Zignum is a new player in the mezcal market, having launched in the U.S. late last year. Offering a silver and reposado mezcal, Zignum is made from 100% green agave and claims to be a smooth spirit that’s easy to mix. The smoothness and general lack of smokiness comes from Zignum’s production technique.

In traditional mezcal production, hearts of the maquey plant, a form of agave, are placed underground and roasted using layers of hot stones and banana leaf wrappings. This process does not allow smoke to escape, so the maguey hearts, or “pinas,” are imbued with a distinctive smoky flavor. Zignum Mezcal, however, extracts the juices of the plants before steam-cooking them above ground, which eliminates the smoky taste. Zignum says this results in a silky smooth spirit with a clean taste that allows consumers to fully appreciate the flavor of the green agave in its true form. Let’s see how they did.

Zignum Reposado Mezcal is aged for two months and has a shimmering, straw-to-gold colored appearance in the glass. It’s light and fresh on the nose, with aromas of vanilla, coconut and bananas. It’s more reminiscent of rum than most mezcals. Take a sip and that agave starts to come through, plus a background of light earth and smoke. There’s more vanilla and fruit, plus some brown sugar. It’s medium-bodied and very smooth, and it finishes dry with soft notes of oak.

Those easy-drinking qualities and its incredible price point – about half the price of others in the category – make Zignum a potential gateway mezcal for drinkers new to the spirit. Though my personal mezcal baseline leans toward the smoky stuff (also see: Islay Scotch), there’s no denying that Zignum Reposado Mezcal is delicious. The smoothness from start to finish marks a well-made product, and while it is highly mixable, I’m pretty content drinking it straight.

Stats:
- 40% Alcohol by Volume
- $28

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We wrote about the launch of Don Julio 70 Anejo Claro back in July, when it was unveiled at Tales of the Cocktail. It sounded interesting, but we didn’t sit down with a bottle until now.

Don Julio 70 Anejo Claro is the newest tequila in the Don Julio lineup, and it’s certainly the most unique. The spirit begins its life as 18-month-old Don Julio Añejo. From there, a unique filtering process strips away the color. Besides just removing the color, however, the process is supposed to recover the agave notes of the Blanco without removing the richness of the Anejo. Let’s take it for a spin.

Dive in to find huge aromas and flavors. First up though, is a powerful, unappealing hit of rubber cement. Thankfully, that subsides and gives way to bananas, citrus and agave – traditional Blanco notes – plus vanilla, caramel and toasted oak, flavors usually associated with Anejos. These nicer notes try to shine through, but they’re overwhelmed by a strong, woody presence that’s much harsher than the rich, smooth wood notes of the Anejo.

Drinking 70 Anejo Claro is an interesting, albeit confusing, experience. It’s got more going for it than the green, rough-around-the-edges Blanco, but not necessarily in a good way. And it pales in comparison to the smooth and creamy Anejo. Consider it a collector’s item for sure, but for $70, we’ll take a bottle of the Anejo and a 12-pack, please.

Stats:
- 40% Alcohol by Volume
- $70

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G’Vine Gin has just launched its 2012 Gin Connoisseur Program – a global quest for the world’s best gin bartender. This year’s theme is French Classics, remembering the golden age of French mixology from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

The intense program requires an absolute understanding of the gin category,. But beyond that, competitors must be excellent hosts, technically skilled bartenders, creative mixologists and engaging personalities.

Any bartender, anywhere, can enter the Gin Connoisseur Program. It doesn’t matter which gin your bar pours or whether G’Vine Gin is available in your country. Every gin-loving bartender has an equal chance of making it to the World Finals in Cognac, France in June 2012.

Besides that trip to Cognac, additional prizes include:

- An intercontinental bar tour to a couple of the spirits industry’s biggest events: Tales of the Cocktail and Bar Convent Berlin
- A year’s supply of G’Vine Gin for your bar
- Platinum vine flower pin
- $3,000 and recognition as the finest gin bartender on the planet

More details –

All entrants must complete an online exam at www.legcp.fr on or before May 1, 2012.

