Liquor-articles 2128

A Minneapolis distillery has earned a major honor at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Brother Justus’ flagship American Whiskey received a double gold medal and was named best in class in the craft distiller whiskey category. The competition awards just 15 best-in-class honors to American distilleries across its whiskey categories.

The recognition adds to the distillery’s growing list of accolades. The flagship whiskey won silver medals at the same competition in 2023 and 2024. Its Cold Peated American Whiskey also earned silver in both years and has received other honors, including recognition as one of 2023’s most innovative spirits.

Brother Justus’ annual Founder’s Reserve releases have drawn praise as well. Founder’s Reserve III was well reviewed in 2025, and the latest release, Founder’s Reserve IV, became the fastest-selling expression in the company’s history.

The Rolling Stones’ connection to Jamaican rum dates back to 1972, when the band recorded Goats Head Soup in Jamaica. Decades later, in 2023, they launched Crossfire Hurricane rum, initially made from blends sourced in Jamaica, Barbados and the Dominican Republic.

This year, the brand was relaunched with London-based Kite Drinks. Its Gold and Reserve expressions now focus exclusively on Jamaican rum, blended by Global Rum Ambassador Ian Burrell. The spirits come from four of Jamaica’s six recognized operating distilleries: Hampden Estate, Long Pond, Worthy Park and Clarendon.

Burrell says Jamaican rum has personal significance for him, rooted in his family heritage. He was also drawn to the country’s distinctive production traditions, which can include long fermentation and the use of dunder, sugar-cane vinegar and “muck”—an acidic, microbe-rich material. These practices help create esters that give Jamaican rum its bold, fruity and often funky character.

Jamaica once had more than 100 rum distilleries. Economic pressures, consolidation and closures reduced that number to six. Production is protected by a Geographical Indication, with rules governing where rum is made, its ingredients and production methods, and how it is aged. Jamaican rums nevertheless span a wide range, from high-ester pot-still spirits to lighter styles.

The remaining distilleries each have their own character:

• Hampden Estate, in the northwest, is known for traditional pot-still rum and long fermentation, producing expressive, high-ester spirits.
• Long Pond makes aromatic, powerful pot-still rums with rich, fruity notes.
• Worthy Park grows its own sugar cane and produces rum on its estate. Its pot-still spirits are known for tropical fruit, banana and spice.
• Clarendon Distillers, also associated with Monymusk, uses both pot and column stills to produce lighter and fuller-bodied styles.
• Appleton Estate is renowned for aged rum, with fruit, spice and oak notes.
• New Yarmouth produces a range of styles and contributes to Jamaican blends and overproof rums, including Wray & Nephew White Overproof.

Crossfire Hurricane Gold combines fresh pot-still rum, softer column-distilled rum and a small amount of aged, high-ester rum. Reserve builds on that blend with older pot-still spirits, adding depth and a longer finish.

For visitors to Jamaica, Burrell recommends skipping the formal tasting room and stopping at local rum shops, roadside shacks and bars. Many are family-run gathering places where residents share stories, play dominoes and catch up.

He suggests pairing rum with salt fish and ackee—or, for a more adventurous meal, mannish water, a goat soup. The latter makes a fitting nod to the Stones’ Goats Head Soup.

The new Crossfire Hurricane blends are available through the brand’s official site.

Ketel One has launched a new chapter of its Made to Cocktail campaign, putting the martini at the center of the vodka brand’s story. The campaign began November 12, 2026, with advertisements across television, streaming, digital and social platforms, alongside events and other consumer experiences.

The creative features people sharing their preferred martini styles—from wet or dry to dirty or espresso, shaken or stirred, and garnished with olives. The ads highlight the drink-making ritual, including pouring Ketel One over ice, stirring and adding a garnish, with the message that a great martini starts with the right vodka.

The brand traces its martini focus to its origins. Before introducing Ketel One in 1983, Carolus Nolet Sr. spent nearly a decade developing a vodka intended to deliver the smoothness, flavor and finish suited to a classic martini. The family says its distilling tradition spans 11 generations and more than 335 years.

The campaign also includes new social content featuring actor and entrepreneur Patrick Schwarzenegger, a Ketel One brand partner, during a visit to the Nolet Distillery.

From November through January, participating bars and restaurants in Los Angeles, Miami, New York City and Chicago will host Ketel One Martini Social Hours. Guests can choose from a special martini menu paired with food, with reservations available through OpenTable.

Ketel One is also partnering with TAPE to offer three VIP memberships. The sweepstakes runs from November 12 through November 22, 2026; entrants must be 21 or older and follow the applicable official rules.

Penne alla vodka is a simple dish with an unexpectedly rich flavor, and Ina Garten’s version gets its depth from an unusual step: roasting the sauce in the oven.

