Cask

V is for Vermouth ------ Vermouth is produced by starting with a base of a neutral grape wine or unfermented wine must. Each manufacturer adds additional alcohol and a proprietary mixture of dry ingredients, consisting of aromatic herbs, roots, and barks, to the base wine, base wine plus spirit, or spirit only which may be redistilled before adding to the wine or unfermented wine must. After the wine is aromatized and fortified, the vermouth is sweetened with either cane su...gar or caramelized sugar, depending on the style. Here are some of our favorites from Italy, France, and Spain. ITALY Bordiga Vermouth Extra Dry/Red - $29/$30 Istine - $43 Punt E Mes - $26 Fred Jerbis - $38 Macchia - $30 FRANCE Guerin - $24 Alessio Chinato - $30 Dolin Blanc - $15 SPAIN Vermut Lustau - $23 Atxa - $24 Casa Mariol Vermut - $30 ------ #vermouth #fortifiedwine #vermut #drinkvermouth #vermouthlovers #travel #taste #wine #craftspirits #craftcocktails #alcoholalphabet #caskstore #sanfrancisco #berkeley #cheers

U is for Uncle Nearest ------ Is it possible that the godfather of Tennessee whiskey was a man the world never knew? Uncle Nearest (Nathan Green) was rumored to be a former slave who taught a young Jack Daniels how to make whiskey. Uncle Nearest 1856 ($60) is a blend of premium aged whiskies between 8 and 14 years old. It has a caramel color with a beautiful deep golden hue. On the nose, baled hay and pumpkin seeds with subtle notes of ripe stone fruit and caramel corn. Bold... and spicy upfront then mellows with sweet caramel and maple, like biting into an oatmeal raisin cookie. The finish is long and rich. It lingers pleasantly sweet on the palate with notes of vanilla after the spice dissipates. ------ #unclenearest #tennesseewhiskey #jackdaniels #americanwhiskey #whiskeyhistory #whiskeyappreciation #alcoholalphabet #whiskeylover #caskstore #cheers #sanfrancisco #berkeley #craftwhiskey #craftspirits See more

T is for Taketsuru ------ Masataka Taketsuru is known as "The Father of Japanese Whiskey" today. He was born in 1894 in Hiroshima and by 1919 was enrolled in college in Glasgow Scotland. He learned the intricate methods of whiskey distillation, apprenticing at many distilleries throughout Scotland, including Springbank in Campbeltown. Taketsuru brought his knowledge back to Japan and started Nikka Whisky around 1940. Nikka’s Taketsuru NAS is a tribute to the founder and show...cases their way of blending and perfecting flavors. Gentle malt flavor, fruitiness and extremely well-balanced taste make it a perfect entry point into Japanese whisky. ------ @nikkawhiskyusa #japanesewhisky #nikka #taketsuru #masatakataketsuru #whiskyappreciation #alcoholalphabet #whiskylover #whiskyhistory #caskstore #madeinjapan #kanpai #cheers #sanfrancisco #berkeley #craftwhisky #craftspirits See more

S is for Sotol ------ Sotol is made from the Dasylirian plant or desert spoon. There are 16 varietals of sotol. The sotol plant is found throughout Mexico but the denomination of origin for sotol dictates that to be labeled a sotol it must come from 1 of 3 states: Chihuahua, Coahuila and Durango. The Wheeleri has a rounded balance of smoked herbs and fruit. The aroma is more herbal with hints of smoke. The palate shows more herbs with hints of pineapple. @lahiguerasotol ----...-- #sotol #chihuahua #durango #coahuila #agavespirits #agavelover #tequilalover #mezcal #caskstore #sanfrancisco #berkeley #craftspirits #craftcocktails #worldspririts #madeinmexico #mexicanspirits See more

