Category: 2025 Advent cocktails

2025 Advent cocktails

Advent Spirits Day 24: Four Roses Bourbon

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Here we are on Christmas Eve, the final day of Advent. And thus all that remains between us and the glory of Christmas is the task of drinking one more Advent Spirit. Talk about comfort and joy!

The good people at The Mixologer (who put this Advent calendar together) have given us a special treat on this last day: Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon. Four Roses is a storied brand, dating back to the 1860s. They became famous for their high-quality, straight Kentucky Bourbon, and then survived the Prohibition period by manufacturing “medicinal” alcohol. Then in 1943 they were purchased by Seagram, which a decade later ceased production of Four Roses straight bourbon. (They instead focused on blended whisky.) Such was the state of affairs until the early 2000s, when Kirrin bought the Four Roses brand and re-launched it as a straight bourbon. And that’s what we got our hands on today.

This is a 90-proof bourbon that’s been aged for at least 6 years, which are both points in its favor. The website is pretty minimalist in describing this spirit. Here’s what they say: “For a spirits enthusiast who wants a go-to premium bourbon, Four Roses Small Batch is a perfectly balanced everyday bourbon that elevates every moment to a special occasion.” I’m now a little confused: Is this a “premium” bourbon (as suggested in the first half of the sentence, or an “everyday” bourbon (as stated in the second half)? I guess there’s only one way to find out.

Appearance: It’s the color of the star on top of the Christmas tree.

Aroma: Fresh-baked gingerbread, mulled wine, grandma’s Christmas cookies.

Taste: Figgy pudding, fruitcake, eggnog, rum balls, spiced pecans.

Finish: bright and cheery, deep and crisp and even.

Bottom Line: It seems the Christmas spirit has infiltrated my review. Let’s just summarize by saying this is a delicious bourbon, and that I hope you and yours enjoy a wonderful, Merry Christmas and a most joyous and prosperous New Year! Be watching this space for a road trip, coming soon.

2025 Advent cocktails

Advent Spirits Day 23: Suerte Tequila

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Lucky for us today’s spirit is tequila. And I say “lucky” because it’s from a company called Suerte, which, I’m told on good authority, means “luck” in Spanish.

Remember how a week ago or so I was discussing the trend of associating alcoholic spirits with a back story, whether or not it’s relevant (or even true)? Suerte Tequila is no exception. Here’s their spiel: “Centuries ago, legend has it, a farmers [sic] wife saw lots of rabbits (400 it is said). They were bouncing happily through her fields lapping up the juices from the fermented agave plants. She went out and collected some of the nectar in jars, brought it into the hacienda and, for the first time, everyone did tequila shots. Ultimately she was crowned Mayahuel, the Aztec Goddess of Tequila. And the rabbits, well, to us, they’re heroes.”

What we have here is an Añejo tequila, which, as we all learned in school, has been aged in oak barrels for one to three years. Thus we should expect this to be mellower and richer than the blanco and Reposado tequilas we tried earlier in this Advent project. (As I now think about it, it would have been helpful if the makers of this Advent calendar had assigned these three tequilas to three sequential days, thus allowing for more direct comparison of the different styles.) I do expect that this will be superior to the other two tequilas, as a result of longer aging. And consistent with that theory, this tequila is quite a bit more expensive; a 750 ml bottle will set you back almost $60 bucks.

Let’s see how “lucky” I am to have scored this sample!

Appearance: It’s a pale yellow, like gum turpentine.

Aroma: Notwithstanding the oak aging, this smells a lot like gum turpentine as well.

Taste: You can definitely taste the oak, accompanied by notes of pine resin, bitter grapefruit, and cumin seed. I’d say it tastes pretty good, for a tequila.

Finish: Quite smooth (again, for a tequila). The tastes resolves into wood sorrel (which my childhood friends and I called “sour grass”).

Bottom Line: I don’t know whether to recommend this or not. I’d say that you’ve gotta ask yourself a question: “Do I feel lucky?” Well, do ya, punk?

“That didn’t taste like añejo; it was reposado, wasn’t it?”

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Advent Spirits Day 22: Still Gin

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Remember yesterday when I was bemoaning how it seems that everyone who has put out a record has launched their own brand of alcoholic spirit? Well, meet Still Gin (or, more precisely, Still G.I.N.), which comes from your friends Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. I’m not making this up.

Snoop is an interesting guy: He’s put his name on cannabis (I know; shocking, right?), pet supplies, wine, breakfast foods (“Snoop Loops,” which was probably inevitable), coffee, and numerous other products. He also has changed his name several times, from Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., to Snoop Doggy Dogg, to simply Snoop Dogg, then for a brief time to Snoop Lion (does anyone remember that??), and now, apparently, back to Snoop Dogg. Meanwhile, Dr. Dre is known for his “Beats” headphones, which at least are remotely connected to the profession for which he is known.

So now they’ve made a gin. Excuse me if I’m skeptical. And yet, their combined worth is about a billion dollars (Dre has the “lion’s” share, if you’ll pardon the expression.) So they must know a thing or two about pleasing the public. Then again, McDonald’s knows a thing or two about pleasing the public, but no one wouldn’t call their hamburgers gourmet.

Let’s check the blurb on their website: “Modern yet elegant, the latest release from the hip-hop icons’ new spirit company bursts with notes of tangerine, jasmine, and coriander for an unforgettable aromatic finish. Defiantly smooth.” Well, we should give it a try.

Appearance: It’s as transparent as my barista’s uncharacteristic friendliness during the Christmas Tip Season.

