Reviews
The Pilgrimage started at HNL International Airport Gate 16, standby status. To my luck, I was the last person called for the last available seat on Delta Flight 1152. Flying standby was incredibly stressful especially when everything hinged on this one flight. Thank goodness! I was on my way to San Francisco. All I could think about was my strategy on what table to hit first.
Whisky Fest 2011 did not disappoint. In attendance was my favorite Master of Whisky, Tom Turner with his lovely wife, Stephanie. The Third and Fourth Generation of Van Winkles were on hand answering questions from sloppy drunkards. It was entertaining to watch the stately Van Winkle handle the demanding questions. Not a ‘wrinkle’ under pressure. Kudos! Also representing their respected distilleries were Master Distillers from the Four Roses, Compass Box, Hudson, and Anchor. After two hours of ‘sampling’ I’ve narrowed down my overall favorites and of course all of them are not available in Hawaii.
High West: This was the first table I sampled. The most memorable whiskey by far was the 36th Vote Barreled Manhattan. Everyone around me raved over the 21 yr Rocky Mountain Rye, but I wanted more 36th’s deliciously rich, slightly spiced, velvety smooth barreled Manhattan. High West was the first legalized distillery in the State of Utah in 2007. Utah, known to be alcohol unfriendly, was ironic to insure it would be the last state to end Prohibition. It was their crucial 36th Vote against the 19th Amendment, hence, the tribute to the Barreled Manhattan. How does a distillery opererating since 2007 have a 21 yr old rye? The Rocky Mountain Rye was a rye barreled in used American oak. These barrels were found in a Kentucky warehouse and were saved from being shipped off to be blended with Canadian whiskies.
Hudson: Fond of it’s petit packaging, short from a full sized bottle but far from short on flavor. Hudson brought five of their whiskies and the one that stood out was the New York Corn Whiskey. The sweet corn aromatics from this white whiskey was never ceasing. I loved it. Opened since 2001, Hudson became the first whiskey distillery in New York since Prohibition.
How do young distilleries compete with the demand for aged whiskies? Many are using smaller casks to age the whiskey with enough wood influence to give the whiskey its depth of color and richness in flavor. Hudson also uses sonic maturation to help vibrate the whiskey into the wood. The whiskey spends less time in smaller 2 gallon barrels compared to years in a much larger 53 gallon barrel without sacrificing flavor and color.
Compass Box: The only scotch to make my favorite list. This year I did not concentrate much on the scotches but when I saw the Great King Street, I had to sample it. Compass Box, known to have brought the ‘cool’ factor back into blended scotches, also sampled their famous Peat Monster, Spice Tree, and Hedonism. Great King Street is blend of 51% Lowland, 23% Northern Highland with malty/fruity notes, 18% Northern Highland with grassy/perfumed notes, and 8% Speyside. Rich, toasty, with hints of vanilla.
Four Roses: I really wish Four Roses were sold in Hawaii. It is one of my favorite Kentucky bourbons. What is so impressive about them is how they represent themselves at a tasting like Whisky Fest. During the VIP hour, Master Distiller, Jim Rutledge, ‘nosed’ some of our glasses to make sure we did not have scotch residuals and then rinsed it with a Four Roses bourbon prior to trying the 2011 Limited Edition Small Batch. I love when people involved with the product they created want to you to experience it correct and untainted.
As much as I wanted to feature every distillery I tried, these four distilleries made an impression on me with quality of product, packaging and a passion for why they were at WhiskyFest. One day I hope to sell these great products in my store but for now I’ll just have to patron another establishment and sip on them sparingly.
Black lagers are filling the market as quickly as Honey Bourbon. Few of the SWAM buddies got together and chipped in to do a black lager tasting. Guinness Black Lager recently launched their new addition to the Guinness family and we wanted to compare all the black lagers that we currently have for sale. We posted the pictured of the line-up on the SWAM Facebook Fan Page and we got a few responses as well as patrons on the following day asking about what our thoughts. The line-up consisted of and it’s in the order of best to worst..
