Mackinlay's Rare Old Highland Malt Rises Again The legendary Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton once said, "if I had not some strength of will I would make a first class drunkard." His storied adventures in the South Pole speak to the scope of the man's willpower but, make no mistake, Shackleton also enjoyed his whisky. In 1909, severe weather conditions and dwindling supplies forced Shackleton and the crew from the Nimrod to abandon their two-year quest to be the first to reach the South Pole. In their haste to get the hell out of there with unfrosty nads, they left behind a few provisions including -- and we can only assume this was inadvertent -- three crates of fine Scottish whisky. One hundred years later, the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust found the abandoned booze, perfectly preserved in the ice beneath Shackleton's hut. It was later identified to be whisky from Chas Mackinlay & Co., produced at the Glen Mhor distillery in Inverness. And since we live in an age when no good marketing opportunity goes unexploited, the Mackinlay's Rare Old Highland Malt has been reborn. Of course! Now, there's an interesting story surrounding the Mackinlay's brand, the company that has owned it since 1995, and the palingenesis of the Shackleton whisky. Rather than recap all that here, I'll direct you to Tim F's blog at TheWhiskeyExchange.com, in which he lays it all out quite succinctly. I'm here to tell you how the stuff tastes: Really, really good. So good, in…
In 2012, Don Julio Tequila will celebrate 70 years in the business. To commemorate the occasion they've introduced a new addition to their portfolio -- Don Julio 70, the world's first clear añejo tequila. When I first heard about the clear añejo, I wondered how they managed to extract the color imparted by the barrel-aging. Then I wondered why the hell they'd even bother? Granted, there is a consumer segment out there that tends to be brown spirit averse... they're called "chicks." But as far as I can tell, ladies who dig tequila have always seemed perfectly content drinking blanco out of each other's belly buttons. The whole clear añejo concept smacked of a gimmick, and nothing turns me off more than gimmicky adult beverages... yeah, I'm talking to YOU, Miller Lite Vortex Bottle! But then I tasted the Don Julio 70 and it all became... well, clear: It's one of the smoothest tequilas around. Don Julio 70 is distilled twice, and spends 18 months in reclaimed American white oak barrels. It's then filtered using some top-secret magical process that not only brings back the crisp agave flavor typically found in a blanco, but also removes the color. It's complex like an añejo, yet is as easily drinkable as an unaged tequila. Dominant flavors include honey, pepper, green melon and, of course, smoky agave... finished with wood influenced vanilla, nuts and light cigar notes. It's got the body of a Victoria's Secret model -- sleek and satiny. Retails for $70…
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Like many of you, I'm stuck living with expensive tastes in an insolvent pecuniary state. What sets me apart is that I'm a shameless bottomfeeding whore important member of the international media whose job entails getting loaded on liquor companies' dimes scrupulously sampling adult beverages provided as bribes gratis and without condition, so that I may curry favor with the brand and get offered an all-expenses-paid trip to the distillery in Europe offer an unbiased report to you, the consumer. On occasion, the spirits I am fortunate enough to sample are insanely fucking expensive a bit on the pricey side. Such is the case with the Glenmorangie Pride 1981, an extremely rare limited edition 28-year-old whisky (only 100 bottles were made available in the U.S.) released last April that comes in a Baccarat crystal decanter housed inside an elegant wooden coffret from the Netherlands. Retail price: $3,600 a bottle. Now, look, I'm not gonna sit here like a pompous asshole and tell you the Pride 1981 is worth every penny, because I happen to appreciate the fact that a penny's worth differs greatly across this great Land of Economic Disparity. I can tell you this, though, if anyone ever offers you a dram of the stuff for free, get down on your knees, pucker up, and kiss their arse. For sipping the Pride 1981 must surely rate among the most sublime and satisfying experiences of any Scotch drinker's lifetime. It's just so... intense. A myriad of flavors, from apples to…
Over the years the Singapore Sling has had its praises sung by the likes of Tom Waits, Jimmy Buffett, The Replacements and Hunter S. Thompson, and is well deserving of its place in the pantheon of great cocktails. But for my money the coolest thing about this venerable libation (besides the fact that it was invented at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore, which is featured as a Japanese stronghold in one of my favorite videogames, “Medal of Honor: Rising Sun”) is that it’s one of two cherry-flavored cocktails a grown man can order in a bar and still seem like a bad-ass…the other being a Blood & Sand.From the beginning, the Singapore Sling recipe called for Cherry Heering, an iconic cordial that has been produced in Denmark since 1818 and has once again become fashionable in the U.S. Why? Well, marketing dollars certainly have something to do with Cherry Heering’s resurgence, as does the classic cocktail craze and the support of many of the top mixologists at high-end drinkeries from San Francisco to Soho.Cherry Heering is made with fresh cherries that are gently pressed, blended with spices, and stored in oak barrels. Due in part to the influence of the wood, it’s sweet but not sickly sweet like Apple Pucker and some of those other nauseating fruit-flavored abominations created in chemical labs in places like Newark. There isn’t a single artificial flavor in Heering, and the ruby red color that makes it look so inviting in a glass is all…
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In honor of the Big 4 (Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth) playing Yankee Stadium next week, our hard-rocking friends at Jägermeister have come up with some metal-themed cocktails. If you can't make it to the show, slurping down a few of these with "Master of Puppets" playing at ear-splitting levels could be the next best thing to being there…. Angel of Death - Slayer1.5oz Old Overholt Rye1oz Jägermeister1oz Averna3 dashes Jerry Thomas Decanter BittersBrandied CherriesBuild, stir with ice and garnish with a cherry Reign in Blood-Slayer2oz Jägermeister.75oz Beefeater 24.5oz Raspberry Simple Syrup.5oz Iced TeaCombine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Add Ice and StirStrain into a Double Old Fashioned GlassLemon Twist for garnish Bring The Noise-Anthrax1.5oz Jägermeister1.5oz Grapefruit Juice.5oz Don Q anejo rum.5oz Velvet FalernumCombine all ingredients with Ice, Shake and strain into a tall glass.
