of Zinfandel

From ooey-gooey to firm and salty cheese, zinfandel brings the classic wine and cheese pairing into a whole new world.

By Andrew McFetridge It’s not so often we meet a wine that has redefined itself from its sordid past and morphed into a versatile food-friendly wine. Believe it or not, that wine is zinfandel, my friends, and it’s now the perfect counterpart for all things cheese.

When it comes to pairing cheese with wine (or vice versa), there are a few things to remember. First, cheeses that are soft and creamy (ricotta, brie) synchronize with wines that have elevated acid

Gorgonzola

such as Champagne or dry riesling. Acid slices through fat seamlessly.

Second, firm salty cheeses (aged gouda, manchego) suit tannic wines such as cabernet sauvignon or aglianico just fine by creating an oh-so-silky texture. Also, a salty-nsweet twosome like feta with Tawny Port is always a million-dollar pairing.

Powerful with powerful also make an equal union.

You don’t want your cheese to overtake your wine like a sailboat in an Atlantic hurricane, do you? Thankfully, there are

1

many versions of this wine possessing these elements, and there’s nothing but smooth sailing ahead.

Zinfandel is a curious creature - a wine that can cause a rift between gastronomy connoisseurs, much like some cheeses. Époisses or Roquefort anyone? But the fact of the matter is - zin is everything from dark and brooding to fresh and buoyant - and all it really needs is a perfect counterpart to help it achieve balance, which is the goal for any and all unions - food or otherwise.

LOMBARDY, ITALY (PASTEURIZED COW’S MILK, $8-$12) WITH TERRA D’ORO ZINFANDEL PORT NV - AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA ($24)

Combinations of salty-sweet create alluring symmetry. Gorgonzola was originally produced in northern Italy but now is made all over the world, including the United States. But, some things remain the same such as those legendary blue veins and its creamy, salty texture. Blue cheese can be very polarizing among cheese lovers, but paired with the right wine it can make even a stubborn nay-sayer backtrack. Enter Terra D’Oro’s zinfandel “port,” a fortified sweet wine made in the fashion of Portugal’s well-known dessert libation. Aromas of cocoa, candied red fruit, and sweet spice settledown Gorgonzola’s saltiness that generates an illustrious balance.

Other Cheese Choices: Halloumi, Feta 54 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

2

Roth Gran Queso MONROE, WISCONSIN (PASTEURIZED COW, $10/LB) WITH BERRYESSA GAP VINEYARDS ESTATE COLLECTION ZINFANDEL 2017 ($25) This award-winning Wisconsin cheese is what dreams are made of. The Manchego-like queso is sublime shaved over pasta or even suitable for chomping right into it - no judgment here. The delicious disk of cow’s milk is rubbed with a frisky blend of spices, including cinnamon and paprika, which make it stand out on cheese boards. However you choose to enjoy this rub-a-dub-dubbed rind and its mellow yellow innards, one thing is for sure, you need a glass of a badass rouge, enter Berryessa Gap zin. This lighter-than-expected zin possesses a dash of swagger with its cranberry-like notes and woody undertones, which is even better with a slight chill.

3

Other Cheese Choices: Queso Añejo

Zimbro SERRA DA ESTRELA, PORTUGAL (RAW SHEEP’S MILK, $25/LB) WITH POLVANERA SPARKLING BRUT ROSE PUGLIA, ITALY ($20) Let’s sing the praises of this Zimbro and zin duet.

Zimbro is an unpasteurized cheese hailing from the Serra da Estrela mountains in north-central Portugal. The cloth-bound, washed rind, soft n’ scoopable cheese is aged for 60 days, which results in an herbaceously fragrant funk that begs for bubbles. Primitivo, as zinfandel is known in Italy, makes some rough n’ tough reds, but with Polvanera at the wheel, that style is left in the dust.

The exhilarating sparkler is bursting with red berry notes and a leader-of-the-pack mentality.

The bubbly won’t steal the spotlight from Zimbro - but yet ask for it to be shared.

Zimbro photo credit Matt Neyens

Other Cheese Choices: Strattiatella Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 55

Harbison

4

JASPER HILL FARMS, VERMONT (PASTEURIZED COW’S MILK, $18-$23, 9OZ WHEELS) WITH BINK WINES MIRRORS 2019 - CLARE VALLEY, AUSTRALIA ($36) Mirrors is fascinating and unexpected. The organic bottling comes to us from high elevation Clare Valley, a region known for its tart riesling. The wine is low in alcohol (nearly 9%), which is surprising for zin whose ABV can reach up to 16%! Nevertheless, the wine is dry and light, with strawberry accents and a pleasant sharpness that is tailored for a creamy cheese like Harbison, a soft-ripened bloomy rind cheese. The scoopable, spruce bark-wrapped cheese comes from the geniuses at Jasper Hill Farms in Vermont. Together with Mirrors, Harbison creates a tantalizing tale of strawberries-n-cream yumminess.

Other Cheese Choices: Brie, Chaource Up In Smoke photo credit Culture: The Word on Cheese

Up In Smoke RIVERS EDGE CHEVRE, OREGON (PASTEURIZED GOAT’S MILK, $20 4OZ WHEEL) WITH TURLEY KIRSCHENMANN VINEYARD 2018 - LODI, CALIFORNIA ($45)

5

The exuberant pairing of these two West Coast gems will add some pizzaz to any get-together.

Up In Smoke is a yummy goat’s milk cheese encapsulated in a smoked maple leaf. Once the bite-sized treasure is unearthed enticing aromatics can lasso any cheese lover in. The illuminating texture calls out for a glass (or bottle) of another Wild West refreshment to tame this feracious fromage - Turley zin. Just like cheese and wine, Turley and zinfandel go hand-in-hand. The Kirschenmann Vineyard bottling is a noteworthy example of old vine Cali zin - these vines go back to 1915! The wine is refined with a pinch of razzle-dazzle deliciousness that only gets better with a chunk o’ cheese.

Other Cheese Choices: Grana Padano

56 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

A Closer

Look at Vermouth &

Cheese Pairing

By Lisa Futterman

58 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

S

Serving wine and cheese before dinner is an oh-so-American tradition that befuddles the more European palate.

Cheese can be quite filling, especially piled high in all-American fashion, and wine can overpower the pre-dinner palate, and often bulldoze the cheese as well.

Luckily there’s vermouth, the aromatized wine— full of flavors of herbs, bark, roots— bitter, sweet, citrusy botanicals that perk up the flagging appetite.

Vermouth is an aperitif (from the Latin word for “open”) made bitter with botanical infusions, made sweet and boozy with the introduction of brandy or other neutral spirits to up the alcohol a notch over table wine level.

Vermouths vary widely by style, from the “dry” white familiar from Martinis and cooking to the less dry bianco/blanc style, to the “sweet” reds that are well known for mixing in Manhattans.

They come from France (Dolin is a great one, or try the classic Noilly Prat), Italy (also known as Torino-style, named for Italy’s historic vermouth hub, like Carpano, Starlino, and Contratto), Spain (La Pivón, Axa, Yzaguirre—we also tried some tasty La Copa vermouths made from sherry), or the good old USA (Lo-fi, Uncouth, Vya, Oso de Oro). Even Japan has entered the burgeoning vermouth race with Oka Kura Bermutto made from sake!

Professional and home bartenders are embracing the vermouth-as-aperitif trend. “There was a time during my career as a bartender where I thought vermouth was only mean for cocktails – sweet for Manhattans and dry for Martinis,” says Fatima Butler,

Bartender and Fo u n d e r / C E O of Rooted in Hospitality. “I was so wrong. Their herbal flavors make them so perfect on their own.

They’re great with a twist of lemon and also work on ice with soda.”

Butler also noted the increasing popularity of vermouth in the US. According to a report from Vine Pair, interest in vermouth has continued to rise in the wine category.

Recently, we conducted a (very fun) tasting of a wide range of vermouths with an array of cheese styles. On the beverage side, we also included winebased aperitifs in our cheese tasting session.

Why? Because their citrus-y, earthy, herbal aromatics are just so darn fun with cheese., and they align with the vermouth family so closely.

Our findings did not yield precise pairings, as much as informal recommendations.

Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 59

Vermouth & Cheese Pairings We loved Lillet, perhaps the queen of all aperitifs, made in Bordeaux from the wine of the region, plus oranges, sugar, and lots of secret ingredients, as a partner to a rich, creamy fresh chèvre.

La Pivon Rojo Vermouth from Madrid showed herbal and floral, with a big rose petal aroma, and worked very nicely with grassy Gruyere. We suspect Manchego and other aged cheeses would also do nicely with this beverage.

We matched a soft-ripened sheep from Siena, Italy with Cap Corse, a Corsican quinquina with balanced bitterness, minerality, and citrus notes, and the cheese’s earthy richness did quite well. A bandaged British style cheddar was also a hit, likely due to its cave-influenced flavors.

A mild and munchy American aged goat cheese got very friendly with the gentle bittersweet balance of Cocchi Americano, the aromatized wine from Asti in Northern Italy whose aromatic base of Moscato di Asti is bittered with cinchona bark.

We added a sharp, salty, artichoke-y Spanish raw sheep cheese to test out its herbal flavors with our lineup.

The classic cola flavors of Carpano Antico Rosso and the Starlino Rosso both gently complimented this rather challenging pairing.

A sweet, well-aged, crystalline Dutch gouda played well with the spiced sherried and candied fruit notes of a Gonzalez Byass Vermouth La Copa, made from a blend of Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherries and bittered with wormwood, herbs, and quinine.

Overall, we highly recommend an exploration of the bitter, fruity, saline, and herbal characters of the aperitif wine world matched with the creamy, nutty, grassy, and lactic flavors found in cheese. These nontraditional partnerships will make a fun evening of aromatic adventure for your next gathering. Start with your local vermouth, perhaps or a bottle of aperitif from your favorite region of Europe, build a cheese board (plus some charcuterie never hurts) and enjoy.

60 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

3

Reasons Why it's Time to Stop the Cheese Board Madness Jam packed cheese boards are everywhere and they are impressive to look at, but are they actually a good idea? We tapped contributor Carol Penn-Romine to weigh in.

Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 61

You’ve seen them: Cheeseboards so overloaded with goodies that you can’t tell what color the board is or whether it’s made of ceramic, glass or wood.

They’re a riot of color, shape and texture and quite the feast for the eyes.

Emboldened by all those Pinterest and Instagram pics, perhaps you’ve even dallied with the idea of fashioning one for your next party. Of creating a cheeseboard so lavish that it puts all those social media overachievers to shame.

