Tales of the Cocktail Small Batch Roundup

While big names like Diageo and Bacardi and Pernod seem to dominate Tales of the Cocktail, there are some small batch producers in the mix, too. Some nice stand-out spirits we tasted included the following.

Catdaddy Carolina Moonshine
Catdaddy Carolina Moonshine is handcrafted from American corn that is mashed and then triple distilled in small batches. It’s as smooth and sweet as my grandmother’s corn pudding on Thanksgiving day, but slightly higher proof.

Crop Organic Vodka
Crop Organic Vodka is a crisp, clean spirit distilled and bottled in Minnesota. We were pleasantly surprised by Crop’s tomato vodka, which tasted reminiscent of a fresh Brandywine tomato plucked ripe from the vine on a warm August night.

Farmer’s Organic Gin
The botanicals in this small batch organic gin include lemongrass, elderflower, coriander and angelica root alongside juniper. Farmer’s Organic is a smooth gin with delicate flavors that aren’t overpowered by the juniper.

Junior Johnson’s Midnight Moon
NASCAR legend Junior Johnson grew up working his family’s copper whiskey stills by day and racing cars by night. Today he’s producing Junior Johnson’s Midnight Moon in small handcrafted batches based on generations of moonshine knowledge. When we last saw him he had mason jars filled with moonshine and fresh fruit. We’re looking forward to trying his new moonshine infusions when they hit the market

Karlsson’s Gold Vodka
Karlsson’s Gold Vodka from Sweden is distilled from seven varieties of new potatoes that have not yet developed their skins. The separate distillations are then blended to produce a potato vodka that is as smooth as mouthful of creamy mashed potatoes.

Michter’s Small Batch Rye, Single Barrel Whiskey and Small Batch Bourbon
Michter’s long tradition of distilling dates back to colonial Pennsylvania in 1753. Today, master distiller Willis Pratt and a team of whiskey tasters work out of Kentucky producing small batches and single barrel spirits. Their results are a fine collection of smooth and well-balanced spirits.

ROOT Liquor
Take birch bark, smoked black tea, sassafras, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, orange and lemon peels; soak it in distilled organic sugar cane, pour it in a glass, and you’ll be enjoying the unique concoction known as ROOT Liquor.

Tito’s Handmade Vodka
Tito’s Handmade Vodka is made at the oldest legally operating distillery in Texas. So since 1997. The sweetness of the corn from which it’s made comes through quite clearly. It’s a very nice, smooth, and enjoyable vodka to sip on its own.

We’re looking forward to continuing to taste all of these and more outside of Tales.

On a side note, while maybe not quite so small batch as the above, Mr. Boozenik is also definitely looking forward to not only tasting, but adding to our shelves, some 10 year Michael Collins Single Malt Irish Whiskey once it’s available in October. The taste of the pre-release sample he had was amazing.