Episode 112 features Cacique Guaro. Bottled in 365ml at 30% ABV, or 60 proof and it retails for about $3.

Enjoy this episode with a pour of Cacique Guaro if you can find it.

Cacique Guaro's official website: https://fanal.co.cr/

Brief Historical Timeline:

• 1850 - Beverage alcohol production is nationalized in Costa Rica
• 1853 - Fábrica Nacional De Licores, aka FANAL, is established and begins producing guaro
• 1980 - FANAL brands Cacique Guaro and begins bottling it
• 2015 - Cacique Guaro sells 1 million 9-liter equivalent cases

Key Cocktails:

Most Cacique Guaro is consumed mixed with fruit juice, or consumed neat. But, you can try this "fancy" version of a popular shot featuring Cacique Guaro.

Chiliguaro (makes a batch to share)

• 2 cups tomato juice
• ⅔ cups Guaro - or as much as you want
• ½ cup lime juice
• 1 tbsp chopped onion
• 1 tbsp chopped red pepper
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
• ½ tsp lizano sauce
• ¼ tsp tabasco
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper

Blend all the ingredients, strain and store in a glass bottle in the fridge. Serve very cold in shot glasses.

References:

Wikipedia Article on Cacique Guaro

Article on What is Cacique Guaro from the Tico Times

Article on Giving Guaro a Second Sip from the Tico Times

The National Drink of Cost Rica

YouTube Video on the History of Guaro - In Spanish

YouTube Factory Tour

Canadian Distributor's Website

Contact Information:

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Episode 111 features Tia Maria. Bottled in 750ml at 26.5% ABV, or 53 proof and it retails for about $31.

Enjoy this episode with a pour of Tia Maria on ice or in an Espresso Martini.

Tia Maria's official website: https://www.tiamaria.com/

Brief Historical Timeline:

• 1947 - Tia Maria is created with Dr. Kenneth Evans as the named founder
• 1980s - Hiram Walker acquires the brand
• 2005 - Pernod Ricard ends up with Tia Maria through acquisitions
• 2009 - Pernod Ricard sells Tia Maria to Illva Saronno

Key Cocktails:

Tia Maria is claimed to be the first coffee liqueur used in an Espresso Martini, so try it that way.

Tia Espresso Martini

• 25ml Tia Maria
• 25ml Vodka
• Single or Double Shot of Espresso
• 3 coffee beans for garnish

Shake all ingredients with ice, double strain into a chilled Martini glass, garnish with three coffee beans.

References:

Wikipedia Article on Tia Maria

Diffords Guide on Tia Maria

Press Release on Pernod Ricard sale to Illva Saronno

Press Release on new bottle design

Cocktail-Society.com Article on Tia Maria

Trade Focused Sales Sheet PDF, circa 2020

Tia Maria's first TV Ad on YouTube

Product Listing for Vanilla Beans Defining Bourbon Vanilla

Contact Information:

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Episode 110 features Glayva. Bottled in 750ml at 35% ABV, or 70 proof and it retails for about $36.

Enjoy this episode with a pour of Glayva neat.

Glayva's official website: https://www.glayva.com/

Brief Historical Timeline:

• 1947 - Ronald Morrison creates Glayva
• 1960s - Glayva begins to spread across the UK and around the globe
• 1993 - Whyte & Mackay Ltd. acquire the brand
• 2022 - Glayva wins yet another double gold at the IWSC

Key Cocktails:

Enjoy Glayva neat or over ice.

References:

My thanks to Whyte & Mackay Ltd. for answering questions I had about Glayva via email and helping to fill in some of the blank.

Whyte & Mackay Ltd Listing for Glayva

Scotsman.com Article on Glayva

Scottish Dance Site with Historical Bottles

Glayva.com Circa December 2004

Telegraph.co.uk Article on Glayva (archived)

Wikipedia Article on Glayva

Wikipedia Article on Leith

Contact Information:

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Episode 109 features Gordon's London Dry Gin. Bottled in 750ml at 40% ABV, or 80 proof and it retails for $12.

Enjoy this episode with the late Queen's favorite cocktail, the Dubonnet.

Gordon's official website: https://www.gordonsgin.com/

Brief Historical Timeline:

• 1769 - Alexander Gordon found his distillery in London
• 1786 - The distillery moves to Clerkenwell in London
• 1823 - Alexander's son Charles takes over after a 7 year apprenticeship
• 1877 or 1889 - The Gordon family sells to John Currie & Co.
• 1898 - Gordon's merges with Tanqueray
• 1904 - Gordon's begins being bottled in green glass
• Circa 1905 - Gordon's creates an export label and applies it to clear glass
• 1924 - Gordon's introduces a line of pre-mixed cocktails
• 1934 - Gordon's opens a distillery in New Jersey, USA
• 1962 - Gordon's becomes the bet selling gin in the world
• 1998 - Production of the UK and Europe moves to Fife, Scotland
• 2021 - Annual case sales reached 7.4 million 9-liter equivalent cases

Key Cocktails:

Enjoy Gordon's in the classic Dubonnet Cocktail.

