Premium Asian Wine & Spirits Company, TY KU, has just launched a Junmai Ginjo sake (less than 10% of all sakes) that has been specially brewed with no additives or preservatives. Like all of TY KU’s products their sake is calorie-conscious with packaging that simply can’t be beat.
Their sake works well on its owned (chilled) or in cocktails and utilizes –
- 60% polished specialty sake rice, milled on-site
-Pristine, iron-free, naturally filtered water
-Koji made by hand in the only cedar-lined koji room in the U.S.
The result is a smooth sake with a flavor profile described as “peach on the nose and a subtle hint of spice underneath. Soft and creamy with deep viscosity that coats the palate resulting in a long finish which ended delightfully crisp. Depth and body pairs well with lighter Western fare (grilled white meats and cooed fish), yet is delicate enough to complement Asian cuisine.”
September 22nd, 2009 by Beverage Blogger | Posted in Recipes, Reviews | Comments (0)
Los Angeles-based TRU Organic Spirits is an eco-minded spirits company founded by a husband and wife team. Using only the finest natural products available on the market (often sourced from local growers), Tru is completely organic, packaged in 100% recyclable packaging, and made in small batches so as to maintain its high flavor profile and quality. To boot, for every bottle sold a tree is planted!
I was able to sample two of Tru’s offerings– Tru Organic Vodka and Tru2 Gin. Tru Vodka is made from 100% organic American wheat and only the highest grade certified organic ingredients were used (alcohol: 40%). The vodka has a wonderfully smooth, pure texture and can easily be enjoyed straight-up. As for the small batch artisanal gin, it is made with 14 whole aromatics (alcohol: 42%). The botanicals are macerated in layers forming an organic wheat base spirit. Among the ingredients used in the maceration process are juniper berries and chamomile which is why the gin isn’t clear, but rather it has a light amber hue. Tru2 Gin is not re-distilled after the maceration process which helps add balance to the resulting gin.
July 10th, 2009 by Beverage Blogger | Posted in Reviews | Comments (0)
Now you can sample the martinis that made BondSt win the coveted “Best Martini” Citysearch Audience Award. The swank lounge and restaurant will now be offering a “Martini Tasting” featuring their most popular martinis - a half portion each of the Lychee Martini, Dry Saketini and Sweet Saketini for $22. BondSt is also offering the “Wine and Sake Tasting” for guests who wish to explore the restaurant’s most popular wine and sake from its extensive lists.
BondSt is located at 6 Bond St between Broadway and Lafayette Streets.
July 8th, 2009 by Beverage Blogger | Posted in Reviews | Comments (0)
Yesterday I posted a story on the award-winning Obsello Absinthe Verte and today I wanted to discuss Port of Barcelona. From the makers of Obsello — Esmeralda Liquors – Port of Barcelona is a brand new, micro-distilled gin that was recently unveiled in San Francisco.
Every bottle of Port of Barcelona Gin is distilled in the seasoned absinthe stills (which use flame heat that require more craftsmanship, but give the makers more control, than standard column stills that use steam heating systems), used to produce Obsello Absinthe Verte. These pots are engineered specifically to capture a higher percentage of the essences of plant and botanical ingredients, which may help and explain why I was told that some of the folks at Esmeralda have nicknamed the gin “the lightning rod” due to the incredible and polarizing opinions it has generated!
In a press release, Esmeralda Liquors distiller B. Alex noted — “This is not your average gin. We pitted unflinching quality and taste against rouge personality and wit, sealed the bottle and hit the starting bell.”
The smooth, complex gin is made using 100% malted barley for a base. It is made in the oldest of production styles and contains only natural, premium ingredients, many of which are sourced locally in Spain where Esmeralda hand-crafts both gin and absinthe in small, 400 liter batches.
Port of Barcelona Gin’s bouquet is described by Esmeralda Liquors as having an herbal bouquet featuring juniper, citrus and the roots and stalks of Iris flowers. In fact when you pour the gin you are likely to be immediately struck by the juniper. The gin is amazingly smooth (you won’t feel a burn), and therefore can easily be enjoyed on its own (nothing polarizing about it — just exquisite!).
Port of Barcelona Gin comes packaged in an attractive, short, but plump bottle.
A 750ml bottles retails for around $30.
June 2nd, 2009 by Beverage Blogger | Posted in Gin, Reviews | Comments (0)
Obsello Absinthe is an award-winning (Gold from BTI, Best in Class from Imbibe, made Wine Enthusiast’s Best of Year 2008, “A” from DrinkHacker), twice distilled absinthe that is made with eight natural herbs including grande wormwood, anise and fennel. The exquisite absinthe is hand-crafted in small batches and made in traditional alembic stills using an un-aged brandy base from Penedès, Spain wine stock. Obsello embraces original absinthe production and therefore no artificial flavoring, coloring or essences are used in its production.