Sam Adams Black Lager: Clearly the winner by far. The dark roast flavor had depth and body but not to heavy like an ale. The rich creaminess of the lager goes down very smooth and without the bitter stickiness.
Baltika #4 Original Black Euro Lager: This was a toss up between being no. 2 and no. 3, I gave it the second best because there was hint of malt candy like Whoppers. It was brighter in flavor than the Sam Adams and not as toasty.
Asahi Kuronama Black Ale: Okay there’s an ale in this tasting but Japanese ales taste more like lagers. Does it qualify? Obiviously the Kuronama did not have the body and flavor to hold up to a black ale. This beer is for people who want to enjoy a dark beer on a hot summer day.
Guinness Black Lager: I did not like this beer at all. With all the hype, I had big expectations for Guinness’ new edition, but it fell very short. The beer was thin, flavorless and too light ~ an almost black lager. Better off drinking the Guinness Foreign Extra Stout, now that’s a winner.
This past Thursday Tasting was a real treat to sample Kosher wines, an unfamiliar category. First thought that comes into mind is ” are Kosher wines serious wines?” That’s an objective question which can be taken as an insult depending on who’s your audience. After doing a little research on what makes a wine Kosher certified, I’ve come to the conclusion that it is a serious wine with complicated restrictions that go beyond a Rabbi overseeing the cleansing of the equipment and blessing the wine.
To be a certified Kosher wine, gelatin and casein are prohibited in the wine making process. Fining wine means eliminating the sediment or clarifying the wine from its cloudy appearance by using gelatin or casein. Casein is a milk protein and gelatin is a collagen found in animal bones. Most collagen comes from pigs and some casein comes from goat or sheep’s milk which are by products from animals prohibited under Jewish Religious Law. Kosher wines use isinglass derived from fish bladders to fine wines. Also, only Kosher enzymes may be used for fermentation. Any enzyme coming from the legume family such as rice, corn, soybeans are not acceptable. During Passover, the restriction becomes more stringent which no derivatives of any of the five grains: wheat, barley, spelt, oats, and rye may be used.
Kosher wines also prohibits hybridization in the vineyard which means no other plants may be cross bred with the grapes. Hybrid grapes are important due to their tolerance to phyloxera and other fungal diseases. However, there are Kosher acceptable inter-specific hybrid grapes where one parent is a European grape.
In the past, Kosher wine is synonymous to mevushal or boiled wine. Boiling the wine greatly altered the tannins and flavor of the wine. This strict requirement distinguished Kosher wines as tasting ‘different.’ A modernized process called flash pasteurization has minimal effect on the flavor, potential aging and is favorable with non-kosher wineries . Flash pasteurization abides with Kosher certification.
So does the wine taste good???
Golan Heights Winery, Yarden, Mt. Hermon White Wine 2010: Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc blend. Light and feminine. Lemon, lime, and hint of flora aromas. Refreshing dryness without being bitter, alcoholie, or sharp. Great summer wine. Certified Kosher for Passover.
Golan Heights Winery, Sion Creek Red Wine 2007: Sangiovese, Syrah, Gamay Noir, Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo blend. I found this wine to be slightly maderised, or oxidated. After knowing more about Kosher wine making, I can understand there will be a pruney aroma and cooked cherries. The vintage may also contribute to the flavor and aromas. Perhaps a current vintage might have a more brighter flavor.
Golan Heights Winery, Merlot 2008: 100% Merlot. Slight tar hint on the nose. Light tannins, very quaffable and easy drinking.
Galil Mountain Winery, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Pinch of menthol or eucalyptus on the nose. Very light tannins, fruit forward with dark cherries. Crowd favorite.
