Wine Country Bottle Shop in Twelve Oaks presents the Texas Spirits Tasting 5 – 7 p.m. Wednesday, October 29. For $10, sample some of Texas’ finest, including:

Southern Son Vodka
“The Southern Son Vodka recipe includes several steps to produce a clean and smooth southern vodka. We begin with 100 percent American Yellow Corn and column distill our vodka not once or twice, but ten times to produce the smoothest vodka possible. We produce Southern Son Vodka in small batches so we can monitor each detail and manage consistent quality in every batch. Southern Son vodka is gluten free, and we invite you to try it against any imported vodka brand,” says Jem Beverage Co.

Red River Rye
A fully Texas made and distilled Rye Whiskey being produced out of Red River Whiskey, in Carrolton, TX. Four guys quit their jobs and started this distillery that offers bourbon, vodka, and rum. Actually, “some people quit their jobs and started distilling” is the story behind most distilleries. A portion of the sales of Red River Whiskey goes toward native Texas wildlife conservation.

Red River Bourbon
A fully Texas made and distilled Bourbon Whiskey being produced by Red River Whiskey in Carrolton, TX.

Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co. TX Whiskey – $41.99
We explored numerous American blended whiskeys, but felt they lacked the complexity and character of many of the highly regarded and award winning Scottish, Irish, and Canadian whiskey blends.

As a craft distiller, we have the perfect opportunity to innovate, so we set out to create an American blended whiskey that would rival the best Scottish, Irish, and Canadian blends. We spent over two years sampling an enormous number of whiskeys, determining the characteristics of our favorites, and then experimenting with different combinations to capture an even better, more robust flavor.

Blenders’ Tasting Notes:
•       Color: Auburn
•       Nose: Vanilla bean, oak, and pear
•       Taste: Honey butter, banana, caramel, and coffee
•       Finish: Long, smooth, and slightly sweet
•       Proof: 82

Stingray Spiced Rum
During the early 17th century piracy was rampant throughout the Caribbean. Thieves would commandeer the cargo of merchants, navies and each other. As a precaution, people would hide their most precious cargo – their finest spiced rums – on the sea floor of the Caribbean where they were safely guarded by one of the most feared creatures in the ocean, stingrays. Stingrays, the protector of the special reserve spiced rum barrels, became synonymous with the finest spiced rum in the Caribbean, and still are today.

-Audrey Robinson, audrey@cadrehg.com