In t he Spir it By Tony Cross

Ho, Ho, Ho

An d a bot tl e of your ch oosing

By ton y C ross This time of

year, the pains of my job are real: I’m forced to order many different spirits, ranging from industr y standards to eclectic, and sample them — just so I can give you a recommendation for the holidays. What a drag.

If you’re st uck in the g if t-g iv ing depar tment this year, I have you covered. I’ve picked five dif ferent spir its that may be foreig n to you, or the recipient of your choosing. Please keep in mind that I ordered these online. If you’d like to do the same, I suggest doing it sooner rather than later. W hile I’m at it, I’d a lso like to suggest g rabbing a bot tle f rom one of Nor th Carolina’s many distiller ies. We’re for t unate to have some g reat hooch f rom the folk s over at TOPO, Sutler’s and InStill Distiller y, just to name a few.

Chateau de Montifaud VSOP Petite Champagne Cognac

If you are buy ing for someone who enjoys R émy Mar tin, or even just enjoys their spir its neat (Scotch whisk y or bourbon whiskey, for example), then I br ing you this elegant cog nac. T he Montifaud estate and the Va llet family have been producing cog nac for si x generations spanning more than 150 years. T heir cog nac is aged for one year in new cask s and then severa l more in French Limousine oak. With some depth and notes of pear and apr icot, it’s g reat on its ow n, or even in cock tails.

Angel’s Envy Finished Rye

T his whiskey has been seen in our loca l A BC stores, but only once in a blue moon, so act fast. You may be familiar w ith A ngel ’s Env y bourbon. I confess, while it’s pret t y popular, it has never been one of my favorites. T his r ye, on the other hand, is a showstopper. I had my first taste last year r ight when the leaves were t ur ning color and hit ting the g round. I remember think ing how it t ast es like fa ll. T he folk s over at A E star t w ith a 95 percent r ye mash bill, ag ing it in char red white oak bar rels. T hen, they transfer the whiskey into r um cask s — adding a sweetness to the r ye, ba lancing the spiciness w ith notes of toasted oak, caramel and nut tiness. T his whiskey is an idea l g if t for any bourbon or r ye fan.

Clairin le Rocher

T his st yle of r um f rom Haiti got my at tention at first sip. If you’re in the market for a g if t for anyone w ith an af finit y for r um, look no f ur ther. I’ve enjoyed the dif ferent bot tles of clair in over ice, or as a Ti ’ P unch. Per the website’s tasting notes on this par ticular bot tle: “L e Rocher is a distiller y at a higher elevation, creating their Clair in in the st yle of Jamaican single pot still by boiling w ild sugar cane juice into sy r up.” T his r um is a lit tle f unk y (in a good way) and there are notes of but terscotch and bananas. T here are other clair ins on the market, too, and any of them would be a g reat addition to that specia l someone’s home bar.

The Kyoto Distillery Ki No Tea, Green Tea Flavored Gin

dedication shows. T hough this may seem like a boutique buy to some, the flavor of the g in is uncanny — I have never tasted a g in so clean and ba lanced, w ith dif ferent notes of g reen tea to boot. It’s descr ibed this way on the website: “K i No Tea is a product created in collaboration w ith tea-g rower and blender, Hor i- Shichimeien, founded in the Meiji era in 1879 and based in the famous Uji reg ion to the south of Kyoto cit y. A number of super-premium Uji teas have been specia lly selected to for m the hear t of K i No Tea. Tencha and g yok uro prov ide intense aromas and depth of flavour w ith a wonderf ul sweetness that occurs nat ura lly in the distillation of these super ior teas. T hese teas are blended caref ully w ith a secret botanica l recipe used only in K i No Tea.” Tencha is the tea used for matcha, and g yok uro (which means, “Jade dew”) is ver y r ich and robust. Bot tom line: this g in is outstanding on its ow n, and I cannot think of a g in that could go toe-to -toe w ith K i No Tea w ithout needing a modifier. If any thing, buy this for a mar tini lover.

123 Organic Tequila Reposado (Dos)

Buy this for yourself. Founder and tequilero Dav id R avandi ’s at tention to detail w ith his line at 123 Organic Tequila is unpara lleled. From its cer tified organic source (the agave is g row n on USDA and EU cer tified organic estates w ithout sy nthetic pesticides, fer tilizers, and herbicides) to the sustainabilit y of its pack ag ing (10 0 percent rec ycled glass; the label is pr inted on rec ycled paper; the labeling is made f rom vegetable-based ink s), 123 Organic Tequila R eposado capt ures the finest expression of 10 0 percent organic blue agave. I’ve had their anejo “Tres,” and, now, their “Dos” reposado. Only distilling t w ice, this agave has notes of lemon and, on the pa late, you’re treated to sa lted caramel and a touch of vanilla but not in an over power ing, vanillabomb way. T his agave is g reat on its ow n, but man, oh man, it is my persona l favor ite for margar itas. PS

Tony Cross is a bar t ender (well, e x-bar t ender) who runs cockt ail cat er ing company Rever ie Cockt ails in Southern Pines.

gift, Love, Joy & PJs this Holiday!

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