When I taste-tested Obsello it instantly reminded me of the absinthe I tasted at White Star (one of master mixologist Sasha Petraske’s latest ventures), in NYC because it doesn’t hit you with harsh bitterness. Given that it’s a Spanish absinthe it’s little surprise that it’s a touch sweeter and smoother (distinct hint of vanilla on the palette), than French absinthe.
Obsello officially launched in September 2008 in San Francisco and is available at a number of restaurants, bars and night clubs in S.F., Los Angeles, and, New York. Among the establishments to offer Obsello are White Star (which explains why when I sampled it, it instantly reminded me of the absinthe served by Petraske himself at the diminutive spot!), and Little Branch in New York, Hungry Cat in Los Angeles and Michael Minna’s establishment in San Francisco.
The pale yellow-green Spanish verte comes packaged in a gorgeous black champagne bottle. Please see below for more information from Obsello’s website!
June 1st, 2009 by Beverage Blogger | Posted in Reviews, Types | Comments (1)
I’m looking forward to trying Purista when the line of cocktail mixes comes to New York in July! I’ve heard so many great things about them and Purista has just come-out with a mix for one of my favorite drinks — the Mojito. The Purista Mojito Premium Cocktail Mix is a 100% natural solution for making Mojitos without having to deal with a time-consuming process. Mojitos present an array of challenges for any cocktail enthusiast — the fragility of fresh mint, the labor and time required to hand-muddle, the scarcity of fresh sugar cane juice and the challenge of creating consistent, quality Mojitos that achieve the desirable tart-sweet balance – which is why you’ll often hear bartenders sigh when a patron orders the popular drink.
Recognizing this, Master Mixologist Michael Hensel, who began making the beloved Cuban cocktail more than 20 years ago as a bartender in Germany, created a fresh-made, hand-crafted non-alcoholic Mojito blend using only the finest ingredients – nothing artificial, no muddling required. Just add rum and club soda.
Each 750-milliliter bottle of Purista Mojito Premium Cocktail Mix is an all-natural blend of fresh key lime juice, organic sugar cane juice, fresh mint leaves and filtered water. No preservatives. No artificial anything. When combined with an equal part white rum and two parts club soda, each bottle creates 17 six-ounce Mojitos. In addition, Hensel presents Purista Mojito Blackberry for a twist on the classic or to create a martini with premium vodka, as well as Purista Margarita and Purista Caipirinha.
Purista is available for at select retail locations in California, Florida and Nevada; beginning in June, Purista will be available in Texas, New Jersey, Colorado and Illinois, and in July, consumers will find the premium cocktail mixes in New York.
May 29th, 2009 by Beverage Blogger | Posted in News, Reviews | Comments (0)
If there’s one positive outcome of the economic downturn is that there are now more affordable gastronomic deals to be had. One of the newest restaurant/bars on the New York City scene is Marfa. A Texas-Inspired East Village hangout from Hayne Suthon (of Cave Canem and, perhaps, most notably of Lucky Cheng’s — the world famous Asian restaurant where drag queens serve food and offer up nightly cabarets), Marfa is located in the space that until recently housed Suthon’s ode to Hawaii, Waikiki Wally’s.
The spacious restaurant houses a long bar and happy hour deals throughout the week. The décor is inspired by a West Texas artists’ community which is perfectly complemented by noted chef Harun Shah’s (Raga, Death & Company) cuisine. Shah offers patrons a selection of Texas-inspired tapas, all of which you can eat with your fingers. Most notable I found when it came to their small eats were their delectable steak tacos which come accompanied by homemade guacamole and various salsas, along with toasted mini tortillas and their vegetarian chile which is served cold along with two slices of cornbread. Ribs are prominently featured on the Marfa menu and hearty dry rub barbecued baby back ribs that drip with Marfa’s special barbecue sauce, along with chipotle chicken wings, fish tacos, and “Shells on” spicy shrimp are just some of the other small bites offered. The small bites are the best way to sample Marfa’s cuisine — most are priced under $10 and the portions are very generous.
That said Marfa’s airy-feel and spacious setting make it great for groups. With that in mind they’ve go a Texas tapas platter designed for groups to share. Marfa appetizer platters are priced per person and range from El Cheapo (featuring four different appetizers) for $9 per person to the Big Texas Platter (featuring eight appetizers and a shot of house-infused flavored tequila), which, at $18 per person, is quite the deal. For groups of eight or more, Marfa also offers a barbecue menu, a complete package for $27 per person. The Texas-sized meal includes a choice of two sides and three appetizers from the menu and an entrée of expertly prepared barbequed ribs, shrimp, pulled pork and saucy barbecued chicken (more than enough – I had two small bites and a side of spinach when I was there last and couldn’t even finish those three items!).