Aroma: This actually has an inviting aroma. There’s no alcohol astringency–just botanical freshness. It’s mild and floral and maybe a little citrus. Dare I say “gin and juice?”

Taste: OK, I have to admit this is one of the best gins I’ve tasted. It’s exceptionally (or is that “defiantly”?) smooth. There’s no alcohol harshness. It tastes like a walk through a botanical garden on a spring day right after a rain. (Snoop, I’ll give you that one for free.)

Finish: There’s a crispness on the finish that really puts a bow on the sipping experience. It’s got the alcohol warmth without the bite. That’s some sophisticated crippin’. OK, I’ll stop now.

Bottom Line: This stuff is about the same price as Bombay London Dry Gin, which is my usual bar staple. I think I like Snoop’s version better for sipping…but how would it be in a martini? We may need to explore this further.

2025 Advent cocktails

Advent Spirits Day 21: Larceny Bourbon

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Every time I walk the aisles at Total Wine–which isn’t more than once a week or so–I spy a bottle of bourbon called “Larceny.” Over the past decade we’ve seen an increasing trend of winkingly naming your alcoholic beverage with a negative word, and hoping everyone will see you as the ironic hipster you pretend to be. Exhibit A is Snoop Dog’s “19 Crimes” wines. Exhibit B is Klamath Basin Brewing Company’s “Butt Crack Brown Ale.” I’m not making this up. I suppose these are the natural progression of absolutely every restaurant calling their chocolate dessert “decadent” in the hopes that giggling BFFs would see it as an indulgent way to prove how transgressive they are.

Which brings us to Larceny Bourbon. It’s named in honor of a late-19th century federal Treasury agent named John E. Fitzgerald who, by virtue of his position, had access to bourbon warehouses. Legend (or maybe just Larceny’s PR team) has it that Fitzgerald would steal the best bourbon from those warehouses, and that best bourbon, supposedly, was the kind that used wheat instead of rye. So Larceny is supposedly carrying on the legacy by making their bourbon with wheat.

Let’s see how the distiller (which, to be honest, is mega-distiller Heaven Hill) describes it:

“Our signature Wheated Bourbon balances aromas of toffee with the buttery taste of caramel and subtle notes of honey. Mix it in a cocktail or sip it on the rocks. Tonight is yours for tasting.” OK, let’s see if this wheated mash bill is really something to write home about.

Appearance: It’s exactly the color of the railroad pocket watch that I received for Christmas when I was eleven years old. It had a clear plastic front with shiny gold-colored paint on the back cover. It also had a cheap gold-colored chain with a clasp on the end that I affixed to my belt loop. I’m sure I looked like a total dork–a kid in the 1970s with a 19th-century pocket watch in his Levi’s. Maybe I would have fit in better in John E. Fitzgerald’s day.

Aroma: I’m sure this is just the power of suggestion, but it smells like an old lock that’s been sprayed with WD-40. And if you know WD-40, you know it’s a pleasant smell.

Taste: I think the wheat does make a difference. This tastes quite distinct from the other bourbons we’ve tried this month. It comes across as smoother and not as spicy. I taste buttered Pillsbury dinner rolls, toasted walnut, and a little bit of metallic taste (from the lock, no doubt).

Finish: It’s an exceptionally smooth finish, with a clean and crisp aftertaste. You really don’t realize you’re drinking 92 proof bourbon.

Bottom Line: You should steal a bottle.

2025 Advent cocktails · Uncategorized

Advent Spirits Day 20: Cazadores Tequila

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Here it is, the 20th of the month, and only now do we get to a second tequila. This time it’s from a company called Cazadores.

Now, this is a blanco tequila, meaning that it’s not aged. So that’s strike 1. But let’s see if their website can give us any reasons to love it:

“Crafted in the Highlands of Jalisco, made with 100% Blue Weber Agave, Cazadores has stayed true to its roots since 1922 — authentic, smooth, and made to celebrate lifes [sic] real moments.”

Other than the claim about the agave, this is pretty meaningless. And their credibility is shot given their inability to properly use punctuation.

Then they add that their blanco is “tequila in its purest form, without aging, for intensity and real flavor of agave. Citrus fruits, fragrant herbs and the customary smooth finish makes [sic] Tequila CAZADORES® Blanco excellent for cocktails or sipped neat.” Strike 2.

Still, I am a professional, and I will taste this tequila in spite of the errors of punctuation and subject-verb agreement.

Appearance: As an unaged spirit, this is as colorless and unremarkable as my dating life in college.

Aroma: It smells fresh and slightly honey-sweet, with a little citrus in the background. It’s inoffensive, though not exactly what I’d want in an alcoholic drink.

Taste: Now would probably be a good time to admit that I’m not a huge fan of tequila (though I do like me a good Mezcal). So when I say that this stuff tastes like Plasti-Goop, it’s entirely possible that it’s supposed to taste that way. In any event, the taste reminds me of plastic irrigation pipe and Berryman Chemtool and glazing putty.

Finish: Now, here’s the secret to Cazadores’ success (for they’ve been around for over a century): The finish is not nearly as harsh as the chemical-y taste would lead you to expect. In fact, I’d say the finish is mild, and somehow those sweet and citrus notes from the nose turn up again to seduce you into thinking maybe you were hasty in disparaging the taste. So you take another sip, and the scales fall from your eyes. And you pour it into the nearest potted palm. Won’t get fooled again.

Bottom Line: As I said, I’m not a blanco tequila fan. So if it’s your thing, don’t let me yuck your yum. But do yourself a favor and mix it into a margarita.