R is for Redwood Empire ------ Named after the large redwood forest on the west coast of northern California, the Redwood Empire distillery makes and ages whiskey in the west Sonoma. They currently make three whiskies named after three specific giant redwood trees in the namesakes region. Pipe Dream Bourbon ($40 ) - Named for the 14th tallest tree on the planet, this bourbon is made from barrels aged between four and twelve years with a high corn mash bill. 75% Corn, 21% Raw... Rye, 4% Malt Barley. Complex with roasted pecan, vanilla, and lingering char and woody notes. Smooth with a hint of black pepper on the finish. Emerald Giant Rye ($40 ) - Named after the fastest growing Redwood in the world. With a mash-bill of 95% premium rye and 5% barley and aged it for over 3 years in new charred oak barrels. Spicy with an exceptionally smooth finish Lost Monarch American ($40 ) - Named after the world’s largest coastal Redwood. Sweetness from corn and spiciness from rye combine with an almost maple syrup like flavor. Vanilla and caramel notes lead to a persistent, yet subdued peppery finish. @redwoodempirewhiskey ------ #bourbon #rye #redwoodempire #whiskeylovers #madeincalifornia #californiaredwoods #whiskeygram #emeraldgiantrye #pipedreambourbon #lostmonarchwhiskey #instabourbon #instagwhiskey #californiawhiskey #caskstore #alcoholalphabet #sanfrancisco #berkeley #craftwhiskey #craftcocktails #craftspirits See more

Q is for Quinquina ------ Quinquina, an aromatized wine, is a variety of apéritif wine. Traditionally quinquinas contain cinchona bark, which provides quinine. Quinine was used in treating malaria. While Lillet and Dubonnet were the first two to come up with winning, timeless recipes, many more have been made since then. This video features some of these more modern examples. All of these are excellent alone on ice or with soda water for an easy low-ABV sipper. They also make... for elite cocktail ingredients. Featuring: Alma de Trabanco Quinquina En Rama $28 Macchia Vermouth Rosso Al Mirto $30 Bigallet China-China $43 Byrrh Grand Quinquina $21 L.N. Mattei Cap Corse Blanc $20 L.N. Mattei Cap Corse Rouge $20 Bonal Gentiane-Quina $21 ------ #almadetrabanco #quinine #quinquina #vermouth #aromatizedwine #almadetrabanco #macchiavermouth #bigallet #bonal #aperitif #cinchona #lillet #dubonnet #craftspirits #craftcocktails #vermouthandsoda #alcoholalphabet #caskstore #sanfrancisco #berkeley See more

P is for PÜR Spirits ------ PÜR Spirits are made in small batches in Bavaria, Germany. They are produced per traditional principles, but with modern methods and yield balanced and sophisticated distillates. @purspirits 1: PÜR Apertivo Zamaro ($30) - an aperitif-style amaro created by Kiki Braverman. Inspired by the bounty of botanicals found in the northern alpine environment of her home country Bavaria, Germany. The perfect amount of bitterness is balanced by subtle swe...etness, astringency, acidity, floral and herbal notes to create optimal balance. 2: PÜR Likor Spice Blood Orange ($38) - balances the sweetness of the blood orange with the spice of cinnamon and cloves. PÜR Likor Elderflower ($39) - has a deep amber color, is herbaceous on the nose and has a dry finish on the palate. PÜR Likor Poire Williams ($38) - Balanced, refined, uncompromised its subtle sweetness is light on the palate and emphasizes the genuine pear flavor. ------ #purspirits #bavarianspirits #zamaro #amaro #purlikor #pearliqueur #elderflowerliqueur #bloodorangeliqueur #craftspirits #craftcocktails #alcoholalphabet #caskstore #sanfrancisco #berkeley #poirewilliams See more

O is for Oysters ------ Oakland Spirit Co. Half Shell Gin ($34) Made in collaboration with Hog Island Oyster Co., Oakland Sprirt Co. has created the first ever (legal) spirit distilled thru whole oysters, using their signature Sweetwater Oysters from Tomales Bay.... Oysters and gin/juniper were made to go together. That said, it took a considerable amount of bridge-botanicals to make the marriage stick. Smashed celery root bulbs, dried French tarragon, fresh parsley and lemons, to name a few. The oyster quality inhabits the texture, minerally mid-palate, and the mid-nose but is not super prevalent until you enhance it with classic gin cocktail additives (that have a bit of sugar). Tonic, Dry Vermouth, Green Chartreuse, Luxardo, and Carpano Bianco all bring the ‘Tomales Bay’ note right up to the top. Don’t fear, it’s super versatile and delicious on its own Like all of OsCo spirits, it’s distilled using neutral grape spirit and is gluten free. ------ #oaklandspiritscomany #OsCo #gin #ginstagram #instagin #oysters #halfshell #craftgin #craftspirits #californiagin #caskstore #alcoholalphabet #sanfrancisco #berkeley #hogislandoysterco #craftcocktails @oaklandspirits @hogislandoysterco

