In Good Spirits
Seeing the leaves break out on the trees, and green grass underfoot brings so much optimism and enthusiasm too for so many Albertans (at least those that don’t suffer from hay fever!). This month, we were torn once again as to our choices, and we diverged a little more than we usually do.
Cocktails were front of mind, and we have a few recommendations for those readers, including some when convenience is top of mind, but we also have some delightful, contemplative sippers that are just as home sipping on a lazy afternoon, or into the wee hours of a summer’s eve. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did!
Siempre Supremo Tequila, Mexico
Is it too soon to recall the old-school “raw” version of tequila when there are so many stunning super-smooth sippers out there? This is one from Siempre is a real banger. Bottled at 54 percent ABV, this is powerful stuff with plenty of those earthy, fibrous vegetable-style flavours, dense salinity, olive bitterness and plenty of citrus too. Raw, authentic, and the best sort of sipper, one that fills the mouth and gets the tongue wagging.
CSPC 878952 $125-130
Luxardo Del Santo, Veneto, Italy
There are more than 20 botanicals in the latest liqueur from Luxardo, combining to make a complex taste profile that is bitter, sweet, and herbal – and it’s bright green. We know some of the botanicals to be thyme, sage, anise, cinnamon, mace, galangal and clove, as well as the rare plant achillea moscata from high in the Alps, and when you know that you might taste them if you’re drinking it neat or over ice like us, but try it in a classic Last Word, Bijou, or Swamp Water cocktail, or wherever you use Green Chartreuse!
CSPC 134431 $40-43
Dillon’s Dry Gin 7, Ontario, Canada
Made in smaller batches, with a 100 percent rye grain base, and only (only!) 7 different botanicals, this is a cocktail maker’s dream to work with. Plenty of juniper character with loads of citrus, and a spicy, rye kick on the palate, it’s those features combined with a bottling strength of almost 45 percent ABV that make for a beautiful, balanced gin that works in simple mixed drinks, and stands tall in things a little more complex too. Delicious.
CSPC 781978 $41-43
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Park Distillery Banff Whisky, Alberta
The art of the blend… and a blend of three whiskies from 100 percent local Alberta rye should make you more than curious! Park Distillery’s 5-, 6-, and 7-year-old rye whiskies are all aged in new American oak barrels for a profile that evolves – from the blackcurrant aroma of the 5-year-old on the nose, to the caramel and vanilla of the 6- and 7-year olds on the mid palate and long finish – all in a gorgeous bottle and at an affordable price for a local craft whisky of this quality! Cheers to Banff!
CSPC 134795 $65
Hennessy V.S.O.P. x LeBron James, Cognac, France
Cognac and basketball? Maybe not the first pairing you might think of, yet it seems obvious when you think of these two champions - the leading scorer in NBA history collaborating with Hennessy’s legacy smooth and apricot/vanilla-forward V.S.O.P. cognac. One for the collectors, this limited edition comes in a specially designed decanter inside a special box. Try in a classic Sidecar which brings out the citrusy notes, or sip slowly… Also available as VS cognac.
CSPC 131719 around $100
Dillon’s Signature Cocktail Variety Pack, Ontario, Canada
Yikes! Normally we try to stick to the spirits on these pages, but we were very pleased with the spirit-focus of these cocktails from Dillon’s. A six-pack featuring two each of a Raspberry and Vodka Mule White Cranberry Cosmopolitan, and Cold Brew Espresso Martini, each tasting pretty darn good and with added convenience too. It would be entirely possible to progress from a late afternoon mule, to pre-dinner Cosmo and capping the night off with a martini from a single pack - they are that good.
CSPC 141683 About $25