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Posted: 2026-06-29 11:41
Over the years I’ve built a small global library of distilled spirits and fortified wines, and the World Cup Knockout Round feels like the perfect excuse to dig back into it - researching the producers, revisiting the bottles, and tasting my way through the bracket. Starting with today’s matches, I’ll be recommending one or two spirits for each game, whether they’re already on my shelf or simply deserve a place in the lineup. Today's matches for June 29th. Brazil vs Japan
Novo Fogo Silver Cachaça
Cachaça is Brazil’s national spirit - a sugarcane‑based distillate that combines the country’s agricultural, cultural, and culinary identity. Made by fermenting and distilling fresh‑pressed cane juice, it’s brighter, grassier, and more expressive than molasses made rum, with a natural sweetness that makes it ideal for cocktails. Novo Fogo’s Silver Cachaça is one of the clearest expressions of what makes Brazilian cane spirits so compelling: purity, freshness, and a sense of place that comes straight from the rainforest. Distilled in the hills of Paraná, Novo Fogo works with organic sugarcane grown in the Atlantic Forest, harvested by hand and pressed within hours to preserve its bright, grassy aromatics. Fermentation is quick and clean, driven by native yeast, and distillation in small copper pot stills yields a spirit that’s both vibrant and textural. Unlike many cachaças that lean on wood for identity, Silver rests only in neutral stainless steel, allowing the cane’s natural character to shine without interference. The result is a crystalline, terroir‑true cachaça that feels tailor‑made for the Caipirinha - lime, sugar, and Silver coming together in a cocktail that tastes like Brazil’s coastline in a glass. Novo Fogo Silver opens with fresh cane, lime zest, white pepper, and subtle tropical fruit, followed by a palate of grassy sweetness, citrus, and gentle minerality. The finish is both clean and refreshing.
Few whiskies bridge cultures as elegantly as Takamine. Named for Dr. Jokichi Takamine — the chemist who introduced koji fermentation to American distilling in the 1890s — this whisky resurrects his original method, blending Japanese technique with American grain tradition. The result is one of the most historically significant and technically fascinating whiskies being made today. Takamine begins with a barley‑based mash, but instead of relying solely on malt enzymes, the distillery uses koji (Aspergillus oryzae) to convert starches — a method borrowed from sake, shochu, and miso production. Koji fermentation produces a different set of esters, amino acids, and aromatic compounds, yielding a spirit that is simultaneously grain‑true and deeply umami‑inflected. After distillation, the whisky ages eight years in a combination of new American oak and refill barrels, allowing the koji‑driven fruit and savory notes to integrate with vanilla, spice, and gentle tannin. Takamine opens with pear, melon, steamed rice, honey, and subtle floral aromatics on the nose. The palate is layered and unmistakably koji‑shaped: stone fruit, white chocolate, toasted grain, citrus peel, and a soft miso‑like savoriness that adds dimension without heaviness. The finish is long, clean, and quietly complex, with vanilla and rice‑candy sweetness. It’s a whisky that honors a forgotten chapter of American distilling while showcasing the expressive power of Japanese fermentation.
Germany vs Paraguay
Lantenhammer Enzianbrennerei -Altbayerischer Bauern‑Obstbrand Bavaria’s distilling heritage has quietly produced some of Europe’s most expressive fruit brandies, such as those from Lantenhammer. Founded in 1928 on the shores of Lake Schliersee, Lantenhammer built its reputation on alpine botanicals, but over the decades it became equally revered for its Altbayerischer Bauern‑Obstbrand — a traditional farmer’s fruit brandy. The spirit begins with hand‑selected apples and pears sourced from small Bavarian farms, harvested at peak ripeness to capture maximum aromatic intensity. Fermentation is slow and temperature‑controlled, preserving delicate esters and the natural skin‑driven aromatics that define great orchard brandy. Distillation takes place in small copper pot stills, where Lantenhammer’s signature technique - gentle heating, slow cuts, and meticulous separation - yields a spirit of exceptional purity and texture. After distillation, the brandy rests in earthenware vessels, a traditional Bavarian method that allows the fruit to open gradually without the influence of oak. This resting period is crucial: it softens the edges, integrates the aromatics, and preserves the crystalline fruit character that defines the house style. Altbayerischer Bauern‑Obstbrand opens with fresh apple, ripe pear, and subtle floral and alpine herbs on the nose. The palate is clean: crisp apple, soft pear sweetness, citrus lift, and a gentle almond‑skin depth adding depth. The finish is long and quietly complex, with lingering pear, floral lift, and a hint of minerality. For Paraguay, Caña paraguaya would be the appropriate selection. It is a sugar cane spirit distilled from fermented sugar cane juice (mosto), sometimes with added honey.