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Sunday, 17 October 2010 14:34
Toast to the Good Life: Harlem Shots Showcase
Written by Jessica Borges
By Jessica Borges They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, unless you happen to be a working writer on assignment in Sin City. Editors... they can be so needy. So it was that I joined a group of talented bartenders from across the country who'd gathered at the Rain Nightclub in the Palms Casino Resort on October 11th for a shot competition sponsored by Harlem Liqueur and The Tasting Panel magazine. They mixed, shook, and stirred some of the most tongue-tantalizing two-ounce back-of-the-throat-grazers, all made with the sexy new Dutch liqueur. Andrew Record from Hacinda del Sol in Phoenix, AZ won the Judge’s Choice for his “Harlem Renaissance” shot. Indeed, Record's entry was one of the most refreshing and crisp short pours I’ve ever ingested. Highlighting Harlem’s subtle notes of citrus, Record combined the liqueur with limoncello, soda water, fresh lemon juice and homegrown rosemary infused simple syrup. Known for its bold taste, dark complexion and potent alcoholic content (80 proof), Harlem is oft-compared to its 800-lb competitor, Jägermeister, with its rich herbal aroma, bittersweet flavor and dark color. Harlem is slightly sweeter than Jäger, with a subtler bitterness, and no medicine-like aftertaste. Note: Whether thrown back as a shot on its own or mixed in a cocktail, Harlem is best served ice cold. Adam Garvanian of McFaddens Chicago did up a shot that could easily (and dangerously) be mistaken for a dessert. “Harlem Night” contained Bailey’s Irish Cream, chocolate liquor and a dash of Goldschlager, topped with…
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For the second consecutive year my friends at Gayot.com have asked me to write up a list of my ten favorite vodkas, and for the second consecutive year poor Popov vodka didn't make the cut. Despite being very impressed with Popov's amazing "unbreakable" bottle, customer loyalty (mostly homeless people) and the $4.99 price tag, I just couldn't bring myself to include a brand on a top ten list that tastes so much like the sweat from a gorilla's ball sack. (And in case you're wondering how I happen to be familiar with the taste of overheated primates genitals, well, let's just say I've been around the block a few times, okay?) One good thing I can say about Popov, though, is that it's the ONLY vodka I've ever featured in a short film (see below). When you're finished watching the Popov video, CLICK HERE to see the complete Gayot.com list of the ten best vodkas on the market, which includes some old stand-bys (Grey Goose, Kauffman) along with a few surprises (if I listed them here, then they wouldn't be surpises anymore, now would they?) I invite you to post your thoughts on the list in the comments thread. In fact, I DARE you to... punk. Budem zdorovy!
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We here at Imbiber Headquarters loves us some Cabo Wabo Tequila, and not just because Sammy Hagar did me a big-time solid last year and inscribed a bottle of his signature tequila as a wedding gift for a couple of dear friends of mine. I dig Cabo Wabo cuz it tastes good. Real good. In fact, I'm headed to Cabo San Lucas a few weeks hence (for another wedding, no less) and plan on getting waaaaaaay Wabo-ed while there. Hard to believe it's been 20 years since Sammy opened the Cabo Wabo Cantina doors in the famed Mexico seaside resort town. His goal was to create a kick-ass tequila bar where he and the likes of Van Halen and the Red Hot Chili Peppers could jam and enjoy only the best of Mexico’s native spirit. He nailed it, for sure -- Cabo Wabo Cantina is a great place to tie one on.With Cinco de Mayo coming around the bend, we figured we'd pay tribute to Sammy's tasty contribution to the world of fine adult beverages with a couple of recipes by bartender extraordinaire Alex Straus. Feliz Cinco de Cabo!
GUADALAJARA, MEXICO – The man I will come to know as the Pope of Tequila plunges his nose into his glass, takes a long, contemplative whiff and explains his job. “I’m an ambassador,” Ruben Aceves says matter-of-factly, admiring the dancing caramel colors in his Casa Herradura reposado tequila. “I meet people like you, all over the world, educate them about the product and hopefully show them a new way of thinking about tequila. And drinking it.” Though he works for no embassy, government or mission, Aceves is unmistakably a diplomat. A cultured, genial fiftysomething who bears a passing likeness to funnyman pundit Steven Colbert (as evidenced by the exclusive video below... stylishly shot sideways), Aceves has the kind of florid job title that would be the envy of any statesman: Ambassador and Director of International Brand Development. He works for Herradura – a 139-year-old premium beverage institution that hopes to seize a bigger share of the estimated $1.06 billion U.S. tequila market from the likes of Cuervo and Sauza. For the record, Aceves thinks none too highly of his better-known rivals, whom he blames for tequila’s checkered reputation in America; specifically, that of a skunky, hangover-causing hooch best slurped off the body of a sunburnt coed. “Back in the 50s, no one was buying their stuff down here,” Aceves alleges, surveying the clientele at an upscale downtown restaurant. “So what Cuervo did was ship it up north to America, fill it with artificial additives and colorings, and convince…
VeeV Treetini (aka a strained Eco-Mojito)2 ounces VeeV Açaí Spirit0.5 ounce agave nectar4 lime wedges6 mint leavesClub soda *Tear and slap mint leaves to release oils and drop into a cocktail shaker. Shake all ingredients well and strain into a chilled martini glass. Top with club soda, stir and garnish as desired.
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