Tag Archives: spirits

The Irish Mountain Marma

We loved the Irish Whiskey-based cocktail that Lily created for us last week so much so we asked her to do another.

To complement the whiskey, Lily used a pantry staple – marmalade. The drink is sweet & tart, with wonderful aromatics from rosemary and a slightly bitter finish thanks to the addition of Montenegro amaro. It’s delightful anytime of the year, not just on St. Patty’s Day.

powers_lemon
The Irish Mountain Marma
makes 1 cocktail

2 oz Powers whiskey
3/4 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz Montenegro
1 tbsp marmalade*
1 small, 1″ sprig of rosemary
1 larger sprig (for garnish)

*For this recipe, orange marmalade was used but lemon grapefruit marmalade is also quite nice.

Place small sprig in shaker, add Montenegro and gently muddle once with a muddler or wooden spoon to release the rosemary flavor.
Add whiskey, lemon, and marmalade.
Fill shaker with ice and shake until frost forms on the outside of the tin.
Double-strain into a tumbler, garnish with remaining sprig of rosemary and ice.

Enjoy!

###

Drink Your Chocolate

Skip the chewable chocolate this Valentine’s Day and give your sweetie the sippable sort. We’re crushing on a few bottles made with real chocolate and genuine skill, those that are good enough to be enjoyed year-round.

Meletti Cioccolato
Thick, dark, creamy, this Italian liqueur is pure pourable decadence. It’s made in Italy with milk and Dutch chocolate, sugar and alcohol, and is intensely rich and smooth with a balanced sweetness. We’re crazy for the Cioccolato any way it’s served: cold & neat (think adult pudding pop), warmed, over ice cream, or as a mixer in any number of cocktails.

Young’s Double Chocolate Stout
This full-flavored dark beer made with chocolate malt and real chocolate is luxurious without being overtly sweet. It’s certainly a satisfying treat on its own, but for something special, consider combining it in a frosty mug with vanilla ice cream and bourbon for the ultimate grown-up float.

Nickle Creek Decadence
A Rhody original, from Foster! This beautiful bottle, reminiscent of Port, has warm flavors of cherry and plum that make way for a dark, bittersweet chocolate finish. It’s a delicious way to end a romantic dinner.

Cheers and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Bourbon 101

Whether we’re turning neophytes onto bourbon or introducing new finds to long-time aficionados, we at Bottles love talking about bourbon. We love talking about it, writing about it, sipping it, mixing it, discovering new distillers and re-discovering old distillers. We just flat out heart bourbon.

To spread the love to team members that are new to the store, we give them a crash course in the beloved brown spirit. A “Bourbon 101” to prime their palates for the joys ahead.

And given the sheer volume of questions we get in-store about bourbon we’re sharing our primer with you. What follows is meant to give you the basics on what it is and how it’s made. Once you’ve got that down, come in to the store or give us a call for the fun stuff: the flavor differences between styles and producers, which is sweetest, which is strongest, how best to enjoy bourbon and which makes the best Manhattan (just our opinion , of course).

Did we mention we love talking about bourbon?

Cheers!

The Bitter Peruvian

The popularity of aperitif-based cocktails — those with Campari, Aperol, etc., such as the Negroni — shows no sign of abating anytime soon. And we’re good with that, as we very much like their balanced sweet/savory combination, and their grown-up (aka, bitter-ish) finish.

Our version here is modeled on these aperitif cocktails in that it has as its main ingredient “Baladin Ginger,” a bitters-based Italian soda that interestingly enough does not have ginger in it. (Oh those wacky Italians.) Rather, it’s made with natural brown sugar, lemon, herbs, bitters and orange zest – aromatics similar to those used in bitter liqueurs, minus the alcohol. We mix it with pisco – the Peruvian wine-based spirit – to create an easy-drinking, delightfully tart cocktail. It’s low in alcohol, and has a lovely bitter finish.

INGREDIENTS
1oz pisco
1oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
.5 oz simple syrup
1 bottle (100ml) of Baladin Ginger Italian soda
3 dashes Fee Brothers Rhubarb bitters

INSTRUCTIONS
Combine pisco, lemon, and simple syrup over ice in a pint glass and stir gently to combine.
Top with Ginger soda and 3 dashes of bitters.
Garnish with lemon slice.

Cheers!
-Lilian

Pumpkin Whiskey Cocktail Recipe & Two Tasty Twists on Classics

Looking for the perfect cocktail to make this season?