Pinar del Rio Cigars
Pinar del Rio is the most western provence in Cuba where 70% of the premium Cuban tobacco is grown. Like their namesake, Pinar del Rio Cigars produces great cigars! We were introduced to both Abraham Flores and Juan Rodriguez of PDR back in 2009 during the International Premium Cigar and Pipe Retailers trade show in New Orleans. The cigar company is based in New Orleans where they also own a cigar bar on Canal Street called Don Leoncio, a popular hang out after the trade show. Abe and Juan showed us their brand and sampled us on the cigars. Made at their factory in the Dominican Republic called La Fabrica, each premium cigar is expertly hand-rolled. At that time we had a small table top humidor that featured a small selection of cigars and didn’t have much room for new product. We explained that once we expand to a larger humidor, PDR would be one of the first to be added. Finally, our humidor space expanded and during this year’s IPCPR, as promised we placed our first order with them. To our knowledge, SWAM is the only retailer in Hawaii that has PDRs! We just got in the new PDR 1878 series in 4 different sizes and blends and also the Liga Especial Reserva Superior!
The 1878 “Black Band” Capa Madura arrived to us in 2 sizes (Robusto and Toro). It is a medium to medium plus body cigar that has a smooth flavor. Toast with a slight sweetness to the finish. They are using a Brazilian Maduro wrapper on this which is the reason for the slight natural sweetness. Nicaraguan/ Dominican filler with a Dominican binder. This pairs well with a shot of Makers Mark Bourbon.
The 1878 “Red Band” Capa Oscura also came to us in 2 sizes (Corona and Lancero). There are only 1500 boxes produced of the Capa Oscura which is a puro or cigars pure in origin, this one being from the Dominican Republic. These have great flavor as well, the spice and nuttyness come through on the palate as well as the woodsy-ness and leather aromas. These are dark oscura and many think that it is a stronger cigar, but darker doesn’t mean stronger, just riper. This is a medium bodied cigar that produces a lot of smoke! A little more complex smoke, this pairs well with the the new Makers 46 Bourbon.
The Liga Especial – Reserve Superior or the “Silver Label” of the line is a Limited Edition cigar that debuted at the IPCPR trade show this year. The blend is an all ligero or top leaf selection, which makes for a full-bodied, powerful smoke. The flavors are hinted with leathery tobacco, slight hint of coffee and bitter chocolate. We are fortunate enough to get a shipment of the Gran Toro in on this order but don’t think we are able to get another. As a pairing, we like the full strength of this cigar with Jim Beams new Devils Cut.
The cigars are priced from $5.99 up to $7.99 for the 1878s and $8.99 for the Limited Edition making them one of the best values in our humidor!
Martin Family Cigars
One of our very first experiences with a cigar representative was with the lovely Maria Martin. Back then, she was working with Christian Eiroa for Camacho Cigars. She has since moved on to co-found the Martin Family of Cigars and the Pedro Martin line. SWAM is proud to say that we were the first account in the nation to order the line and it was all due to the personality of Maria, fun, energetic and a wealth of tobacco knowledge! Her background stems from her father, the late Master Blender Pedro Martin and founder of Tobaccos Tropical where she was the President of the company, and then as the National Sales Manager for Camacho Cigars. Maria Martin is a real success in an industry dominated by men. Together with Ammer Cabrera of Martin Family cigars, they are producing cigars with accolades from the critics. When we got the samples of the cigars in January, we immediately placed an order for them.
Pedro Martin “Ruby”
This cigar is made in Esteli, Nicaragua in a small factory using about 20 of the top rollers that worked for Tropical. It is a medium-full cigar that has a Nicaraguan filler and binder with a sun-grown Corojo wrapper. Spicy from the start that mellows out through the rest of the cigar as it shows cedar, a touch of nuttiness and over all is very complex cigar. A brandy on the full-flavored side like Comandon Cognac or Hennessy would go great with this smoke. The pricing for the robusto is $7.99 and the torpedo is $8.99.
Gran Habano
George Rico – crazy, unconventional, controversial. These are the kind of words that come into our minds when thinking of Gran Habano and George. Crazy – At our first IPCPR, he showed off a 19ft /1900 ring gauge cigar at the show and recorded as the largest production cigar in history! Unconventional – At this year’s IPCPR, Gran Habano showcased an Ice Cream Truck as the backdrop of the booth. Controversial – the new “Zulu Zulu” packaging depicts African children holding AK-47s. Florida graffiti artist and Rico’s friend, Kid, was commissioned to do the artwork. Many in the cigar community downplayed the use of the images saying “it exploited children.” In actuality, a portion of the “Zulu” box sales go 
to Invisible Children, an organization committed to bring awareness, support, and justice for the war affected children in East Africa.