1 part Gordon's Gin

2 parts Dubonnet (French aperitif wine)

Lemon Twist Garnish

Shake liquid ingredients with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

References:

Wikipedia Article on Gordon's

Diageo Bar Academy Article

Diageo Bar Academy History of Gordon's

The Spirits Business Gordon's Brand History

Wikipedia Article on the Gin Craze

Wikipedia Article on Gin Lane

The Gin Guide Listing -includes list of botanicals

Hello Magazine Article on The Queen's Favorite Gin Brand - it was Gordon's

The Queen's Favorite Dubonnet Cocktail

The Spirits Business Article on New Bottle Designs for Gordon's

Contact Information:

Official show website is: www.liquorandliqueurconnoisseur.com

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Episode 108 features Biodynamic Luna 1.1 from Waterford Whisky. Bottled in 750ml at 50% ABV, or 100 proof. This retails for $119.

Enjoy this episode with any of the Waterford Whisky offers you can get your hands on!

The official website for Waterford Whisky: https://waterfordwhisky.com/

Brief Historical Timeline:

• 2004 - Diageo build the Waterford distillery site as a beer brewery
• 2015 - Mark Reynier converts the closed brewery into a whisky distillery
• 2016 - The first distillation goes into casks
• 2020 - The first releases are made available from Waterford

Key Cocktails:

Drink this neat. Add one or two cubes of ice if you like, but treat it as you would any good Single Malt.

References:

My interview with Neil Conway, Head Brewer for Waterford Whisky.

Whiskey Magazine Interview with Mark Reynier

Biodynamics Manure Horns Downloadable PDF

More detail on Manure Horns Prep and Biodynamic Principles

Biodynamics.com Principles and Practices

Book (pages 120-123): From Barley to Blarney - A Whiskey Lover's Guide to Ireland, presented by the Dead Rabbit, Sean Muldoon, Jack McGarry, Tim Herlihy, and Conor Kelly

Contact Information:

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Episode 107 features Vestal Vodka, Polish Potato Vodka. Bottled in 750ml at 40% ABV, or 80 proof. There are three options covered, the Unfiltered 2015 Vintage that retails for $28. Next is the standard or "white label" that retails for $20. Last is the Black Cherry that retails for $21.

Enjoy this episode with any of the Vestal Vodkas you can get your hands on!

The official website for Vestal Vodka: https://www.vestalvodka.com/

Brief Historical Timeline:

• Early 1990s - William Borrell's father buys a farm in Poland
• 2009 - The Borrell's grow a crop of potatoes on their Polish farm and have it distilled into vodka
• 2010 - This first version of their vodka earns a perfect score on Difford's Guide
• 2020 - Halewood, a UK based spirits producer, purchases 48% of Vestal forming a partnership
• 2021 - TotalWine begins distributing Vestal Vodka in the USA, including all of the available Unfiltered 2015 Vintage
• 2022 - The brand is hitting it's stride, growing distribution while staying true to their traditional production methods

Key Cocktails:

It depends upon which version of Vestal you're drinking, but for the Unfiltered 2015 Vintage, let its flavor shine. The standard or "white label" is well suited for any vodka cocktail. The Black Cherry? Use it for flavor, recommended to be mixed with Coke for an alcoholic Cherry Coke.

References:

My interview with William Borrell, founder of Vestal Vodka.

Chilled Magazine Article on Vestal Vodka

The Spirits Business Article Featuring William Borrell

The Spirits Business Article on Halewood Partnering with Vestal

Vice Article on Polish Moonshine

The Ladies & Gents Bar

Inside Hook Review

Contact Information:

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Episode 106 features Myers's Rum - Original Dark from Jamaica. Bottled in 750ml at 40% ABV, or 80 proof. It retails for $20.

Enjoy this episode with a Myers's Planter's Punch!

The official website for Myers's Rum: https://www.myerssrum.com/

Brief Historical Timeline:

• 1879 - Fred L. Myers founds the Myers's Rum brand
• 1920s - The brand finds popularity as an inclusion in the Planter's Punch, adding this to their brand description
• 1954 - Eustace Myers sells the brand to Seagram's
• 2000 - Diageo acquires Myers's when Seagram's implodes
• 2018 - The Sazerac Company acquires the brand from Diageo

Key Cocktails:

Try the Planter's Punch.

• 1 part fresh squeeze lime juice
• 2 parts simple syrup
• 3 parts Myers's Original Dark Rum
• 4 parts ice
• Dash of bitters
• Orange wheel as garnish

Add all ingredients into a shaker, shake, then strain into a highball filled with fresh shaved ice. Garnish and serve.