Here are 3 tasty recipes that you and your guests will love for the fall, Thanksgiving, and beyond.

These all feature a local whiskey distillery, Sons of Liberty Spirits, and are fun twists on cocktail classics. Visit the SOL Spirits website for even more cocktail ideas!

Cheers!

HOP WHISKEY TONIC

This whiskey is dry-hopped like a beer! Woah. It makes for an idea tonic for a beer lover.

INGREDIENTS

2 oz Hop Flavored Whiskey

5 oz Tonic Water

GARNISH

Lemon wedge

DIRECTIONS

Serve whiskey and tonic water over ice. Stir & garnish with lemon wedge.

PUMPKIN MANHATTAN

Sons of Liberty’s Pumpkin Spice Whiskey has won best flavored whiskey in the world. Now that’s a Manhattan.

INGREDIENTS

2 oz Pumpkin Spice Whiskey

1 oz Sweet Vermouth

2 dashes of Angostura Bitters

GARNISH

Luxardo cherry

DIRECTIONS

Stir ingredients in mixing glass with ice. Strain into chilled glass. Garnish with cherry.

DARK RUSSIAN

No comment necessary.

INGREDIENTS

2 oz Loyal 9 Dark Chocolate Vanilla Vodka

1 oz coffee liqueur

1 oz heavy cream or half-and-half, lightly whipped

GARNISH

Dust with grated nutmeg

DIRECTIONS

Shake vodka and coffee liqueur with ice. Strain into ice-filled glass. Float lightly whipped cream on top of drink. Garnish with grated nutmeg.

-ENJOY!

Sons of Liberty Spirits: Craft Whiskey, Vodka & Gin Made in Rhode Island

Sons of Liberty Spirit

It was a warm, early Autumn day a few years back, and some of the staff at Bottles were on their way to Peacedale. We had been speaking with Mike Repucci, founder of the fledgling Sons of Liberty distillery, and he had invited us down to fire up the still and make some whiskey. How could we say no?

Mike explained the Sons of Liberty philosophy to us. If all whiskey starts as beer (true), then why not make great beer and turn it into fantastic single malt whiskey? As he spoke, he let us taste the creamy, cocoa-laced flavors of the raw spirit coming out of the still, and we were hooked.

Mike has continued to innovate since those early days, and has produced an authentic line of Whiskeys, Vodkas, & Gin that have received accolades from all around the globe. We’re so proud to have this kind of home-grown spirit here in Rhode Island, and we’re excited to share Sons of Liberty with you.

Cheers,
– Liam Maloney

THE WHISKEYS

Sons of Liberty Spirits Distillery - Uprising Whiskey

Uprising

The first Sons of Liberty spirit we tasted on that autumn morning. It starts life as a creamy & decadent chocolate stout, and you can taste it in the finished product. Look for light notes of vanilla and caramel, complemented by toasty spice flavors from American & French oak. This is a Scotch drinker’s whiskey.

Sons of Liberty Spirits Battlecry Whiskey

Battle Cry

A Bourbon drinker’s whiskey, Battle Cry starts off as a Belgian ale. Utilizing both rye and honey malts, to achieve a balance of dry spiciness & sweet grain flavors, Battle Cry is aged in new American oak before bottling. They also use a strain of Trappist ale yeast to ferment, which adds notes of dark fruits and anise to the dry finish.

Hop Whiskey - SOL Spirits

Hop

Brewers have long used a method called ‘dry-hopping’ to add aroma and flavor to their beers. The same method is used here, when Sons of Liberty distills an IPA and ages the finished spirit in oak with whole flower Citra & Sorachi Ace hops. Herbal & aromatic when young (and the perfect choice for a whiskey & tonic), it mellows with age, becoming more minty & oaky. A whiskey for the cocktail enthusiast, that is as good in a gin cocktail as it is in a whiskey-based one.

Pumpkin Spice Whiskey by Sons of Liberty Spirits Distillery

Pumpkin Spice

When you think about it, what would make more sense than turning a warming, spice-laced pumpkin beer into whiskey? This is a craft beer & spirit drinker’s whiskey, as the roasted flavors of pumpkin, clove, & allspice are subtle, and secondary to the flavors of the whiskey. Sons of Liberty uses tons of locally grown pumpkins each year, scooping & roasting them all by hand, and carefully aging the finish whiskey on the pumpkin & spice until just the right amount of flavor is achieved. This is a true New England original that we can all be proud of.

