Major Media
Our Terra Gin was profiled by Florence Fabricant in the The New York Times’ well-known food column Front Burner. “Made by Cardinal Spirits, of Indiana, Terra Botanical is decidedly herbal, more reminiscent of pine woods with notes of mint and earth than the more typical juniper-forward London dry style.”
New Gin Conjures the Flavors of the Forest” by Florence Fabricant. The New York Times. 5/26/2017.
Terra Gin was profiled again this summer, but big time — a full page story written by novelist Christopher Bollen about his Ohio upbringing, his coming-of-age to liquor, and how Terra magically fits both Midwestern nostalgia and sophisticated adulthood into a bottle.
“Can You Capture Nostalgia in a Bottle of Gin?” by Christopher Bollen. The Wall Street Journal. 7/26/2017.
Wine Enthusiast profiles four Midwestern distilleries making premium spirits from our heartland materials. Newman’s article discusses Adam and Jeff’s participation in the burgeoning distillery market, our Bramble and Tiki Rum, and features a photo of Head Bartender Alyvia Cain shaking a cocktail behind the bar.
“How Midwestern Spirit is Driving Craft Distilleries” by Kara Newman. Wine Enthusiast. 5/7/2017.
Our Walnut Nocino got a little love from this wintertime article discussing how the uses of liqueurs are increasing in number and complexity. Newman writes “This is an amaro-lover’s nocino, with an herbal-vanilla scent that evokes sarsaparilla and an herbal, root-y flavor up front and a distinctly nutty richness smoothing the finish.”
“Walnut and Coffee Liqueurs Go Beyond Dessert” by Kara Newman. Wine Enthusiast. 1/25/2017.
We were so proud when online magazine Swaay learned of our three powerhouse bartenders —Baylee Pruitt (Miami), Alexandra Utter (New Orleans), and Alyvia Cain (our head bartender!). The blurb shouted out Pruitt’s co-founding of our popular Tiki Tuesday plus two cocktails by Alex and Alyvia. “These ladies’ creativity knows no bounds,” writes Walansky.
“10 Bars with Kickass Female Bartenders Behind the Helm” by Aly Walansky. Swaay. 5/22/2017.
One of our first big features by a mega-site came to us in the form of an Imbibe feature of The 24 Carrot Gold. The tropical, fizzy punch spirited with our Standard Dry Gin was created by our bartender Baylee Pruitt for Tiki Tuesdays
“24 Carrot Gold Punch Recipe” Imbibe. 3/25/2016.
Wine Enthusiast’s Kara Newman also writes for another online behemoth liquor blog, Liquor.com, and gave shout outs to two of our liqueurs–Flora and Nocino. A large photo of our Flora bottle tops the article on 5 Floral Spirits You Should be Drinking, and includes a spot-on description. Our Nocino also tops at #1 on Newman’s list of four walnut liqueurs “all worth pouring right now.”
“Five Flora Spirits You Should Be Drinking” by Kara Newman. Liquor.com. 4/14/2016.
“You Should Be Drinking Walnuts From a Bottle” by Kara Newman. Liquor.com. 9/5/2016.
A big shout out to our kitchen just months after it opened, Supercall profiles five distilleries with restaurants requiring visits. The author offers glowing remarks on our food, Lake House Spiced Rum, Terra Gin, our “best in the biz” distillery tours, and our creative spins on classic cocktails.
“The Best Distillery Restaurants in America” by Amanda Gabrielle. Supercall. 10/24/2017.
Terra made it onto Supercall’s list of the Top Best Gins of 2016. Lake House Spiced Rum also got its own Supercall feature the same month in “Spiced Rum for the Money” (plus a top-of-the page glamour photo). Both articles include generous tasting profiles and brief histories of how we developed both spirits.
“Top 8 Best Gin Brands of 2016” by Justine Sterling. Supercall. 12/7/2016.
“Spiced Rum for the Money” by Amanda Gabrielle. Supercall. 12/14/2016.
Our local newspaper The Herald Times did a full-page profile of Tiki Tuesday and its co-creators Chris Resnick and Baylee Pruitt.
“Tuesdays get tropical with Cardinal Spirits” by Jeremy Hogan. The Herald Times. 3/16/2016.
SpoonUniversity.com features university-specific food and drink advice to its college-aged readers. In one article, two members of the IU Chapter share their experiences of touring our distillery and tasting our spirits. In 2017, they came back to write about just how easy it is to use our vodka at home.
