Death's Door Spirits Gin and Vodka - Go Into the Light

Looking to see a little further with your natural spirits than the world around you? A small company out of Wisconsin - Death's Door Spirits can help you see further. This company has created two products, a vodka and gin. Death's Door Spirits prides itself in supporting local agriculture and sustainability. Death's Door Vodka uses only organic wheat grown on Washington Island in Door County, Wisconsin. And the juniper berries for the gin are picked wild on Washington Island. Death's Door Spirits actively participates and supports local farmers and agriculture. Death's Door is company worth noting in the growing field of sustainability. The website provides info on infusions, recipes, cooking with spirits, and locations of where to purchase the product. Enjoy!

At Deaths' Door Spirits

VodkaFest (with Gin) Roundup - June '07

We hit the June VodkaFest this Sunday down in Manhattan, and it was great to hobnob (is that a word?) with some of the elite of independent spirits distributors. We had some drinks, had some laughs, but overall had to take it easy because after the event we had to drive four hours home. We were still able to taste just about everything that was on display, however - and we hope we didn't gross anyone out too much when we sipped and then spit it right back into the cup.

We've rounded up info on everyone we interacted with, along with some quick notes on the folks we haven't done full reviews on yet. Read on for our thoughts on each brand and our tastes of each, in more-or-less chronological order.

Also - we didn't run into any of the VodkaFest contest winners, probably because we skinned out a bit early, but we'd love to hear from you if you made it. You know who you are.

Continue reading: "VodkaFest (with Gin) Roundup - June '07"

Discount Code for VodkaFest (With Gin)

We told you last week about the VodkaFest (With Gin) that's happening in NYC this Sunday, and while our supply of free tickets has gone away we still want to see you there.

The organizers of the event have graciously offered Liquor Snob readers a $10 discount on the tickets - just register online and include the code "SNOB." Don't say we never did anything for ya.

Polished Palate - VodkaFest (With Gin)

Whitley Neill Gin Review

A man more clever than us recently noted that if people keep monkeying around with vodka and adding more and more flavors, pretty soon they'll invent gin. That might not be such a bad thing - gin was a popular libation among drunkards for a lot of years, but with in recent years vodka has slipped in and taken hold of a lot of its market niche. Some folks have decided they want some additional complexity in their flavored white spirit, and they're doing some very interesting things with gin.

Not the least of these is Whitley Neill, a gin "inspired by Africa, made in England." With nine different botanicals in it, it's not designed to club you over the head with juniper as some gins have been known to do. Plus, it contains fruit from the Baobab tree - how can you go wrong with something distilled from the "Tree of Life?"

Read on for the full review.

Continue reading: "Whitley Neill Gin Review"

Free Tickets to VodkaFest (With Gin)

We have recently gotten our hands on a whole passel of free tickets to VodkaFest with Gin in NYC in June, and instead of scalping them on the streetcorner we're going to pass those savings on to you, our beloved readers. These VIP tickets are usually $60 each at the door, and we're giving them away in pairs to the first folks who email us at news [at] liquorsnob.com.

Update: The free tix to VodkaFest were snapped up almost as quickly as we posted them. Guess that's what we call a "snooze you lose" situation, but we'll let you know if there's anything else we can do for you.

Whether you get free tickets or not, don't miss out on your chance to hob nob with vodka and gin luminaries from the world over (including our man Dave at Orange V), plus hang out with our Editor in Chief, who will be attending the event. The 'Fest is in a couple weekends (Sunday, June 10), and should be a great time. Check out the link below for more details, or email us if you need anything else.

The Polished Palate - VodkaFest (with Gin)

G'Vine Gin Review

We've said it before, and we'll say it again - we like the resurgence of boutique gins we're seeing right now. With a well-made gin, you can rely on your drinks to be generally on a different level than other white spirits - plus, you put it in martinis, and there's nothing wrong with that. A few sips of a good gin martini and the complexity will understand why the British used to call it "Mother's Ruin."

There's a whole laundry list of botanicals that are added to G'Vine, not the least of which is green grape flowers, along with a host of others. With so many flavors added, you can either end up with a complex drink, or a muddled mess where you can't tell what's going on. Find out what we thought below - plus find out how one of the botanicals in the drink might help clear up that embarrassing burning sensation you picked up on your last trip to Mexico.

Continue reading: "G'Vine Gin Review"

Juniper Green Organic London Dry Gin

We're digging on boutique-y type gins lately. Even though we haven't reviewed our bottle of G'Vine yet, but we're excited about it. Since we've got some gin on the brain, we were excited to hear about another small gin maker - and this one is organic to boot.

Juniper Green is a 100% organic gin, all the ingredients are USDA certified organic, British Soil Association Certificate, and CCOF certified. It is made with demineralised water and organic grain spirits. The botanicals are organic juniper, organic coriander, organic angelica, and organic savory. It has won many awards and medals in International competitions.

Read the tasting notes below.

Continue reading: "Juniper Green Organic London Dry Gin"

G'Vine Gin Arrives for Review

We just got ourselves a bottle of G'Vine Gin, and we're looking forward to checking it out. For those of you who haven't heard of it, G'Vine is the first white liquor distilled from grape vine flowers, which makes it a pretty close relative to wine. We wonder if it's going to offer us the same health benefits as a glass of red wine. We'll let you know if we feel any more vim and vigor after we conduct our review.

