Category: beverage blog

Nestled in Napa Valley, Amuse Bouche is a boutique winery celebrated for its exceptional Bordeaux-style wines. Founded by John Schwartz in 2002, the winery has swiftly earned a reputation for its limited-production, high-quality blends. Heidi Barrett, dubbed as the “first lady of wine”, co-founded Amuse Bouche with John and brought her renowned expertise to crafting Pomerol-inspired Merlot.

The unique microclimate, characterized by warm days and cool nights, enhances the grapes’ concentration and complexity. Amuse Bouche focuses on producing age-worthy, elegant wines, with meticulous winemaking techniques that emphasize traditional methods. Their wines are noted for featuring rich, complex flavors and a silky texture.

In addition to exceptional wines, Amuse Bouche is distinguished by its artistic approach to branding, collaborating with local artists to design unique labels for each vintage. This blend of quality and creativity makes Amuse Bouche a standout destination for wine enthusiasts seeking both excellence and a unique experience in Napa Valley.

At Glendalough Distillery we progressively-craft 
luxury spirits in the Wicklow Mountains. We hope these spirits evoke a sense of place through their depth of flavour as they are an expression of what we love about 
these mountains.

The story of St Kevin is where we draw our inspiration. He abandoned safety and comfort to follow his passion and create something more meaningful in the mountains

The Valley
Glendalough is a valley nestled deep in the Wicklow mountains. An area known for its scenic beauty. Just south of Dublin, County Wicklow is renowned for its bountiful fields, rolling mountains and deep forests. It is affectionately known as “the Garden of Ireland”, and we’re fortunate enough to call these lands our home.

Glendalough is also home to a 6th century settlement founded by St Kevin, the man on our bottle, who turned his back on a life of wealth and privilege in search of something more meaningful. After years of exploring the Irish wilderness Kevin came across the majestic valley he would come to call home. He went on to dedicate his life to nature and taking the path less travelled.

St. Kevin
One day he arrived at the deep, isolated valley of Glendalough. He stood with his arms outstretched, marveling at its beauty.​ A blackbird landed on his hand and laid her eggs. He took it as a sign, a test of his resolve. So, there he stood, steadfast, day and night until the eggs hatched and the birds fledged.​ 
This story, and many others about Kevin, drew people from all over Ireland to the valley

Botanicals
To make our gins, wild plants from the mountains around the distillery are hand-picked each day. What’s foraged is brought back to the distillery within hours. They are painstakingly slow distilled to tease out delicate flavours, in tiny batches of less than 250 litres. The cut-points are decided batch by batch, by smell and taste (never timed or automated) as if each batch is the first.

Definition and Variety.
Amaro, the Italian word for “bitter,” refers to a category of herbal liqueurs known as Amari. While various bitters exist globally, Amaro is distinctively Italian, crafted from a base alcohol infused with an array of botanicals such as herbs, roots, flowers, and spices. The flavor profiles of Amari are diverse, ranging from bitter to sweet, and herbal to floral, influenced by the specific botanicals used. This diversity ensures a wide array of styles catering to different personal preferences.

Amaro Montenegro’s Legacy
Amaro’s origins trace back to ancient Greek and Roman times when it was primarily an herb-infused wine. By the 1800s, the use of distilled alcohol replaced wine in Amaro production. Both monasteries and families produced Amaro, often consumed for its perceived medicinal properties. These traditional recipes have been meticulously passed down through generations.

For over 135 years, Amaro Montenegro has epitomized perfect balance. The brand was established in Bologna by Stanislao Cobianchi in 1885. Stanislao, who was born in 1862, defied his family’s wish for him to join the priesthood, choosing instead a path of adventure. His travels exposed him to a vast array of exotic botanicals, inspiring him to create exceptional elixirs and liqueurs upon his return to Italy.

After years of experimentation, Stanislao founded the Cobianchi Stanislao Steam Distillery. His creation, originally named Elisir Lungavita, was later renamed Amaro Montenegro in honor of Princess Elena of Montenegro’s marriage to Prince Victor Emmanuel III, who would become the King of Italy. This renaming celebrated the princess’s beauty and the momentous occasion.

Craftsmanship and Ingredients.
Amaro Montenegro is crafted using 40 botanicals, including spices, dried fruits, roots, seeds, bark, citrus peel, rhizomes, flowers, and wood species from around the globe. Of these, only 13 botanicals are publicly known, and the original recipe has remained unchanged since 1885. Matteo Bonoli, our Master Herbalist, continues Stanislao’s legacy by sourcing and selecting the finest ingredients, maintaining rigorous standards of quality.

Production Process
The production involves three critical stages: boiling, maceration, and distillation. First, selected botanicals are finely ground and boiled to extract their flavors. The maceration process involves soaking other botanicals in a solution of water and beet sugar alcohol, conducted in tanks of varying sizes to achieve desired aromas. This stage can take between 20 to 30 days. For distillation, a specific maceration is processed in 1000-liter copper pot stills, where the alcohol vapor, enriched with distinct aromas, is condensed into a high-quality spirit.

The resulting 12 essences are meticulously blended to create the six notes of Amaro Montenegro: Warm & Tropical, Bitter & Herbaceous, Spicy & Floral, Sweet & Roasted, and Fresh & Balsamic. The final and most crucial stage involves adding the Premio, a secret micro-distillation of five rare botanicals, known only to the Master Herbalist and a select few. The Premio is so potent and powerful, that for every 15,000 liters of Amaro Montenegro only 1 liter of Premio is required. Premio means “prize” in Italian, and without the Premio, we do not have Amaro Montenegro.

