These Are the Five Essential Bottles of Booze for Fall

A quick guide to the local(ish) bottles you should be drinking

By The Editors
November 7, 2016 9:00 am

A friend who can hold their liquor is the best company a man can keep.

Even better if they’ll deliver it.

That friend: Foxtrot, the indie corner store and mobile app that delivers what is essentially a marketplace for some of the best hard-to-find food, booze and goods Chicago has to offer.

We recently stopped by their West Loop locale to talk drinks over drinks. We left with five bottles we think belongs on your shelf this fall.

But a man like yourself needn’t get up. We suggest peeping the app, sitting back and letting the booze come to you. Until then, bottoms up.

Journeyman Not a King Rye
Why rye whiskey, not bourbon? Spicier, bolder and, if Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible Awards have anything to say (they do), exceedingly better. With a mashbill of 60% rye and 40% corn, Journeyman’s new Not a King whiskey will provide the bite you need to get through winter.

FEW Anguish & Regret
We can’t say passing out rounds shots of Malört at your next dinner party is the best move … unless you’re holding FEW Spirits’ Anguish & Regret. The Evanston distillery’s spin on the bitter stuff features a heavyhand of ras el hanout, a Moroccan spice blend that includes cinnamon, ginger and peppercorns but goes down much milder than anything like it on the market.

Far North Spirits Alander Spiced Rum
A rum that tastes like gingersnap cookies? A rum that tastes like ginger snap cookies. You can thank Minnesota’s Far North Spirits for this gem of a spiced rum, made with locally sourced Demerara and Turbinado sugar and infused with whole vanilla bean, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and clove — plus a hint of espresso bean for added depth.

High West Whiskey Campfire
Foxtrot didn’t hesitate to pull this one off the shelf. And we’ll go ahead and say it’s one of our favorites, too. This blend of bourbon, rye and peated scotch whisky might seem like overkill, but the fellas at High West present a well-balanced and overall pleasing tipple. Like sitting around a campfire.

Blaum Bros Lead Mine Moonshine
Turns out Galena knows a thing or two about moonshine. But is it really moonshine if Blaum Bros’ Lead Mine Moonshine is sold legally? Either way, what you’re getting here is a un-aged liquor pot-distilled from corn, rye, and barley, then filled directly into the Mason jar at 100 proof. Hey, at least it’s handy.

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