A stunning drop-the-mic contribution to the evolution of the cheeseboard.

But then think of all those outrageous outfits you’ve seen models wear on the catwalk. Sure, they’re eye catching, but you look at them, wag your head and think, “Who in blue blazes would wear that ridiculous thing? And where would they even wear it?”

Now, lump those photos of over-the-top cheeseboards into the same category, The Realm of the Grossly Overdone. Social media sites are bursting with photos of cheeseboards laden with enough cheese and assorted comestibles to feed the Viking hordes.

While visually appealing, these cheeseboards aren’t really practical for a party or buffet. In fact, when it comes to partaking, they can be quite off putting. Why?

They're Overwhelming Put too much on one serving platter and guests pause, lost in the options. This slows up the line of hungry people behind them. One look at such a cheeseboard and I freeze in indecision. And if I decide to go with the one-bite-of-everything option, it still slows things down. I can feel the eye daggers in the back of my head as I hold up the line.

They're Impractical 2 Unless your tabletop is no larger than your cheeseboard, why overwork one serving piece?

While such a board speaks of bounty, it makes the rest of the table look spare.

3 They're

62 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

Germ Pits

That wedge of gouda situated in the middle of a scattering of nuts and crudité looks mighty tempting, but when you cut a piece for yourself, you’re likely to bring your knuckles or shirt sleeves right down into it all, which is both messy and unsanitary. If I saw the guy in front of me drag his Bvlgari cufflinks through the quince paste, I’d give the entire board a pass. And unless you have tiny forks, picks, tongs and other utensils for plucking accompaniments out of the pack, it’s difficult to keep from making contact with food you don’t plan to eat—just as it was for the guests who got to it before you did.

When putting together a cheeseboard, resist the urge to go on eye appeal alone. Think about page composition in a magazine—the negative space is as important as the space filled with photos and blocks of copy. The eyes get fatigued when there’s too much to take in. So rather than resorting to the throw-on-some-of-everything philosophy of cheeseboard construction, make a plan: •

Before deciding how many cheeses to include, consider how many people you’re serving and whether this is a light nosh or something more substantial.

Odd numbers work best visually, so select three or five (of course no one will call the law on you if you select four!).

Roughly plan on four ounces of cheese per person and round up for good measure. It’s better to have too much than too little.

When you shop for cheese for a party, go into the store with a plan—and after you’ve eaten.

•

If the store has a dedicated cheese counter staffed with cheesemongers, solicit their advice. They have a wealth of knowledge and are eager to help you select just the right cheeses and put together the perfect combinations.

•

Think about what goes with each cheese and include that next to it. You wouldn’t park the gravy next to the fruit salad on the Thanksgiving feasting board, so likewise arrange items together that go together, like bleu cheese and dried fruit or shavings of parm with honey (salt brings out the sweetness, so these accompany each other beautifully).

•

Preslice and precut the cheeses, so you don’t need as much room around them on the board for maneuvering with a cutting utensil. If you find the esthetics of wedges, rounds and bricks of cheese irresistible, situate those large, uncut pieces on the edges of the board. This way guests have room to cut them without mess or contamination.

•

If your spread is quite substantial, consider using several smaller boards, each dedicated to a single cheese and its accompaniments. This allows every cheese to be the star on its own stage and makes it easier for guests to graze and to know which accompaniments go best with each cheese.

Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 63

AND

D O V

! ! ? ?

KA

YES, VODKA REALLY DOES PAIR WELL WITH CHEESE AND HERE'S WHY JIM GLADSTONE

64 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

Photo credit Emma K Morris

We first heard about the combination of cheese and vodka from contributor Kelly Magyarics who wrote about pairing cheese and spirits for sister site, Alcohol Professor.

Ask

the distillery team at Hangar 1 to explain what makes their vodka different from other brands and you’ll quickly learn that their offerings are primarily distilled from grapes rather than grain. It’s this point of distinction that initially inspired the Alameda, California-based distillery’s marketing and sales manager, Emily Webster, to think about exploring a rather unusual notion: Vodka and cheese pairings. “I came to the company with a wine background,” Webster explains.

“At an earlier point in my life I studied to be a sommelier—so the idea of doing pairings with cheese was a natural for me.”

A CHEESEMONGER IN THE VODKA TASTING ROOM Webster initially worked with several different cheese shops in the San Francisco Bay Area to develop pairings for private events and public tastings, eventually settling into a long term cheese-lationship with Alameda’s own Farmstead Cheeses & Wines.

Farmstead’s Michael Albrant ultimately joined the Hangar 1 team as its fulltime tasting room manager. Now, at monthly cheese pairing events, he leads guests through a revelatory round of sips and nibbles that lean not only into Hangar 1’s grape base, but the the brand’s unique flavored vodkas, some of which feature additional oenophile appeal.

CHEDDAR AND VODKA In his most inspired matchmaking, Albrant combines cheese expertise with a lateral thinker’s knack for creativity. For instance, challenged to choose a pairing for Barely Buzzed, an award-winning cheddar from Utah’s Beehive Cheese Company, the obvious pairing—picking up on the creamery’s penchant for wordplay—might be Hangar 1 Honeycomb Vodka. But guided by his refined palate rather than easy gimmickry, Albrant took a cue from the cheese’s espresso- and lavender-rubbed rind.

Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 65

The bitterness of the coffee juxtaposed with the cheese’s slightly sweet paste triggered a taste-memory of anise-rich sambuca shots, traditionally garnished with espresso beans; which in turn, brought Albrant to Hangar 1 Fennel Vodka with its hint of herbal licorice flavor.

“The fennel vodka can feel a bit challenging for some people,” Albrant notes. “They’re not sure what to do with it. Its often used at craft cocktail bars for Bloody Marys. But I’m particularly proud of this pairing, because it brings out the complexity of the cheese and also helps you appreciate the vodka without any mixers.

BLUE CHEESE AND VODKA And that Honeycomb Vodka? Albrant takes a cue from classic cheeseboard accompaniments and pairs it with mild Danish double créme Castello Double Crème Blue. Mellow spreadable blue and honey? Always a perfect match.

To tease out the flavor notes and distinctive mouthfeels of different vodkas when pairing them with cheese, its ideal to drink them straight, without water or tonic, and while slight chilling is fine, this is not the occasion to pour any celebratory bottles you’ve stored in the freezer. This is not the time for shots, either: Consider small snifters or whiskey glasses and, as at a wine tasting, be sure to draw the aroma of the vodka in through your nostrils before a drop passes your lips.

66 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

FRENCH CHEESES AND VODKA Other pairings featured at recent Hangar 1 tastings have included France’s spectacularly rich Brebis Rousse D’Argental—a ewe’s milk brie with Hangar 1 Rosé Vodka, a pink-tinged blend of mainly spirit and a touch of wine (The rosé is added only after the vodka has been distilled). The apple acidity of the rosé and the vodka’s crisp dryness balance the buttery indulgence of the cheese.

And Lyonnaisse Lingot d’Argental with its bloomy rind and mushroomy forest-floor aroma proves an ideal companion for Hangar 1 Barrel-Aged Petite Sirah Vodka, not a wine blend but the result of casking vodka for three years, which imparts a cinnamon toast note and a golden color that’s utterly surprising in a vodka.

ITALIAN CHEESE AND VODKA

PAIRING CHEESES WITH FLAVORED VODKAS

Albrant lets the cheese be the star when he pairs Parmigiano Reggiano cousin Piave Vecchio with straight vodka. The vodka provides a clean, bracing backdrop that lets surprising tropical fruit notes pop forward from the cheese and provides a satiny textural contrast to the crystal-flecked paste. For a home tasting, consider sampling several different brands of non-flavored vodka such as Hangar 1 Straight Vodka, a Double Gold 2021 New York International Spirits Competition winner, alongside a range of hard Italian cheeses. The clear spirit showcases qualities of these cheeses that traditional red wine pairings would certainly harmonize with, but also pull focus from.

Other vodka and cheese combinations to begin exploring at home include sweet citrus flavored vodkas (lemon, lime, orange) in tandem with young goat cheeses; ginger vodka with lemon zest Wensleydale or white Stilton; and chile flavored vodkas balanced with Queso Blanco, Feta or even a mild Fontina. As a general rule, avoid pairing vodkas with brawny aromatic cheeses (such as Taleggio or Roquefort) which tend to overwhelm them.

That said, craft distillers and cheese makers are nothing if not adventurous in their development of new varieties, so feel free to experiment at turning their singular creations into your own signature combinations.

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Why

It's

Time

to

Stop Hating on

By Alisa Scerrato 68 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

Vodka

According to the Distilled Spirits Council, vodka is the “backbone of the spirits industry” making up about a third of all hard alcohol sold in the United States and globally.

So why do you get the stink eye when ordering it at certain bars?

Vodka

Haters

Some craft cocktail-focused bars don’t even serve vodka, such as gastropub Craft & Commerce in San Diego, having deemed it “a flavorless spirit” that lacks substance. According to Nicole Torres-Cooke, a leading vodka blogger VodkaGirlTX, the spirit has been getting a bad rap for a few years. She attributes its popularity in the 90s to the Sex and the City TV series, when the Cosmopolitan gained renewed attention, and then in 2014 when the Moscow Mule had made a resurgence in bars (although the cocktail originated in the early 1940s).

So, why do some bartenders turn their noses up over vodka? Torres-Cooke said that marketing and celebrityendorsed products, such as P Diddy representing Ciroc might have turned bartenders off. But she also noted the shift to small-batch craft spirits over the past decade or so, when the emphasis shifted toward whiskey. “The reality is that whiskey has a lot more flavor,” says Markus Kypreos, founder of Blackland Distillery in Fort Worth, TX. A chef, lawyer, and certified sommelier, Kypreos got into the spirits business nearly two years ago to distill whiskey, but he now makes five spirits, including vodka.

The Rise Of Craft Vodka Kypreos said he’s proud of the vodka he makes because it’s clean and made with quality ingredients—in this case, Texas wheat. After proper distillation with state-of-the-art equipment, Kypreos cleans the water the vodka’s made with through carbon filters, reverse osmosis, and UV filtration, all of which soften its finish. H. Joseph Ehrmann, professional spirits judge, and proprietor at Elixir bar in San Francisco and Cocktail Ambassadors agree with Kypreos that the quality of the raw ingredients and the cleanliness of the water that vodka is made with play a huge role in aroma, taste, and drinkability.

What

Flavor

Is

Vodka?

Torres-Cooke said she loves the versatility of vodka because it can be enjoyed neat or mixed into a cocktail without having an overpowering taste, and yes, she says, “vodka has taste,” adding “I also love the pureness of the spirit—water and the base ingredient.” And “As the saying goes,” she said, “vodka is just awesome water.”

