Tag: RTD

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Needed or Not Day – Kettle Bellz

There are many things in this world that I do not understand. Particle physics. Rocket Surgery. Why my wife loves me still. But even more inexplicable is that Buzz Ballz is a thing and that as a marketing stunt they have made Kettle Bellz. A piece of exercise equipment that is also a grape cocktail. Why grape? Probably because they have done blue raspberry and birthday cake already. I just pulled those two things out my head but they seem like something a company ballz in the name would do.

Not Needed to the Nth degree.

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Smithing an RTD

AleSmith Brewing is known for their Speedway Stout and barrel-aging and no they are translating it into an inaugural canned cocktail which will be, no surprise, Speedway Espresso Martini.  It is a”vodka-based beverage incorporating real Vietnamese coffee, an ingredient that’s a cornerstone of specialty iterations of Speedway Stout.”  It will be a sturdy 10% ABV.

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Twisted

At issue with many RTD (ready to drink) cocktails is that you lose freshness and gain shelf stability. Fresh fruit and fresh juices and tinctures really brighten a drink. And some RTD cocktails have little tricks up their sleeve to re-create that just mixed feel.

The Glenlivet has an Old Fashioned in a bottle that when you first open it, releases the ingredients into the bottle. Of course, that means the sooner you drink the bottle, the better it will be but it is refreshing to see a classy brand make the effort to give that just made moment.

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All Agave

There is a reason that there are not a lot of tequila barrel-aged beers out there.  Like gin, it is more subtle than bourbon or whiskey or brandy, thus making it trickier to age.Founded in 2023, 

But All Things Agave is out to change that and has both tequila and beer covered distilling veteran Felipe Soto Mares and Master Brewer Colby Chandler of Home Brew Mart and Ballast Point Brewing fame.

From their social posting, “All Things Agave has been formulating agave beers over the past year and has partnered with Fall Brewing for initial production.  Other agave beers will enter the market soon, as well as mezcal spirits products including Damn Right Cocktails, a mezcal-based RTD cocktail line launching in four bold and refreshing flavors, and our artisanal and ancestral spirit, Cinco Flacos Mezcal.”

Agave beer might be a new niche.

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RTD Reviews – Rod & Hammer

SLO + Whiskey + RTD craze = a taste test of California Whiskey cocktails from Rod & Hammer. Mule vs Mai Tai.

The Whiskey Mule is spicy first and foremost. Strong and good ginger ale used here. But it does not have three Bourbon notes that I expect. No oak. No vanilla. No coconut. It doesn’t taste alcoholic either which is sneaky because this is 11%.

The Whiskey Mai Tai had a nice Tiki flavor start. Almost baked pineapple. There was a fruit punch aroma to this though that the kid in me liked. Whiskey was discernible this time but still really a background player.

I do like the word centric labels and the rough hewn colors and feel an even with a lack of Whiskey flavors coming through, I would be interested in trying their distilled spirits.