Amaro Montenegro is a testament to adventure, passion, and perfection. Its creation reflects the dedication and expertise of its founders and current custodians, who maintain the highest standards in selecting botanicals and crafting the final product. This legacy of excellence ensures that Amaro Montenegro remains a distinguished and revered liqueur, celebrating both tradition and innovation in every bottle.

The name Peddlers was inspired by Shanghai’s traditional street culture that still exists today. Since 2018, the production of gin has started. The organic botanicals have foraged from locations such as Sichuan, Yunnan, and Gansu for a distinctively Eastern flavour, unlike any other gin.
JUNIPER BERRIES, SICHUAN PEPPER, and BUDDHA’S HAND are the most interesting botanicals.

PEDDLERS: BARREL AGED SHANGHAI GIN

PEDDLERS: SALTED PLUM GIN

PEDDLERS: SHANGHAI CRAFT GIN

HENNESSY V.S.O.P REFINED DESIGN
New look, same timeless blend.

The new Hennessy V.S.O.P’s iconic silhouette has envolved, with an uninterrupted, harmonious line that traces the outside of the bottle. The revisited Armé is engraved on the bottle, surrounded by two half circles as shield.

The new pedestal delicately reflects light, creating the illusion of a drop of the precious cognac in the center.

The new bottle stopper unveils an elegant sustainable cork made of natural wood. New eye-catching Hennessy red color of the giftbox and its non-coated paper for a softer touch.

In the first edition of the “WHAT DO THE CELEBRITIES ENJOY” article, we present the official ambassadors of the celebrities and their favorite beverage collection.

Now we featuring Scarlett Johansson, George Clooney, Kanye West, Beyoncé, Barack Obama, Tupac Shakur, Gemma Chan, Gal Gadot, Emma Stone, Andy Samberg, Sandra Oh, Jamie Chung, Ke Huy Quan, Victoria Beckham, and Jay Z.

Santa Margherita Winery was founded in 1935 in the countryside of Italy’s Veneto region, where founder Gaetano Marzotto named the winery after his beloved wife.

Currently, 28.4 million bottles of wine are produced annually and exported to 95 countries and 5 continents. From growing grapes to bottling, they use environmentally friendly and least harmful methods at every stage, making them stand out among other brands. It is also the first brand to make white wine from brown-skinned Pinot grigio grapes.

Chianti Classico wines are produced exclusively in Tuscany’s central region and are identified by a special sticker. Located at 200-600 meters above sea level on a variety of soils and with hot days and cool nights, Chianti Classico wine is made from Sangiovese grapes.

The Lamole di Lamole vineyard began in 1945 with the first planting of 110 vines and is distinguished by its altitude of 650 meters above sea level. Unlike other producers of similar products, Lamole di Lamole produces wines using traditional methods.

MSM BETASTAR LLC | SOUR LIQUOR SHOP

“MSM Betastar” LLC is the official distributor of Moët Hennessy, Diageo, Brown-Forman, Red-Bull, Ocean Spray, Lucas Bols, Fever-Tree, Mark Anthony, Flor de Cana, and Bellenda, distributing over 180 well-known luxurious brands such as Hennessy, Moët&Chandon, Jack Daniel’s, Johnnie Walker through the Sour liquor shop and MSM Betastar delivery application.

In order to ensure the safety of beverages during the national holiday season, we are presenting the following tips to avoid buying counterfeit products from unknown sources.

QUALITY ASSURANCE STAMP

COUNTERFEIT BOTTLE AND LOT NUMBER

When purchasing any beverage product, always check that the lid is intact and does not show any signs of being damaged or opened. Also, the plug stickers and seals must be of good quality.

Product brand labels must be printed in high quality, crisp, and clear, and if it is blurry or misspelled, it is likely to be a counterfeit product.

The LOT number is laser printed on the bottom of the packaging of each beverage bottle. On all genuine packaging, brand owners print the LOT number, which allows them to track the product’s origin and date of manufacture.

It should be noted that the counterfeit products with has same LOT number are removed on purpose and suppressed to prevent the possibility of re-use and traceability on the bottle.

Also, for high alcohol volume products, the bottle is sometimes with or without a bottle measure pourer for controlling the amount of liquid, which varies depending on the intended use (catering, events) by the manufacturer of the product.

“MSM Betastar” LLC is officially distributing over 180 well-known, genuine brands such as Hennessy, Moet&Chandon, Jack Daniel’s, Johnnie Walker through the Sour liquor shop and MSM Betastar delivery application.

Since the beginning of the 18th century, in France, the Bouton family has dedicated itself to the noble art of distillation, enriching with formulas and secrets a precious notebook destined to be handed down from generation to generation: the Bouton Recipe Book.

The success of their spirits was such that they earned the title of suppliers to the imperial house of Napoleon I. With the fall of the regime, the most talented of the heirs, Jean Bouton, decides to undertake a long journey to Italy, bringing with him the famous family recipe book.

More than a hundred years later, in 1939, the company chose to enhance the Italian personality of the product and renamed it Vecchia Romagna Buton Brandy. In 1999 the company was acquired by Gruppo Montenegro which, through the commercial success and the renovation of the historic production plant, gave new life to the business, making it a flagship of the Italian liquor industry.