Ehrmann says when tasting and evaluating vodka in spirits competitions, there’s a level of granularity that takes a lot of focus because there’s not a lot there, but he also agrees that vodka does have a taste. “You are looking for very subtle nuances, and those flavor nuances can be either disrupted by bad distillation or enhanced by good distillation,” said Ehrmann.

Both Kypreos and Ehrmann also believe that since vodka is fairly cheap to make, depending on how you make it, there’s a lot of it being sold out there in bars and liquor stores, and a lot of it is sub-par, and often undrinkable.

To prove the point, when Kypreos first launched vodka at his distillery, to educate his staff, he brought in bottles of some of the worst vodka out there as an example of what vodka should NOT taste like, and then he had them sip the vodka they’d be serving as a comparison—a stark difference in quality, texture, and taste.

Good Versus Bad Vodka When it comes to poor quality vodka, that bitter taste and sting going down, and the hangover that follows comes from cheap ingredients and what Ehrmann refers to as “quick-and-dirty distillation.” Low-end vodkas are usually made with sugar, mass-produced, and sold in bulk. You’ll find them in huge plastic jugs at the liquor store, or in a dive bar’s well.

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The price of vodka goes up not only with better distillation but with better ingredients. For example, vodkas made from corn are cheaper and have less depth than ones made with heirloom varietal grains. But it’s not to say all corn vodkas are bad. They’re not. When it comes to flavor and texture a premium vodka made from potatoes tends to have a good mouthfeel and creaminess to it, while wheat and other high-end grain vodkas are velvety and have hints of freshly baked bread. Vodka made from corn may be less flavorful since it’s a cheaper material, but some taste pretty good and contain a slight sweetness. Vodka made from grapes can also be subtly sweet and have a little more character than ones made from corn.

Vodka

Cocktails

As far as mixing cocktails, vodka’s neutrality lends itself to a wide array of possibilities, but it can still stand standalone as a good sipper, as long as it’s served cold. Vodka should always be served ice cold. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. In an interview with Assistant Professor of Distilled Spirits at Oregon State University Paul Hughes, he said not only does temperature matter, but freezing vodka adds to its viscosity. He and vodka aficionados recommend serving it on ice or shaken or stirred and strained in a chilled glass with lemon zest or olives to enhance its flavor, depending on whether you’re going for that citrus or umami hint.

Vodka’s

Future

Will vodka continue to dominate the market? Will there be a move toward less distillation in hopes of yielding more flavor? Will there be a focus on higher quality ingredients and less sugar and artificial ingredients? According to The Spirits Business sales shave been flat but value sales have risen and vodka is poised for a resurgence. Kypreos said he thinks there are trends towards less distillation, but when distillers don’t filter their vodkas to try to get some sort of character or taste, they stray too far, and that’s not vodka. “Just call it something else,” he said, since “the inherent nature of vodka is cleanliness and purity.”

The only flavor or character of the vodka should come from is the base grain used from distillation, and the cleanliness of the water it’s made with. So ultimately, if you order a vodka that’s made with pure, quality ingredients, you are drinking a spirit that’s just as worthy as any other.

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Expert Recommended Vodkas

Square One Organic Vodka:

Ehrmann chose Square One as “an excellent sipping vodka” although he said he likes to mix it in cocktails, too. The mission behind this female-owned boutique organic spirits brand, founded by Allison Evanow, was to create innovative organic spirits with an eco-conscious mindset. The vodka is made with organic American-grown rye and pure, freshwater from the watershed of the Teton Mountains. As a standalone, it has black pepper, lemon oil and baking spices in the nose, with black pepper, warm cinnamon, toasted bread, and wet slate minerality on the palate.

Belvedere’s Single Estate Rye Vodka Lake Bartezek:

All of our experts recommended Belvedere’s original brand, which was launched in the early 90s as a premium vodka to sip on. A few years ago, Belvedere launched two single estate rye vodkas that are garnering a lot of attention in the spirits world. Made from rye in Poland’s Masurian Lake District, the influence of the soil, climate, and typography and climate shines through in this vodka, yielding a crisp, light scent and taste. When it first hits the palate, you get a vegetal hint that morphs into white pepper, ginger, and lemon zest. It’s a complex vodka that’s good as straight sipper. 2020 Gold NY International Spirits Competition

Ketel One:

Netherlands-based vodka Ketel One has held a solid reputation for years (in business for over three centuries) for their reasonably priced, quality vodka. More recently, the company has become quite popular for their infusions, which contain no artificial flavors or sweeteners. (But don’t call it flavored vodka; it’s “botanical.”)

Made from winter wheat grown in Europe, its blended with water to create mash before going through a column distillation process. The result is a silky mouthfeel and a subtle citrus aroma on the nose that leads to a smooth sweet taste with hint of spice on the finish.

Zyr:

Russian vodka Zyr, or “zeer,” means “reflection of the world.” It’s made from a blend of winter wheat and rye and made from non-GMO ingredients. Its texture is smooth and creamy, and it tastes like black bread out-of-the-oven with just a hint of sweetness. It’s award-winning and Boston bartending legend and musician Brother Cleve’s favorite Russian vodka.

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There’s a misconception out there that most vodka is made from potatoes, says Ehrmann, but it’s simply not true. Most vodkas are made from grains and other ingredients. That said, Chopin Potato Vodka is often lauded as one of the top potato brands in the industry (Chopin also makes a rye, a wheat, and family reserve). It’s Ehrmann’s choice, as far as potato vodka goes. A naturally gluten-free vodka, it’s creamy, earthy, and fullbodied flavor play off of hints of apple and vanilla. It works well as a standalone on ice, or in a celery spritzer.

Hanson Organic Vodka:

Hanson artisanal vodka is made in Northern California’s wine country, so you guessed it, it’s distilled from organic grapes.

Made with fresh, local ingredients, this vodka is refreshing and light-bodied with subtle, fruity aroma that resembles lychee.

This family-run distillery also makes over a half-a-dozen infused vodkas, ranging from cucumber to habanero (serious Bloody Mary material there), but the original is its flagship flavor and the base for all their vodkas. And, in the spirit of wine country, each bottle is numbered with a batch and bottle number so each one is traceable.

Tito’s:

The brand which markets itself as “America’s original craft vodka” is highly respected among consumers and spirts experts alike. It’s distilled six times and made in old-fashioned pot stills, so you end up with a smoothness that stands up to more expensive brands. Since it’s made from corn and reasonably no-frills branding (Tito created the simple label himself in 1994), it has an appealing price point but no sacrifice to quality, since it contains a clean, sweet corn taste. Torres-Cooke said when she started writing about vodka in 2014, it was a way to spread the vodka love and help promote Texas brands. She said she feels that Tito’s paved the road for all Texas brands by introducing the first vodka distillery in Texas.

Grey Goose:

Grey Goose is a controversial vodka brand, either you love it or hate it. Even our experts gave us mixed reviews. Hughes agrees with Torres-Cooke that brand image of the vodka industry has changed the attitude of vodka over the years, and he attributes Grey Goose to that shift. The brand was first created in 1997 by American businessman and philanthropist, Sidney E. Frank, as a fancy, French vodka all wrapped up in a sleek, frosted bottle. It’s made from grain and was a favorite by many in the late 90s, early 2000s. Today, it’s some people’s goto vodka, while others swear it has gone downhill since it was acquired by Bacardi in 2004. But the brand is still marketed by celebs to uphold its glam appeal. It’s a crystal clear, clean vodka, and for the price, around $30 for a 750ml, some find it worth it while others opt for more affordable brands that compare in taste. Torres-Cooke said she prefers the brand’s Grey Goose Ducasse because it “feels a bit elegant” and has a nuttiness to it.

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2020 Double Gold NY International Spirits Competition

Chopin Vodka:

12th Annual New York International Spirits Competition BRONZE AGAVE/TEQUILA CIERTO SPIRITS INC. PRIVATE COLLECTION -REPOSADO CIERTO SPIRITS INC. RESERVE COLLECTION - BLANCO CORRALEJO REPOSADO CORRALEJO SILVER DESTILADOS DE LUCA COCUY 100% AGAVE MAGNO SILVER EASTSIDE DISTILLING AZUÑIA AÑEJO GRAN CENTENARIO® REPOSADO IZO TEQUILA EXTRA ANEJO CRISTALINO JOSE CUERVO® RESERVA DE LA FAMILIA® PLATINO LOBOS 1707 TEQUILA JOVEN LOS MAGOS BLANCO PREMIUM MEZCAL HACIENDA D LOS LEONES CUPREATA MONTELOBOS PECHUGA PENTA TEQUILA REPOSADO TEQUILA CABRESTO EXTRA ANEJO TEQUILA CABRESTO REPOSADO TEQUILA CABRESTO SILVER TEQUILA DON RAMóN PUNTA DIAMANTE SILVER ZUNTE GOLD BRANDY BEEHIVE VSOP CLEAR WATER DISTILLING CO JOSEPHINE E&J DISTILLERS VSOP FASSBIND LES EAUX-DE-VIE RIGI KIRSCH (CHERRY) HRVATSKA STARA SLJIVOVICA ÖÖMRANG RASPBERRY BRANDY CACHAÇA CACHAÇA GERMANA SOUL CACHACA PITU GOLD CACHACA PITU SILVER COGNAC DE LUZE VS GIN 135 EAST GIN AMASS DRY GIN BIG GIN DISTILLERY BIG GIN BLIND TIGER IMPERIAL SECRETS BOTANY LONDON DRY GIN DEACON GILES DISTILLERY JUNIPER POINT DRY GIN DEVIL'S KEEP BARREL-AGED GIN DISTILLERIE DE QUEBEC TRAIT-CARRE 1665 DISTILLERIE FILS DU ROY (QC) INC. THUYA VIEILLI DISTILLERIE STADACONÉ NOIR DISTILLERY KRAUSS ORGANIC LONDON DRY GIN EIFEL-DESTILLERIE P.J. SCHÜTZ PJFINEST DRY GIN END OF DAYS PORT OF ENTRY GIN G+ TANGERINE EDITION GIN GOLETA RED DISTILLING COMPANY GOODLAND GIN HIGHCLERE CASTLE GIN J.A. BACZEWSKI MONOPOLOWA DRY GIN