We are getting 6 cigars from the Gran Habano line including 2 from the STK line “Zulu Zulu”.
Gran Habano #1 Churchill is filled and bound with Nicaraguan tobacco and wrapped in an Ecuadorian Connecticut leaf. It is mild to medium but don’t confuse strength with flavor of creamy and nuttiness with toasty flavors. Perfect with a Bailys or our new Qream Liquor.
Gran Habano #3 Shorty Robusto is a medium to full bodied cigar with Nicaraguan, Mexican and Costa Rican fillers, bound with Nicaraguan Habano and wrapped in a Nicaraguan Habano leaf. It is a rich blend that is complex and will be one of our favorite smokes. Because of the fuller body, this should match well with some of the lighter single malt scotches like Glenlivet.
Gran Habano #5 Rothchild is the strongest blend in the bunch using Nicaraguan, Mexican and Costa Rican tobaccos but more ligero leaves in the blend. It is held together with a Nicaraguan Habano binder and wrapped in a Nicaraguan Habano leaf. It has a noticeably red tint on the wrapper that we like and the power of this cigar really shows. If you like full flavor/full strength cigars, have it with a smoky, peaty, scotch like Ardbeg or Laphroaig!
Zulu Zulu STK Lancero is a personal blend made by George Rico that was created just for him to smoke. He decided to release a limited number to select retailers across the country in two different wrappers. The one we fell in love with was the Connecticut. We had the pleasure of being invited to George’s suite at the Venetian where we were introduced to the new cigar. After a whole day of smoking (about 5-7 cigars) at the IPCPR, we thought that the cigar was not going to show well. To our surprise, they not only did it come through on the strength but had great flavor! It was so good that we smoked it down to the very nub! This is a cigar that measures 7.5 inches by 40 ring gauge. We don’t know any of the details of this cigar as the filler or binder but it is one of the best Lancero sized cigars that we smoked.
These may well be the value smoke in the humidor for us as the pricing for the Gran Habano is going to be $4.99 for the Rothchild #5, $5.99 for the Churchill #1 and Shorty Robusto #3. the Zulu Zulu will be at $9.99 and we are only getting 2 boxes.
I am obsessed about bitters. If there’s one spirit that I have to have in my personal bar other than whiskey, it would be bitters. I first came to love bitters when I had a bad case of hiccups. My friend splashed Angostura bitters on a lemon wedge and that was the end of the hiccups. The taste had an unusual, herbal bite. I enjoyed that sensation of stimulating my saliva glands. Now, the medicinal elixir-cure-all is a part of my dining out routine. Some of my favorite bitters are…
Campari, an Italian aperitif, is an infusion of herbs and fruit. Historically, the distinctive bright red color was produced from crushed cochineal insects which carmine dye is derived. I prefer to sip my Campari neat and after dinner. It helps ease digestion after a full meal. Most fine dining restaurants will have Campari available.
Bonal, a French aperitif, is ‘an infusion of gentian, cinchona (quinine) and renown herbs of the Grand Chartreuse mountains in a Mistelle base.’ I prefer mixing Bonal with a rye whiskey. It’s a classic cocktail that is making a come back with the rise of mixologists behind the bar.
Amaro, an Italian digestif or after dinner drink, is a maceration of herbs, roots, bark, flowers, and citrus peels in alcohol. The maceration is normally aged in casks to soften out the flavor. I prefer to sip an amaro neat as well. There are many producers of amaro and one of my favorites is Zucca.
Peychauds, originally an apothecaric tonic made famous in New Orleans, is now produced by the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky. Bitters are a key ingredient to the Sazerac and Old Fashion cocktails. Another famous and one of the oldest surviving producers of aromatic bitters is Angostura. At one point Angostura ran into a shortage NOT because of the ingredients. There was shortage on BOTTLES. The worldwide shortage led to rationing and hoarding. Problem solved, they found a new supplier and Angostura is back on track.
