Don’t call it tequila: This new spirit is made from agave, but it comes from South Africa — specifically wild African Agave Americana grown in the Karoo desert and Agave Salmiana from South Africa’s Eastern Cape province. So that’s the basics. Here’s what else the distillery has to say: Sango is an African take on… The post Review: Sango African Agave Spirit – Blanco and Reposado appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking ..read more

In France, Roederer is best known as the producer of the iconic Cristal Champagne, but its U.S. operations in California’s Anderson Valley also merit serious attention. Today we’re checking out three wines from the operation — a vintage-dated bottling and two non-vintage wines, though, per Roederer, both are technically better described as “multi-vintage” blends. We’ll… The post Review: Wines of Roederer Estate, 2025 Releases appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking ..read more

The wines of the Cotes du Rhone are always enchanting but not often are they this affordable. Today we dive into a trio of CdR releases, all of which hover around the $20 mark — and all of which are worth your time. 2023 Gabriel Meffre “Saint-Mapalis” Plan de Dieu Cotes du Rhone Villages –… The post Review: Three Wines of the Cotes du Rhone, 2025 Releases appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking ..read more

Black Frost Distilling, a relatively new player in the whiskey world, was founded in 2022 in New Ulm, Minnesota. While it doesn’t yet have the decades of maturation behind it to craft truly aged whiskey, the distillery has quickly made a name for itself with some distinctive production techniques and a fresh approach to creating… The post Review: Black Frost Blended Bourbon and Blended Rye Malt appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking ..read more

I’m not sure I could name another distillery that’s going more with twists on both production and finishing than Penelope, which seems to roll out a new, unheard-of whiskey every month or two. Its latest is Havana, which is unique finished twice before bottling and which revolves around maple syrup. (Why this isn’t called Penelope… The post Review: Penelope Havana appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking ..read more

Pasote hit the scene in 2016, and we were huge fans of one of its inaugural expressions in particular, the reposado, which even made our holiday guide that year. Nine years later Pasote is back with a line extension — its blanco delivered at still strength, a whopping 55% abv. The aggressive vegetality of the… The post Review: Pasote Tequila Blanco Still Strength appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking ..read more

Merryvale has been a California winemaking icon since 1983 (with roots stretching back well before that), and today it remains one of the most reliable operators in state, producing a range of wines that run from premium to the absolute top-of-the-line. Today we’re excited to check out a trio of new releases from the operation,… The post Review: Wines of Merryvale, 2025 Releases appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking ..read more

Brooklyn-based Widow Jane continues to prove that blending is serious business, and its devotion to experimentation isn’t going to stop even under its newish ownership of Heaven Hill. “The Vaults” releases have arrived annually since 2019, each of them well-aged bourbons with often unusual finishing. The fifth Vaults release, from late 2024, is probably its… The post Review: Widow Jane The Vaults 15 Years Old 2024 appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking ..read more

“Is that absinthe?” my wife asked as I waved a glass of Gardenista in front of her face. No. It’s not. It’s a ready-to-drink cocktail that is unlike any other I’ve encountered to date. Three versions of Gardenista are available — but the bummer is that they’re all made with the same recipe: base spirit… The post Review: Gardenista Cocktails, Complete Lineup appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking ..read more

Start your engines, whiskey fans! Luxco’s Rebel Bourbon has hit the track in style, revving up its partnership with Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR Cup Series Champion Kyle “Rowdy” Busch. This isn’t just any bourbon – it’s the official sip of speed, with Busch himself handpicking barrels for the limited edition Rebel Bourbon Kyle Busch… The post Review: Rebel 108 Bourbon Kyle Busch Single Barrel appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider's Guide to Good Drinking ..read more