JARDIN VERDE GIN LIBERTI GROUPS PHD LISTOKE 1777 GIN LUCKY SIGN SPIRITS GIN RESTED IN BOURBON BARRELS MILK STREET DISTILLERY BLIND BETTIE GIN MODERN LOVE RESERVE GIN NEW HARBOUR SPEKBOOM GIN OGIN - LONDON DRY GIN" PUMPGIN PRINCESSE VAMPIRE SCOTTISH KINGS STILL FIRED DISTILLERIES FUNDY GIN TOKKI SOJU SONBI GIN WILD ROOTS LONDON DRY GIN LIQUEURS AND RTD OTHERS 503 DISTILLING MT HOOD OLD FASHIONED ALTD SPIRITS GOLDEN EMPEROR ANCHO REYES CHILE ANCHO LIQUEUR ANCHO REYES VERDE CHILE POBLANO LIQUEUR BADEL PELINKOVAC GORKI BANKS BOTANICALS - HERBARIUM BARBOX BLUEBERRY VODKA SOUR BRODY'S CRAFT COCKTAILS TOUCH OF GREY CAMPARI AMERICA GRAND MARNIER CORDON ROUGE CANBEE COCKTAILS BEE'S KNEES CR - CARRANCA REDONDO CUTWATER SPIRITS GIN & TONIC CUTWATER SPIRITS PEACH MARGARITA CUTWATER SPIRITS VODKA SODA LIME DOMENIS1898 TRITTICO 1898 VERMUT ROSE E. & J. GALLO WINERY LO-FI APERITIFS DRY VERMOUTH E. & J. GALLO WINERY LO-FI. APERTIFS SWEET VERMOUTH FAST PENNY SPIRITS AMARICANO BIANCA GOLDEN BEAVER DISTILLERY BEAVER LIKKER MOONSHINE HEAVEN HILL BRANDS CAROLANS HEIMAT NEW YORK NECTARINE LIQUEUR JUMPING GOAT INFUSED VODKA LIQUEUR LA FÉE PARISIENNE LEE SPIRITS COMPANY LAVENDER LEMONADE LONG DRINK STRONG LYRE'S SPIRIT CO. COFFEE ORIGINALE LYRE'S SPIRIT CO. WHITE CANE SPIRIT O'DWYER DISTILLERY PUDDINGSTONE O'DWYER DISTILLERY ST. PIERRE SIX & TWENTY CAROLINA CREAM WHISPER GALLERY VOLLEY ZESTY LIME MIXERS: NON-CARBONATED DELUXE DISTILLERY SUPASAWA RUM BACARDÍ AÑEJO CUATRO RUM BACARDÍ RESERVA OCHO RUM CARTA VIEJA 1668 RUM SOLERA DOUBLE CASK COPALLI WHITE RUM COPPER CANNON HAND-CRAFTED AGED RUM COPPER CANNON HAND CRAFTED MAPLE RUM

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12th Annual New York International Spirits Competition BRONZE (CONTINUED) WHISKEY (CONTINUED) CORUBA DARK DEACON GILES DISTILLERY SOLERA COSTERA AMBER RUM OAK & PALM COCONUT RUM OLD ST. PETE RIGHTEOUS RUM OWNEY'S RUM RHUM BARBANCOURT, 5 STAR, 8 YEARS RHUM NORDIQUE RON COLON SALVADORENO DARK AGED 111 PROOF RUM STEAMBOAT WHISKEY CO SKI TOWN TIKI RUM TANDUAY ASIAN RUM SILVER TEN TO ONE RUM CARIBBEAN WHITE RUM TWELVE 33 DISTILLERY ARETHUSA SINGLE BARREL RUM VODKA BANYAN VODKA BELVEDERE ORGANIC INFUSIONS BLACKBERRY & LEMONGRASS BENTLY HERITAGE ESTATE DISTILLERY SOURCE ONE SINGLE ESTATE VODKA, RESTED IN OAK SHERRY CASKS CASTLE & KEY SACRED SPRING DEEP EDDY VODKA EASTSIDE DISTILLING PORTLAND POTATO VODKA FIFTH STATE DISTILLERY GINGER ZAP VODKA GEORGIAN BAY VODKA HANGAR 1 MANDARIN BLOSSOM HARTMAN'S DISTILLING CO. LOGANBERRY FLAVORED VODKA HIGHWAY VODKA HOOD RIVER DISTILLERS TIMBERLINE VODKA KHOR ICE LITCHFIELD DISTILLERY VODKA MONEYBAG VODKA NERO DRINKS COMPANY LIMITED PREMIUM VODKA NEW AMSTERDAM VODKA PURSUIT DISTILLING CO. SUPERIOR VODKA REBRU VODKA SMOKE LAB CLASSIC VODKA WHISKEY ASBURY PARK DISTILLING SMALL BATCH BOURBON ADVENTUROUS STILLS LOST DUTCHMAN RYE ANCNOC 12 YEAR OLD BARRELL BOURBON BATCH 026 BARRELL BOURBON BATCH 028 BENDT NO. 5 BRICKWAY RYE WHISKY BRICKWAY DOUBLE BARREL BOURBON CANADIAN CLUB APPLE CEDAR RIDGE THE QUINTESSENTIAL COMPASS BOX WHISKY GLASGOW BLEND COOPERSTOWN DISTILLERY SELECT STRAIGHT BOURBON

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DANCING GOAT DISTILLERY LIMOUSIN RYE WHISKEY LAMAS DESTILARIA - NIMBUS EASTERN KILLE DISTILLERY BARREL STRENGTH STRAIGHT BOURBON EAU CLAIRE DISTILLERY RUPERT'S EXCEPTIONAL CANADIAN WHISKY EIGHT OAKS FARM DISTILLERY RYE WHISKEY FIRST EDITION CANADIAN WHISKEY GLEN BRETON RARE 14 YEAR GLEN BRETON RARE 19 YEAR GRAFTED HIGH PEAKS DISTILLING LLC NIGHT SPIRIT HOCKING HILLS BOURBON HUDSON WHISKEY SHORT STACK INIS TINE UISCE TEORANTA PROCLAMATION BLENDED IRISH WHISKEY J.A. BACZEWSKI WHISKY JEPPSON'S BOURBON JIM BEAM WHITE LAGAVULIN 8 YEAR OLD ISLAY SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY LITCHFIELD DISTILLERY STRAIGHT BOURBON LIVE FREE DISTILLERY BACKCREEK BOURBON WHISKEY MUSCAT BARREL SINGLE MALT WHISKY OLD LINE SPIRITS AMERICAN SINGLE MALT WHISKEY CASK STRENGTH PURSUIT DISTILLING CO. SUSPECT PINEAPPLE JALAPENO FLAVORED WHISKEY RADICO KHAITAN RAMPUR DOUBLE CASK RESTLESS SPIRITS DISTILLING COMPANY STONE BREAKER CINNAMON FLAVORED WHISKEY SPEYBURN BRADAN ORACH ST KILIAN SIGNATURE EDITION FOUR STAUNING WHISKY SMOKE STEAMBOAT WHISKEY CO ORANGE WHISKEYCELLO STRANAHAN'S 10 YEAR OLD MOUNTAIN ANGEL STRANAHAN'S BLUE PEAK SUGARLANDS SHINE BRISTOL CORN WHISKEY TAYLOR GARRETT CANTEEN IMPERIAL MALT TAYLOR GARRETT WHISKEY THE BUSKER SINGLE GRAIN THE TIDES RUM THREE CROSSES AMERICAN WHISKEY TINCUP ORIGINAL‘ TX BOTTLED IN BOND SINGLE BARREL TEXAS STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY VAPOR DISTILLERY BOULDER SPIRITS BOTTLED IN BOND BOURBON WILD TURKEY BOURBON XAVIER

INDIVIDUAL U.S RYE BRAND OF THE YEAR REDEMPTION RYE FINISHED BOURBON OF THE YEAR HEAVEN’S DOOR BOOTLEG SERIES VOL II MOONSHINE BRAND OF THE YEAR OLE SMOKY DISTILLERY USA NON-ALCOHOL BRAND OF THE YEAR LYRE’S SPIRIT ARMAGNAC DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR CHATEAU ARTON ALABAMA ALABAMA VODKA DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR GHOST TRAIN BREWING COMPANY ARIZONA ARIZONA RYE DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR ADVENTUROUS STILLS CALIFORNIA CALIFORNIA DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR CUTWATER SPIRITS CALIFORNIA GIN DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR THE PALM SPRINGS SPIRITS CO. CALIFORNIA FLAVORED VODKA DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR HANGER 1 CALIFORNIA MOONSHINE DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR GOLDEN BEAVER DISTILLERY CALIFORNIA WHISKEY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR SHELTER DISTILLING CALIFORNIA BARREL AGED GIN DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR GRIFFO DISTILLERY COLORADO COLORADO AMERICAN SINGLE MALT DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR STRANAHAN’S COLORADO AMERICAN BLENDED WHISKEY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR BRECKENRIDGE DISTILLERY COLORADO GIN DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR AXE AND THE OAK DISTILLERY COLORADO RTD PRODUCER OF THE YEAR LEE SPIRITS COLORADO SMALL BATCH BOURBON DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR LAWS WHISKEY COLORADO UNAGED WHISKEY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR 10TH MOUNTAIN WHISKEY & SPIRIT CO. COLORADO VODKA DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR STEAMBOAT WHISKEY COLORADO RYE DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR DISTILLERY 291 CONNECTICUT CONNECTICUT WHISKEY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR LITCHFIELD DISTILLERY CONNECTICUT GIN DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR

FIFTH STATE DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR FLORIDA FLORIDA DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR ST PETERSBURG DISTILLERY FLORIDA RTD DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR KOZUBA & SONS DISTILLERY GEORGIA GEORGIA VODKA OF THE YEAR 229 VODKA INDIANA INDIANA RTD PRODUCER OF THE YEAR BLUE MARBLE COCKTAIL SCREWDRIVER RTD OF THE YEAR BLUE MARBLE COCKTAILS SCREWDRIVER INDIANA WHISKEY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR MGP ILLINOIS ILLINOIS WHISKEY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR MAPLEWOOD BREWERY & DISTILLERY ILLINOIS VODKA DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR CH DISTILLERY IOWA IOWA SINGLE MALT DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR CEDAR RIDGE IOWA WHISKEY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR TEMPLETON KENTUCKY KENTUCKY FLAVORED BOURBON PRODUCER OF THE YEAR BIRD DOG WHISKEY KENTUCKY GIN DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR CASTLE & KEY DISTILLERY KENTUCKY RYE OF THE YEAR BASIL HAYDEN DARK RYE KENTUCKY STRAIGHT BOURBON OF THE YEAR ELIJAH CRAIG USA INDEPENDENT BOTTLER OF THE YEAR BARRELL CRAFT SPIRITS MAINE MAINE DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR WIGGLY BRIDGE DISTILLERY MARYLAND MARYLAND RYE DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR THE BALTIMORE WHISKEY COMPANY MARYLAND SINGLE MALT DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR OLD LINE SPIRITS MARYLAND VODKA OF THE YEAR DOUBLE DOWN DISTILLING MASSACHUSETTS MASSACHUSETTS DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR SOUTH HOLLOW SPIRITS MASSACHUSETTS GIN DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR DEACON GILES DISTILLERY