Cocktail Bitters, like Peychauds but with flavoring ingredients suitable for pairing with clear or brown spirits, enhance drinks with a simple dash. For example The Bitter Truth, from Germany, has a Xocolatl Mole Bitter or Chocolate Bitters to spice up the flavor of an aged rum or reposado tequila. The citrus bitters like lemon and grapefruit pair well with a clear spirits such as vodka, gin, and silver tequila.
September is Bourbon Heritage month. PREP! September will creating the classic cocktails using bitters.
Did I forget to include anything else? Like macadamia nuts, there is a world shortage on coconuts but one wouldn’t know it because it’s everywhere in the beverage world. Coconut flavoring has come a long way from tasting and smelling like sun tan lotion. Coconut drinks have developed into something more exotic than drinking out of coconut and adding a cocktail umbrella.
Kai Coconut Shochu. Two of the fastest growing beverages, coconut water and shochu, combined to make one winning product. Shochu is a distilled spirit normally from rice, but can also be distilled from sweet potatoes, barley, and buckwheat. The alcohol proof is 48 or 24% alcohol which about half the proof of vodka. The trend is using Pan-Asian flavors like coconut water, lemongrass, yuzu, and ‘matcha’ green tea. Coconut water is gaining popularity because it’s ‘fat-free, cholesterol-free, low-calorie, super-hydrating, and naturally rich in electrolytes.’ There is a subtle flavor, but it does not taste like Mounds or Almond Joy. In my opinion, it tastes more like Horlicks Malted Milk tablets. The Kai Coconut Shochu does have a slight sun tan lotion aroma but not offensive. The Horlick maltiness is ethereal and finishes without the burn.
Malibu Black Coconut Rum. Malibu’s newest addition to their rum family. The Black is at 70 proof or 35% alcohol compared to the Original is 42 proof or 21% alcohol. The Malibu Black uses aged rum which gives the rum it’s darker color. A rule of thumb that we use is the higher the alcohol percentage, the less sweeter the liquor will taste. The Malibu Black resembles in flavor to a spiced rum with a hint of coconut. There are nuances of toffee and vanilla on the nose and palate.
Hawaiian Coconut Vodka. We have all ready mentioned Dave Flintstones’ Hawaiian Vodka on a previous blog, but it’s well worth a second shout. Hawaiian Vodka is small batch, artisan vodka made in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Hawaiian Coconut Vodka is very much like the Kai Coconut Shochu but with a more silkier texture and lingering flavor. It tastes much like haupia, a favorite luau dessert. I wished it was called Hawaiian Haupia Vodka, but it would be a little harder to market…i understand.
Maui Brewing Co. Coconut Porter. When this beer first debuted, there was a lot of skepticism about the coconut ‘flavoring.’ Critics were shushed because the Maui Brewing Coconut Porter took Gold Medal for the Herb & Spice category at the 2006 World Beer Cup. The aroma is full of rich, roasted nuttiness. There is a slight hint of toasted and salted coconut. Maui Brewing Co. toasts the coconuts themselves to insure the flavor.
Why we are coo coo for coconuts? We live on a island where the palm trees sway.
This month we got the opportunity to spend time with a bunch of our cigar suppliers up at the IPCPR trade show in Las Vegas. We made commitments to the newest and most sought after sticks out there. Our recap on the brands soon to arrive: Pinar del Rio, Viaje, Tatuaje, SAG and the Miami Cigar Co.
Pinar del Rio. We first met Abe Flores co-founder of PDR back in 2009 at the IPCPR in New Orleans. We were very enthusiastic about the brand but unfortunately our humidor was too small and did not have the space. Today the humidor space is not a problem, so over the past months we secured the Liga Especial, only offered at the trade show, a 6 x 54 ($9.99 per stick), 1878 Reserva Dominicana Oscura in both the Corona ($5.99) and the Lancero ($7.99) and the 1878 Cubano Especial Maduro in both Robusto ($5.99) and Torpedo ($6.99). Abe is a good guy that supports the industry and it shows in both the flavor of his cigars and competitive pricing. Think about reserving a couple of these sticks because it will go like hotcakes!
