Liquor Snob

Trader Jose's Premium Silver Tequila Review

2012-02-08T02:03:03Z

The fine folks from Trader Joe's have sent us a bottle of their new-ish tequila product, AKA Trader Jose's Premium Silver Tequila. This is a 100% agave spirit that weighs in at a fairly standard 80 proof (40% ABV) and costs in the neighborhood of seventeen bucks ($17). Trader Joe's is a brand we always associate with good quality at a reasonable price - so how does it taste when Joe dips his toe into tequila?

Since they're not aged, many silver or white tequilas run a bit hotter than your reposados or anejos, but that doesn't mean they can't be delicious. In fact, we here at Liquor Snob tend more toward a silver than the aged varieties, especially when mixing typical cocktails. We found this one to have a sweet floral nose heavy on good old agave, which was very appealing without burning our nose hairs.

When we tasted it had a hint of smokey grass, a big wallop of agave, and a slightly bitter finish. All in all we thought it was tasty straight, and the flavor was improved greatly on the rocks. It was great for most people's typical tequila needs - you know, margaritas and body shots - and measured up well with tequilas that were a smidge pricer...maybe $20-$25.

All in all we thought Trader Jose put a good foot forward with this tequila and it feels like a good addition to your shopping cart between the plantain chips and the frites.

Learn more at Facebook.

Patron XO Cafe Dark Cocoa Arrives for Review

2012-02-03T01:15:05Z

As we all know, Valentine's Day is coming soon, which puts us in the mind for romance. As most of us know, chocolate is a traditional gift for said holiday. Many folks also know that tequila is a great way to inspire more...amorous feelings in themselves and their romantic partners.

Luckily for you, Patron has compiled these two last concepts into one bottle, also known as Patron XO Cafe Dark Cocoa. Using Patron silver as its base, this liqueur brings together two amazing products of Mexico - tequila and chocolate. Available for under $25 per bottle it clocks in at a pretty reasonable price, and initial reports indicate it's a pretty amazing combination of its two flavors.

Our review will be out soon; pass the time by checking out the Dark Cocoa page at Patron Tequila.

American Harvest Organic Vodka Arrives for Review

2012-01-26T16:28:00Z

American Harvest is an organic vodka made right in Idaho, smack dab in the middle of America's heartland. They've got an American flag emblazoned on the bottle, and the word "America" is right there in the name of the spirit. Kind of feels like Sidney Frank (the gent who brought you a little brand called Grey Goose - you might have heard of it) is targeting Red Staters, doesn't it? We'd say he's a genius for releasing it during an election year to attract patriotic voters from either side of the aisle.

American Harvest is an organic vodka with "organic flavor" and an ABV of 40% (80 proof). It retails for under $25, and we'll let you know what organic flavor tastes like once we're able to do a full review.

Learn more at AmericanHarvestSpirit.com

Arehucas Ron Miel Arrives for Review

2012-01-25T21:17:50Z

We just received a bottle of Ron Miel, known to us English-speaking American types as honey rum. Arehucas honey rum is a product of Spain's Canary Islands, consisting of seven-year-old rum blended with honey.

Weighing in at 40 proof (20% ABV) and dosed with natural honey, this is far sweeter than your average rum, so we can see it being an acquired taste - or an excellent sweetener for cocktails. We'll do some investigative reporting and write up a full review ASAP.

Get the full scoop at Arehucas.es

Margaritaville Chillin' Pour Liquor Chiller

2012-01-16T14:35:12Z

Some might say a liquor chiller is unnecessary in a time when pretty much everyone has access to a refrigerator, but we say those people lack vision. Margaritaville's Chillin' Pour liquor chiller holds 750ml (a full bottle) and chills liquids down to 15 degrees Farenheit. Some might put a margarita in there as the designers intended, but others might use it for something more nefarious - such as a Jagermeister chiller? Possibilities are endless.

At the time of this post Amazon is selling the Chillin' Pour machine for a huge discount - the retail price is $200 but they're selling it for under $60. That, friends, is a bargain.