N is for Negroni ------ St. Agrestis Negroni 100mL ($6.25) A combination of the St. Agrestis Inferno Bitter, house-made Torino style vermouth and Greenhook Gin, the St. Agrestis Negroni makes for a perfectly balanced, bitter, boozy and refreshing cocktail. Best served over ice with an orange twist, the St. Agrestis Negroni drinks with the same bitterness drinkers of the cocktail expect, but with more layered herbaceousness and freshness.... Fred Jerbis Negroni ($38) Fred Jerbis makes all of the components for this pre-bottled cocktail in his laboratory in Italy. The Negroni is the most known Italian drink in the world. Fred Jerbis has created their own bottled version that is a mixture of their Vermut, Bitter, and Gin. Serve in an ice-filled tumbler. Garnish with lemon peel. Recommended serving size 3oz. #negroni #italiancocktails #bottledcocktails #easycocktals #gin #vermuth #bitter #craftcocktails #caskstore #alcoholalphabet #sanfrancisco #berkeley #northbeach

M is for Maker's Mark ------ Maker's Mark Cask Private Select ($75) Summer of 2018 we selected our first Maker’s Mark Private Cask, a process a bit different than our usual single barrel picks. Along with our Spirit Buyers, we created a blend to help us choose which wood staves were added to the cask strength barrel. Then we let time do its thing. We think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the complexity that the wood contributes. with a combination of roasted French Mocha, ...toasted French Spice, and Seared French Cuvee wood staves. With plenty of back bone, you’ll find notes of cocoa nib, vanilla, toasted graham cracker, and dark dried fruits. Weighs in at 54.85% for plenty of kick. Maker's Mark RC6 ($62) This is the first nationally available, limited release from Maker’s Mark, part of a project designed to explore the effects of different woods and their treatments on the whiskey. If you feel you need a prerequisite tasting class, start with a bottle of Maker’s 46, the first of such experiments, now a core item. The newly released RC6 uses virgin American oak staves that were seasoned for 18 months and then were baked in a conventional oven. Ten of these staves were added to each fully-matured cask strength Maker's Mark barrel for additional aging, isolating the flavor profile of this particular wood. Only 255 barrels were produced. ------ #bourbon #makersmark #kentuckybourbon #bourbontrail #bourbonlovers #bourbonwhiskey #instawhiskey #whiskeygram #caskexclusive #RC6 #sanfrancisco #berkeley #alcoholalphabet

L is for Lemorton ------ While many people refer to it as an apple brandy, pears are also allowed in Calvados. In the Domfrontais region the clay and limestone soils are much more suited to the strong, deep roots of pear trees. Appellation law insists that at least 30% of the cider to be distilled in the Domfrontais is made from pears. This pear influence makes not only for a lighter-colored spirit, but also one which emits a more elegant bouquet. The Lemorton family has a lo...ng history in the Domfrontais. Roger is the fifth generation and his son, Didier, now runs the domaine. Their 9-acre property is planted with both apple and pear trees; the latter’s influence is dominant; for every three apples in their Calvados, there are approximately seven pears. ------ #calvados #fallspirits #france #domfrontais #fallcocktails #calvadoslovers #apples #pears #craftspirits #sanfrancisco #berkeley See more

J is for Joseph Magnus ------ Joseph Magnus opened his distillery doors 125 years ago. Prohibition nearly wiped his successful brand off the map. Distant relatives found some preserved bottles of Mr. Magnus' famed whiskey and experts were brought in to determine how best to do it justice. ... Today, using the same blending and finishing techniques Joseph Magnus employed over 100 years ago, Magnus Master Blender, Nancy Fraley, finishes 12-year-old bourbon in a triple cask finishing process using Oloroso Sherry, Pedro Ximénez, and Cognac casks. The result is that we have come as close as possible to the original Joseph Magnus Bourbon in that 122-year-old bottle. ------ #bourbon #josephmagnus #bourbonlover #americanwhiskey #prohibition #instawhiskey #instabourbon #whiskeygram