“Cardinal Spirits: Bloomington’s Craft Distillery of Choice” by Claire Waggoner and Brogan Dearinger. Spoon University. 4/13/2016
“3 Easy, Classic Cocktails to Make with Cardinal Spirits Class of 2017 Vodka” by Brogan Dearinger. Spoon University. 4/19/2017
Adam Quirk was on set at the Lousiville, KY news studio to talk about our collaboration with Good Folks Coffee and how to use our spirits in the A.M.
“Start your mornings right with the new Songbird Craft Coffee Liqueur” by Jordan Wheatley. WHAS11 ABC. 5/23/2016
Awards & Ratings
The ratings listed below were big wins for Cardinal Spirits. They affirm our place among the best spirits on national and international scales. Our vodka, for example, scored higher than Titos and Ketel One by Wine Enthusiast in 2016.
While many competitions, conferences, and websites operate on a pay-for-review and pay-for-praise system, The Microliquor Spirits Awards, Wine Enthusiast, and the American Distillers Institute put a great deal of integrity into their scoring procedures. All three also have free or inexpensive submission fees relative to the amount of labor, expertise, and feedback paid to each spirit.
The Microliquor Spirit Awards is an annual competition of small and emerging brand spirits, scoring on overall taste. Triple Gold Medal winners recognize the spirits showcasing the highest standard of quality and excellence.
• Microliquor Spirit Awards – Cardinal Spirits Vodka – Triple Gold Medal Best in Show 2015
Wine Enthusiast is a print and online magazine that reviews wine, beer, and spirits. WE does not charge for participation in their review program and only accepts a particular spirit recipe only every three years and on a rolling schedule of categories. If a spirit scores high enough and is noteworthy, Kara Newman (Spirits Editor) may choose to publish a review.
Scoring:
Classic 98-100: The pinnacle of quality
Superb 94-97: A great achievement
Excellent 90-93: Highly recommended.
Very Good 87-89: Often good value; well recommended.
Good 83-86: Suitable for everyday consumption; often good value.
Acceptable 80-82: Can be employed in casual, less-critical circumstances.
Best Buy is a special designation for products that offer a high level of quality in relation to price.
• Wine Enthusiast – Cardinal Spirits Vodka – Top 100 Spirits of 2016
Wine Enthusiast – Cardinal Spirits Vodka – 93 points (Rated Best of 2016)
“Wine-lovers will approve: this vodka is made from white grapes that are fermented in Italian wine tanks and then distilled. The result is an enticing cocoa character on the nose and creamy palate, along with subtle vanilla braced with alcohol heat on the nutmeg-accented finish. Overall it’s a versatile, mixable vodka.”
Wine Enthusiast – Cardinal Spirits Bramble – 92 points / Best Buy (Rated 2016)
“Rosy in the glass, this dangerously easy-sipping vodka features fruity-floral notes of raspberry and hibiscus. A delicate cantaloupe note comes midpalate, with pleasing, mouthwatering tartness around the edges. Sip or mix—or follow the producer’s unusual suggestion to cellar this flavored vodka like wine, for additional mellowness.”
Wine Enthusiast – Cardinal Spirits Tiki Rum – 92 points / Best Buy (Rated 2016)
“Aptly named, this rum is tiki-drink ready, for sure. It leads with a pungent banana aroma and distinct tropical fruit flavors—banana, mango, touches of lychee and coconut—with ginger and nutmeg sparks on the finish. It’s not infused with fruit, but all those flavors may have you wondering.”
Wine Enthusiast – Cardinal Spirits Songbird Coffee Liqueur – 90 points / Best Buy
Wine Enthusiast – Cardinal Spirits Nocino – 90 points
Wine Enthusiast – Cardinal Spirits Standard Dry Gin – 88 points
“Look for a distinctly herbaceous profile on the nose and palate. There’s a bit of pine but it’s not as juniper-forward as most London dry style gins. Finishes lightly sweet, with a fresh pear note, and spicy, like pink peppercorn.”
The American Distilling Institute (ADI) hosts an annual judging of craft spirits made by small, independently owned distillers. Judges include distillers, journalists, bar owners, bartenders, retailers, wholesalers, distributors, importers, and our very own Jeff Wuslich. For a $150 per spirit entry fee, each submission is thoroughly evaluated by a panel of four judges and given feedback for improvement. The spirits are scored using a 100-point system on nose, palate, balance, and finish. Spirits that score 70 points or higher receive a medal:
Scoring:
90-100: Gold
80-89: Silver
70-79: Bronze
In 2017, Jeff Wuslich abdicated his seat to submit our Terra for score.
ADI – Gold Medal Best of Category – Terra – Contemporary Grain-to-Glass Gin (2017)
ADI – Best of Category – Honey Schnapps – Other Liqueur (2018)
