The 8 Best Things We Drank in July

Every month, a huge amount of booze moves through the Gear Patrol offices — beer, wine and a whole lot of whiskey. This month: shameless self-promotion of a beer we made (and love), cider for those who think they don’t like cider and more.

George Dickel Bourbon

George Dickel

On National Bourbon Day, June 14, George Dickel (which makes a delicious bottled-in-bond whiskey) announced its newest expression to its permanent lineup, Dickel Bourbon. The bourbon is aged for eight years, and bottled at a lean 90 proof. It tastes like whiskey-soaked peanut butter cups that somehow ended up on top of a scoop of vanilla ice cream. While other George Dickel offerings can technically be classified as bourbon, too, this is the only one with the “bourbon” bottle designation — and it’s one that you should probably start reaching for when you find it. — Tyler Chin, Associate Staff Writer

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I’d be remiss if I didn’t shout out the first-ever beer we’ve made here at Gear Patrol. We teamed up with our good friends at Burial Beer in Asheville, NC to make the ideal beer for the summer gatherings we were all looking forward to heading into the warmer months. It was an enlightening and thrilling process, and the team at Burial truly knocked it out of the park. Our Helles-style lager clocks in at 4.8 percent and uses all-American hops. It’s dry, light and just what you want on a warm summer day. The best part? You can order it online in over 30 states. — Ryan Brower, Commerce Editor

The Drowned Lands Easy Terra

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This 8.5-percent Double IPA is just what you’re looking for out of a beer like this: it’s sweet but not too sweet, it’s got a ton of citrus flavor and the head retention (which equates to body and mouthfeel) is impeccable. It’s hopped with Mosaic, Simcoe and Chinook so that probably explains why it’s so good — you can’t go wrong with the combo three legendary hops like that. It’s one of the first beers I’ve had from The Drowned Lands and I’m surely looking forward to the next. — Ryan Brower, Commerce Editor

The Seed As Simple As Youth?

The Seed

Not enough breweries brew a Kellerpils and this one was a total treat from the new kids on the block in Atlantic City, The Seed. Kellerbiers are essentially beers that are unfiltered and straight from the tank or cellar (in this case it’s an unfiltered Pilsner). Brewed with 100-percent New Jersey malts, As Simple As Youth? has a velvety-soft body with a slight haze to it. It’s hopped with Loral, which helps give it a dry, hint of lemon taste that is ever so refreshing. At 5.6 percent ABV, it’s a quintessential summer beer.— Ryan Brower, Commerce Editor

Willett Family Estate Straight Rye Whiskey

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While recognizably rye whiskey, this isn’t really like any other I’ve had. It’s complex and smooth, but not too complex or smooth (there’s enough burn there to let you know you’re drinking whiskey), with just a hint of sweetness and a mix of other notes on the nose and palate. This was an absolute treat to have at the end of a work day, and I’m keeping the beautiful bottle when it’s done. — Zen Love, Staff Writer

Creature Comforts Tropicália

Creature Comforts

My beer taste has shifted from low to high and back again over the years, but I stumbled upon a fresh pack of Tropicalia last weekend and was reminded that it’s often the fallback beers that I’m most attracted to. A couple hour drive from Creature Comforts’ Athens brewery, I grew up slugging Tropicalia on Lake Lanier, not realizing how lucky I was to have an excellent brewery in my backyard (relatively speaking). It’s not hype anymore, but it remains crisp as hell and just a perfectly balanced IPA for my taste. — Will Price, Editor

Shacksbury Light Cider

Shacksbury

I think my taste for cider has been ruined by drinking mass-produced hard ciders with way too much sugar. Shacksbury has put cider back into my good graces, and its latest release is a lighter version of the cider that made it famous. Light is a 4.2-percent ABV brew with 100 calories and no sugar. This is the type of drink you bring on a picnic or drink while sitting on the front steps of your house. Drinking Light is sort of like taking a bite of the fresh apple from the farmer’s market and chasing it with a sip of craft lager. — Tyler Chin, Associate Staff Writer

Penelope Bourbon Rosé Cask Finish

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Do bourbon and rosé wine go together? When it’s bourbon finished in rosé wine casks, then yes, they go together. Penelope Bourbon first released its rosé cask-finished bourbon last year, the base being Penelope’s signature straight bourbon, a blend of three bourbon mashbills aged for two to three years. The distillery sources French grenache rosé wine casks from Southern Rhône, in which the bourbon is finished, imparting a floral-like and delicate, yet spicy, finish. Basically it tastes like bourbon but it breathes like a rosé. — Tyler Chin, Associate Staff Writer

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