Bartenders who can attend a preliminary contest hosted in the UK, Scotland, France, Spain, Canada & the USA throughout the spring can qualify for the World Finals in Cognac in June. The preliminaries will begin with a seminar – How the Gin Business Works (e.g. sales figures, calculating margins, etc.) – and the challenges include creative mixology and blind nosing and tasting.

Bartenders who can’t attend a preliminary contest can enter as wild cards by completing the same online exams but making an Xtranormal cartoon video using the theme “French Classics.” (An example.)

World Finalists will be announced May 15, 2012.

Best of luck to all competitors, and for more info or to sign up, visit http://www.legcp.fr/.

Nosing and tasting spirits isn’t easy. It’s fun, but it isn’t easy. And according to NEAT creators George Manska and Christine Crnek, typical tasting glasses make it even more difficult. Most tasting glasses are tulip-shaped and direct all of a spirit’s aromas directly upward to the nose. This results in strong alcoholic top notes, which can hinder one’s assessment of the spirit.

Enter NEAT (Naturally Engineered Aroma Technology), a newly-designed glass based on scientific principles of evaporation and aroma technology. In describing the glass, engineer George Manska explains –

The widely flared lip and its proximity to the surface of the liquid allows ethanol to escape before nosing and positions the nose directly over the concentrated vapors. Size and proportional relationships are everything in the design.

Does it work? UNLV thinks so. Studies prove that the glass dissipates the ethanol, and only the flavorful esters and aromas remain. This allows the drinker to smell the spirit underneath its alcohol, which means more detectable and definitive characteristics and a more accurate assessment of the spirit.

Sounds good to us. If you’re interested in trying them for yourself, a NEAT two-glass package costs $40.

Jefferson’s Straight Rye Whiskey is the newest addition to the Jefferson’s portfolio, which also includes three small batch bourbons. Released in August 2011, Jefferson’s Rye is a 10-year old 100% North American rye. Though the bottle doesn’t specify, the rye is purportedly from Canada. Given its age, origin and similar flavor profile, one has to wonder if the rye whiskey source is the same as WhistlePig, another 100% Canadian rye.

Jefferson’s founder and master blender Trey Zoeller combed through many barrels of aged rye whiskeys before settling on the right components for Jefferson’s Rye. Let’s see how he did.

On the nose, Jefferson’s Rye is full of sugar and spice. In this case, brown sugar and cinnamon, plus hints of caramel and nutmeg. Drink up to find toasty grains, honey and creamy vanilla, all wrapped up in a cocoon of cooling mint. The whiskey finishes smoothly with hints of toffee and pepper.

Overall, it really is quite similar to WhistlePig, but at a more affordable price point. Both are whiskeys worth knowing, but we’ll give the nod to Jefferson’s for affordability.

An interesting note – Jefferson’s presumably comes from rye whiskey stocks that are primarily used in small quantities for blending into Canadian whiskeys. It’s great to see brands like Jefferson’s and WhistlePig featuring these barrels as straight ryes.

Stats:
- 47% Alcohol by Volume
- $40

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Woodford Reserve recently announced the newest addition to its lineup – Woodford Reserve Double Oaked. Available in March, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked isn’t a limited time release or part of the brand’s Master’s Collection; it’s a permanent line extension.

The new whiskey gets its name from its double aging process. Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is first aged in toasted, charred barrels created at Woodford’s cooperage. This initial maturation provides much of the color and flavor, but the second step is what makes the spirit unique. It’s moved to another custom barrel – one that’s been toasted twice as long as the initial barrel, and then very lightly charred. The heavy toast qualities impart lots of soft, sweet oak characteristics to the whiskey.

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is sweet and spicy on the nose, with lots of vanilla, honey, chocolate and cinnamon. The entry brings more vanilla, plus caramel, baked apples and baking spices. Mid-palate it becomes quite creamy and hints at marzipan before finishing with lingering notes of oak and honey. Though the oak is very present throughout, the whiskey remains well-balanced and smooth from start to finish, never killing the drinker’s palate with too much oak.