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MICHIGAN MICHIGAN GIN DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR JOS A. MAGNUS & CO MICHIGAN BOURBON DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR NEW HOLLAND BREWING MICHIGAN RYE DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR EASTERN KILLE DISTILLERY MISSOURI MISSOURI WHISKEY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR RESTLESS SPIRITS DISTILLING COMPANY MONTANA MONTANA WHISKEY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR HEADFRAME SPIRITS NEBRASKA NEBRASKA DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR BRICKWAY BREWERY & DISTILLERY NEVADA NEVADA DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR BENTLY HERITAGE ESTATE DISTILLERY NEW HAMPSHIRE NEW HAMPSHIRE GIN DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR CATHEDRAL LEDGE DISTILLERY NEW HAMPSHIRE RUM DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR COPPER CANNON DISTILLERY NEW HAMPSHIRE WHISKEY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR LIVE FREE DISTILLERY NEW JERSEY APPLE BRANDY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR LAIRD & CO NEW JERSEY GIN DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR ASBURY PARK DISTILLING NEW MEXICO NEW MEXICO DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR VARA WINERY & DISTILLERY NEW YORK BUFFALO DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR HARTMAN’S DISTILLING CO. NEW YORK BLENDED WHISKEY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR COOPERSTOWN DISTILLERY NEW YORK FRUIT LIQUEUR PRODUCER OF THE YEAR HEIMAT NEW YORK NEW YORK GLUTEN & SUGAR FREE VODKA OF THE YEAR AIR COMPANY AIR VODKA NEW YORK RYE DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR HUDSON WHISKEY ROCHESTER WHISKEY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR BLACK BUTTON DISTILLING

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NEW YORK SINGLE MALT DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR HIGH PEAKS DISTILLING NORTH CAROLINA NORTH CAROLINA DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR NEXT CENTURY SPIRITS NORTH CAROLINA RUM DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR END OF DAYS NORTH CAROLINA WHISKEY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR LONERIDER SPIRITS OREGON OREGON DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR EASTSIDE DISTILLING OREGON RTD DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR 503 DISTILLING OREGON RYE DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR WILD ROOTS SPIRITS OREGON SINGLE MALT DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR HOOD RIVER DISTILLERS OREGON VODKA DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR GATSBY SPIRITS PENNSYLVANIA PENNSYLVANIA COFFEE LIQUEUR DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR CONNEAUT CELLARS DISTILLERY PENNSYLVANIA GIN DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR LUCKY SIGN SPIRITS PENNSYLVANIA GLUTEN FREE VODKA OF THE YEAR AISHAN VODKA PENNSYLVANIA BOURBON DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR EIGHT OAKS FARM DISTILLERY SOUTH CAROLINA SOUTH CAROLINA DISTILLER OF THE YEAR TWELVE 33 DISTILLERY SOUTH CAROLINA LIQUEUR DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR SIX & TWENTY DISTILLERY TENNESSEE TENNESSEE BLENDED WHISKEY PRODUCER OF THE YEAR BUFFALO CHIP SPIRITS TENNESSEE BOURBON DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR SWEETENS COVE SPIRITS TENNESSEE GIN DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR NELSON GREEN BRIER DISTILLERY TENNESSEE RYE DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR SUGARLANDS DISTILLING CO TENNESSEE WHISKEY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR UNCLE NEAREST PREMIUM WHISKEY TEXAS TEXAS BLENDED WHISKEY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR TX WHISKEY TEXAS RTD DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR BENDT DISTILLING

TEXAS RYE DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR BELFOUR SPIRITS TEXAS SMALL BATCH BOURBON DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR GARRISON BROTHERS TEXAS SINGLE MALT DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR BALCONES DISTILLERY TEXAS STRAIGHT BOURBON DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR TX WHISKEY TEXAS VODKA DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR TEXAS TAIL DISTILLERY

AUSTRALIA SINGLE MALT DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR COPPER AND GRAIN DISTILLING CO YARRA VALLEY ALCOHOL FREE PRODUCER OF THE YEAR BOTANICAL BEVERAGES

UTAH UTAH BOURBON DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR HIGH WEST WHISKEY UTAH BRANDY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR CLEAR WATER DISTILLING UTAH RYE DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR DENTED BRICK DISTILLERY

BELIZE BELIZE RUM OF THE YEAR COPALLI

VERMONT VERMONT DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR BARR HILL VERMONT BOURBON DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR MAD RIVER DISTILLERS VIRGINIA VIRGINIA BLENDED WHISKEY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR THREE CROSSES DISTILLING VIRGINIA BOURBON DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR FILIBUSTER BARRELS VIRGINIA GIN DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR OLD HOUSE VINEYARDS WASHINGTON STATE WASHINGTON STATE DISTILLER OF THE YEAR DISTILLERS WAY WASHINGTON STATE AMERICAN SINGLE MALT DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR WESTLAND DISTILLERY WASHINGTON STATE EAU-DE-VIE DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR OOMRANG WASHINGTON STATE FLAVORED WHISKEY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR PURSUIT DISTILLING WASHINGTON STATE LIQUEUR DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR FAST PENNY SPIRITS WISCONSIN WISCONSIN DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR DANCING GOAT DISTILLERY WISCONSIN VODKA OF THE YEAR LEAP PREMIUM VODKA

INDIVIDUAL INTERNATIONAL ARGENTINA ARGENTINA GIN OF THE YEAR COVENT GIN AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA ALCOHOL FREE PRODUCER OF THE YEAR ALTD SPIRITS AUSTRALIA GINGER BEER OF THE YEAR BUNDABERG GINGER BEER

AUSTRIA AUSTRIA VODKA OF THE YEAR J.A. BACZWESKI VODKA MONOPOLOWA AUSTRIA DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR DISTILLERY KRAUSS

BELGIUM BELGIUM DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR DELUXE DISTILLERY BELGIUM GIN OF HE YEAR PUMPGIN BELGIUM NON ALCOHOL DISTILLERY THE YEAR NIETS DISTILLERY BRAZIL AGED CACHACA DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR CACHACA GERMANA BRAZIL GIN PRODUCER OF THE YEAR BOTANY DISTILLERY BRAZIL VODKA OF THE YEAR VO VODKA BRAZIL WHISKEY OF THE YEAR LAMAS DESTILARIA UNAGED CACHACA DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR CACHACA PITU CANADA CANADA BLENDED WHISKEY OF THE YEAR CANADIAN CLUB CANADA GIN DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR NOROI DISTILLERY CANADA FLAVORED BOURBON OF THE YEAR SAP56 CANADA SINGLE MALT WHISKEY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR GLENORA DISTILLERS CANADIAN WHISKEY OF THE YEAR 15+ YEARS HERITAGE COLLECTION CANADIAN WHISKEY NEW BRUNSWICK DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR DEVIL’S KEEP DISTILLERY NOVA SCOTIA DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR STILL FIRED DISTILLERIES QUEBEC GIN DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR O’DWYER DISTILLERY QUEBEC RUM DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR DISTILLERIE DE QUEBEC CROATIA CROATIA LIQUEUR DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR BADEL 1862 DENMARK DENMARK WHISKEY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR BRAUNSTEIN DISTILLERY

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC DOMINCIAN REPUBLIC RUM DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR BRUGAL EL SALVADOR EL SALVADOR RUM DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR RON COLON SALVADORENO ENGLAND ENGLAND GIN DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR YORK GIN FINLAND FINLAND VODKA OF THE YEAR KOSKENKORVA VODKA FRANCE FRANCE ABSINTHE OF THE YEAR ABSENTE ABSINTH REFINED FRANCE BRANDY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR BARDINET COGNAC VS OF THE THE YEAR COURVOISIER VS COGNAC OF THE YEAR COGNAC VSOP OF THE YEAR BISQUIT & DUBOUCHE V.S.O.P. COGNAC XO OF THE YEAR D’USSE XO FRANCE GINGER LIQUEUR OF THE YEAR FAIR GINGER LIQUEUR FRANCE WHISKEY OF THE YEAR BELLEVOYE BLANC GERMANY GERMANY GIN DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR EIFEL-DESTILLERIE P.J. SCHUTZ GERMANY WHISKEY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR ST KILIAN GUATEMALA GUATEMALA RUM OF THE YEAR COCONUT CARTEL HAITI HAITI RUM DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR RHUM BARBANCOURT INDIA INDIA GIN DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR RADICO KHAITAN INDIA WHISKEY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR PAUL JOHN INDIA VODKA DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR NV GROUP DISTILLERIES & BREWERIES INTERNATIONAL BLENDED WHISKEY OF THE YEAR OAKSMITH INTERNATIONAL BLENDED WHISKEY

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IRELAND BLENDED IRISH WHISKEY OF THE YEAR BUSHMILLS IRELAND GIN DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR GLENDALOUGH DISTILLERY SINGLE MALT IRISH WHISKEY OF THE YEAR BUSKERS IRISH WHISKEY ITALY ITALY APERTIF OF THE YEAR ITALICUS ITALY GIN OF THE YEAR PHD ITALY CREAM LIQUEUR OF THE YEAR DISARONNO VELVET ITALY LIQUEUR OF THE YEAR CYNAR ITALY FRUIT LIQUEUR DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR DOMENIS 1898 ITALY COFFEE LIQUEUR OF THE YEAR TIA MARIA COFFEE LIQUEUR ITALY VERMOUTH PRODUCER OF THE YEAR BOISSIERE JAPAN JAPAN GIN OF THE YEAR ROKU GIN JAPAN WHISKEY OF THE YEAR HIBIKI JAPANESE HARMONY JAPAN VODKA OF THE YEAR HAKU VODKA JAPAN RTD PRODUCER OF THE YEAR SUNTORY KENYA KENYA GIN OF THE YEAR PROCERA GIN MEXICO ANEJO TEQUILA DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR TEQUILA DON RAMON BACANORA DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR IZO SPIRITS CRISTALINO ANEJO DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR 1800 EXTRA ANEJO DISTILLER OF THE YEAR MAESTRO DOBEL MEXICO CORN WHISKEY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR ABASOLO ANCESTRAL CORN WHISKEY MEXICO GIN OF THE YEAR FRESCO 77 GIN MEXICO RAICILLA DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR TRES GALLOS RAICILLA MEXICO SOTOL OF THE YEAR IZO SOTOL TEQUILA DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR CIERTO TEQUILA