Netherlands vs Morocco I can't believe I don't have any Dutch Jenever on hand. This is a traditional juniper-flavored spirit that has been produced in the country since the 17th century. And in 2008, Jenever has held a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status within the EU, recognizing its origins in the Netherlands and Belgium. It is distilled from a mash of grains, primarily malted barley, rye, wheat, and corn, producing a base known as malt wine (moutwijn). This malt wine is then blended with neutral alcohol and flavored with juniper berries and other botanicals. Apparently, Morocco’s national distilled spirit is Mahia ("water of life"), an aniseed-flavored eau-de-vie traditionally distilled from figs or dates and historically associated with the country’s Jewish community.
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Posted: 2026-06-25 07:40
In general, Regenerative agriculture is a collection of practices that focus on regenerating soil health and the full farm ecosystem. In practice, regenerative organic agriculture can look like cover cropping, crop rotation, low- to no-till, compost, and zero use of persistent chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Layered into these practices, depending on a farm’s needs, could be the addition of perennials, development of pollinator and wildlife habitats, incorporation of agroforestry systems, vegetative barriers, and other regenerative practices that are shown to contribute to the development of soil organic matter More specifically, Regenified™ provides a structured way to document how farming decisions influence soil function and long‑term site health. Its 6‑3‑4 Standard aligns with many practices already familiar to growers: reduced tillage, permanent or seasonal cover crops, mixed‑species plantings, maintaining living roots through the year, and the controlled use of livestock for vegetation management. The 6‑3‑4 Standard is Regenified™’s core framework for evaluating regenerative agriculture, combining six soil‑health principles, three rules of adaptive stewardship, and four ecosystem processes into a single, measurable structure. The six principles—context, minimizing disturbance, soil armor, diversity, living roots, and livestock integration—outline the foundational conditions needed for healthy soil function. The three adaptive‑stewardship rules emphasize planning with intent, monitoring conditions, and adjusting management as variability occurs. The four ecosystem processes—energy flow, water cycle, mineral cycle, and community dynamics—describe how a functioning landscape moves energy, water, and nutrients through the system. Together, these components allow Regenified™ to assess both the practices a producer implements and the ecological outcomes observed on the ground, forming the basis for its data collection and tiered certification program. During verification, trained assessors collect more than sixty ecological data points within vineyard blocks—water infiltration in alleys, ground‑cover percentages, compaction layers that affect rooting depth, biological activity around root zones, and the diversity of plant communities that influence soil structure and pest dynamics. These measurements create a practical record of how the vineyard is functioning beyond yield and canopy metrics. Growers are then placed within a tiered certification system that reflects their current alignment with regenerative principles and the ecological outcomes observed on site. For vineyards interested in demonstrating stewardship with clear, repeatable criteria, the framework offers a consistent way to track progress and communicate improvements to buyers, neighbors, and regional partners.  | | Screenshot from Ashton Creek Vineyard's website. |
In 2018, Ashton Creek Vineyard started struggling with ever-increasing inputs and declining soil health and two years later began moving to a more organic and regenerative approach to viticulture. The idea was to "fix the root cause of the sickness instead of always addressing the symptoms". For example, struggling to keep up with mechanical weeding, they introduced Dorper sheep to their vineyards to help control vegetation and enhance soil health. Next they released beneficial bugs to target vineyard pests and diversified their cover crop plantings. This process eventually led to the Regenified™ program and they earned Tier 3 Certified Regenified™ status in May 20, 2026. This certification recognizes their "measurable progress in soil health and ecosystem function, achieved through practices such as replacing diesel mowers with a flock of sheep, eliminating synthetic inputs, and increasing soil organic matter". In practical terms, adopting these practices have allowed Ashton Creek Vineyard to "eliminate synthetic fertilizers and herbicides, decrease fungicide use by 40%, limit mowing and labor, reduce outside inputs by 65%, and increase their soil’s organic matter by 400% and carbon capture by 350%." --Virginia Farm Bureau. If other vineyards or farms are interested in replicating Ashton Creek Vineyard's success, our next Regenerative Farming post will explain the NRCS Regenerative Pilot Program - a new program encouraging regenerative farming through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service.
