Drinkhacker

Hoste is a newer booze brand in Chicago that is built around one thing and one-thing only: large-format ready-to-drink cocktails, all high-test riffs on classics like the Negroni, Martini, and Manhattan.

Tuscany’s Castiglion del Bosco has been preserved almost as-is for the last 400 years, at least in size. The 5000 acre estate now boasts a Michelin Star restaurant, private golf club, and of course a crack wine operation, where this Brunello di Montalcino is produced.

A fresh-made cocktail is always preferable, but life gets busy and sometimes we just don’t feel like squeezing citrus or measuring ounces or even stirring, especially if it’s for a big group of friends or family. Large format pre-made cocktails are a good solution to this conundrum, but there still aren’t a lot of options out there. Michigan’s Oakside Cocktail Co. is one. Last holiday season we reviewed their Negroni and Old Fashioned, and this year the company added a reformulated Manhattan to their lineup, which we’re finally getting around to trying.

Barolo — “the wine of kings” — is normally a dense, austere affair that involves lengthy amounts of airtime, a decanter, and probably crossed fingers that the wine will open up in time for the main course to arrive. This 2020 from Pio Cesare is not that wine. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Barolo with such a bright color, and the palate of this nebbiolo-based offering tracks with that. Instead of brooding tar and macerated cherry notes, this wine is bright and fruity — more fresh raspberry and maraschino, tempered with a mild tea leaf quality, followed by a pinch of baking spice. There’s a touch of anise on the finish along with a gently herbal character that showcases rosemary, later black pepper and a slick of fresh tar. Tannins are evident at the end of the show, but they’re already tempered enough to make things approachable today. Arguably the most easygoing Barolo I’ve encountered to date — and not something I would have even recognized as Barolo had I tasted it blind. All the same, it’s a fun, versatile wine.

Guatemala-based Zacapa is well-known for its iconic Zacapa 23 (and Zacapa XO ) expressions, but less commonly seen is this third bottling, the “black” Zacapa Edición Negra. It’s made from a blend of rums aged 6 to 24 years, and is “inspired by the natural elements of Guatemala including the dark fire of its volcanoes.” Some of the rum is aged in “double charred American oak casks” — though I’m not entirely sure what that means — intended to create a bolder, richer, smokier experience.

Yes, there are four reviews of WhistlePig products — all of them rye — in this roundup, and while that’s not the way I’d prefer to do it, let’s be real: WhistlePig cranks out a ton of whiskey, and keeping up on it all is daunting.

Chateau Cos d’Estournel is a second-growth wine in the St. Estephe region of Bordeaux, but the operation is producing much more than its $75-a-bottle flagship offerings. The operation — the “s” in Cos is not silent, by the way — has six levels of wines, both white and red, most of which don’t actually carry the full Cos d’Estournel name.

After years of cranking out extra anejo special editions, for 2024, El Mayor has turned its attention elsewhere: to the humble reposado, in the form of this “Rosado” tequila, which presents itself in a vibrant shade of pinkish orange. The color comes from finishing in cabernet sauvignon casks for nine months — which means it must not be aged in bourbon barrels for much time (if at all) in order to stay under the one year threshold that defines the reposado style.

One of these days the world of whiskey is going to stop giving us the embarrassment of riches we’ve become accustomed to, but for now, the train is still rolling along unabated, and it seems like every week we see a new whiskey that we’re falling in love with.

Pinot noir and chardonnay from… Argentina? Strap in, kids, we may be going into new territory here. Thoughts on Otronia’s wines follow.