When it comes to stocking your home bar, you want an array of classic spirits, but it’s also nice to have a bottle or two no one has ever seen before. A surprise glass to cap the night or something to mix up a fresh cocktail. Here are some of the latest and greatest we’d recommend looking into.
Venus Spirits Wayward Whiskey Single Malt
Venus Spirits produces organic, small-batch offerings out in Santa Cruz, California, and coming out within the next few weeks is their first whiskey. Wayward Whiskey is aged in American oak casks and benefits from a bit of that Pacific Ocean air blowing through. The flavorful single malt is the first in the Wayward line. Link
KOVAL Dry Gin
Chicago’s first distillery since the 1800s has been producing fine organic whiskey and spirits for the better half of a decade. Now they’ve turned their attention to gin. This small-batch gin, which was released a little over a month ago, is made from the distillery’s award-winning white whiskey with added flavors from grains of paradise, rose hip, juniper, angelica root, and coriander. It’s the kind of gin complex enough to drink without any tonic. Link
High West Bourye
High West claims this bourbon and rye blend is best enjoyed around a campfire while looking at the night sky. We fully plan on putting that to the test. The jackalope label is meant to represent the blending of two things to create something new and spectacular. All the sweet notes of a great bourbon are present with a spicy finish imparted by the rye whiskey. This newer version of Bourye is great for the home bar or for a camping pack. Link
Patrón XO Cafe Incendio
Patrón XO Cafe is a weak spot for us. The coffee liquor goes down way to easy. A couple months back, Patrón quietly rolled out a follow-up. The addition of arbol chile gives this liquor a bit of a spicy kick to add to the rich flavor. Link
Orphan Barrel Lost Prophet
Orphan Barrel released this Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey last month after it resided in charred American white oak barrels for 22 years. The distillery tracks down these forgotten barrels and brings their contents to the public. Everything about Lost Prophet is soft and approachable, and no element will take a baseball bat to your palate. You’ll have to hunt this one down before it’s gone. Link
Woodford Reserve Rye
Joining Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select and Woodford Reserve Double Oak comes this new bottle of Rye Whiskey. At 53% rye, it tones down a little bit of the spiciness to make it more approachable to the masses. If you’re a fan of their bourbon, keep an eye out for this in February. Link
Svedka Grapefruit Jalapeno
We’re not huge fans of flavored vodkas, but every once in awhile there comes one we kinda want to try. There was Sriracha, Bacon, and now Grapefruit Jalapeno. Why do we want to try this? Well, we’re on a bit of a grapefruit kick, and it’s a trend we’re seeing more of in beer and spirits, and also because we like heat. Will it be good? We’re skeptical, but at least willing to give this one a shot. Link