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Posted: 2026-06-22 10:15
Father’s Day at Jack Rose Dining Saloon offered an opportunity to revisit the Van Winkle family’s long arc through American whiskey, presented through both biography and a focused tasting. The program was presented by Chris Leung (Lead Whiskey Advisor at Jack Rose) who opened with the story of Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle. Pappy's career began as a traveling salesman for W.L. Weller & Sons in the mid-1890s. That early work eventually positioned him to help form Stitzel‑Weller Distillery after Prohibition, where he served as the first president. The discussion then moved forward to Julian Van Winkle III, who entered a joint venture with Buffalo Trace Distillery in 2002, establishing a partnership that allows Buffalo Trace to produce, age, and bottle all Van Winkle whiskeys under strict family guidelines. The Lineup: - Elmer T. Lee | single barrel, x YR, 90°
- Weller Single Barrel 2025 KST | x YR, 97°
- Weller Full Proof “Jack Rose 2019” Single Barrel KST | x YR, 114°
- Old Rip Van Winkle KST | 10 YR, 107°
- Van Winkle Family Reserve Lot B KST | 12 YR, 90.4°
- Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye KST | 13 YR, 95.6°
 The tasting began with Elmer T. Lee (90°), a single‑barrel bourbon I associated it with a smooth Ancient Age character. A small addition of water opened the aromatics toward honeyed nuts, while the high‑rye mash bill kept the structure firm. The Weller Single Barrel 2025 KST (97°) followed, showing nutmeg and baking spices on the nose and a buttered‑popcorn note on the palate; water brought out pepper and dill. As a high‑wheat bourbon, it presented a softer grain profile, though the single‑barrel selection added definition.  The Weller Full Proof “Jack Rose 2019” Single Barrel KST (114°) offered a warmer expression with more concentrated baking spices and a toasted‑bread character touched with cinnamon sugar. The discussion noted that “full proof” is not a technical indicator of style, and that barrel selection remains the more meaningful variable. Moving into the Van Winkle lineup, Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year (107°) showed orange peel, herbs, macadamia nuts, and a light butter‑honey note—youthful but balanced.  The Van Winkle Family Reserve Lot B (12 Year, 90.4°) displayed cinnamon and herbal aromatics with a rounded, buttery mouthfeel. A touch of water increased the alcohol’s presence rather than softening it, a reminder of how older wheated bourbons can behave in the glass. The final pour, Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye (13 Year, 95.6°), shifted the profile entirely to fir‑like aromatics and herbaceous notes that distinguished it from the preceding bourbons and provided a clean, structured finish.
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Posted: 2026-06-15 07:08
Dortmunder Export is one of those silent European lager styles that rarely gets the spotlight. Born in the industrial city of Dortmund in the mid‑19th century (first brewed in 1873 by DUB), it emerged during the same era that produced Pilsner and Munich Helles -- yet it carved out its own identity: a pale lager with the soft malt depth of Helles, a hoppy base of a German Pilsner, the firm minerality of Dortmund’s brewing water, and a slightly elevated strength (higher gravity) that made it suitable for export. By the early 20th century, Dortmunder breweries like Dortmunder Union (DUB) and Dortmunder Actien Brauerei (DAB) were shipping beer across Europe to consumers who enjoyed balancing drinkability with a subtle, structured backbone. A recent trip to Hagerstown, Maryland included a visit to Cushwa Brewing Company where their Starting Over Dortmunder is available via a 16oz can. This modern American interpretation respects that balance between drinkability and the structured backbone.. Brewed to 5.0% ABV, it presents the style’s hallmark clarity and golden hue, leaning into a clean and soft malt profile supported by gentle bitterness. The beer pours a bright straw‑gold with a tight white head, offering soft grain aromatics and a touch of herbal hop character. On the palate, it’s rounded but not sweet, finishing dry with the faint mineral edge that defines the style. This is a faithful nod to Dortmund’s brewing heritage.
