Awesome Spirits

Cutwater Spirits’ third tequila release is Tequila Añejo, joining the award-winning Reposado and Blanco in Cutwater’s 20+ spirit lineup of gin, vodka, rum, whisky, mezcal, and canned cocktails produced in San Diego. The versatile distiller makes tequila in – naturally – Tequila, Mexico, using 100% blue agave that’s slow cooked in traditional brick ovens then double-distilled.

Most single malt whiskies insist on being sipped neat. X by Glenmorangie, by contrast, was created to stir it up with a myriad of mixers. Glenmorangie reimagines single malts by making X sweeter and richer with aromas of pear and vanilla distilled in extra-tall stills to allow more space for the taste to bloom.

Aged & Ore’s thoughtful, portable decanter is designed for carrying spirits without the flavor alterations that can come with metal containers. It features a 500ml handblown bottle that nestles safely between a pair of double-walled, insulated sleeves that convert into tumblers.

We’re loving Mezcal Amaras Verde’s label series by artists from Chicago, LA (our pal Chaz), Seattle, Berlin, Argentina, and Mexico. Even better is the naturally fermented mezcal, and the distiller’s initiatives to pay 20% over market for labor and materials, and to reforest Oaxaca with 10 agave plants for every one harvested.

For the ninth year, thousands of bars, restaurants, retailers and Negroni fans will celebrate the popular three-ingredient cocktail to raise funds for charities. Campari – Italy’s iconic red aperitif – kicks off Negroni Week 2021 (Sept. 13-19) with a $100,000 donation, joined by MiniBar, Shaker & Spoon , and Imbibe Magazine.

The most important ingredient in Brazil’s beloved Caipirinha cocktail is Cachaça, a rum-like spirit made from fermented sugar cane. Novo Fogo has perfected Cachaça distilling with an array of rested and barrel-aged expressions, all of which are USDA organic and carbon neutral, absorbing more CO2 than the process emits.

Zignum Mezcal’s Joven, Reposado, and Añejo spirits are pleasantly smooth versions of tequila’s smoky cousin, with the latter two benefiting from 8-18 months in oak casks. The Oaxacan distillery’s eco-friendly initiatives include solar heating, water recycling, and a nursery where Espadín agave is grown from seeds.

In the 1800s, Benedictine monks created a pleasantly bitter elixir of herbs thought to possess therapeutic properties. It became known as Averna when Salvatore Averna acquired the recipe and won approval from King Umberto I, the liqueur’s first superfan. Two centuries later, the timeless Italian ritual of drinking Amaro Averna remains.

Best of Show. Best of Class. Double Gold… Mezcal Amaras Cupreata keeps collecting top international medals. Proving that there’s a biodiversity of agaves yielding a wide range of flavors, Cupreata strikes gold by focusing on the distinct herbaceous notes from wild agaves harvested from the high-altitude slopes of Guerrero, Mexico.

Bottled in Michigan, American Liquor Co. Vodka is blended like whisky. Every budget bottle mixes vodkas made from four classic ingredients – wheat, rye, potato, and corn – from American distilleries: Middle West Spirits, Stumpy Spirits, Yahara Bay, Grand Traverse Distillery, Valentine Distilling, and Proof Artisan Distillers.

Four Roses’ Kentucky distillery combines two mash-bills with five proprietary yeast strains to create 10 distinct bourbon recipes. Once they’ve matured, they blend four of these for gold-medal-winning Four Roses Small Batch, a mellow 90-proof spirit to serve straight-up, on the rocks, or in a flavorful cocktail like The Sweet & Spicy.

Barr Hill Gin is getting buzz for going beehive-to-bottle with its honey-enhanced spirit. The premium American gin uses 150,000 lb. of raw honey each year, sourced in close proximity to the solar-powered Vermont distillery. They’re planting 500,000 sq. ft. of bee habitat, yielding enough honey for 50,000 Bee’s Knees cocktails.

The black bottle hints that this small-batch vodka from a “small ass facility” in Oregon is pretty badass. Confirming that are Blood x Sweat x Tears Vodka’s rescue pittie, Mr. Pickles, and heavily tatted owner/distiller, Ben Green, a self-taught renegade who sources Pacific Northwest wheat for BST’s slow-distilled, freeze-filtered vodka.

For National Tequila Day, Patron released its limited-edition 2021 Patron Mexican Heritage Tin featuring colorful art by Mexican street muralist, Senkoe. It inspired the Patron x John Geiger streetwear collection: collectible socks and a long sleeve shirt depicting a jimador farmer harvesting agave for tequila.

Co-founded by Mexican-American PGA golfer Abraham Ancer, Flecha Azul Tequila is made from estate-grown Blue Weber Agave in one of Mexico’s first tequila distilleries, dating back to 1840. There are five expressions en toto: Tequila Blanco, Tequila Reposado, Tequila Añejo, Tequila Añejo Cristalino, and Tequila Extra Añejo.

Named for the Bourbon Trail waterway on which Lexington, Kentucky was founded, Town Branch Bourbon was introduced in 2012 as the first spirit from the first new distillery in downtown Lexington in 100 years. This award-winning, 90-proof spirit – 72% corn mash, 15% malted barley, 13% rye – is aged in charred white oak barrels.

Aged & Infused infusion kits give you everything you need to make delicious, naturally-flavored spirits – just BYO alcohol. They come in five flavors, each designed to pair with a selection of spirits. The Navel Gazer spiced orange and Parrot Head strawberry jalapeno grabbed our attention the most. Refill packs here.

Tanteo Tequila is an ultra-premium 100% agave tequila. It’s distilled, infused, and bottled by hand in Juanacatlán, Mexico at the only distillery owned by a co-op of agave farmers. Tanteo distills three unique pepper tequilas with different flavor profiles and heat levels: spicy Jalapeño, smokey Chipotle, and hot Habanero.

Artist Tom of Finland masculinized erotica that boldly defined late-20th century gay culture. In Tom’s memory, pour a stiff one with small-batch Tom of Finland Organic Vodka made by Master Distiller Mika Mönkkönen at Lignell & Piispanen, the second-oldest family-run company in Finland.

The slender, blue bottle of Tequila Corralejo Reposado has been an iconic favorite for ages, thanks to its double distillation and aging process in American oak barrels. But no bar is complete without the flavors of Corralejo’s Tequila Blanco (clear with citrus and herbal notes) and Tequila Anejo (golden, aged 12 months).

Created at Kentucky’s Old Taylor Distillery, Slow Hands Single Barrel Rye is the second whiskey and first single barrel release from Castle & Key. The bold rye features four unique cask-strength barrels derived from 63% rye, 17% yellow corn, 20% malted barley, and water sourced from Castle & Key’s on-site Springhouse.

Non-alcoholic drinks are booming thanks to modern spirits that deliver complex flavors and healthy ingredients. Distilled in the Pacific Northwest, zero-calorie, gluten-free Wilderton is made from globally-sourced botanicals in two flavor profiles: smoky Earthen, and citrusy Lustre. Tasty, guilt-free bases to mix, sip, and savor.

Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Standard Proof’s specialty rye whiskeys are infused with natural ingredients for a big and bold taste. Flavors include an eye-opening Arabica coffee, a sweet honeysuckle wildflower, a zesty ginger root, along with pecan, mint, and pineapple. Sold in 750ml bottles and great for making cocktails.