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Came here for the first time on Saturday as I had a Groupon for a tour. I’ve been wanting to try this place out for a long time anyway. I scheduled my tour time in advance for 4 PM. We arrived a few minutes early and waited for a bit in a holding area by the bathrooms while the previous tour finished. The first part of the “tour” was basically them asking if you want to buy drinks from an abbreviated menu. I was fine with that, but if I wasn’t in the mood for a full drink yet, I could see how this could seem like a waste of 20-30 minutes (there was nothing “toury” about it – just waiting around and people going to the window side of the bar). I ended up getting an old fashioned and it was strong and good. Not too sweet. My boyfriend got the Hub Punch which was also good. When it was finally time for the tour, Jesse started talking about the owners, how the bully boy name came from their family horse, etc. He also talked about how they got started in booze, their trials and tests, etc before we started moving further into the distillery. We got to try a few different boozes (with big pours – geez!) and stick our head into one of the stills, which was nice. I should have seen if there was an echo-cho-o. After the tour, we dumped out into a room where you could buy bottles or merch. We tasted their bottled old fashioned and hub punch and I ended up buying a bottle of the latter (more on that later…). We went the the bar for a last round before heading out. After a few minutes, we were lucky to snag a table and the connect four game. We played (and I lost miserably) until we were done with our beverages. For this round, we got the Old Fashioned flight which had old fashioneds with whiskey, gin and rum (so good and inventive!) and the Persian Flip (gin, Persian lime, saffron, cardamom, rose water & egg white) – smooooth. I’m not going to lie – I was wasted. I only had 2 cocktails – which is nothing for me, but I think that all the tasting pours did me in! I was so out of it that I forgot my bottle of hub punch at the bar! Cut to Sunday, I called them and they said they would “make it right”. So I drove back over there and they gave me another bottle – just like that! I can’t tell you how grateful I was for this type of customer service. I would have been super bummed if I was out $27 (obviously, my own fault). I mean, I was able to show them the charge on my credit card app that showed that I had made a bottle purchase the previous night, but they could have easily been like “oh well”. Instead, they were super nice and I’m able to have my hub punch when I go away next weekend. All in all – the drinks and spirits were really good. The vibe/ambiance was great and the customer service was stellar. I’ll be bahhk.

• All Points West Distillery – Menu with Prices – 73 Tichenor St, Newark
• Old Forester Distilling Co. – Menu with Prices – 119 W Main St, Louisville
• Trove Coffee Menu with Prices 228 N Samish Way, Bellingham
• BHA! BHA! Persian Bistro – Menu with Prices – 865 5th Ave S, Naples
• Deschutes Brewery Bend Tasting Room Menu with Prices 901 SW Simpson Ave, Bend
• Bittercube Bar & Bazaar – Menu with Prices – 4828 W Lisbon Ave, Milwaukee
• Restaurant Shahzad – Menu with Prices – 1420 S Mason Rd, Katy
• The Crescent Olive – Menu with Prices – 2901-C, Devine St, Columbia
• Trinity River Distillery – Menu with Prices – 1734 E El Paso St, Fort Worth
• Tom’s Town Distilling Co. – Menu with Prices – 1701 Main St, Kansas City
• Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery – Menu with Prices – 801 W Main St, Louisville
• The Library @ La Rioja – Menu with Prices – 1135 E Washington St, Brownsville

All Points West Distillery – Menu with Prices – 73 Tichenor St, Newark

Amazing experience at this distillery located in the cut in Newark NJ! This distillery was a little strange to find but the cool thing is the area has good street parking and it’s nice and quiet so the distillery is super low-key and let’s be honest, who doesn’t like that when hanging out on a Saturday? My girlfriend purchased a groupon for us to try and I must say I couldn’t have been happier with the experience! Although there isn’t much space to tour, the owner was incredibly informative! He broke down historical techniques and explained how they are relevant in the distillery practices at All Points West! He even gave some history on the amount distilleries available now in newark as opposed to years ago! In addition to actual learning happening, which I truly appreciated, there was sipping and smelling happening all throughout the tour! My girlfriend and I ended up getting 3 drinks each and a bottle of gin to go! We would have stayed longer but had reservations for dinner. All of the liquor was smooth and tasty but if you’re into gin, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE GIN AND THE LARGEST BOTTLE AT THAT! It was our favorite! It is so flavorful and has a hint of something special. I’ll leave the flavor profile out so you may experience it on your own! This place is not to be missed! We will be back!

