Within the warmer months of the calendar year, you are likely to find wine and spirits a recurring part of your social calendar. Whether you are at the beach, a barbecue, a party or on vacation at a resort, odds are that alcohol will be a part of that equation. With craft spirits and specialized vineyards being more popular than ever these days, it is not always easy to keep up with the latest and greatest brands out there on the market.
As a frequent reader of industry trades, a prolific interviewer of brand ambassadors and a follower of key developments within the world of alcohol, I regularly take note of new products. Below are 7 recommended items to add to your home bar.
In 2008, Alexandre Gabriel caused quite a sensation by producing wood-aged Citadelle Réserve, as no one had seen an aged gin for nearly a century. In those olden days — when glass was too fragile and expensive and plastic and stainless steel were not options — gin was transported in wooden barrels and so, becoming wood-aged.
Fast forward 10 years and Gabriel has pushed the boundaries of aged gin. Gabriel produces gin and rests it in 5 different types of woods barrels: Acacia, Mulberry, Cherry, Chestnut and French Oak. At the end of the 5 months, the gin is blended together and refined in an 8-foot tall, egg-shaped oak barrel. It includes a mélange of 18 additional aromatics and botanicals that are chosen specifically to enhance the juniper.
Simply put, Citadelle is the only French spirits distiller to date to use this avant-garde technique, keeping in line with the forward-thinking principles and spirit of Alexandre Gabriel and Maison Ferrand.
BomBom Brands is a award-winning premium adult beverage company. Fully Baked is one of BomBom’s new offerings, a creamy and delicious blend of chocolate chip cookie and brownie flavors with premium Caribbean rum and Hemp Milk. This is believed to be the first-ever hemp liqueur launched within the United States. Fully Baked boasts a 14.2% ABV, which is just a bit higher than that of RumChata and Bailey’s Almande. It is currently sold in 750mL sizes
Coco Mochanut is another offering from BOM BOM, all-natural, gluten-free silky-smooth blend of chocolate, coffee, coconut and Caribbean rum, which also happens to be kosher. Also on the market from BOM BOM is Nilli Vanilli, a blend of almond milk, creamy vanilla cookie and Caribbean rum.
Produced at California’s Bonterra Organic Vineyards, Bonterra Equinox Red Blend is the latest offering from the acclaimed wine label. Leading with Merlot — one of Bonterra’s most popular grape varieties — Equinox Red wine is also complemented with grapes carefully selected to add complexity. One of the more prominent of these is Petit Sirah, which adds gorgeous color and a rich, rustic element to the blend. The resulting wine offers supple notes of juicy red and black fruit matched with a patina of intriguing spice, herb and oak tones.
If a pink wine is more your thing for the summer, The Bonterra 2017 Rosé is worth looking into. Bonterra Rosé has a pale salmon hue and notes of ripe peach and watermelon. As a dry rosé, the 2017 vintage can be sipped on its own or paired with lighter picnic fare fit.
JOY Deluxe Insulated Wine Cooler Tote Bag
If wine is more your speed, and you are taking a bottle out of your home, you need to be sure you are keeping it up well. Joy Mangano — who Jennifer Lawrence memorably portrayed in a recent bio-pic, which has been since optioned for a Broadway musical — aims to make all easier to handle with the new JOY Deluxe Insulated Wine Cooler Tote Bag. This convenient and stylish tote doubles as a wine cooler to keep your adult beverage cold no matter how hot you get. In turn, you can take it to the beach, a cook-out or just about any outdoor gathering.
Tote bags aside, Joy Mangano has been inventing and marketing items for over 25 years — first finding success with the Miracle Mop — so I recommend to keep watching JoyMangano.com for interesting new products.
Mikkeller & The National presents: Reality Based Pils
With over 1,100 different beers released over the last 12 years, Mikkeller Brewing is a popular Danish microbrewery. The National is a Grammy Award-winning rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio with almost 20 years of touring experience; 4 of its albums were included as part of the 2013 list of the “500 greatest albums of all time” by NME. What happens when a top-notch brewer and an excellent rock band get together for a unique canned collaboration? The answer is the new pilsener, Reality Based Pils, which this writer recommends.
On the heels of National Tequila Day 2018, Tequila Avión announced new packaging which makes it easier for consumers to identify the brand’s single-origin tequila. As one of the few single-origin tequilas on the market, all of Tequila Avión’s offerings are sourced from Jesus Maria, Mexico. Available in Silver, Reposado, Anejo, and Avión Reserva 44, Avión was named “Best Tasting Unaged White Spirit” and “Best Tasting Tequila in the World” at the 2012 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, so this new eye-catching packaging is only icing on the cake if you are into tequila.
Helmed by team of millennial entrepreneur Mitch Strahan and his 51-year-old mom Laura Bartlett, the Wine Condoms concept was successfully funded on Kickstarter and recently featured on Buzzfeed as 1 of “23 Products For Anyone Who Loves Drinking Wine.” Wine Condoms aim to solve the problem of what one does with a half-drunk bottle of wine. These items are spill-proof, portable, food-safe, reusable, and — arguably most important of all — fun. A box of 6 tuxedo black wine bottle stoppers is currently priced at $15. Over 1 million units sold and counting.
