Looking for a last-minute present for your boss, brother or BFF? Sure, you can grab a bottle of wine, but why not get ’em the hard stuff and, even better, support a local biz in the process.
Square One Brewery and Distillery in Lafayette Square just released their Agave Blue. Made from agave nectar imported from Tequila, Mexico, Square One’s tequila is only the second tequila distilled in the U.S. It’s rested in oak and offers a nice, smooth finish. A 375-ml bottle costs $18, a 750-ml bottle goes for $30 and $110 will fetch a special edition, 750-ml, hand-blown glass bottle created by Missouri artist Sam Stang.
Another surefire winner from Square One’s Spirits of St. Louis line is Vermont Night Missouri Whiskey, a silver medal winner at this year’s American Distillers Conference. This unique spirit is made of malted whiskey infused with fresh orange, lemon and lime, plus vanilla bean and cinnamon. The liquor is aged for up to six weeks, and then Vermont maple syrup is added for subtle sweetness. Owner Steve Neukomm touts Vermont Night as a great sipping whiskey and the perfect choice for an Old-Fashioned. Both the 375-ml and 750-ml bottles ($21 and $38, respectively) are slapped with a special holiday label. If you’re keen on buying spirits from Square One, get there today (they’re open until 1 a.m.); they will be closed Dec. 24 and Dec. 25.
Spirits seekers can also stop in at The Stable and pick up a bottle of its first-ever released 85 Lashes Crystal rum, distilled from pure cane sugar and molasses. “It’s basically the un-aged version of our 85 Lashes regular rum,” said owner Jake Jones. “It just doesn’t see wood; that’s the only difference.” The Stable’s popular dark rum, aged for anywhere from nine months to one year in French oak, is available in major area liquor stores. However, the Crystal is only available at the Benton Park brewpub and micro-distillery; a 750-ml bottle retails for $24.95.
Wanna go doubly local? Grab The Stable’s grappa, made using Chambourcin grape skins from Charleville Vinyard in Ste. Genevieve, Mo. A 375-ml bottle goes for $29.95. The Stable is open today until midnight and tomorrow, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2010.