At Margaritaville Chillin' Pour Liquor Chiller [via DealNews]

How 1940s Whiskey Ads Predicted the Future

2012-01-04T13:07:19Z

The time - the mid-1940s. The place - somewhere in Canada. The action - commercial prognostication. The folks over at Technologizer found a cool old set of Seagram's ads where they attempted to predict the future of technology, with some interesting results.

Among their predictions include some hits (cell phones, video conferencing and sports bars) and some misses (coin-operated fax machines, package delivery via bomber plane). Check out the full list at Technologizer and if you're anything like us, stop to think about what today's Madison Avenue Nostradamuses are saying about our future.

The Perfect Drink for Every Occasion

2011-12-14T01:01:33Z

It may not come as a shock to you that we like to drink, but you may not know how much the Liquor Snob staff likes to read. We're only asking for books and booze this Christmas, and not in that order. That's why we dig the title of the book we just found - The Perfect Drink for Every Occasion. We like the way it just rolls off the tongue.

This book features 151 cocktail recipes, and claims its cocktails "complement every situation imaginable . . . and then some." We're doing our best to come up with 5 situations that probably aren't included in this book - though we suppose you'll have to buy it to find out if we're right. Here's our list we'd like to drink to, though we imagine we'd be on our own for pairing a cocktail:

Toasting your grandma's marriage to her parole officer
Remembering the first time you heard Wilfred Brimley say Diabeetus
Eulogizing Mr. Ed
Commemorating your narrow escape from those cannibals
Celebrating a successful squirrel hunt

At The Perfect Drink for Every Occasion

Bitters: A Spirited Look at a Classic Cure-All

2011-12-13T04:49:53Z

If you're looking for the perfect gift for the cocktail nerd on your list, you could definitely do worse than a book on bitters. An ingredient in many cocktails - and some say a requirement for most - bitters is finally getting its time in the limelight. With the resurgence of cocktail culture over the past few years there's definitely been an uptick in interest, but we haven't seen such an in-depth treatise.

Gone are the days when a lonely bottle of Angostura bitters held court behind the bar. A cocktail renaissance has swept across the country, inspiring in bartenders and their thirsty patrons a new fascination with the ingredients, techniques, and traditions that make the American cocktail so special. And few ingredients have as rich a history or serve as fundamental a role in our beverage heritage as bitters.

This book has it all - history, curative applications, and even recipes to make your own bitters, including Apple, Coffee-Pecan and Root Beer varieties. There are even tips for cooking with bitters in both sweet and savory dishes.

At Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All

Margaritaville Mixed Drink Mixer

2011-12-07T19:27:18Z

If you're one of those people who'd rather socialize with guests at your holiday party, rather than mixing their drinks, Margaritaville has a new option for you. They've put together this tidy little machine that will allow you to attach a bottle of booze (vodka, rum, whatever) and four different types of mixers. Guests can then choose their own poison (figuratively) while you're flitting around fluffing pillows and twittering at bad jokes.

The gizmo will let you pour a double (though your guests don't have to know that), and will even let you surprise yourself with a random concoction. If we had this machine, we'd attach a bottle of vodka, then fill the other canisters with rum, tequila, gin and whiskey and see how many button presses it would take to ~~black out~~ mix a Long Island Iced Tea.

At Margaritaville Mixed Drink Maker

AT-AT Liquor Cabinet Just In Time For Xmas

2011-12-01T13:08:22Z

Drool cleanup in Aisle 3...can we get a drool cleanup in Aisle 3? I can't say I've been on the market for a new liquor cabinet, but this glorious piece of work mashes my Star Wars Nerd button and my Liquor Nerd button right at the same time. I'm already dreaming about using my harpoon and tow cables to bring this sucker down, then lightsabering my way in to get the boozy goodness inside.

Guess I'd better keep dreaming, though, because I don't think this sucker's for sale. [Thanks for the tip, Jay]

Make [via Gizmodo]

SoCo Fiery Pepper Arrives for Review

2011-10-19T13:32:00Z

We just got our review bottle of Southern Comfort's Fiery Pepper, a tabasco-infused twist on the whiskey liqueur. We can't wait to see what the addition of a little fire does for a spirit that's always been on the sweet side. Our review bottle came with a smoke detector and four light-up shot glasses too - we're looking forward to bringing the heat.