THE VODKA

Loyal 9 Vodkas

Loyal 9

Loyal 9 is exceptionally smooth vodka, made from corn, and distilled 99 times to achieve a sterling clarity. You’ll often find it in our home bars, where we like it on the rocks with a splash of bitters, or in any number of cocktails.

Loyal 9 Mint Cucumber

Sons of Liberty doesn’t do anything if they’re not going to do it right. So when they say mint & cucumber, they mean it. The base spirit of Loyal 9 is blended with subtle, cooling cucumber, and a fresh blast of mint. It’s very refreshing in a vodka tonic, or when blended with lemon juice & simple syrup.

Loyal 9 Dark Chocolate Vanilla Bean

Loyal 9 Chocolate Vanilla

Rather than being a fudgy, milk chocolate kind of vodka, Sons of Liberty continues their style of reserved, appropriately flavored spirits with this expression. Flavors of dry cocoa and a strong undercurrent of real vanilla beans make this vodka the perfect choice for chocolate martinis and white russians.

THE GIN

True Born Gin - The Belgian Wheat Act - Sons of Liberty

True Born Gin

True Born is a new staff favorite here at Bottles. Sons of Liberty starts by making truly excellent Belgian Wheat ale, brewed with lemongrass & coriander. It’s a beer that could stand on its own as is. When distilled, however, and seasoned with a touch of juniper, citrus, & other botanicals, it completely shines in the glass. We like to shake it on ice & strain it into a chilled cocktail glass, where the lemony flavors really shine. It also makes a memorable Negroni, and a very refreshing gin & tonic.

Featuring Bully Boy Distillery!

Located in Boston and owned and operated by brothers Will and Dave Willis, Bully Boy is a New England craft-method distillery you should know.

Will and Dave Willis were inspired by their childhood home and fourth-generation working family farm, where a basement vault of local artisan spirits was discovered roughly 70 years after Prohibition. This inspired the idea for an artisan distillery named after Bully Boy, a favorite farm workhorse. Paying particular attention to the caliber of ingredients used in its product, Bully Boy hand-produces premium spirits, carrying on the tradition of small-batch distilling and emphasizing quality over quantity.

We’re featuring all Bully Boy bottles in-store this winter, just look for our large spirits display. Also, you’re in luck if you’re on a budget, because they are all on sale for $5 off their regular price!

Cheers!

White Rum

Continuing Boston’s legacy as the center of rum production, Bully Boy’s signature White Rum is made with Blackstrap Molasses. Using techniques handed down from Cognac distillers, they use a blend of cuts to create white rum that has both depth and a remarkably smooth finish. Enjoy straight up or mixed in your favorite cocktail.

Boston Rum

Boston Rum grew out of a desire to resurrect the city’s storied history of rum production, which dates back to 1667. Colonial Americans had a healthy appetite for rum, and much of the original spirits were distilled in Boston. Made with blackstrap molasses, Bully Boy Boston Rum has a bold flavor, which is created using deeper cuts on the still. It’s aged in a blend of used bourbon and red wine barrels, and the final product has a fruity complexity, a subtle vanilla note, and a bit of sweetness.

Vodka

Bully Boy’s USDA certified organic vodka is made with wheat on a 600 liter copper still. Wheat was chosen as the base for the vodka because it creates a spirit with a subtle sweetness that aids drinkability. Distilled only once, the spirit presents a silky texture and clean, chiseled finish. Enjoy neat or mixed.

White Whiskey

All whiskey comes off the still as a clear spirit; it is the aging process that imbues whiskey with its deep brown hue and oaky taste. A popular spirit during prohibition, white whiskey (moonshine) was manufactured using primitive techniques and inferior ingredients making it harsh and undrinkable. Times have changed. Bully Boy’s USDA certified organic white whiskey is clean and mellow. It’s akin to vodka, but with bolder flavor notes. You can enjoy it neat or use it in place of vodka in your favorite mixed drink.

American Straight Whiskey

Bully Boy’s aged whiskey uses corn, rye, and malted barley as its primary ingredients, and is aged in new American Oak. The corn makes for subtle sweetness, and the high rye content creates a dry spiciness; the flavors are further refined through the barrel-aging process, which imparts both a prominent caramel note and a nutty finish. An excellent sipping whiskey! As with all Bully Boy’s spirits, their American Straight Whiskey is made in small, numbered batches, so you know you are getting a truly unique spirit.