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Posted: 2026-06-11 06:00
"America's first spirit was rum... For a solid 150-plus years, that's what we drank." -- Barry Hanenberg of Virago Spirits (CBS6 Richmond Interview) And somehow we have forgotten that fact. Rum was the widely produced in the colonies, with New England distilleries converting Caribbean molasses into a domestic staple as early as the 1640s . By the mid‑18th century, rum was so embedded in daily life that consumption reached an estimated fourteen liters per person annually, effectively making it the national drink of colonial America. British taxation-- starting with the Molasses Act of 1733 and then the Sugar Act of 1764 -- choked off affordable molasses imports, crippling the industry and paving the way for whiskey’s rise after the Revolution. Prohibition dealt another blow, and when legal drinking returned in 1933, Americans largely favored imported Caribbean rum rather than rebuilding a domestic tradition. Today. several entities are attempting to rebuild this American Rum tradition such as Caroline Porsiel, Founder & CEO, House of Applejay Distillery and Co-Founder of the American Brandy & Rum (AMBRu) Campaign as well as BevFluence and their timely TERROIR campaign, a multi-dimensional campaign across seven locked categories: Touriga Nacional and Portuguese varietals, Emerging spirits, Riesling, Rum, Obscure, Italian varietals, and Rye. A third entity is the Virginia Spirits Guild, who in partnership with the Virginia Spirits Board, the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission, and Virginia ABC, created the The Virginia: Birthplace of American Spirits Collection. This is a limited‑edition three‑bottle release to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary and to highlight the Commonwealth’s foundational role in early American distillation. The trio of spirits includes a botanical gin, a four‑grain whiskey, and an aged rum—each designed to reflect a different geographic and historical dimension of Virginia’s distilling heritage The rum in the collection - nicknamed the Coast expression -- was crafted under the leadership of Barry Hanenberg of Virago Spirits, who brought together the complementary strengths of Vitae Spirits, Belmont Farm Distillery, and Chesapeake Bay Distillery to create a blend that reflects Virginia’s Tidewater identity and its deep colonial ties to the molasses trade. Drawing on rums contributed by three of the partner distilleries, the team built a spirit averaged 7.5 years of age and weighing in at a robust 105‑proof. From the same CBS6Richmond interview, Hanenberg refers to the Coast as "a sipping rum" that will surprise whiskey drinkers with preconceived notions. It provides a complex experience, with layers of what I would describe as honey and caramel drizzled on toasted macadamia nuts between earthiness, and oak inspired baking notes. The individual components of the rum were driven by each contributor's distilling philosophy. According to anonymous sources, Virago’s house style is rooted in their Caribbean‑influenced pot‑still and a focus on layered, oxidative depth. Their contribution shaped the blend’s weight, mid‑palate richness, and molasses‑forward profile. Vitae Spirits added the brightest, most aromatic elements in the blend. Known for their cane‑juice‑driven distillation and precision fermentation, Vitae’s rum brought lift, tropical notes, and grassy freshness beneath the deeper molasses tones. Belmont Farm Distillery contributed a traditional pot‑still rum that added rusticity, structure, and oak‑leaning edges. And finally, Chesapeake Bay Distillery supplied a clean, column‑still‑driven rum that helped lengthen the finish, sharpen the structure, and keep the blend from becoming overly dense. "No one goes to the liquor store and says, 'Let me get that American rum.' That category doesn't exist yet. That's what we need to create, and I think when people taste this, they're going to start thinking differently about the rums they can get from the continental United States." -- Barry Hanenberg of Virago Spirits (CBS6 Richmond Interview) Let's toast to America’s 250th anniversary, the Virginia distilling tradition, and the revival of the American Rum category.
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