Viaje. Andre Farkas, the president of Viaje (journey) Cigars, hails from the City of Angels and came to the show with his guns – well BOMBS- a blazin’! We ordered the Oro in both Robusto size ($9.99) and the Torpedo ($12.99). We first smoked the vitolas back in 2009 and they were damn good. Viaje branched off with a series of Limited Edition cigars that were named after military munitions: “MOAB” (Mother of all Bombs), “WMD” (Weapons of Mass Destruction) and the “Daisy Cutter”. These were all full bodied cigars that had great depth of flavor. We also ordered two new lines of his Skull and Bones Limited Edition called “Fat Man” and “Little Boy”. We haven’t gotten word if we will get these in for sure but we are crossing our fingers.
Tatuaje. We met Pete Johnson of Tatuaje Cigars through Bernie Leong of The Havana Club Honolulu while participating in the No Joke Smoke event. Pete has been a regular guest at the No Joke Smoke for the past three years. Today, Tatuaje is one of the fastest growing and HOTTEST brands in America! With his standard line being the most “Cubanesque” of any cigars outside of Cuba, he is the originator of the modern Bad boy cigars. The first thing you notice about Pete is the amount of tats on him, hence the cigar company “Tatuaje” or tattoo in Cuban. His Limited Edition cigars sell out within hours (not days or weeks or months) and they always deliver with flavor and intensity! We are getting in the Black Label Petit Lancero ($10.99) and the new La Casita Criolla which is all broadleaf in the filler, binder, and wrapper. The corona will go for $7.99 and the corona gorda for $8.99.
SAG or Fonseca. Manuel Quesada is the owner but, his nephew, Terence Reilly, is in charge of the US operation. We met Terence while visiting Hawaii last year. He says that he is also the head janitor, painter, office clerk and everything else that Uncle tells him to do. We understand all too well about family operations. Casa Magna, which was the Cigar of the Year in 2008, came out with a line extension called “Domus Magnus” smooth and full. We are getting in the “Optimus” size or 5 ½ x 52 box pressed. This one will go for $8.99 and will sell out fast!
Miami Cigar Co. Nestor Miranda heads the operation. Recently we brought in the “Para Japon” cigar that supported the relief efforts in Japan, a not so typical contribution. Our contact is Nilo Perez who we met at the tradeshow. Nilo is a very outgoing guy and a wealth of knowledge. Because of Nilo, we are bringing in the “La Serena” line of cigars in both the corona ($8.99) and belicoso ($10.99). You can’t miss these cigars because of their humangus bands! They look uber-lux cool. La Serena cigars are made by Don Pepin Garcia and uses broadleaf wrappers which gives it a fuller bodied smoke. We are also are bringing in the Nestor Miranda Art Deco “Coffee Break” a full flavored cigar that measures 4.5 x 50.
Later in the year, look for EP Carillo, Padron Family Cigar, Grand Habano, the new Liga Privada Under Crown and Hoya de Nicaragua’s “My Uzi Weighs a Ton. “ We can’t wait for our new stuff to arrive! ~For now all smoked out
You don’t have to be pregnant to crave. And I can assure you I’m not pregnant just because I have a mean food crave for lemongrass. For me, it’s like catnip to a feline. I love the smell and taste. At one point, I used to go to my favorite vietnamese restaurant, Viet Cafe, once a week to get my Shrimp Lemongrass fix. Viet Cafe is long gone and I still have not found a restaurant that made the Shrimp Lemongrass like they did. Hence, my craving subsided. Then Hot Pot Heaven comes along with a killer Thai Lemongrass Broth and right now I’m salivating about it. Is it poor table manners to openly just drink the broth? Well, thank goodness for Kai Lemongrass Vodka I don’t have to live in broth shame.
