White Sands – Casa Eva Licor de Fonol
Even when visiting the Casa Eva for the first time in 2024, I knew that I had to mix drinks with Stefan’s fennel liqueur. So, I used the Vieux Carré as a base of some sorts for this drink.
Brandy Drinks
Still Water – Eduard/ Besos de Café
If you are in Berlin, you simply must visit the KaDeWe. The food aisle in particular is full of interesting things to discover. This time, I tried a black tea with coffee beans and bought some immediately! Of course, I also prepared a cocktail with it.
Bonnie Hill – Ferrand Double Cask
Sometimes I do get ideas while browsing the internet. In this case, I discovered a new banana liqueur which spiked my interest. So, I combined it with some cognac for an Old-Fashioned variation.
Secret Meeting – Vallein Tercinier V.S.O.P
The Vallein Tercinier V.S.O.P cognac has recently been given a new design. Fortunately, Kirsch Whisky was kind enough to send me a bottle to sample. I opted for a Cognac Summit variation, which turned out to be the perfect choice for such hot days.
Snap Dog – Engel Grape Eau de Vie
Some time ago, I had the idea of combining an unaged grape eau de vie with elderflower in a sour-style cocktail. I was thinking of a Snap Dragon meets Pisco Sour kind of drink. Fortunately, my friend Manuel Engel provided me with his grape eau de vie.
One Bottle One Drink – Bitter End
Yes, this is another Negroni variation and not necessarily one suited for summer. However, the split base of overproof cognac and overproof calvados was too intriguing to not try it. Obviously, I had to pair those powerful spirits with other strong ingredients.
Distillery Visit – Reisetbauer Qualitaetsbrand
I always love to combine my travels with distillery visits. This time on our way to Vienna, we visited one of my favourite eau de vie distilleries – Reisetbauer. To make things short, the Reisetbauer distillery is well worth a visit!
Shadowplay – Gran Duque d’Alba
How to call a crossover between a Harvard Cocktail and the Black Manhattan? Well, I chose a song with more than a touch of darkness in it as a title. On top of that, I am presenting a classic brandy, probably everybody has heard of.
Spirited News 01/2023: Whic.de Voyages
As per usual, I am pretty late to review some samples from Which.de. However, they also publish a new Scottish Single Malt book out. So, I took this as an excuse to write about the recent whiskies and other bottlings.
Tropical Month 2023 – Fall from Grace
Blanche Armagnac is a wonderful spirit to mix with! This is why I came up with a Missionary’s Downfall variation some time ago. An entry to the Home Bar Awards 2022 Finals added the finishing touches to the recipe.