Learn more at SouthernComfort.com

CocktailGoGo at Portland Cocktail Week

2011-10-19T02:05:00Z

Portland Cocktail Week is happening out in Portland this weekend (left coast Portland, not right coast Portland), and it just so happens our second-favorite drinks site is going to be right there in the middle of it. That's right, CocktailGoGo will be be co-sponsoring two events, and you can expect them both to be liver-asploding fun.

The first event is on the official roster - The Bon Vivants present Triple Buck - and is scheduled from noon to five on Saturday:

The Bon Vivants present Triple Buck with Cocktail Go Go and the good dudes from Bar Lab during Portland Cocktail Week and featuring the beautiful whiskies from the Brown Forman Portfolio. Come drink whiskey as it was intended, show off your Buck Hunter skills, take part in the old-fashioned reckoning, dance your ass off to the foot stompin' music of Portland's own Vandamonium, and get fat on face melting ribs and sides.

We have inside info on the second event, a.k.a. the Bus-a-Move Tour, and all we can say is it involves a double-decker bus, a tour of five area bars, and a whole lotta drinkin'. Those of you hitting up Portland this weekend should keep an eye out for CocktailGoGo representatives to see if you can weasel your way into either or both events.

Get more info about this weekend's doings at Portland Cocktail Week and hit up CocktailGoGo on Facebook.

The Rum Diary [book]

2011-10-12T02:19:00Z

Hunter S. Thompson. Puerto Rico. Johnny Depp in underpants. Copious amounts of mini bottles. A mermaid from Connecticut. Those are the images we can dredge out of our booze-soaked brains about the trailer for upcoming film The Rum Diary. We do recall that the movie looked kickass, and we always love reading a good HST yarn, so we do believe we'll pick up the novel.

"Disgusting as he usually was," Hunter Thompson writes in this, his 1959 novel, "on rare occasions he showed flashes of a stagnant intelligence. But his brain was so rotted with drink and dissolute living that whenever he put it to work it behaved like an old engine that had gone haywire from being dipped in lard."

We always knew Mr. Thompson was magical, but it's kind of uncanny how he peered into the future to describe the entire Liquor Snob staff.

At The Rum Diary: A Novel

7 Reasons to Allow Booze in the Office

2011-10-11T02:12:56Z

We've always been a fan of drinking in the workplace. We're not talking shameful hidden drinking, or sneaking a beer during lunch - we're talking having a full-blown social pop on occasion without going out to a bar. It doesn't often happen, but when it does - responsibly of course - there can be some real benefits to allowing the old social lubricant to grease its way into the workplace.

KegWorks put together a nice little list of seven reasons why you should be able booze in the office:

Here are 7 Reasons Drinking at Work is a Good Thing: Feel free to send them to your boss)
1. It's relatively low cost (as far as benefits go) but it's a perk your employees will really enjoy and appreciate. They're sure to go around boasting about how incredible their company is and that's really valuable PR.

2. It reduces stress - when you know there's a cold one waiting for you at the end of a taxing meeting, the meeting doesn't seem so impossible anymore.

3. It encourages socializing and team building - some people open up more with a beer in their hand than they ever do around the coffee pot. Creating a corporate culture where people feel relaxed is a beautiful thing.

See the rest of the list at the KegWorks blog.

Backpacking With Booze

2011-10-07T21:01:27Z

We've spent a goodly amount of our Liquor Snob career discussing how to bring liquor to places most people wouldn't think of. From the Beer Belly (and the Wine Rack) to the Bootlegger, we've smuggled more booze than Canada during Prohibition.

That's why we love this article at Mother Nature Network about how to bring drinks when you go backpacking. Nobody wants to lug glass bottles or coolers around when they're hitting the trail, but there are alternatives. Our favorite was buying a box of wine and just taking the wine pouch out of the box...we've done that before, but we never though of inflating the bag afterward to use as a pillow.

at MNN

The Happy Table of Eugene Walter (Book)

2011-10-03T22:49:00Z

We've received a copy of a book entitled "The Happy Table of Eugene Walter: Southern Spirits in Food and Drink," and being the bourbon enthusiasts we are, we jumped at the chance to review it. If you're not familiar with Mr. Walter, he was, according to his Wikipedia page, a "screenwriter, poet, short-story author, actor, puppeteer, gourmet chef, cryptographer, translator, editor, costume designer and well-known raconteur." Sounds like someone we'd like to get to know.

