Awesome Spirits

For Hendrick’s Gin’s sixth limited “Cabinet of Curiosities” release, Oasium, Master Distiller Lesley Gracie experimented with green botanicals, delicate herbs, and a kiss of citrus to capture a sensory oasis in every sip. Using Hendrick’s Gin as a base, Gracie built on its infusions of rose and cucumber to bring a verdant twist to classic gin cocktails.

TBH we haven’t had many RTD cocktails we’d drink again. Absolut’s tasty bottled Cosmopolitans and on-trend Espresso Martinis (made with real espresso and Kahlúa coffee liqueur) are an exception, especially because a $17 750ml RTD bottle blows $17 bar cocktails away. No mixology skills required. Simply shake or pour over ice.

One of the world’s most popular super-premium sipping rums, award-winning Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva is noted for its superlative smoothness and balance. It begins with sugar cane, locally sourced in Venezuela. A unique combo of batch kettle, pot still, and column distillations are at the heart of the refined Diplomatico style.

Vodka is only as good as the water that accounts for 60% of the spirit. Crystal clear 80-proof Reyka Vodka comes from Iceland, far from urban pollution, where arctic rain is filtered through 4,000-year-old lava fields. Scottish barley is added and distilled using the world’s only copper Carter Head still used to make vodka.

Whether you’re a recent whiskey convert or an aficionado, there’s plenty to learn about this beloved brown spirit. The third edition of Dave Broom’s The World Atlas of Whisky catalogs over 500 distilleries and offers tasting notes on 480 expressions. You’ll learn how to taste whiskey about the varied grains and production techniques in different regions.

Fósforo Mezcal Ensamble balanced, approachable, and less-smoky than most mezcals. Formulated by fourth-generation mezcalero Aaron Alva Sanchez, it’s a double-distilled blend of Tobalá (maguey) and Espadilla agave plants, roasted in underground pits before fermentation. The lingering full-mouth feel characterizes Fosforo’s Tobalá house style.

We’d call the ultra-premium, extra splurge-worthy Ron Zacapa Centenario XO the cognac of rums, but it’s better than that. The gold medal winner is made with a blend of Guatemalan rums, each one aged 10 to 25 years old. For a smooth sip, it’s finished in French oak casks that previously held cognac.

There’s nothing (nada) breakable about De-Nada Tequila’s new bottles: they’re now made from recyclable aluminum with a natural wood cork. And there’s nothing artificial inside, just blue Weber agave, water, and the distiller’s proprietary yeast. The Blanco and Reposado versions are cooked in brick ovens for 48+ hours and double distilled in copper pots.

Bring new depth and dimension to your whiskey with this spirit-enhancing gift set. The kit includes various types of oak, herbs, and spices to infuse your whiskey with, along with two bottles for mixing and six stainless steel whiskey stones for ice-free chilling. They also make infusion kits for gin and vodka.

There’s so much more to explore in Mexican spirits beyond the basics. Crystal-clear Contraluz Cristalino Mezcal is a mezcal in the refined Cristalino category, having matured in oak barrels and filtered through activated charcoal. And delicious Alma Finca is the only premium orange liqueur made with fresh citrus and spices from the Yucatán.

Las Californias Cítrico Gin is a tale of two countries — the US and Mexico — where hyper-local foraging across the border takes advantage of the area’s biological diversity. The colder waters of Alta California provide ingredients such as kelp, while Baja’s dry deserts yield white sage and juniper plus other leaves and fruits.

Swedish distiller Purity added an award to their trophy case when their Connoisseur 51 Organic Vodka was named Vodka of the Year in the New Orleans Spirits Competition. The organic spirit is distilled slowly at low temperatures for more than 20 hours in a custom copper still for a total of 51 distillations.

Inspired by the “Sur Lie” French winemaking process, Redemption Whiskey’s unique Sur Lee Straight Rye Whiskey starts with their pre-Prohibition rye mash bill with 95% rye content. Then, it breaks from whiskey-making norms, adding flavorful “whiskey lees,” leftover bits that come off the still during distillation, into the barrels before aging.

Master blender Lorena Vásquez crafts Zacapa No. 23 high in the mountains of Guatemala, using first-press sugar cane instead of molasses, like common rums. Zacapa 23 then enjoys a version of the “sistema solera” aging process in which the rum rests in casks that previously held American whiskey, sherry, and Pedro Ximenez wines.

What’s the latest tequila trend? Still strength and additive-free. Tequila enthusiasts Sammy Hagar and Guy Fieri lead the way with Santo 110 Proof Blanco, their off-the-still proof tequila with none of the junk that too many brands sneak into tequila. No big newsflash there, as all Santo Tequilas are additive-free.

Leave it to the English to create the world’s most interesting gins. Silent Pool is the full-bodied signature gin from a premium distiller in the English countryside. It’s a rich, juniper-forward spirit with floral layers of lavender and chamomile and 24 botanicals in all. Citrus notes are grounded by earthy cassia bark and cubeb.