NETHERLANDS NETHERLANDS GIN OF THE YEAR NO. 3 LONDON DRY GIN NETHERLANDS LIQUEUR DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR ENGELSTAD SPIRITS NETHERLANDS VODKA OF THE YEAR DUTCHCRAFT VODKA NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND LIQUEUR DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR JUMPING GOAT PANAMA PANAMA RUM OF THE YEAR CARTA VIEJA PERU PISCO QUEBRANTA OF THE YEAR SUYO PISCO NO. 1 PISCO MOSTO VERDE ITALIA OF THE YEAR RESERVA DEL ABAD MOSTO VERDE ITALIA PHILIPPINES PHILIPPINES RUM DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR TANDUAY POLAND POLAND VODKA OF THE YEAR BELVEDERE PORTUGAL PORTUGAL LIQUEUR DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR AMARGUINHA SCOTLAND 10 YEAR SINGLE MALT HIGHLANDS DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR TALISKER 10 YEAR SINGLE MALT SPEYSIDE DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR SPEYBURN 10 YEAR ISLAY SINGLE MALT OF THE YEAR ARDBEG 10 YEAR 12 YEAR SINGLE MALT SCOTCH OF THE YEAR GLENTURRET 12 YEAR OLD 2020 MAIDEN RELEASE 14 YEAR SINGLE MALT DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR OBAN DISTILLERY 15 YEAR SINGLE MALT DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR THE SINGLETON OF GLENDULLAN 15 YEAR OL 15 YEAR SPEYSIDE SINGLE MALT DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR THE GLENALLACHIE 16 YEAR SINGLE MALT WHISKEY OF THE YEAR ABERLOUR 16 YEAR SINGLE MALT 18 YEAR SINGLE MALT WHISKEY OF THE YEAR GLENMORANGIE 18 YEAR 20 YEAR SINGLE MALT WHISKEY OF THE YEAR MORTLACH 20 YEAR 25 YEAR BLENDED SCOTCH OF THE YEAR INSURRECTION SINGLE GRAIN SCOTCH ISLAY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR ARDBEG ISLAY 16 YEAR OF THE YEAR LAGAVULIN 16 YEAR LOWLAND DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR GLENKINCHIE SPEYSIDE CASK FINISH DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR

GLEN MORAY SCOTLAND RTD OF THE YEAR TANQUERAY GIN COCKTAILS SLOVAKIA SLOVAKIA VODKA OF THE YEAR DOUBLE CROSS VODKA SOUTH KOREA SOUTH KOREA DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR TOKKI SOJU SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH AFRICA DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR NEW HARBOUR DISTILLERY SPAIN SPAIN LIQUEUR OF THE YEAR BASBAS SHERRY PRODUCER OF THE YEAR BODEGAS WILLIAMS & HUMBERT SWEDEN SWEDEN DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR SPIRIT OF HVEN SWITZERLAND SWITZERLAND LIQUEUR DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR S FASSBIND TAIWAN TAIWAN WHISKEY OF THE YEAR RED BEAR WHISKEY TRINIDAD & TOBAGO TRINIDAD & TOBAGO RUM OF THE YEAR ZAYA RUM VENEZUELA VENEZUELA DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR DESTILADOS DE LUCA UKRAINE UKRAINE VODKA OF THE YEAR KROL UNITED KINGDOM NON ALCOHOL MIXER OF THE YEAR FEVER TREE ISLE OF JERSEY DISTILLERY OF THE YEAR ROYAL MASH

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The

Ultimate

Holiday

Gift Guide This holiday season, The Professor has got you covered! Discover the perfect presents for all the whiskey, spirits, and cheese (yes, cheese!) lovers in your life.

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Whiskey Lovers

Gift Guide 2021

By Maggie Kimberl

W

hiskey lovers can be a difficult bunch to shop for. But whether you are looking for a bottle, a book, a cocktail kit subscription, or a funky pair of socks, there’s something on this list for everyone.

release is the first whiskey ever distilled by this distillery!

• Company Distilling - Much like the Traveling Wilburys, this supergroup of a whiskey company has just released its first ever sourced product, a maple-finished Bourbon.

Jeff Arnett and Kevin Brent Smith, both formerly of Jack Daniels, are working together with Founder Corey Clayton to launch this new Tennessee distillery in Townsend, Tennessee.

One caution though: unless a whiskey lover in your life specifically asks you to purchase whiskey stones, don’t do it. The ones actually made of stone can hold bad flavors (the stone itself is pretty porous), and while there is a metal alternative, it’s generally accepted as not a great idea to put something that can chip your teeth into a glass you are drinking out of.

• Knob Creek 15 Year Old Bourbon - Knob Creek is always a favorite among Bourbon geeks, but it’s not often the 15 year old release comes around.

Bottles Lots of brands offer holiday packs with extra goodies for no additional cost, making them great for giftgiving! Visit your local watering hole to see what’s available, and if you’re taking it to a holiday party, check out the eggnog options, too.

Uncle Nearest is offering gift packs with cut crystal rocks glasses this year, and as short as the supply is right now if you see it, grab it!

Other ideas for bottles for the American whiskey lover in your life include store picks, which are a great way to try something that isn’t available to everyone everywhere. Outside of that, here are a few options that will delight the whiskey geek in your life: • Lost Lantern - Lost Lantern has built a brand around being able to purchase barrels from little-known distilleries and sell them on the broader whiskey market, and in this case this

spirits industry through the STEPUP initiative.

• Uncle Nearest - This highlyawarded brand is experiencing some supply issues, but they have put together an amazing gift pack for this year’s holiday season! (1856 took home Gold at the 2021 NYISC!) • Westward 2021 Benefit Barrel - Last year Westward raised $20k for charities like Black Mamas Matter, and this year they are raising money to address homelessness in their community with a portion of the sales from this bottle. It’s a great way to support a great cause, and the whiskey from last year’s batch was phenomenal!

• Good Deeds malt Whiskey - Available only through Seelbach’s online, this bottle represents a group effort from more than ten distilleries and brands to raise money to increase diversity in the distilled

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• Michter’s 20 Year Bourbon - The 10 year old version of Michter’s is a very limited release and doesn’t even come out each year, so you know the supplies of this special 20 year release are going to be limited and tasty!

• Angel’s Envy Cask Strength - Available this year on December 1st, this limited release finished in port wine barrels has a cult following and it’s available on Drizly in all 50 states.

• Redemption Cognac Finish - Redemption is a brand that started openly as a non-distilling producer and has remained that way, giving the brand the flexibility to experiment on a small scale.

This bottle is the latest release from this award-winning brand.

• Stellum Rye - This 2021 New York International Spirits Competition Double Gold Winner has taken the whiskey world by storm!

• Elijah Craig Small Batch You really can’t go wrong with this one and it’s also likely to be available just about anywhere you shop! (2021 Double Gold, NYISC) (Kosher) • Bourbon Rabbi Bourbon - This is a fantastic bottle of Bourbon whether you keep Kosher or not, though currently it’s likely only to be found in Kentucky. (Kosher) • Other Kosher Options: Laws Four Grain Straight Bourbon, Koval Bourbon, Jim Beam Black, Evan Williams (Gold, 2021 NYISC), or Maker’s Mark (standard or 46).

Mixers & Cocktail Stuff If you have a cocktail enthusiast in your life, cocktail ingredients

and even simple mixers make a great gift. Many companies, like Bourbon Barrel Foods and Make & Muddle offer syrups to make more complicated cocktails easy to replicate at home. Home cocktail kits make enjoying a complicated cocktail at home easy. But even some really nice ginger beer can ignite a creative passion in the home mixologist.

• Bourbon Barrel Foods - From Old Fashioned syrup to bitters and cocktail cherries, Bourbon Barrel Foods makes cocktail mixers and accoutrements for several major brands including Woodford Reserve and Old Forester. The Woodford Reserve Spiced Cherry Bitters are a favorite!

• Perfectly Cordial Curated Box of the Month - If someone on your list has plenty of whiskey but needs some new cocktail ideas, this curated monthly box is a great option!

• Freddie’s Soda - $1 from each case of Freddie’s soda goes toward preservation efforts at Greenhill Cemetery in Frankfort. These non-alcoholic sodas, available in root beer, ginger beer, and ginger ale, make great highballs!

• Mixicles - While the gift giving logistics of Mixicles are a little more difficult, these frozen cubes make complicated cocktails extremely simple to do at home.

• Top Note Sparkling Mixers - It all started with a tonic designed to pair with whiskey, and now there are several flavors including grapefruit soda, Gentiana tonic, and more! Give a gift card or give a variety pack for optimal home cocktail experimentation.

• Make & Muddle Cocktail Kits - Make & Muddle offers cocktail mixers, cocktail kits, and even classes and whiskey education opportunities. The Smoked Old Fashioned kit is sure to be a hit!

Ready-to-Drink Cocktails and Cocktail Kits Over the last two years the popularity of great cocktails at home has boomed. Now ready-todrink options and cocktail kits are everywhere, and they are a far cry from the malt liquor versions of yesteryear! These make great gifts, stockin stuffers, host gifts, and also make for easy bartending at your holiday party.

• Courage + Stone - Founded by actor Aisha Tyler, who is also a Bourbon lover and avid home mixologist! The two

Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 83

options currently available are a Manhattan and an Old Fashioned, both of which have won numerous awards.

• Siponey - These canned cocktails with a cause support research into protecting bees, which is critical to our foodways. Creator Amanda Victoria wanted to use her love of whiskey to do good in the world, and Siponey was born.

There’s rye whiskey right in the can!

• The Gold Fashioned Lauded as the first luxury ready-to-drink cocktail, creator Robert Haynes drew from his years of mixology experience to put together a beautifullypresented, top-notch Old Fashioned. Makes a great hostess gift!

• Sailor Guevara Cocktails - What could be better than giving someone a yearlong cocktail of the month subscription?

Each box contains two different cocktails with enough ingredients to make six of each for a total of 12 cocktails!

Aviation Gin, Cruzan Rum, and more!

• Tip Top Proper - These simple, non carbonated cocktails come in single-serving cans, making them a great stocking stuffer or other small gift idea. (Kosher) • High West Barrel Finished Cocktails - Barrel finished cocktails are usually a treat reserved for a visit to a highend whiskey bar, but now you can have them at home with all the ease of pouring a dram over ice.