Rather than preparing vodka sauce quickly on the stovetop, Garten lets it cook slowly for about 90 minutes. The extended roasting concentrates the tomatoes’ sweetness and gives the sauce a fuller flavor. The recipe is inspired by the version served at Hamptons restaurant Nick & Toni’s.

How the sauce comes together

Start by sautéing yellow onions in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic, crushed red pepper, and dried oregano, then pour in the vodka. The vodka helps bring the sauce’s flavors together and temper the tomatoes’ acidity. It also helps the cream blend smoothly into the sauce later.

Once the alcohol’s aroma has faded, add two 28-ounce cans of whole peeled tomatoes, drained and crushed by hand. Season with salt and pepper, cover the pan, and roast the sauce in the oven for about an hour and a half. Save the drained tomato juice to loosen the sauce later, if needed.

When the tomatoes have cooked down, blend the sauce until smooth and return it to the pot. Stir in heavy cream, which softens the flavor and gives the sauce its familiar rosy color. Add al dente penne and let it finish cooking in the sauce so the pasta absorbs its flavor. Finish with freshly grated Parmesan for richness and a savory edge.

The process takes longer than a quick stovetop sauce, but the concentrated flavor makes the extra time worthwhile. The recipe also makes a generous batch, so you can freeze some for another meal.

Get Ina Garten’s penne alla vodka recipe.

RUM Group reported record third-quarter 2026 revenue of $96.6 million, up 290% from a year earlier, and said it achieved its first positive adjusted EBITDA quarter as a public company. The company’s newly combined AI infrastructure business, Quake AI, generated more than 70% of revenue in its first full quarter as part of the group.

CEO Christopher Pavlovski said Quake AI operates about 22,000 GPUs, with utilization at 85%. Management expects tight supply and strong demand to support higher rates as contracts renew. Most of the company’s H100 contracts are due to roll off by the end of the first quarter of 2027. Executives said current market rates for H100s are above $2 per hour, while declining to provide specific pricing guidance.

The company recorded $4.4 million in adjusted EBITDA, compared with losses of $15.1 million in the third quarter of 2025 and $16.6 million in the second quarter of 2026. Quake AI contributed $68.2 million in revenue and $23.5 million in adjusted EBITDA, a margin of about 34%. Rumble Video generated $28.4 million in revenue, up 15% year over year, and reported an adjusted EBITDA loss of $12.1 million.

RUM Group’s net loss reached $91.7 million, including $85.8 million in depreciation and amortization. That amount included $39 million tied to the accounting fair-value increase of Northern Data assets. The company ended the quarter with $142.3 million in liquidity, including $134.4 million in cash and cash equivalents and 94.68 bitcoin valued at $7.9 million.

For the fourth quarter, management forecast revenue of $88 million to $94 million. Third-quarter revenue exceeded the company’s previous guidance range of $87 million to $93 million, but included more than $3 million from an accelerated customer barter arrangement that is not expected to recur. Excluding those items, the company said third-quarter revenue was roughly at the high end of its forecast.

Data center plans and financing

Management said recent difficulties in financing data center and AI infrastructure projects have prompted lenders and investors to scrutinize projects more closely, including their power access, permitting and operating teams. The company is discussing an alternative plan with a customer for its Maysville site, which executives said could be easier to finance while retaining attractive economics.

RUM Group is also working toward delivering a planned 250 megawatts of capacity. Management said some of that capacity may shift beyond 2027, though it still expects a portion to come online that year. The company did not provide project-specific timelines or capital spending guidance.

Executives said customer prepayments could fund a substantial share of the equity needed for future projects, with debt financing providing another potential source. They emphasized a disciplined approach to capital and said the company is prioritizing its existing GPU fleet and the 250-megawatt pipeline over its longer-term goal of reaching one gigawatt of capacity.

Changes to Rumble Video

Rumble began a cost-reduction effort in the third quarter, including workforce reductions and other cuts to recurring expenses. Management described the targeted operating expense reduction as more than 20% on a run-rate basis and said savings should begin to appear through 2027.

The company is also shifting its creator compensation model. Its new Partner Program offers eligible creators up to a 90% revenue share on video ads, including host-read sponsorships. Executives said automation through Rumble Studio and revised creator economics are intended to make the video business more efficient and support growth.

Management said Rumble Video was gross-margin positive in the quarter and expects that to continue, while aiming to improve profitability further. The platform also plans to develop a marketplace where creators could license real-world and video content as data for AI and robotics companies. RUM Group is targeting a launch in late 2027, with further updates potentially coming earlier that year.

Pavlovski said the company views its video platform as strategically important to Quake AI, providing a large library of creator content that could support future AI-related products and revenue opportunities.

The full earnings-call transcript is available online.

Breckenridge Distillery has launched the 2 Mile High Whiskey Club, a membership program offering limited releases, special cask finishes and single-barrel selections that may not be available in stores.

