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Tinto De Verano - Better than Sangria?

  Pretty much everyone has heard of Sangria, the extra sweet wine and chopped fruit combo beverage, but it seems that few are familiar with the more balanced an infinitely crushable alternative, Tinto de Verano . I had the pleasure of attending some friends' wedding in Spain recently and my group fell in love with the drink, it's name meaning the "Red Wine of Summer". What is it and is it better than Sangria? What is Tinto de Verano? Tinto de Verano made of equal parts table red wine and soda, often a semi-sweet lemon flavored variety. The traditional soda brand, Sandevid, is very lightly sweetened which results in the combined beverage being relatively low calorie. It is often served over ice with a slice or lemon or orange as a garnish. A 1.5L bottle of Tinto De Verano can be found at most grocery stores in Spain for less than two euros. I drank a full bottle in one afternoon and felt neither tipsy nor over-sugared. The invention of the drink is commonly credited to...
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🔌Review - Phorm Energy - Orange Fury

An new energy drink powerhouse, Phorm Energy is a partnership between 1st Phorm Nutrition, UFC's Dana White, and beer giant Anheuser-Busch. The brand focuses on a patriotic and blue-collar segment with slogans like "We do the work". 1st Phorm performs extensive product testing for an energy drink brand and all Phorm products are produced only in facilities that are FDA inspected, SQF Level-3 certified, & cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practices) compliant. Phorm is made and packaged in St. Louis Missouri from a global ingredient base. 🛒 Price: $1 at Kroger, typically $2-3 per can in most formats. Available in 12 oz can 4-packs and 16oz. singles or 12 packs.  ✨Calories: 15 , 16oz. can 🍵 Caffeine: 200mg, on par with Celsius (little less per volume), naturally sourced from green tea extract. The 12oz. format has 150mg of caffeine. 👅 Flavor: A relatively thick and indulgent soft orange with some light tangerine that stops short of a bite and subsides into a candy a...

🥃Review 95: Jack Daniel's 12-Year 2026 Batch 4

You are doubtless familiar with the omnipresent Jack Daniel's Old No. 7  Tennessee Whiskey, but you might not be aware that they also have also been cranking out some of the best juice in all of whiskey. Enthusiasts love their Single Barrel Barrel Proof Bourbon  (yes the corn primary mash qualifies as a bourbon) and Rye Barrel proof offerings and you can also find the heritage edition and 14-year whiskey on the market today, all very solid bottles. They have also put out a 10-year iteration in their "aged" series at various points. Jack Daniel's 12-year splits the difference between the two bottles and has ben released yearly since 2023, targeting a candy-focused profile (less woody/leathery than the 14 and more spice/caramel forward than the 10). 🛒 Sourced: $92.99 for 700ml from Costco Perimeter, GA - probably the best thing I've seen in there for years. They got 3 bottles each of the 12 and 14-year, all gone in a couple hours. MSRP is around $100 though secon...

🥃Review 94: Green River Full Proof Bourbon

Produced by DSP-KY-10 in Owensboro, Kentucky, this full proof version of their high-rye bourbon has become a darling to enthusiasts. They have also recently released a full proof version of their wheated bourbon as well. Green River is part of the Lofted Spirits umbrella which also includes Bardstown Bourbon Company. Both facilities have significant contract distilling programs.  Founded in 1885 by J.W. McCulloch, Green River was once one of Kentucky’s most prolific distilleries, famous for its slogan, "The Whiskey Without Regrets." Its whiskey was so highly esteemed that 20 barrels once traded for an interest in a gold mine in Colorado. A tragic fire and prohibition resulted in the distillery being shuttered for most of the 1900s before the reintroduction of the Green River name in 2022.  🛒 Sourced:  $49.99, 750ml - Tower Beer, Wine, and Spirits - Atlanta, GA 🧪 Proof:  58.65 proof, 117.3% ABV - varies by batch 🎨 Color:  R4  - cheery and vaguely brown wi...

☕Review - Dunkin' Spiked Vanilla Iced Coffee

Released as part of Dunkin' Donuts ready-to-drink(RTD) alcohol suite in 2023, this Vanilla Iced Coffee hopes to convert on the booming canned cocktail trend. This wasn't Dunkin's first foray into alcohol, having previously partnered with Harpoon Brewery (Mass Bay Brewing) to collaborate on a few brews like  Harpoon Dunkin' Pumpkin Spiced Latte Ale. Though those were limited edition craft beers, Mass Bay continues to be the producer for these mass(achussets)-market canned cocktails under the entity "American Spiked Beverages" and plans on keeping the two brands isolated from one another. “These tend to be thought of as a tailgating [product], a pick-me-up in the afternoon,” says Nathaniel Davis, President of Mass Bay Brewing. The coffees and teas are more of “a late-afternoon play” or treat.   After first being released in the Northeast, the beverages can now be found in 28 states. The expansive Dunkin' Spiked lineup has many flavors including seven ...