• Woodford Reserve x Williams Sonoma Spiced Apple Cocktail Mixer - Easy mixers are great for beginning cocktail enthusiasts and fit nicely into a stocking!

• Old Dominick Memphis Toddy - Serve it to your guests warm or chilled or give it as a host/hostess gift, even those who don’t love straight whiskey will enjoy it.

• Watershed Distillery Old Fashioned - Sadly, distribution is limited to seven states, but this Old Fashioned is the best-selling ready-to-drink Old Fashioned in its home state of Ohio!

• Cutwater Spirits - Instead of bringing beer to a casual holiday gathering, Cutwater offers 4-packs of Whiskey Mules, Vodka Mules, and more, a great way to change up the holiday routines!

Books

• Westward Marionberry Old Fashioned Kit Marionberries are native to the Pacific Northwest, and the combination of American Single Malt and Marionberry syrup is sure to add an interesting twist to your standard Old Fashioned experience.

• The Oxford Companion To Cocktails & Spirits David Wondrich and Noah Rothbaum spent the better part of a decade compiling every piece of cocktail history they could find, and nearly 1000 pages later this weighty research piece answers just about any cocktail question you could think to ask.

• On The Rocks - There’s a whole line of cocktails and the interesting thing is they are made with Spirits brands you’ve heard of - Knob Creek,

• Texas Whiskey - The history of Texas Whiskey is barely a decade long, but this comprehensive yearbook of the current state of the Lone Star

84 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

State’s whiskey history by Dr. Nico Martini offers a historic snapshot of the early years.

• Girly Drinks - Mallory O’Meara was frustrated that there was no comprehensive history written about women and alcohol, so she decided to take matters into her own hands. The narrative starts in the ancient world and carries through modern times, outlining all the advances women made in the creation of beverage alcohol as well as all the times society felt compelled to police womens’ drinking habits.

• Art Eatables Bourbon Truffles - These make a great gift because you can often find the truffle that matches your gift recipient’s favorite whiskey, or you can go for a Taste of the Trail and let them experience the different combinations of whiskeys and chocolates!

• An I Heart Bitters lapel pin is a great gift for the whiskey cocktail enthusiast in your life!

• I Just Want To Pet My Dog And Drink Bourbon t-shirt, because who can’t relate to that!

• Pot Still Socks - For the pot still enthusiast in your life.

• Which Fork Do I Use With My Bourbon - This ultimate guide to entertaining with whiskey was written

by Icon of Whisky and Kentucky Bourbon Hall-ofFamer Peggy Noe Stevens and Bourbon author Susan Reigler.

• A whiskey-themed photo print, such as this Rickhouse photo

by Kentucky Photographer Michele Korfhage makes a great gift for a whiskey enthusiast’s home bar, office, and more!

• Drunkwood is a one-stop shop for all things Bourbon barrel art, from barrel head trays to state outlines and more!

Gifts • American Whiskey Aroma Kit - Perfect for the whiskey geek in your life who can’t get enough sensory training!

• Eaves Blind is a great option for the whiskey geek who wants to take their sensory training to the next level.

• Frey Ranch Whiskey Truffles showcase an up-andcoming whiskey brand Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 85

Spirited

Gift Guide for the Holidays

2021

By Robert Haynes-Peterson

The Flower-Infused Cocktail: Flowers, with a Twist by Alyson Brown • $30 (Hardcover) It’s no secret that the past decade or so has seen a massive uptick in the use of fresh fruits and juices in cocktails as both mixers and garnishes. Let Alyson Brown (founder of Oregon’s Wild Folk Flower Apothecary) take you on a fragrant and colorful journey through the world of floral (and spice and citrus) ingredients, garnishes and flairs.

She’s collected over 60 cocktail and mocktail recipes, along with notes on the history, folklore, and harvesting of edible flowers and plants.

Ex-Whiskey Barrels Grand Teton Distillery • $150 Whiskey barrels get reused and refilled several times before they are “spent,” going from housing bourbon, then on to scotch, tequila, beer and more. While most whiskey producers sell their first- or second-fill barrels to other distilleries, Idaho’s Grand Teton is offering you the chance to snag one (or more). Fill it with coffee, home brew, or 250 bottles of moonshine and see what happens.

Pick up free from the distillery or pay for shipping.

Scapegrace Black Gin • $47 There are a few “color changing” gins out there incorporating the charming butterfly pea flower botanical in their infusions. But this new release from New Zealand’s Scapegrace Distillery takes things to another level. Pour it into your glass and it’s dark blue/almost black (due to natural extracts of aronia berry and other botanicals).

Add a little citrus, and the butterfly pea flower extract kicks in changing your drink—presto!—from black to a beautiful shade of purple, blue or red. Great for holiday entertaining. Also? It’s a tasty, complex gin.

Old Fashioned Scented Candle Tatersall Distilling • $18 If anyone ought to know how a booze-themed scented candle should smell, it’s a distillery. Tatersall, which hails from Minnesota and Wisconsin, offers to set the mood with fire-driven aromatics of oak, caramel, demerara, and vanilla to complement whatever is in your glass (perhaps Tatersall’s own bottled-in-bond wheated bourbon). Ginscented version also available.

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2021 Spirits Advent Calendar Heritage Distilling Co. • $60 Billed as the only U.S.-based spirits advent calendar, this festive box of 24 whiskeys, rums, vodkas and gins will keep on giving throughout December (or, really, whenever you want to start).

All produced by a craft distillery in Gig Harbor, Washington.

You may know them best for their BSB Brown Sugar Bourbon label, now helmed by actor/singer Jamie Foxx.

The Whiskey Delights Selection The Scottish Grocer • $98 Scotch whisky isn’t simply about aged brown liquid: it’s a lifestyle. Complement a bottle of Aberlour 16-year single malt (Individual Medal winner, 2021 New York International Spirits Competition) with this gift basket filled with whisky-themed goodies direct from Scotland. The bundle includes Scotch whisky cake, whisky-flavored tea and coffee, and a Glengoynebranded whisky fudge, among other treats.

2021 Hibiki Japanese Harmony Limited Edition Whisky • $125 Combining at least 10 malt and grain whiskies, five casks types and product from three distilleries, this Suntory label brings together myriad traditions and flavors into one harmonious Japanese blended whisky. This year Hibiki released a specially designed limited edition bottle evoking Japan’s “ever changing 24 seasons,” and paying tribute to the Ryusui-Hyakka (one hundred flowers and flowing water. Beautiful on any counter or bar top.

Pappy 23 Year Hanging Ornament Huckberry • $28 Far cheaper than the real thing, but sure to please the Bourbon Bro in your family/framily. The blown glass ornament is handpainted with the iconic Pappy 23-Year label and glittery, so it will reflect all the holiday lights around it.

It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere Spice Kit Skordo • $54 Elevate your home cocktail parties (or online Zoom competitions at work, which is a thing now) with this unique spice kit from Skordo. Featuring a variety of spices and naturally flavored sugars and salts. There’s even a recipe guide on site to help out. Elevate your A game to an A++ game with a gold-coated cocktail shaker ($28), also from Skordo.

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Great British Gin Advent Calendar The Spirit Co. • $124 Advent calendars are all the rage among grown-ups, so a boozy advent calendar is, you know, perfect. New this year is this gin-focused calendar from The Spirit Co. You’ll find 24 single-serve bottles inside representing the broad range of British gins available these days. Not a juniper fan? No worries: the site also sells calendars filled with tequila, bourbon and more, including this crazyexpensive “Old and Rare” edition. Currently ships to the US, UK, Europe and India.

Paul John Indian Single Malt Christmas Edition 2021 • $85 India is producing a number of elegant whiskies. The John Distilleries, located in Goa (Southern India) crafts impressive non-chill filtered single malts with a variety of barrel finishes. The fourth annual release of their Christmas Edition is a festive peated malt aged and finished in a mix of ex-bourbon, port, and madeira casks, all wrapped in a lovely bow (err... bottle and box).

True Cubes Ice Cube Tray • $40 Create large, nearly crystal-clear ice cubes with this specially designed tray. This is not your typical silicone frozen water-holder, The compact, attractive tool takes lessons learned about directional freezing from folks like contributor Camper English, to control how water freezes, and reduce trapped oxygen which clouds your ice. You’ll wind up with the sort of nifty, clear blocks you often find in craft cocktail bars.

Octopus Double Old Fashion Glasses (4) Wyland Foundation • $68 Because…Octopus! Simultaneously evoking 18th century images of sea monsters and the contemporary cool vibe of the smart, emotional animals we know today, these stylishly etched Old Fashioned glasses are an instant ice-breaker (see what we did there?). Not only that, but you’re helping out California-based Wyland Foundation which aims to fund programs for clean waters and healthy oceans through events, education and public art projects. A set of four glasses arrives in an attractive gift box.

Fall/Winter 2021 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM 89

Tequila Don Julio Ultima Reserva • $400 If you’re only familiar with Don Julio’s core tequilas, you’ve just visited the tip of this brand’s iceberg. The higher-end expressions are transformative. New to the family, in celebration of the brand’s 80th anniversary, is this extra añejo incorporating tequila from founder Don Julio Gonzalez’s final agave harvest (the field was planted in 2006). Aged 36 months in ex-bourbon, and finished in seasoned madeira wine casks.

Adventure Pack Whiskey Sampler Boulder Spirits • $32 Whether you’re gifting to someone who’s new to Colorado-based Boulder Spirits (which also produces quality vodka, gins, and liqueurs) or a long-time fan, this set of six 50ml samples makes a great stocking stuffer. Along with the variety of aged brown spirits (think bourbon, American single malt, etc), recipients will unwrap a boozy “adventure map” and a link to an online tasting experience.

Death & Co Home Cocktail Kit • $155 The team behind the seminal Death & Co craft cocktail bars (and a zillion other bars across the country) present their stylish and sturdy set of bar tools. Includes weighted shaker tins, a Hawthorne strainer, bar spoon, jigger and faceted mixing glass. Pair it with the founding team’s latest cocktail book—Welcome Home ($40—to fashion a home bar everyone will admire.

Mixology For Beginners: Innovative Craft Cocktails for the Home Bartender

by Prairie Rose $13 (Paperback) Writer, podcaster, award-winning blogger and NYC/LA bon vivant Prairie Rose has released this eye-catching cocktail guide specifically for beginners. Almost zen-like in its presentation, drink recipes (organized by the primary spirit) and gorgeous accompanying photography go far beyond simple margaritas and Moscow Mules. The book provides just enough craft cocktail history, techniques and factoids to lure in neophytes without overwhelming them.

