The Bitter Truth - E**X**R
Amaro-style herbal liqueur
60 Proof (30% ABV) The Bitter Truth
They Say: "E**X**R is velvety smooth while at the same time clean, aromatic and herbaceous. It embodies the caramel sweetness of port and the bitter flavors of a classic Italian Amaro."
We Say: We're fans of The Bitter Truth bitters, and we were surprised when we heard they were making a liqueur. The nose is bitter, which is to be expected, and most folks would acquaint the smell with a certain famous herbal liqueur called Jagermeister. The flavor is sweeter than we expected up front, with a lingering herbal taste that lasts, and it feels a bit syrupy on the tongue. At the end it's much closer to a Fernet than a Jager, and it's something we'd like to experiment more with in terms of cocktails. One of the recipes on the website is E**X**R and Ginger, which we mixed and really enjoyed the way the herbal flavors opened up with the ginger beer.
The Verdict: E**X**R is an enigma wrapped in a riddle, smothered in mystery sauce. It starts off sweet and ends up with a pleasant bitterness that will appeal to adventurous drinkers and those who like their drinks with some zazz. Try it in Negronis, or swap it in for vermouth in your favorite drinks - give in to your spirit of adventure and we think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
As most of you know, it's Mardi Gras season all February, ending on Fat Tuesday on March 8. What you probably don't know, unless you have night vision goggles and a perch outside our window, is that we're sitting in front of a Mardi Gras-themed package sent to us by Southern Comfort to help us prep for the celebration.
And what is the first thing you think of when you think of Mardi Gras? Oh, right, beads. But what comes next? If you're us, the next thing you think of is drinking. Which is exactly why Southern Comfort sent us...a doughnut? Err, excuse us, it was actually a King Cake, a Mardi Gras delicacy. We're sure they're delicious, but by the time Fedex delivered ours it looked like a giant glazed donut someone had shot with Homer's makeup gun set to "whore." From our hazy memories, that sort of fits the whole Bourbon Street vibe, but we got the picture above from here anyway.
They also sent us a couple interesting SoCo recipes, one of which - the "Flambeaux Mambo" which contains Tabasco - really piqued our curiosity. Looks like we'll have to dust off our bottles of SoCo and hot sauce and tuck into some cake...we doubt it'll keep until March.
Check out SoCo on Facebook and we're sure they'll keep you up to speed on all things Mardi Gras.
European bitters producers The Bitter Truth have released a new bitters liqueur called E**X**R in the US, and the big hook is that it has digestive properties, meaning you can help quash your sour belly after you eat too much by mixing a cocktail. That is what we call a win-win-win. We've gotten our bottle in for review and will review it post-haste.
Firmly rooted in the traditions of both classic sweet vermouths and alpine digestive tonics. Enjoy E**X**R in a pre-dinner Manhattan or Negroni or enjoy it neat after a rich meal to aid digestion. It's as delicate as the finest vermouths with an alcohol content that allows it to defy oxidation and the need for refrigeration. It's thoroughly intriguing and the most astounding new addition to the cocktailian arsenal.
We're sort of ridiculously excited by the fact Pee Wee Herman is in this SNL Digital Short. The fact he's doing shots and raising hell is really just icing on the cake.
Someday, we hope to be at least this drunk while wearing a Santa costume. Until that day, we're going to have to be content with this amazing video of a Santa Claus doing the equivalent of trying to put on his flip flops.
We can tell you what would happen - you would go off the rails in a giant flaming fireball of a wreck. But what if you put the results on video? Pure Internet gold, that's what. Check out the diary and all seven (seven!) videos from the experiment - we've included the final one below. If you need some convincing to watch it, here's the summary line from the article - "(Four Loko is) pink death piss from Satan's prick in a 22 ounce can and it should not only be made illegal, the people responsible for making and selling it, right down to the poor chump at the convenience store, should be put to death."
Looking a dip a toe into fermenting your own potent potables, but don't have the time and inclination to do all that "boiling" and "sanitizing"? Sounds like you're the target market for "Spike Your Juice," a kit that lets you ferment any juice that comes in a 64 ounce bottle.
Each kit comes with 6 yeast packets, 6 bottle labels, 1 airlock, 1 rubber stopper, and recipes, and you won't have to wait as long as you do for beer - it can take as little as 48 hours instead of multiple weeks. Six batches of fermented juice, with alcohol content of up to 14% - you don't have to be in math club to know that's pretty easy on the wallet. Of course, it could taste worse than prison Pruno (think vomit-flavored wine cooler) but hey, you're doing it yourself!
You can pick up a kit and try it out for $10 at ThinkGeek; or you can get two kits for the price of two (that's around $20 to the layperson) at Amazon.
If you're half as sick as we are of those ubiquitous Disaronno ads that play on basic cable, you might just be ready to make your own Amaretto. Or, perhaps you're looking for a gift, or just want a project to do to keep you from dwindling into insanity. Whatever the reason, check out Chow's Homemade Amaretto recipe below. [via Liqurious]
Looking to get in touch with your inner child, and still catch a buzz? Sounds like you might be in the mood for some Adult Chocolate Milk. Made by Temperance Distilling Company in Temperance, Michigan, ACM is a 40 proof (20% ABV) liqueur that will soon be joined by some other flavors - including Adult Orange Cream, Adult Fruit Punch, and Adult Limeade.
It's only available in the West right now, but according to Rick at CocktailGoGo, people all over the country will eventually be able to have adult chocolate milk mustaches:
...it's being distributed by Southern Wine & Spirits which means it's going to be just about everywhere. Let no man go without his Adult Chocolate Milk!
You can get a 750ml for $17.99 or a 1L for $19.99 and it's being sold in the West first and rolling out to other states later on.
Plus, if you absolutely can't wait, head to HiTimeWine for 750ML and 1LT bottles.
Don't look now, but we got a bottle of Vodgria, a sangria-flavored vodka, in the mail for review today. For those of you who've been living under a rock, sangria is a wine punch that is usually fortified with a little of the hard stuff, usually brand, triple sec, or vodka.
Vodgria cuts out the middle man of actually having to mix up sangria for yourself, and coming in at 30 proof (15% ABV) it will pack a similar punch. It looks like it's going to be gunning for the same market as brands like Hpnotiq, Alize, and Nuvo, and is the only sangria-flavored vodka around. Vodgria retails for under $13; we'll do a full tasting and get it posted ASAP.
Bitter Truth E**X**R Review
The Bitter Truth - E**X**R
Looking a dip a toe into fermenting your own potent potables, but don't have the time and inclination to do all that "boiling" and "sanitizing"? Sounds like you're the target market for "Spike Your Juice," a kit that lets you ferment any juice that comes in a 64 ounce bottle.
If you're half as sick as we are of those ubiquitous Disaronno ads that play on basic cable, you might just be ready to make your own Amaretto. Or, perhaps you're looking for a gift, or just want a project to do to keep you from dwindling into insanity. Whatever the reason, check out Chow's 
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Looking to get in touch with your inner child, and still catch a buzz? Sounds like you might be in the mood for some 
Don't look now, but we got a bottle of Vodgria, a sangria-flavored vodka, in the mail for review today. For those of you who've been living under a rock, sangria is a wine punch that is usually fortified with a little of the hard stuff, usually brand, triple sec, or vodka. 
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