Hub Punch

Inspired by the original Hub Punch recipe popular in the late 1800’s, Bully Boy Hub Punch, a barrel aged rum infused with fruits and botanicals, revives a historic Boston tradition that was a casualty of Prohibition. Originally concocted at the now defunct Hub Hotel, Bostonians typically enjoyed Hub Punch mixed with soda water, ginger ale, or lemonade. Bully Boy consulted a variety of historical accounts of Hub Punch to craft a spirit that pays homage to the traditional recipe and spirit of the pre-prohibition era Boston. Bully Boy Hub Punch is fruit forward with the botanicals providing tea-like undertones ideal for mixing with both dry and sweet mixing agents.

Favorite Bottles: Top Holiday Spirits

If there’s a time of year when you need a special bottle of something, it’s the holidays. Whether you’re looking the perfect gift for those you really appreciate, or need a memorable bottle to open up and share with family and friends, we’ve made sure to bring in our favorite picks to feature in the shop.

Here is our selection of Gin, Vodka, Rum, Mezcal, Whiskey, Scotch, and even Chartreuse that we find especially delicious and interesting. Plus, they’re easy on the eyes! Cheers!

GIN

Uncle Val’s Botanical Gin – A delightfully dry gin made with cool, crisp cucumber & aromatic citrus. As well suited to a Gin & Tonic as a dry Martini, this bottle is a real treat for the gin lover in your family. Make a Botanical Spritzer

St. George Botanivore Gin – A remarkably well balanced gin in the London Dry style. Deeply aromatic, its juniper flavors blend seamlessly with note of citrus & herbs. Try it in a Dorflinger

St. George Terroir Gin – This heady gin is made with botanicals that grow in California. It has a big nose of spruce tips, with a finish of laurel & oranges. Our recommended cocktail: Terroir Martinez

St. George Dry Rye Gin – Rye is super spicy! This gin is electric with bright, spicy, dry rye flavors. Perfect for a Dry Rye Negroni.

VODKA

Karlsson’s Gold – Made from seven separate distillations from virgin Norwegian potatoes. Incredibly smooth, with a rich mouthfeel and a creamy, lingering finish. Neither Eric or Liam are allowed to bring it home anymore – it goes too fast. Try it in a Black Gold (Karlsson’s on the rocks with a crack of black pepper).

Jewel of Russia ‘Ultra’ – Each unique, hand-painted bottle contains one of the purest spirits we’ve ever encountered. It’s almost like drinking nothing at all. How do you drink this? Shake over ice & strain. That’s it.

MEZCAL

Xicaru Silver – Made from 100% Espadin agave, smoked over mesquite, and crushed in the traditional Tahona method, this is a Mezcal of distinction. From its earthy start to its finish of light citrus notes, this is the perfect bottle for the Mezcal lover in your life, or for someone longing to be introduced to the world of Mezcal. Fantastic in a Mezcal Paloma – Pour 1 oz. of Xicaru in a highball glass with ice, and top with grapefruit soda.

Pierde Almas Coñejo – This remarkable Mezcal is only made once a year, and in very limited quantities. It’s produced by wrapping fruit, almonds, and anise in a rabbit & hanging it in the still, rather like a gin is produced. The final product is akin to drinking a big, beautiful, smoky, citrusy roast. Made for sipping.

RUM

Grand Ten Medford Rum – Grand Ten Distillers, in Boston, has brought back a lost, forgotten style of rum with their Medford. Made from a sour mash of blackstrap molasses, it’s creamy, buttery, & hugely aromatic. This is a whiskey lover’s sipping rum. Looking for a cocktail featuring Medford Rum? Make a Palmetto.

Clement 6 Year Grand Reserve – A true sipping rum, the Grand Reserve is a blend of rums aged for years in different oak casks – some in French Limousin, some in charred new American oak. The resulting blend of finish rums has flavors of almonds & biscotti, hazelnuts, tarragon, & green tea. Delicious as is.

CHARTREUSE

Chartreuse Green – Truly in a class of its own, Chartreuse is the creation of Carthusian monks, who have been passing down & perfecting their recipe for centuries. Trying to describe the flavor of Chartreuse is like trying to describe your first kiss. It’s strange & wonderful, ethereal & delicious all at the same time. If you need a Chartreuse cocktail, we recommend a Chartreuse Smash.