Kai Lemongrass Vodka is a recent addition to the popular Kai Lychee Vodka. Kai is an ultra premium vodka distilled from rare yellow rice blossom grown in Vietnam. Kai Lemongrass is very similar to a citrus vodka BUT it has a distinctive dry finish. The aroma is very subtle of fresh lemon. On the palate, the flavor starts with sweet citrus and lingers after swallowing but then there’s a dryness. Sometimes adding a touch of heat fills the void. We added a dash of chili pepper water to one ounce of vodka. What a difference a dash makes. It’s like drinking the Thai broth chilled with alcohol. Turned off? Don’t be because it is very savory and delicious.
In our SWAM newsletter, we normally include a cocktail recipe. In the August newsletter, we created our version of a plantation iced tea. Someone revealed that the country clubs use lemongrass in their plantation iced tea. Using the internet, we looked up cocktail recipes for a lemongrass plantation iced tea and nothing came up. We decided to create on ourselves. The lemongrass tea cocktail is refreshing but the subtle dryness doesn’t quite quench the thirst. It can be a little dangerous because we seemed to refilling the glass more than often. ~Tipsy~ Enjoy creating your own cocktails with the Kai Lemongrass Vodka!
Chili Pepper Water Recipe by Sam Choy
2 cups filtered water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
6 medium Hawaiian (or locally available) chili peppers
Sterilize a 16-ounce bottle in a hot water bath for 3 minutes, and allow to cool a little.
Bring 2 cups of filtered water to a boil. Place salt, vinegar, garlic, and chilies in the bottle.
Pour the 2 cups of water into the bottle and stir.
Let stand for about 3 to 4 days before using.
Saigon Plantation Cocktail
1 3/4 oz. Kai Lemongrass Vodka
1 3/4 oz. Pineapple Juice
3 1/2 oz. Sweetened Iced Tea
Add all the ingredients to ice. Shake vigorously and pour all including ice into a tall glass.
Cake + Frosting + alcohol= a Johnny Cupcake party? May be after 5 shots, you may think so, but actually it’s the new flavors in the vodka world. With the cupcake boom, it would be only natural that it’s popularity overflow into the liquor world. Our appetite for desserts are now available for us who crave a liquid diet. Cake Vodka by Pinnacle is now available among all of their other edible flavors like Cotton Candy and Whipped. Cupcake Vodka is now available with Frosting, Chiffon, and Devil’s Food.
Pinnacle Cake vodka smells and tastes exactly like yellow cake. Caution, it is sweet. Simply, it can easily be shaken and taken as a shot. We first mixed it with Dekuyper Buttershots… whoa, way too sweet. It may need a little sour to balance out the sweetness, perhaps a squeeze of lemon.
Cupcake Frosting vodka faintly smells and tastes like white frosting. It’s more vodka than flavor, but a more mixable vodka to accommodate a sweeter addition like peach schnapps.
Not only vodka brands are developing the more unusual flavors. Syrups like Torani are always introducing new flavors. We’ve experimented with Gingerbread and Peanut Butter. The possibilities of cocktail creations are endless! Regardless of all the new sweet flavors coming out, I’m still anxiously waiting for the bacon vodka to arrive in Hawaii.
Suggestions on what cocktails to create…
| One example of the Pinnacle Cake Vodka recipes from the Pinnacle website
Birthday Cake Shot 1oz. Pinnacle Cake Vodka Add all the ingredients to ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a shot glass, top with Cream Vanilla and colored sprinkles. Happy Birthday! |
Category : Spirits
We have just received the shipment of the “SWAM 5th Anniversary Cigar”. These cigars are a “limited edition” made by Pete Johnson of Tatuaje Cigars and we only have 200 sticks available. The cigar measures 6.25 inches by a 54 ring gauge with a Nicaraguan filler and binder finished in a Café Rosado Oscuro wrapper. It has a touch more ligero in the blend making it a fuller bodied smoke. These wonderful sticks have nuances of chocolate, leather and spice. Tatuaje Cigars are now the most sought after cigars in the U.S. and we thank Pete for getting these rare sticks to us. Get them now as once we are sold out, we will never get these back again!
SWAM 5th Anniversary Cigar by Tatuaje
6.25 x 54
Filler: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
