I sent some clients a list of unique spirits recently that would make great last minute gifts, so thought I would share the list with you. Most of this spirits are on the low end of the price spectrum in their categories and the quality is unquestionable. These each have a ton of personality and can’t really be substituted with anything else. I also made the graphic on my phone and think it looks pretty slick. So, enjoy that. Let me know if you need help tracking any of these down. I got you.
Ahus Akavit
While distiller Anna Randrup prefers to source local ingredients when she can, quality is always the top priority at Ahus. The winter wheat used in the base distillate is native to Sweden and comes from just 12 miles from the distillery. However, the Seville orange peel, is sourced from an organic farm in Italy. Anna scours the globe to create the best Akvavit possible. This is not a caraway punch in the face. Elegant, high toned, complex.
Bimini Coconut (fat wash) Gin
Unlike many flavored spirits, Bimini Coconut does not contain any flavor extracts. Instead, they use organic Fair Trade Certified Extra Virgin coconut oil in a process known as “fat washing.” The result is a subtle, natural coconut aroma and flavor in perfect harmony with our other botanicals. Delicious and unlike anything else in the market.
El Mero Mero Tobala Mezcal Artesanal
Funky, raw, artesanal, Zapotec owned, mezcal for $59 a bottle. What more could you want? Not as citrus or fruit forward as most Tobalas can be. Grapefruit pith, buttermilk, sarsaparilla, creamy texture. 100% Wild Tobala, matured at 12 years in the mountains.
El Pintor Tequila
Tequila Joven produced in the highlands of Jalisco. After 8 years, the private estate agave is harvested and cooked in an autoclave and then fermented with yeasts that have been used for decades in the hacienda, then twice distilled in a 100 year old copper pot still. The blanco is blended with an extra anejo aged 3-4 years in used bourbon barrels and then passed through their proprietary filtration system in which they remove most of the color but none of the original organaleptic properties. Bottle looks like a tube of paint. Get it?
Fleurette Vermillion Gin
Vapor-path distilled with flowers and botanicals and then infused with hibiscus petals to add a striking natural color, which brings with it a complex palette of both tart and bitter notes. A touch of rose and honey reinforce the floral notes and sweet aromas of the gin. Due to its intricacy, this exquisite gin can only be produced in very limited batches. This unique spirit earned Best in Class in the 2018 Craft Distillers Spirits Competition.
Legendario Domingo Espadin Mezcal
Easily one of the best value espadins in the market. Perfect for sipping, priced for the well. Your new house mezcal. San Luis del Río, rustic, underground conical ovens that are ignited with Tepehuaje (Lead Tree) and sabino wood. Not a single tree is cut down, as all wood is gathered from fallen, dead trees. Tahona mill, Chilean stone pulled by horse. Natural fermentation in open pine wooden vats, indigenous yeast. Process lasts ten days, during which fresh spring water is added to the crushed agave. Double distillation in copper pot still.
Saison Pale Rum
Barbados (45%), Trinidad (35%) and Jamaica (20%). Unaged rums are selected from both traditional refinement methods, as the ultimate goal is a blend that has the richness and intensity from the distillation of molasses in pot still combined with the delicacy and lightness from sugarcane distillation in columns. Blended by Cognac Master Jerome Tessendier using the same methods as for cognac, blending the different terroirs with their diverse floral, fruity and spicy aromatic profiles. The blend rests in mature French oak barrels on the banks of the Charente River (France) for three months. This rum is unfiltered and has a pale honey hue, but not a hint of cloying sweetness. Dry, complex, unbelievable value. Baby’s first agricole.
Woody Creek Rye
Grain to glass distillery founded in 2012 in the town of Basalt in the Roaring Fork Valley near Aspen, Colorado. Dedicated to protecting and enhancing the natural resources of the Woody Creek region. Low-emissions facility, and the waste from their raw products goes back to the Scanlan family farm in Woody Creek as compost, or to local ranches as livestock feed. A proud winner of Best Farm Distillery from the American Distilling Institute in 2019. Made from 100% Colorado rye and aged in new American oak barrels, medium toast char #3. Embodies distinct rye character with pronounced white pepper throughout the palate, notes of citrus peel on the nose, and oaky vanilla mid-palate. William H. Macy approved. Seriously, click that link, it’s cute.
Xila
Xila means woman in Zapotec. Mexico’s first female-powered distillery, founded in 2015 by Hillhamn Salome. Ancho chile spiked mezcal liqueur. Addictive in the best sense of the word. Cocktail in a bottle. Mix with it or just pour over ice and relax. 20% abv and low sugar content (for a liqueur).
That’s it. I mean, I could suggest more, but 9 is enough right? Yeah, definitely. There’s a snow storm in NY tonight and my puppy is bouncing off the walls. Tomorrow should be interesting. Stay masked, stay small, stay thirsty. I think I’m going to have some Vermillion…
Until next time. Thanks for visiting.
potent potable 