For $199 per quarter, members receive two 750-milliliter bottles selected from a rotating collection of the Colorado distillery’s whiskeys. Membership is open to adults 21 and older, with a limited number of spots available each quarter.

The club also includes virtual tastings and cocktail sessions tied to each release, updates from the distillery, preferred access to events, and discounts: 10% off at the Breckenridge Distillery Restaurant and 15% off merchandise and bottles at its two retail stores.

Planned early selections include Breckenridge Holiday Blend, a Merlot Cask Finish Whiskey and a Master Distiller’s pick of Breckenridge Powder Hound Whiskey.

Founder and CEO Bryan Nolt said the club is intended to share special whiskey releases and give members a closer look at the distillery’s work. Future offerings may include private tastings, educational sessions and opportunities for members to help choose a single-barrel release.

More information and membership details are available at the 2 Mile High Whiskey Club website.

Cask Cartel has announced its 2026 Luxury Bourbon & World Whiskey Advent Calendar, a 25-day tasting collection aimed at bourbon fans and whiskey collectors.

The calendar includes 25 individually packaged 30ml pours, a Glencairn tasting glass and online tasting videos. Featured American spirits include Weller Special Reserve, Eagle Rare 10 Year Old, Buffalo Trace Bourbon, E.H. Taylor Small Batch and Sazerac Straight Rye, as well as selections from Four Roses and 1792.

The collection also brings together whiskies from around the world, including Lagavulin 16 Year Old and Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old from Scotland, Teeling Small Batch from Ireland and Akashi Sherry Cask Whiskey from Japan, alongside bottles from England, India, Denmark and other countries.

For a limited time, purchases include a complimentary full-size bottle of Buffalo Trace Bourbon, while supplies last. The calendar is available through Cask Cartel; the company says in-stock orders ship the same day or the next day, and quantities are limited.

The calendar is an independently curated, third-party product. It is not an official Buffalo Trace Distillery product and is not sponsored or endorsed by the distillery. It is intended for adults of legal drinking age; shipping restrictions and promotional terms apply.

Crystal Head Vodka is hard to miss on a liquor-store shelf. Its distinctive skull-shaped bottle and colorful designs make it stand out, but the brand’s story is notable for another reason: it was created by former Saturday Night Live performer Dan Aykroyd.

Aykroyd entered the vodka business in 2008, launching a distillery venture that would take him in a very different direction from his comedy career. The brand’s unusual packaging helped it draw attention, while its vodka developed a following of its own.

Beverly Spirits’ new Beverly Café is an unusual whiskey inspired by the Espresso Martini. Rather than being a flavored whiskey, it’s a blend of bourbon and rye finished in coffee liqueur barrels.

The whiskey was developed after founder Andrew Borenzweig tried a cocktail made with Beverly High Rye at a bar in Osaka. He later created a whiskey inspired by the drink, combining the brand’s bourbon-and-rye blend with straight bourbon and rye from Indiana. Its final mash bill is 54% rye, 38% corn, and 8% malted barley.

The blend spent six months in barrels that had held Laurel Canyon Spirits’ coffee liqueur, followed by six months in barrels previously used for its blood orange coffee liqueur. The finished whiskey is bottled at 110 proof.

Coffee is the first flavor that comes through, followed by dark chocolate, maple, brown sugar, cinnamon, and molasses. A subtle citrus note appears at the finish. While it doesn’t taste exactly like an Espresso Martini, its bold, rich character makes it a good choice for sipping after dinner or pairing with dessert.

Beverly Café costs $140 and is a limited release of 550 bottles, available from the brand and select retailers. It received a score of 86, placing it in the “Very Good” category.

Read the full review.

Garrison Brothers Distillery in Hye, Texas, is preparing to release its second bottled-in-bond whiskey this month.

Made from Texas-grown grains and proofed with Hill Country rainwater, the bourbon was distilled in autumn 2020 and aged for at least six years in charred American white-oak barrels. It meets the requirements of the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897: it was made in a single distilling season by one distiller, aged in a bonded warehouse, and bottled at 100 proof.

The distillery describes the whiskey as layered, with notes of brown sugar, cinnamon candy, black pepper, and oak. Its long, warm finish includes leather, toasted vanilla, baking spices, nutmeg, and licorice. It can be enjoyed neat, over ice, or with a little water.

Master Distiller Donnis Todd said he selected 102 barrels, each holding 53 gallons and filled on October 2, 2020, for the release.

The first 1,000 bottles will go on sale November 14 at the Red, White & Bourbon fundraiser for the National Museum of the Pacific War. The event begins at 11 a.m., with gates opening at 8 a.m.; sales will be first come, first served. Remaining bottles will be available at the distillery’s gift shop beginning November 16, as well as online and at select retailers, restaurants, and bars. The suggested retail price is $89.99.

More details are available on the Garrison Brothers website.