References:

Sazerac Brand Listing

Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails Book Excerpt

The Fat Rum Pirate Myers's Rum Review

Rum Label Collection Website Featuring Myers's Rum

And a Bottle of Rum by Wayne Curtis

Contact Information:

Official show website is: www.liquorandliqueurconnoisseur.com

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Episode 105 features Broken Shed Vodka from New Zealand. Bottled in 750ml at 40% ABV, or 80 proof. It retails for $25.

Enjoy this episode with some Broken Shed with a twist!

The official website for Broken Shed: https://brokenshed.com/

Brief Historical Timeline:

• 2008 - Two Americans on sabbatical fall in love with the Wanaka region of New Zealand and move there permanently
• 2009 - Broken Shed Vodka is born when the first two founders wonder why they're drinking imported vodka, and decide to make one in New Zealand
• 2010 - After about a year of trials and tastings, Broken Shed Vodka is ready
• 2012 - Broken Shed Vodka becomes available in the USA
• 2022 - The brand closes in on 20,000 annual 9-liter equivalent case sales

Key Cocktails:

Let the vodka shine in a cocktail, try not to overpower it. Broken Shed Vodka also works really well for infusions.

References:

My interview with Mark Simmonds, Master Blender of Broken Shed Vodka along with materials provided by the brand.

Huff Post Article from 2012

Chilled Magazine Article on Broken Shed

Contact Information:

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Episode 104 features Maker's Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky. Bottled in 750ml at 45% ABV, or 90 proof. It retails for about $28.

Enjoy this episode with a Maker's Mark Old Fashioned!

The official website for Maker's Mark: https://www.makersmark.com/

Brief Historical Timeline:

• 1840 - T.W. Samuels erects the family's first commercial distillery in Kentucky
• 1943 - Bill Samuels gets out of his family business, for awhile
• 1953 - Bill Samuels founds Maker's Mark
• 1958 - The first bottles of Maker's Mark are hand dipped in red sealing wax
• 1973 - Maker's Mark hires Kentucky ad agency Doe Anderson
• 1975 - Bill Samuels, Jr. becomes President and CEO of Maker's Mark
• 1980 - Maker's Mark is featured on the front page of The Wall Street Journal
• 1981 - Hiram Walker buys Maker's Mark
• 2004 - A second still is added to increase production
• 2005 - Pernod Ricard (who ended up with Maker's Mark through acquisitions) sells the brand to Fortune Brands, which would become part of Beam Suntory
• 2011 - Maker's Mark sells 1 million 9-liter case equivalents for the first time
• 2011 - Rob Samuels, grandson of the founder, takes over when his father Bill Samuels, Jr. retires
• 2013 - Proof is reduced 3%, but only for a moment
• 2015 - A $67 million investment includes a third still and new warehouses
• 2019 - Maker's Mark sells 2.4 mill cases

Key Cocktails:

Use as you would any quality bourbon. I'm drinking it neat, but try it in an Old Fashioned or Manhattan.

References:

Book: Maker's Mark - My Autobiography by Bill Samuels, Jr. published in 2000

Wikipedia Article on Maker's Mark

Brand History Article on The Spirits Business

Drink Spirits Story on Maker's Mark Whisky

Maker's Mark on The Spirits Educator

Vinepair.com Article on Hops Used in Production

Vinepair.com Article on Maker' Mark

Doe Anderson Ad Agency for Maker's Mark

Press Release on Bill Samuels, Jr. Retiring via the Wayback Machine

Contact Information:

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Episode 103 features Ron Flor de Caña 12. Boxed and bottled, it's 750ml at 35% ABV, or 70 proof and was intended for the domestic Nicaraguan market. In the United States, this is sold at 40% ABV, or 80 proof and it retails for about $40.

Enjoy this episode with a neat pour of Flor de Caña 12!

The official website for Ron Flor de Caña 12: https://flordecana.com/

Brief Historical Timeline:

• 1875 - Alfredo Francisco Pellas Canessa immigrants to Nicaragua from Genoa, Italy
• 1890 - Alfredo sets up a sugar plantation and the workers celebrate the harvest with some rum made on site
• 1937 - Flor de Caña is established as a brand
• 1959 - Flor de Caña begins export sales in Central America
• 1980s - The brand stockpiles aging rum, amassing the largest reserves of aged rum in the world
• 1999 - Flor de Caña is sold to 40 countries and 5 continents worldwide
• 2012 - Distillery tours begin, following investment
• 2013 - The branding was updated including the bottles
• 2017 - International Wine and Spirits Competition awarded the brand the Best Rum in the World

Key Cocktails:

This is a sipping rum for sure, just great on it's own. However, you may also want to try it in a rum Old Fashioned.

References:

Wikipedia Article on Flor de Caña

Brand History YouTube Video

An Older Brand History YouTube Video

Brand Ad on YouTube

Distillery Tour YouTube Video

Production Video on YouTube

Spanish Language YouTube Video Purporting 80% is 12 Years Old Rum

Wikipedia Article on Nicaragua

Wikipedia Article on Nicaraguan Revolution

The Spirits Business Article on Packaging Update

Press Release on Tree Planting Campaign

Contact Information:

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