However, a trip to Marfa would not be complete without sampling of this spot’s incredible cocktail list designed by Marshall Altier, a leading mixologist, well versed in both classic and modern cocktails. Marshall has been mentored by the innovative Eben Freeman at Tailor and brings his unique concoctions to the upscale Italian restaurant Insieme. The cocktail menu consists of reasonably priced drinks ($9-$12) – especially given their intricacy — with out-of-this-world house infused flavored tequilas (so delectable in fact that since going to Marfa a friend of mine has been inspired to infuse his own tequila).
The cocktail list stand-outs include the house Marfarita with grapefruit and Serrano chili infused tequila for an extra special kick and a perfect balance of flavors and Lavender Daisy with lavender infused tequila, honey, fresh lime and peach bitters. They’ve also got an array of beers — Pabst Blue Ribbon, Lone Star, Tecate, and Corona and for those on a shoestring budget there’s the El Cheapo Special, a PBR with a shot of cheap liquor as a chaser.
Marfa is located in the East Village at 101 East 2nd Street, and is open for dinner Monday-Friday from 6-11PM and on weekends from 6-11:30, with the bar staying open late. For more information you can visit www.marfanyc.com.
All photos courtesy of Marfa.
May 8th, 2009 by Beverage Blogger | Posted in Reviews | Comments (0)
About two years ago a friend of mine worked in marketing for a sake called TYKU. She kept telling me that I had to try it, but before I knew it she was off to another job and the sake fell-off my radar. Luckily I recently had the chance to sample some and I have to say the only thing more impressive than the taste is the gorgeous bottle. I think I would buy TYKU just to display it in my kitchen it’s so beautiful!
Housed in the world’s only illuminating bottle, TYKU Premium Liqueur is a low calorie, low carb, low sugar, antioxidant, aphrodisiac infused soju base liqueur. When you press the button underneath the bottle’s base an LED light is activated and the bottle glows (it lights when it is poured!). The liqueur has a clean and refreshing flavor making it great for a cocktail base as well as a stand-alone drink. It’s best served chilled.
TYKU balances peach on the nose with a hint of spice underneath. It has a long, crisp finish and its suggested paring is with lighter western fare like grilled white meats and cooked fish. That said given how dry it is it can also complement Asian cuisine or work as an aperitif. To achieve its flavors, TYKU combines premium all natural ingredients including yuzu (vitamin C), mangosteen (antioxidants), Tibetan goji berry (18 amino acids and vitamins), honeydew (potassium and vitamin C), green tea (antioxidants), and ginseng which are all then blended with the low-calorie Asian vodka soju.
TYKU – which has the distinct honor of being the only sake to ever receive the prestigious Five Star Diamond Award– has also recently launched two products that I have yet to try — TYKU Sake which is a super premium Junmai Ginjo Sake and TYKU White which is an ultra premium Junmai Daiginjo “Crown Jewel” of Sake. In late 2009 TYKU will be launching yet another product — TYKU Soju.
Learn more about TYKU on their website - http://www.trytyku.com.
Photos Courtesy of Tyku
April 10th, 2009 by Beverage Blogger | Posted in Reviews | Comments (2)
There’s no better time to try the well-blended Van Gogh Acai-Blueberry vodka than on March 30th, the anniversary of Vincent Van Gogh’s birthday. The libation comes beautifully packaged in a royal purple bottle and is meant to pay tribute to Van Gogh.
There’s also a wonderful cocktail – Starry Night – that the folks at Van Gogh Vodka have come-up with. It’s an effervescent cocktail made with Van Gogh Acai-Blueberry Vodka, sparkling rosé, and garnished with starfruit— an absolutely delicious combination!
The expertly crafted and naturally infused berry fruit flavors from the Acai-Blueberry vodka paired with sparkling rosé create a wonderfully refreshing cocktail (especially if you’re like me and partial to anything that includes sparkling wine). The cocktail also has a beautiful purple hue and a nice, strong blueberry flavor that unlike so many other flavored vodkas, does not come off as tasting like artificially flavored candy.
This vodka is 70 proof. Check-out the recipe for Starry Night and two other cocktails below!
Starry Night
4 oz Sparkling Rosé
1 oz Van Gogh Acai-Blueberry Vodka
Starfruit garnish (optional)
Blueberry Creamcicle
1 oz. Van Gogh Acai-Blueberry Vodka
1/2 oz. Licor 43
spalsh blue curacao
splash cream
Very Berry Cosmo
2 oz. Van Gogh Acai-Blueberry Vodka
1/2 oz. Chambord
1/2 oz. Triple Sec
1/2 oz. Cranberry juice
Check out their website for more great recipes!
http://recipes.vangoghvodka.com/new_recipes/
Photo courtesy of Van Gogh vodka
March 11th, 2009 by Beverage Blogger | Posted in Recipes, Reviews | Comments (0)
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