Unbottled – Ayala Brut Majeur Champagne
I always wanted to try this champagne, because I was curious to see how Bollinger’s influence plays out here. Luckily, my wife gave me a bottle of the Brut Majeur as a Christmas present.
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Magnolia Trees – Satoshi Curaçao
Orange Curaçao is a staple of any cocktail or home bar. Yet, there are just a few high-quality ones out there. This new one comes from Satoshi combines orange eau de vie with Italian brandy and some sugar. I just had to try it in a Margarita variation.
Another (Dry) Champagne Tasting
Just before the Christmas season starts, is the ideal time to discover some new champagne. Paired with the fact that our last champagne tasting was two years ago, I gathered some friends and we tried nine different bottles.
Yellow Moon – Kilchoman Sauternes Cask
Obviously, the Kilchoman Sauternes Cask with its ageing in sweet wine casks is perfect on its own. Yet, I could not resist mixing up a cocktail with it. I was inspired by the whisky’s packaging in yellow.
Tribute to a King – Paul Bara Brut Reserve
This is actually the last drink I mixed in our old apartment. Yet, I was not happy with the pictures I took in a hurry. So, I remixed the drink and also used the chance to present you a tasty champagne.
Summer Please – Normindia Pamplemousse Gin
Yes, it is another new gin and yes summer is almost over. However, this does not mean that you could not sip a summery gin highball. In this case, I came up with a grapefruit forward Negroni style highball.
Connected – A Whisk(e)y Mai Tai
For those hot summer days the obvious choice of base spirit seems to be rum. However, I while ago I came up with a Mai Tai variation using two different whiskies. While this version might indeed be a bit too much for the really hot days, it turned out delicious nevertheless.
A Mirabelle eau de vie tasting
Some time ago, I ran out of my regular bottle of Mirabelle eau de vie. So, similar to the recent apricot eau de vie tasting, I did a blind tasting of eight Mirabelle eau de vies. Join in to read about the quite different results.
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.