AngelicaAmbos 
INTRODUCTION TO PISCO Pisco is a pale brandy that’s produced in South America in specific regions of Peru and Chile. It has a very long history as the drink of choice for Spanish settlers in the continent. Since Spanish alcohol was very expensive to import, they began to brew their own strong brandies in the … Read more
OUZO: THE LOCAL GREEK SPIRIT Out of all the unique spirits around the world, Ouzo is one that takes on a life of its own depending on where it’s made. It can only be made in Greece and is usually brewed by very small local operations. There are only a few major distributors of Ouzo, … Read more
ORIGINAL FRENCH VERMOUTH Vermouth is a French spirit made from a distilled wine base, fortified with another neutral spirit, and aromatized with many herbal and floral flavors. It’s part of a collection of wines known as aperitif wines. These are usually served before a meal in order to open up the stomach and prepare your … Read more
CHOOSING THE BEST LIQUEUR Liqueur is a sweet, sometimes syrupy alcohol composed of distilled spirits and flavor agents. A wide variety of things can be used to flavor liqueurs, many of which are naturally sweet or rich like berries, chocolate, or coffee. Many people will use liqueur for different purposes, so it’s important to choose … Read more
SPANISH SHERRY WINES Sherry is a wine made in the far south of Spain. To be official Sherry, it must be made in this region, although there are some sherry-type wines that are made in other locations. This is a wine with a long history and a legacy that includes being fortified to withstand voyages … Read more
THE BASICS OF MEZCAL Mezcal is a Mexican spirit similar to Tequilla because of its use of agave root as a fermenting agent. The major difference between the two spirits is not only in the type of agave used but also in the process by which the drink is actually produced. Only 8 of Mexico’s … Read more
MEAD AROUND THE WORLD Mead is not legal in every country around the world. It’s more highly regulated that some other types of alcohol, mostly due to its varied natured that involves many different ingredients, aging processes, and brewing methods. In general, meads are a sort of heavy alcohol that is nearly always sweet because … Read more
THE LESSER KNOWN FRENCH BRANDY: ARMAGNAC Most people have heard of the Brandy called Cognac, but how many know about Armagnac, a brandy made just 100 miles south from the Cognac region of France? Armagnac is actually even older than Cognac and has been made for centuries longer. Despite this, it has not been a … Read more
WHAT IS MEZCAL? Mezcal is a type Mexican hard liquor made from roasting, grinding, and distilling agave hearts. It’s a close cousin to Tequila, but the roasting and brewing processes are not the same so a different flavor is produced in the end. Many Mezcals have a very smoky quality with a lot of herbal … Read more
WHAT IS VERMOUTH? Vermouth takes a wine base and turns it into a new, highly aromatic drink fortified with a spirit. These wines can be white, red, rose, or amber. The tastes vary between particular brands, but the basic styles are usually either very dry or very sweet. Vermouth always has some sort of spice … Read more
SHERRY WORLDWIDE Sherry wines come from a southern region of Spain and are usually made with Palamino white grapes, although there are other grapes which can be used instead. They are fortified with neutral spirits in order to raise the alcohol content before being sold. There are a large range of Sherries made around the … Read more
WHAT IS MEAD? Mead is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented honey. It can be flavored with a range of rich ingredients such as fruits, herbs, barks, spices, and more. Mead has not been a very popular drink for years, but recently more bottlers seem to be experimenting with making mead again, bringing it back … Read more