Freelance Food & Drinks Writer

Tag Archives: Craft Distillers

Templeton on the Boardwalk

During Prohibition, the thirsty drank almost anything they could get their hands on, as long as it carried a kick. But Al Capone preferred rye, especially that from Templeton, Iowa. Which is why Templeton Rye’s featured in Sunday’s season two premier of Boardwalk Empire.

Whiskey? Guess again. These barrels are filled with Boulevard Brewing's Rye-on-Rye, a limited edition Smokestack Series ale due out in March.

It’s hard to say where the product will pop up, but given how important bootlegged hooch is to the story line, it could be a significant placement. And for good reason. Templeton was considered “the good stuff” in the 1920s, and its modern incarnation also gets good reviews.

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Old Tom, New Favorite

I love gin. I love whiskey. Those statements combined can make it hard to order a cocktail. Now that Old Tom gin is back on the market, though, we can enjoy the best of both worlds. (For details on how this came to be, see my column in today’s Kansas City Star.) Two brands are… Continue Reading

Hunting the martinez

The martinez is an almost mythical cocktail, given that it was impossible to order one until recently. My first sighting came in 1995, while reading Barnaby Conrad III’s The Martini. The book includes this recipe from the 1887 edition of Jerry Thomas’s bartending guide: “Use small bar glass, one dash of bitters, two dashes of… Continue Reading

Are jackalopes real?

Yes, if you happen to be in Colorado. That’s where I found a bottle of Jackalope Gin, made by Peach Street Distillers of Palisade, on the western slope. It’s a traditional juniper-forward gin, thanks to the several varieties of locally grown, hand-picked juniper berries used to make it. Coriander, angelica (a parsley-like herb), oris root… Continue Reading

Tuthilltown Hits Cowtown

White whiskey’s all the spirits rage these days, and another is now available in Missouri—Hudson New York Corn Whiskey, made by Tuthilltown Spirits of New York. It’s a 100% corn whiskey, unaged and bottled at 46 percent alcohol by volume. I haven’t tasted it yet, but distiller and co-owner Ralph Erenzo says it has a… Continue Reading