As we page through the book, we find all kinds of recipes, from cocktails (including more variations on the Julep than you might know existed) to a wide variety of Southern-influenced foods. Not all of the recipes feature liquor, but the ones that don't are deep fried and bacon-inclusive enough to make even Paula Deen blush - and we're pretty sure she wears a Camelbak full of melted butter. From Caribbean Flank Steak to Pensacola Shrimp to Hangover Punch, there's a little something for everyone in the book.

The real appeal for us is the colorful way in which the commentary and recipes are written, making it a real treat compared to your typical recipe book. For example, the "Maryland Julep" recipe calls for you to "gather the mint while the dew is still on it" and gives very explicit instructions on how to handle it next. We think cocktail enthusiasts and gourmands alike will find something for them in in this book.

At The Happy Table of Eugene Walter: Southern Spirits in Food and Drink

Build-A-Luge Will Let You Do Just That

2011-08-16T02:32:11Z

How much is it worth to you and your friends to be able to build a shot luge? We hope you said "I dunno, like a hundred bucks..." because that's how much the Build-A-Luge Blackout Edition will run you. Containing everything you need for said blackout, from ice trough to stand to pourers, for less than the cost of a single college textbook. There is no downside.

Learn more at Build-A-Luge.com.

This Friday is International Beer Day

2011-08-02T16:55:26Z

In our world every day is beer day, but this coming Friday August 5 is something special - International Beer Day - because there's nothing better on a summer Friday than enjoying some tasty, tasty beer. Here's what the IBD website has to say about the nature of the celebration:

The purpose of IBD is threefold:

To gather with friends and enjoy the deliciousness that is beer.

To celebrate the dedicated men and women who brew and serve our beer.

To bring the world together under the united banner of beer, by celebrating the beers of all nations and cultures together on this one remarkable day.

Yeah, we'll drink to that. For more information, and to find a local celebration, check out the International Beer Day website. You can also friend them on Facebook and join the IBD Facebook group if that's your thing.

We like to think of it as an opportunity for macro- and micro-brew drinkers alike to come together as one and say "Beer frickin' rules!" (or words to that effect) and clink their bottles, cans and fluted glasses together. No matter what, you know we'll be celebrating the day at Three Penny.

Nolet's Silver Dry Gin Review

2011-08-02T00:14:07Z

We've waxed poetic before about Nolet's Dry gin, the new botanical spirit from the family that brings you Ketel One vodka, so we can probably just cut to the chase - it's good, and you should buy it if you have even the slightest taste for gin. It has a mild and floral scent, reminiscent of roses and lavender, berries and pitted fruits, with a hint of juniper. When we tasted it we were struck by the smooth flavor, the long finish, and the delicate warmth.

Here's what Nolet's have to say on their website:

This floral and fruit-forward gin is bottled at 47.6 % Alc./Vol. (95.2 Proof) and expresses the essence of three coveted ingredients: Turkish rose, white peach and raspberry.

Nolet Silver is a nice alternative for folks who like a certain Scottish gin, and want to expand their horizons. It's not cheap, weighing in somewhere in the neighborhood of $50, but it's worth the money if you're looking to put that little something special in a cocktail.

We were sent some excellent recipes to use Nolet's in along with the sample bottle provided to us by their representatives, and we wanted to share those with you as well...they call for some exotic ingredients but offer substitutions if you can't get your hands on them. Find the recipes after the jump.

Nolet's Silver Lychee Gimlet
0.5 oz. Nolet's Silver
0.5 oz Fresh Lime Juice
Lychee Simple Syrup*

* Combine 1 part sugar and 1 part water with unshelled lychee fruits and boil, straining out seeds. We also imagine lychee liqueur could be substituted in a pinch.

Instructions: Combine above ingredients and simple syrup to taste. Stir with ice and strain into a chilled coupe.