Chartreuse Green V.E.P. – As if a bottle of Chartreuse wasn’t good enough, the monks also make an extra aged version. As far as we can tell, it’s made from unicorn tears, ambrosia, and the laughter of children. It’s a rare treat, and a stunning example of the heights people can achieve when they put their minds to it.

COGNAC

D’Usse – This is a newcomer for us, and we were impressed with its intense flavors (of cinnamon & clove) and its light, creamy mouthfeel. This is a great bottle for the Cognac drinker in your life who’s looking for something new. D’Usse makes an impressive Vieux Carre.

Remy Martin Louis XIII – This legendary blend contains no spirit less than 50 years old. It has subtle & nuanced flavors of hazelnuts, truffles, & prunes. Distinct & impressive, this is truly a gift for someone very deserving.

WHISKEY

Tin Cup – American Whiskey at its finest, Tin Cup is a new release from Jess Graber out of Colorado. Distilled from grain and a generous amount of rye, it’s light & lively on the palate, with a dry finish that makes it equally as suited to cocktails as it is to a few cubes. Wonderful in a classic Old Fashioned.

Michter’s Celebration – Hand selected by Master Distiller Willie Pratt, this extraordinary blend of 20 – 30 year old Bourbons & Ryes is going to make one very lucky person very, very happy. It could be you!

SCOTCH

Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie – Previously known as the ‘Laddie 10’, this unpeated Single Malt is made from 100% Scottish barley, carefully distilled, and aged in American Oak. It’s equal parts fruity, malty, biscuity, creamy, & delightful. The perfect bottle for the Whiskey lover in your family.

Macallan 25 Year Sherry Oak – One of the highest rated & consistent Single Malts in the world, the Macallan 25 Year exhibits deep & profound notes of cinnamon, wood smoke, dried fruits, and a touch of citrus. The kind of gift that lets people know what you really think of them.

Cheers!
– The Bottles Team

Oaxaca Tequila Hot Chocolate & Bourbon Latte!

new harvest coffee, bottles fine wine, winter cocktails, bourbon latte, tequila hot chocolate, bourbon, tequila, oaxaca

It’s cold outside today so we took a trip (do we really need an excuse?) to New Harvest Coffee & Spirits located in the newly restored Arcade in downtown Providence, RI. We met with Assistant Manager, Erick Ambrust who mixed up a couple of delicious hot cocktails to warm us up; Bourbon Latte and Oaxaca Tequila Hot Chocolate. (Pronunciation video here>)If you’re ever wandering around DownCity in the cold then definitely drop in and give these a try!Check out their recipes below and stop by our store to grab all the ingredients you need when those single-digit temperatures get truly terrifying…

Oaxaca Tequila Hot Chocolate

8 oz Steamed milk

1.5 oz Dark chocolate syrup

1.5 oz Casamigas Blanco Tequila

Top with whipped cream (homemade & delicious at New Harvest!)

Garnish with chili powder and dark chocolate shavings

Bourbon Latte

8 oz Steamed Milk

2 oz Espresso

.5 oz Cinnamon simple syrup

1.5 oz Your Favorite Bourbon
*We used Evan Williams Single Barrel, but also recommend Redemption High Rye!

Their artisanal coffee beans are harvested, milled, roasted and brewed sustainably.

Mixing up their homemade whipped cream!

Stay warm, folks!

Bottles Fine Wine – 141 Pitman Street, Providence, RI
www.bottlesfinewine.com

New Harvest Coffee & Spirits – The Arcade Providence 130 Westminster Street, Providence, RI
www.newharvestcoffee.com

Meet the Sons of Liberty Spirits Co. – A Rhode Island Distillery

Get a backstage tour of the Sons of Liberty Spirits Co., Rhode Island’s second newest distillery since the 1800s. Mike Reppucci, Sons of Liberty owner/distiller, showed our store manager around the distillery. Learn how they make their great single malt American whiskey, Uprising, and welcome in their seasonal winter release, a Pumpkin Spice Flavored Whiskey that uses local Rhody pumpkins. A winner of the World’s Best Whiskies!

Visit us to shop local, and for a full selection of Sons of Liberty spirits: Uprising Whiskey, Pumpkin Whiskey, Loyal 9 Vodkas, and more.

Cheers!