1. King Spirits’ Hope Town Vodka (40% ABV)
Distilled six times in small batches from corn in South Carolina, the vodka is inspired by Steven Busch’s love of the Bahamas. Part of the proceeds directly help the Abacos’ ongoing recovery from Hurricane Dorian.
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2. Switchgrass Spirits’ Copperhead Rock & Rye (40% ABV)
Sweet mash rye whiskey combines with Belgian rock candy, citrus peel, horehound, and other spices to produce a wonderful Prohibition throwback.
3. Still 630’s American Navy Strength Gin (60% ABV)
At 120 proof, it offers hints of citrus, cracked black pepper, and a bubblegum note. Also noteworthy: 2nd Shift Brewing recently rolled out an imperial stout aged in Still 630 and Buffalo Trace bourbon barrels.
4. The Big “O” Reserve Ginger Liqueur (15% ABV)
Aged for more than a year in former bourbon barrels, the reserve offers a more complex iteration of the Big “O” Ginger Liqueur, it works well in cocktails, but consider drinking it neat as an aperitif or cordial.
5. St. Louis Spirits’ Vermont Night Whiskey (32% ABV)
This maple-flavored whiskey is infused with vanilla beans, winter spices, fresh citrus, and Vermont maple syrup. Sip it neat on cold winter nights, or blend it with vanilla ice cream.
6. Restless Spirits’ Builders Botanical Gin (46% ABV)
Produced from Midwestern grain, this gin is a wonderful intro to the spirit. The 11 botanicals include lavender, rosemary, meadowsweet, lemon, and orange peel, as well as juniper and coriander.
7. J. Rieger & Co.’s Caffè Amaro (31% ABV)
The Amaro-flavored spirit combines cold-brew coffee with juniper berries, cardamom, orange peel, star anise, spearmint leaves, gentian, and vanilla beans. The result: a wonderful, albeit bitter, liqueur.
8. Lifted Spirits’ Absinthe Verte (68.5% ABV)
Claiming to be the first absinthe produced in Kansas City, at 137 proof, it’s not for the faint of heart. It contains wormwood, anise, and fennel seeds, alongside other traditional ingredients.
9. Nobletons Distilling House’s Duckett Rhum 103 (57.5% ABV)
It’s distilled from sugarcane juice and matured in bourbon barrels, before being finished in French oak barrels that previously held Cognac. The higher 103 proof provides a great mouthfeel.
10. 1220 Spirits’ Spettro Amaro (33% ABV)
The rabarbaro-style amaro has a wonderfully complex nose of sage, rosemary, vanilla, and bitter orange, creating an elixir that’s herbal, sweet, savory, and bitter.
These spirits are available at most fine local liquor stores.