Nolet's Silver Feijoa Spritz
1.5 oz Nolet's Silver
1 Feijoa (aka Pineapple Guava)**
0.5 oz Elderflower Liqueur
Soda Water

Instructions: Remove the skin from the fruit and muddle the core with elderflower liqueur before adding the gin and giving the cocktail a dry shake (with no ice). Pour the contents over ice in a rocks glass and top with soda water. Use feijoa skin for garnish.

** Substitute equal parts lemon juice and agave nectar.

Nolet's Silver Dry Gin Arrives for Review

2011-06-24T02:15:00Z

Last October we made a sojourn out to Las Vegas to cover the release of Harlem Liqueur, and while we were there we were treated to a few sips (ok, more than a few...you got us) of Nolet's Silver Dry Gin. It was love at first taste, and ever since we've been ~~burning incense and chanting to the spirit world~~ hoping to get a crack at a review bottle. That day has finally arrived, and we'll do our best to post the review sometime before the next presidential election (at the rate we're going lately anyway).

Learn more at NoletsGin.com. We shamelessly stole the above image from Thirsty in LA - he was with us in Vegas when we first tried the stuff so see what he has to say about it.

Cubicle Keg Stand from Workaholics

2011-06-08T02:59:54Z

Today we discovered our favorite new show. It's called Workaholics, it's on Comedy Central, and it's the exact goddamn show we would have written if we were funny, talented, or the least bit driven to succeed. Instead, we watched 6 episodes back to back on Hulu when we were supposed to be finishing a project. This little bit wasn't in any of the episodes we saw, but we figured it fit better with the theme of our site than the concept of "third love."*

It's only a promo-type-thing but hey it's three dudes doing kegstands at work - how can you go wrong with that? Check out other clips at Comedy Central.

Workaholics

Wednesdays at 10:30/9:30c

Exclusive - Cubicle Keg Stand

www.comedycentral.com

Comedy Central

TV Shows

Comedy Videos

* "You don't know third love? It's like Shrek, you know? The first two were cute and funny, but this third one sucked d**k!"

Crazy Rainbow Alcohol Pig

2011-05-25T19:54:31Z

Also known as "Chili Four Loko." Pretty sure these guys came up with the only possible way to make Four Loko worse for you beyond chasing it with bleach - they drink it out of a bacon cup.

EDIT: Our bad - it's "crazy alcohol rainbow pig." We'll get it right next time.

via Drunkist

Whiskypedia: A Compendium of Scottish Whisky

2011-05-23T23:55:02Z

We like to think of Whiskypedia as a Wikipedia for whisky, but with way less useless facts. Not that we mind learning about how the plumed whistling duck crops vegetation instead of diving, or where the World Snail Racing Championships were held. We'd just much rather learn about whisky.

...the heart of these entries lies in the "historical notes" and "curiosities," where the author's research and enthusiasm are clearly evident. Buyers and collectors will find the list of "expressions" (commonly available bottlings) useful, while many users will jump straight to the informed, richly descriptive tasting notes (Dalmore smells "rich and sherried, with sweet malt, fruit cake, orange peel and marzipan.")

at Whiskypedia: A Compendium of Scottish Whisky (dumb Wikipedia facts via Telegraph.co.uk)

Whiskey Stone Shot Glasses

2011-05-16T23:07:24Z

For those of you who haven't heard of whiskey stones, they're basically rocks you can keep in your freezer and toss into your drinks to chill them without watering them down. Might seem a bit weird, but we've seen people do a lot stranger stuff with booze.

If you don't like the idea of dropping the igneous in your drink, perhaps a stone shot glass will serve you better? Just toss it in the freezer for four hours before you plan to drink and voila...and as a point of interest these are made right here in Vermont, not too far from Liquor Snob headquarters.