Read a bit more about G'Vine after the jump, including what our good friend Rick from Martini Lounge had to say. Plus, for all you Internet marketers out there, find out why comment Spam isn't a good way to go when you're promoting a product!

Continue reading: "G'Vine Gin Arrives for Review"

Review: DH Krahn Gin

DH Krahn
Ultra-Premium Gin with Juniper, Coriander, Citrus, and Ginger
80 Proof (40% ABV)
Typical Price: About $27 for 750ml
Website

Our Editor in Chief is not usually the jealous type, but sometimes we like to make him feel that little green tinge. It usually happens when someone gets to drink something he didn't get to try - especially when it's something he's heard as many good things about as DH Krahn gin.

We've been hearing nothing but positives about this stuff, and the Interns made a little wager with the EIC about whether he'd be able to try it or not. We won't share the details of the bet itself, but the Interns split the bottle and drank it all without sharing a single drop with our taskmaster. So what did we think of it?

Continue reading: "Review: DH Krahn Gin"

Martini Advice from a Real Bartender

For a drink that everyone professes to love so much, there's a lot of confusion and just plain myths that center around the martini. From choosing whether to make it with vodka or gin to deciding exactly how much vermouth belongs in there (consensus seems to say 1-2 molecules), everyone seems to have their own snooty way of mixing one.

We've found a great Q&A from Jeffrey Morganthaler, a pro bartender, centered around martini myths and how you can craft the perfect frosty beverage. We also like the fact he seems to share our sentiment that if you don't put any vermouth in your martini, it's just a shot of gin with an olive floating in it. Same goes for your typical "vodka martini."

As an aside, please note that it’s not possible to “bruise” gin. This is just a bullshit myth perpetuated by Martini “connoisseurs” who want to impress you with their “knowledge” and “sophistication”. It’s a meaningless term, trust me. However, they’re right about not shaking a martini - they just don’t get why.

via Jeffrey Morganthaler - Ask Your Bartender: Martini Advice

Bulldog Gin Review

Bulldog Gin
London Dry Gin with Poppy, Dragon Eye and Citrus
80 Proof (40% ABV)
Typical Price: Around $30 for 750ml
BulldogGin.com

It just sits there staring at you. Squat, grey, mean-looking, with that tough little studded collar giving it an extra air of menace. No, we're not talking about your neighbor's pit bull...we're talking about that bottle of Bulldog we got in last week, and the added bonus is that unlike your neighbor's dog the bottle is full of gin.

On the plus side before we even tasted it, we found out Bulldog has poppy in it (which they make heroin out of), and it has Dragon Eye (aka Longan, which is related to lychee, which they make Lichido out of). Find out how Bulldog measures up after the jump.

Continue reading: "Bulldog Gin Review"

Bulldog Gin Arrives for Review

It seems like just yesterday we were telling you about Bulldog Gin, and now here we are sitting with a bottle in our hands itching to give it a try. We've gotten some more information about the mysterious juniper liquor, including the fact that it's imported from London and it's currently available in New York and Georgia. We're looking forward to trying out some of their Bulldog cocktail recipes, including the Dirty Dog Martini and the Hair of the Dog, which features Tabasco sauce and a chili pepper. We bet that'll get the juices flowing.

We're all pumped up to start the reviewing (OK, drinking) process, but our Editor in Chief is holding us up because he has a cold that's blowing his sense of smell and taste. We'll get the review done and up ASAP so you can find out how much bite this bulldog really has.

Growl for Bulldog Gin

We just got word that there's going to be a new gin prowling the streets soon, and it goes by the name of Bulldog. According to the press release it's a London Dry with some crazy botanicals in there including Poppy and Dragon Eye (not sure what they are either). Between the exotic ingredients and the cool-looking bottle, we're definitely down to give it a try - hell, we'd try it even if they told us every bottle contained real bulldog fur.

Right now, we don't have much more to go on than a bottle shot (pictured), a website that won't be up for another two weeks (check back November 15) and a statement that it's available at Astor Wines in NYC.

Check out the press release after the jump for more information.

Continue reading: "Growl for Bulldog Gin"

Vodkafest with Gin on Monday Night

Sorry for the late notice, but if you're going to be in the New York area on Monday we highly recommend checking out the Polished Palate's Vodkafest with Gin. It's Monday October 23 at Manhattan's Valbella, and will feature a bunch of smaller vodka and gin distillers and distributors, as well as the typical 800 pound gorillas of the industry.

Our good friend Dave Schmier from Orange V vodka (see our Orange V review) will be pouring, and while they're apparently only allowed to pour 1/4 ounce shots for tasting, there are a lot of vendors there (wink wink). See below for the libations available, directly from the Polished Palate site:

We're shakin' and stirrin' at our VodkaFest-featuring Gin. Taste Vodkas from Sweden, Poland, Holland, Ireland, Finland, Switzerland, the USA & France. Vodkas made from corn, rye, wheat (one made from only 5 varieties of wheat)...some from fruit orchards like wild berries, ruby red grapefruit, banana, clementine, mango...some from your garden (cilantro, dill, rosemary & fennel) and more.

We keep meaning to make it down to NYC for these events and the PP's Rumfest but we haven't been able to get there yet. Please make up for our lameness - tickets are $40 in advance or $50 at the door and doors are at 6:30 - or if you want an extra hour of face time, do the VIP ticket for $60 and start the drinking at 5:30. For more Vodkafest information, head on over to the Polished Palate site.