From Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) Access Live 2024 I had many opportunities to try new spirits, In this article, the last in this series, I will be sharing ready-to-drink craft cocktails I reviewed.
Via Carota Craft Cocktails
From the namesake restaurant in the East Village in New York we have these Via Carota Craft Cocktails to review. One bottle makes four cocktails. Each small bottle is 375 ml and hovering at about 20% ABV. I’ve reviewed four of the six flavors from the show. Of the four, three I have made at home on my own – all but the White Negroni – and was excited to try the fancy New York bottled versions.
Old Fashioned: Noted the color, a reddish brown, and from there I got notes of Old Fashioned bitters, orange peel, cinnamon, dried cherry and char on the nose. Tasting the cocktail I felt it was spicy – but not too much – with dried cherry and orange, ground cinnamon and fruit cake. On the finish, there was a little sweetness that reminded me of fruit cocktail. We sipped this over a bowl of Smokehouse almonds that lowered the sugar and increased the spice. From the website: A 19th-century American classic. Charred oak-aged, four-year rye whiskey, aromatic bitters, natural orange flavor, and brown sugar.
Manhattan: This is another cocktail I’ve made at home dozens of times, so I was interested in the Via Carota rendition. The nose was just like what I expected with the notes from the whisky, sweet red vermouth and bitters – but it reminded me of a freshly made cocktail, with fresh ingredients – like the orange peel and Luxardo cherry I would add in as a garnish – those notes were there. The taste also reminded me of my homemade version, with the addition of a nice spiciness and oak, almost as if the drink had been smoked. The sugar could be maple syrup too. And there were those same fruits, orange and cherry, in the glass. Well done. My husband and I liked this one the best. I was also curious about it so I went to the website – after the tasting – and learned that the drink is “The perfect balanced Manhattan. Charred oak-aged, four-year rye whiskey is enhanced with sweet vermouth and a blend of bitters.”
Classic Negroni: I shook the bottle, for no other reason except to see if it got a wee bit frothy and it did. Poured over ice, the color was a little browner than the red I was used to, but that’s just an observation and has no bearing on the presentation. On the nose I thought I found Campari or Aperol apertifs, mellow bitters, and a hint of juniper in a nod to the gin the drink is based from. On the taste I noted classic Negroni flavors but also pepper and spice notes, orange peel (which I didn’t add) and a little Luxardo cherry (which I also didn’t add) but these reminders of garnish made the cocktail very pleasant indeed. From the website: The drink that inspired it all. Features Forthave Red Aperitivo, dry gin, and bespoke vermouth.
White Negroni: Of all four cocktails I was to review, the White Negroni was the only one foreign to me. This time I went to the website first to learn what they had to say about the cocktail, “Our take on a modern classic. Forthave’s secret White Aperitivo, dry gin, and a vermouth blend.” Then from AmaroSommelier.com I learned this about white aperitivos, “The delicate botanical aromas and flavors come through in the new transparent beverage, but interestingly the bitter flavors do not.” Now, onto tasting! Though I didn’t expect bitter, that was the first note I got on the nose in the form of bitter lemon. That was followed by quinine, Lillet Blanc, fleshy peach slices and sweet pink grapefruit. I was intrigued. Tasting the cocktail I was reminded of sweet Meyer lemons, Port tonic drinks in Porto, Limoncello in Venice, lemon meringue pie in the U.S., Mandarin orange and peach. It was probably one of the most refreshing cocktails I’ve ever had and I loved that it reminded me of drinks I’ve had while traveling.
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From WSWA: Double Gold for Old Fashioned and Classic Negroni, Gold for White Negroni and Silver for both the Espresso Martini and Signature Manhattan. Many of the WSWA bottles were also award winners, see the full report here: https://accesslive.wswa.org/wine-spirits-tasting-competitions
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in the first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Proof Awards, Cellarmasters, LA Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.