Look for Woodford Reserve Double Oaked on store shelves beginning in March. It clocks in at 90.4 proof (45.2% alcohol by volume), and is expected to retail for $50 per bottle.

Like that? Drink this:
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Leave it to well-funded scientific studies to tell us what we already know.

A recent University of California study examined the endorphin release that results from drinking alcohol and the particular regions of the brain affected by this release. Scientists hope to better understand how alcohol affects the brain, and to one day use this knowledge to combat addiction.

The study pitted heavy drinkers against non drinkers and found that both parties experience increased endorphins when drinking, which leads to feelings of pleasure. But the brains of heavy or problem drinkers are actually changed in a way that makes them more likely to find alcohol pleasant. Thus, problem drinking can ensue.

Some fun facts from the study –

- Drinking alcohol makes people feel better because it produces the same chemicals in the brain as exercising and laughing.

- Alcohol is addictive because it releases endorphins, which are the body’s way of making us feel pleasure and reward.

- The stress and pain-relieving proteins that are naturally released in the brain when consuming alcohol produce similar effects to opiates like morphine.

Click to read the full article.

You might have seen this floating around the Web of late. If not, it’s definitely worth a look.

Many of us have witnessed this bartender at work – the one who scoffs at your light beer request or bristles at your inability to shoot Fernet. Or the patron with encyclopedic knowledge who tests your knowledge of 1860s French aperitifs and refuses to drink any cocktail not sitting on Kold-Draft ice. Hell, some of us might even be that guy, mustache included.

Regardless, this spoof is a good time. Click below to view, then share it with your cocktail-swilling pals and bartender “call me a mixologist” friends.

“I brought my own ice!”

File this under the I-can’t-believe-this-is-a-real-holiday-but-I’m-sure-glad-it-is category. January 17th marks Hot Buttered Rum Day, and as with all drinking holidays, we’re happy to partake.

Hot Buttered Rum is one of our favorite seasonal drinks and is a nice change-of-pace from egg nog and spiked cider. Rum is the perfect base for this buttery libation, which is spiced up with allspice dram and apple cider. There are several quality recipes for Hot Buttered Rum, but this year we’re making the below recipe, courtesy of Kenneth McCoy and NYC’s Rum House.

Hot Buttered Brugal

2 oz Brugal Añejo Rum
1 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon butter
4 oz hot apple cider
½ oz St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram

Add all ingredients to mixing glass. Stir vigorously, then pour into heated coffee mug. Grate fresh cinnamon on top, and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

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PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur has announced the launch of its “Best Home Bar Star Contest.” Beginning today and running through February 29th, the contest encourages home bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts to submit cocktail recipes that are delicious, balanced, elegantly presented and, of course, use PAMA.

The winner will receive a trip for two to the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen in June 2012, plus $2,000 and the opportunity for their recipe to be presented in front of thousands of attendees at the Grand Tasting Tent. The winning recipe will also be featured on PAMA’s website.

The contest asks interested parties to submit a recipe and photo of their original drink, which will be judged on the following criteria:

- Originality/creativity
- Unique use of PAMA
- Ingredient combination
- Appropriateness of the cocktail name

The top 25 entries, as determined by the PAMA judging panel, will be posted to PAMA’s website and Facebook page for visitors to vote on their favorites. The 10 entries receiving the most votes will then be judged by a panel of cocktail professionals, including Kate Krader (Food & Wine), Darryl Robinson (The Cooking Channel’s “Drink Up!”) and Eben Freeman (master mixologist and PAMA spokesperson).

If you haven’t tasted PAMA, it’s a low proof (17% ABV) pomegranate liqueur that’s made from pomegranate juice, vodka and a touch of tequila. It’s both sweet and tart and blends easily with white spirits and sparkling wine. PAMA is a less natural fit with darker spirits, but it’s still a pretty friendly mixer.

For more info, check out www.PAMALiqueur.com/HomeBarStar.