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Zero Alcohol Salted Caramel Espresso Martini Set Lyre’s • $72 The low- and no-alcohol movement has become a tidal wave in the past few years. Lyre’s has a wide range of “’spirits,” “liqueurs” and ready-to-drink zero alcohol cocktails for your clear-eyed, headache-free pleasure. Hopping on the espresso martini trend, bundle their Spiced Cane Spirit and Coffee Originale (think booze-free Kahlua). Other cocktail bundles, along with a wide range of recipes, are available on the website.

Livewire Canned Cocktails $20 / Four-Pack Aaron Polsky, a bartender and consultant who cut his teeth in some of the most innovative bars in NYC (and now resides in LA), introduced these bartender-driven canned cocktails in early 2020, right before the pandemic. Delicious, original recipes from actual top-tier bartenders around the country make Livewire’s offerings stand head-and-shoulders above the average canned gin-and-tonic. They’re really, really good.

Even better: with a profit-sharing model inspired by the music industry, each drink’s creator gets a share of the revenue.

Can I Mix You a Drink?

50 Cocktails from My Life and Career by T-Pain and Maxwell Britten • $20 If you’re questioning how a rapper, once known for his heavy use of Autotune, would end up collaborating with one of the top craft cocktail bartenders in NYC on a fancy cocktail book, you’re not alone. If after reading into it a few pages, you’re wondering why this didn’t happen sooner, you’re also not alone. In recent years, Pain has shared his voiceover skills in a variety of animated series, shown off his singing chops on “Masked Singer,” and now gets to share his love of quality mixed drinks. Filled with entertaining anecdotes, beautiful photography and legit party drinks.

Cocktail Bitters Sampler Kit The Bitter Housewife • $18 Cocktail bitters have come a long way from the days when only Angostura and Peychaud’s occupied store shelves. The Bitter Housewife’s selections are extremely good, and enhance drinks in elegant fashion. Select from one of two variety packs, or if you’re feeling especially saucy this year, get them both.

Their new, zero-proof Bitters & Soda canned drinks are also super tasty.

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The 2021

Cheese Lovers

Gift Guide

By Jim Gladstone

F

or fromageophiles like us, the twinkling star of Bethlehem is our signal to celebrate in a milky way. Whether you’re looking to impress a gourmet giftee, come up with an original ho-ho-hostess gift or just treat yourself to some dairy-based self-care, we’ve put together a cheese lovers gift guide that’s sure to delight.

Into the Kitchen Farm Steady Cheesemaking Kits Merry Kit-Mas! Whether you’re looking for a handson activity to share with kids over the holidays or you’re just the crafty (But never Kraft-y!) type, the just-addmilk at-home cheesemaking kits from Farm Steady ($30) are easy, educational and delectable. With the Mexican Fresh Cheese kit, you can make crumbly queso fresco and perfect-for-melting queso panela, the Goat Cheese kit lets you make some baaaaa’d ass chèvre (So long as you’ve got a nearby supermarket that sells goat milk), and our favorite, the Italian Fresh Cheese kit lets you whip up creamy ricotta, bouncy mozzarella and lush burrata: Note the “and” in that sentence—In addition to cheese thermometers, baskets and draining cloths, Farm Steady kits include enough of the all-important vegetable rennet and citric acid you’ll need to make 8 batches of cheese per kit. Kits also include links to online recipes and video tutorials.

The Global Grub Ravioli Kit After tasting our first batch of fresh FarmSteady ricotta, we jumped back into the kitchen to envelop our homemade cheese in perfect pasta pillowcases.

The Global Grub Ravioli Kit ($33.99) includes the 00 flour you’ll need for ideal pasta dough, a ravioli stamp to make your frilly-edged pockets, plus some dried porcinis and truffle oil for some gustatory gussying-up.

Cheeseboard Players Waterboarding is a torture; holiday cheese boarding shouldn’t be! Yet with the rise of online pandemic classes in the art of tasty arrangements and an explosion of cheese-fancying Pinterest Picassos, putting together a cheeseboard has become competitive blood sport among a certain one-upsy subset of Karens and Kevins.

Never mind such status-conscious nonsense: Whether you’re making a gift arrangement, entertaining guests or putting together a mini-meal, you do you, cheeselover!

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Gouda and grapes? Go for it! La Vache Qui Rit and Reese’s Pieces? It’s your palate, pal! Still, if you can’t let go of your jones to keep up with the Joneses, these giftable accompaniments will place any board on the far side of boring: Bees Knees honeys from Bushwick Kitchen ($13.99 each) The cheese friendly honeys come in squeezy, cone-capped condiment bottles, which means no gloopy spoons or sticky jars. It also means you can do impressive zig-zaggy sauce painting on your cheese plates and boards. Each of the line’s three flavors is best paired with different cheeses: The briny salted honey works brings a lively pop to fresh mozzarella in a slightly sweet caprese salad; the hard kick of habanero in the spicy honey begs for a creamy blue like Cambozola alongside celery sticks on a “Buffalo Board”; and the Meyer Lemon infused iteration is ideal with goat cheese and green olives.

Three Little Figs Jams Enjoy a cheese board jam-boree with the sublime spreads from Oregon’s Three Little Figs ($12.50 each), made with organic ingredients in small, copper pot-simmered batches. The Balsamic Fresh Fig spread adds new depth to a familiar favorite; Tomato Tapas Jam with pimenton and cumin should be manchego’s BFF; and the Puddletown Pub Chutney—made with simmered apples, onions, espresso stout and molasses—takes cheddar up a level.

Vörnut butters For something a little different this season, switch up traditional cheeseboard nuts for Vörnut butters (from $4.99), specifically matched to bring out the best in your cheese selections: Slightly tannic walnut butter marries well with tangy goat cheeses; umami-rich cashew butter makes a fine foil for alpine cheeses such as Appenzeller and Emmenthal; and a light dab of unsweetened, unsalted peanut butter works wonders with fruit-speckled Wensleydales while hazelnut butter complements Comté beautifully.

Boards & Co. Accessories and Board All that said, if you’re still feeling boardinsecure—or just pressed for time—turn to 94 ALCOHOLPROFESSOR.COM Fall/Winter 2021

Boards & Co. a new online resource from the creators of Curdbox, one of our favorite cheese subscription services (Another great gift idea!): Boards & Co. is a beautifully curated showcase of handcrafted cheese accessories and boards that you can order pre-loaded with goodies or use as the pedestal for your own creations. The website features an array of free video tutorials on how to pair, cut and display cheeses, which adds a whole new educational dimension to any gift selection from the site.

The Matzah Project Celebrating Hannukah? Add a Semitic snap to someone’s holiday festivities with cheeky, cheese adjacent gifts from The Matzo Project, a Brooklyn-based bakery that’s taken unleavened bread up a level with innovations like seedy, garlicky bagel-inspired Everything matzo (Just add cream cheese). Our favorite item in their line, the Spicy Harissa Matzo Chips, will have you happily sitting shiva for Doritos: Their peppery heat is distinctly Middle Eastern and your fingers will remain blissfully free of orange faux-fromage residue. Instead, we recommend going for the full multi-cultural megillah and dipping them in homemade queso. Havah Nagilah Navidad!

Reader’s Delight Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer’s Guide Outside of Transylvania, you’ll have a hard time getting ahold of branza de burduf, a traditional soft sheep’s milk cheese with an alluringly spicy vegetal flavor that comes from being wrapped and aged in fir bark. In Sardinia, where casu marzu is made, European Union regulations forbid sales of this pecorino variety to which fly larvae are intentionally introduced in order to break down fats, creating a creamy texture and pungent aroma; its bought and sold on the dairy down-low. And in the Polish highlands, fewer than 150 shepherds make the traditional smoky golden-skinned ornamental cheese called oscypek, formed in barrel-shaped molds approximately the size of a mallet head. While we’d love to gift you with a tip on our favorite blackmarket monger, we’ll toe the legal line and point you instead to further info on these and other esoteric cheeses featured among the lively mini-essays on all manner of edible oddities featured in Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer’s Guide ($40) by Cecily Wong and Dylan Thuras. A hardbound culinary spinoff of the Atlas Obscura website, this profusely illustrated book is organized by region, so you can scope out peculiar cheeses along any upcoming itineraries.

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Up to No Gouda Another title to consider for a cheese lover’s library is Up to No Gouda ($8.99), the first book in a lighthearted new mystery series set around a Vermont grilled cheese restaurant. Official publication date is mid-January, but you can pre-order from your favorite independent book shop now and guarantee that your recipient is one of the very first readers. Author Linda Reilly— who has previously written a successful series of cat-themed mysteries— chronicles the amateur sleuthing of Carly Hale who grills witnesses as well as she does sandwiches. The series’ second volume, scheduled for later in 2022, is No Parm, No Foul.

33 Pieces of Cheese How voracious is the cheese lover in your life? It’s an issue to take under consideration in determining just how many copies of 33 Pieces of Cheese ($5.00), a terrific pocket tasting journal, you should stuff in their stocking.

Created by Portland publisher Dave Selden, these handsome Moleskinestyle books feature templated pages on which to record your nibbling. Each page provides prompts through a Texture Meter—where you can mark your cheese’s mouthfeel on a scale from hard to runny—and a Flavor Wheel, which encourages you to map out a range of sensations from caramel to herbal to crystalline. And, just for fun, the ink used to print each booklet is infused with a few morsels of cheese that varies from one print run to the next (My first purchase was made with an ash-rubbed Croatian sheep’s milk selection). Prepare to get hooked: Selden makes similar sampling journals for everything from 33 Drops of Hot Sauce to 33 Jiggers of Gin.

Pair to Be Different Scotch and cheese pairing Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese & the GlenDronach Distillery There’s always at least one night between Christmas and New Year’s when all you want to do is huddle up by a fire alongside your nearest and dearest, remembering the past year’s touchstone events, anticipating new experiences to come but, most of all, letting time stand still and savoring a quiet, grateful hour or so with your closest companions.

This year, you can make that night even more special with a unique pairing from Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese and the GlenDronach Distillery. The complex, nutty flavor combination of The GlenDronach Original single malt scotch, aged for 12 years in Spanish sherry casks, with sharp-but-slightly sweet Point Reyes’ White Cheddar slowly blooms on the palate and welcomes the sort of slow contemplative, appreciation that can get lost amidst more hectic holiday activities. Take a deep breath, settle in and share this ideally matched Scotch and cheese pairing ($105). Check out some further cheesy/boozy pairing ideas here.

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