Uncommon Goods [via Cool Material]

Four Loko Founders Fire Back

2011-04-26T01:18:44Z

If you've been living under a rock for the last year or so, you probably haven't heard of Four Loko. Known in these offices as canned blackout, the high-octane (caffeine and alcohol) beverage was pulled off store shelves in 2010. The brand is accused of targeting underage drinkers with soda-like flavors, and linked to a surge in date rapes because of such. In the wake of the furor, the company's fratty founders have kept their heads downs, but that didn't stop folks from teeing off on them and their brand:

"If you set out to engineer a booze delivery system that is as cloying, deceptive and divorced from the usual smells, tastes and presentation of alcohol as possible, you'd be hard pressed to come up with something more impressive than Four Loko," wrote former New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni in the midst of the flap last fall. "It's a malt liquor in confectionary drag...Four Loko cans--I paid $3.50 apiece for mine--are something to see, each sporting a few ultrabright, childlike hues in a kind of rippling weave that evokes a camouflage pattern. Fatigues like these are what an army of Teletubbies would wear into battle."

Royal Virility Beer: Do I Make You Horny, Baby?

2011-04-22T03:10:35Z

Ahoy faithful readers (if there are any left) - you might have noticed we haven't been posting much. After over five years of writing about booze pretty much every damned day, we sort of came to the conclusion that maybe we were over it. Not the drinking, of course...never the drinking. But, after a nice little unintentional break we're back and more excited than ever, and what better way to jump back into the fray than with a story about beer for your royal johnson?

And by that we mean Royal Virility beer, Brew Dog's contribution to the royal wedding everyone's constantly nattering about nowadays. And they didn't make any old beer - they made one to make sure the Prince's Willy keeps a stiff upper lip on the wedding night, with a "7.5% ABV India Pale Ale...infused with natural aphrodisiacs like herbal viagra, chocolate, and Goat Weed." Hell yes, but if you want it you'll have to act fast - they're only making 1,000 bottles and they'll go quick even at $17 a pop.

Royal Virility Performance Beer [via Uncrate]

National Vodka Flavors Arrive for Review

2011-04-13T00:32:58Z

National Vodka is a premium wheat vodka imported from Russia, and we've gotten our hands on five bottles - one of each of their flavors. The vodkas are distilled five times, and they've been making the stuff since 1903 so we have to figure they know what they're doing. The flavors we received were Original (we suppose that's just "vodka" flavored), Citrus, Cranberry, Horseradish and Pepparo (hot pepper), and each bottle is set to retail for under $15 so the price is right.

We're looking forward to tasting and reviewing all of the flavors, but the Horseradish and Pepparo have us the most intrigued...both have visions of Bloody Marys dancing through our heads. We'll get the reviews up ASAP, and make sure to head over to My National Vodka to learn more about the brand.

A Year of Beer for Six Bucks

2011-04-11T20:36:40Z

Wouldn't an entire year's supply of beer for only six dollars be amazing? Let's sit and drool thinking about that. Aaaaand, scene.

While actual beer for that low a price might be a pipe dream, you can get a year's subscription to Beer Connoisseur Magazine for only $6 right now. That's four issues about the proof God loves us and wants us to be happy, at a buck fifty each. Get on it, but get on it fast, because the deal runs out in about 5 hours.

Tanga (via Deal News via B. Real Ferguson - thanks for the link)

Breakfast Beer is For Breakfast...Or Is It?

2011-04-06T02:27:58Z

A New Zealand brewery is frothing up some controversy with its announcement of a new cherry-flavored "breakfast beer" designed to taste good in the morning.

We hope it goes well with Pop Tarts, but have a feeling the whole thing is more publicity stunt than attempt to get you to drink beer in the AM. Why? Because people who are going to drink beer in the morning already drink beer in the morning - and no lager with a hint of cherries is the root cause, we can pretty much guarantee.

That's not stopping folks from freaking out about it. Which means they're talking about it. Which means they're playing right into Moa's clever little hands. All we can say is give us some Moa of that breakfast beer. See what we did there?

Moa Brewery [via CocktailGoGo]

Ron de Jeremy Rum Comes to Our Doorstep

2011-03-30T00:24:41Z

We wish we could say this picture was taken here in our Liquor Snob offices, but the best we can brag about is a bottle of the rum the man is holding, not the man himself. We've been excited about Ron de Jeremy rum since we first covered it back in January, and we're positively giddy to try it now. There's a rumor that he kisses the tip of every bottle that goes out, but it's not true - we know because we're the ones that started the rumor...right now.

Expect a review soonishly...as soon as we're done setting the mood.

More at Ron de Jeremy