Old Forester Distilling Co. – Menu with Prices – 119 W Main St, Louisville

I very much enjoyed my time at the Old Forester Distillery. You walk into tall glass doors and welcomed by their VERY friendly staff at the front desk. I was a bit early, but they made me aware of who my guide was going to be and that the bar was available if I wanted to have a drink or two before the tour. I chose to explore the gift shop which I will discuss in a bit. My tour time arrived and there was about 18 of us that were taken downstairs and introduced to our tour guide who was previously a bourbon distiller who after 8 years needed a break and started working for Old Forester. Who better to get a tour from than a person who used to make it, right? The tour started off with a quick introduction and then a video talking about the history of Old Forester and its roots all the way back to before the Prohibition era. I won’t go too much into the history, because I feel you need to hear it and see it yourself to get the full experience. We continued on into the fermentation room, to the barrel making room, where they char it, pressure test it right to the room where the stills are and the bottling line. We ended the tour in a nice room where we go to sample 3 of the bourbons. Each with its own unique flavor and you have to test it the correct way which they will explain to you how that works. Overall, I found this to be a great start to my vacation and a great tour that you must see when in Louisville. I didn’t go into great detail on purpose, as I want you experience the tour first-hand and not through my eyes since we all see things differently. That staff is SUPER friendly and all walk around with a smile which is always nice to see. No, they have not been drinking all day, but some would question it. They just love what they do and it shows how well they are treated by their employer. So get off your couch, come to Louisville and take this Elite’s word that Old Forester Distillery is a place you need to stop by and check out.

Trove Coffee Menu with Prices 228 N Samish Way, Bellingham

I was really enthusiastic about this place until yesterday. Until yesterday, every person who took my order was really top-notch in customer service–it was always a pleasure to go there, because it’s a really pretty shop, the coffee is good and the waitstaff was really warm and kind. The woman who took my order yesterday was nice enough, but she refused to punch my Trove card–you know, after you’ve bought 10 coffees or whatever, you get a free coffee. So, I spent $10.95 on a slice of quiche and a coconut water. I can’t order coffee late in the day or the caffeine keeps me up at night. So I hand her the punch-card and she says she can’t punch it because I didn’t order coffee or tea. I spend $10.95, but that’s not worth a punch. That’s a stupid policy. I can understand if I’d bought something for 99 cents, then a rule like that would make sense. But having a blanket rule that no matter how much the patron spends, if they haven’t bought coffee or tea they can’t get a punch toward a free coffee? That’s just idiotic, and bad customer service.

BHA! BHA! Persian Bistro – Menu with Prices – 865 5th Ave S, Naples

I have to say, it’s been years since I’ve visited Bha! Bha! (Since their old location) and can I say…it’s STILL fabulous and dare I say, even more scrumptious! We were here celebrating 2 birthdays and even though it was a Wednesday night, reservations were a must! The super chic and hip decor made this by far the best restaurant on 5th. With that, we started off with a couple of ginger martinis and a lemongrass martini in our small group; perfect pours and great combinations. Our appetizer selection was the Lamb Eggplant Neapolitan and the Stuffed Eggplant w/ Lamb on Persian Lavash. Both of these dishes were not only plated beautifully but the tastes were amazing. With sparkling water poured for the table, we were served our second course: Spinach Pistachio Salad w/ dried fig apricot dressing AND Hearts of Palm Salad w/ pomegranate vinaigrette. Since three of us were sharing, we could not decide which salad was the better of the two…they BOTH win! Now, as the main course was being served, we decided on another round of martinis instead of wine. But if you are a vino lover, they have a very nice selection either by the glass or per bottle. Main courses shared: Spicy Kermani Beef, Plum Lamb and Sheeshleek! The spicy beef is served with a super spicy ghost pepper sauce (on side if you ask) and I recommend you do, it’s amazing! The Plumb Lamb is not too overpowering and the lamp is super tender. Now the Sheeshleek…best lamb chops around! And the lentil apricot rice it’s served with is a great accompaniment. So glad we shared as everyone got a taste AND a bit to take home! As I said, we had 2 birthdays so an order of baklava and the second was like a pistachio bread pudding with ice cream and apricot sauce! Amazing and enough said! We won’t be waiting so long to visit Bha Bha again!

Deschutes Brewery Bend Tasting Room Menu with Prices 901 SW Simpson Ave, Bend

The tours and beer here are fantastic. They have a bunch of beer that you can only get here, kind of “exclusive” beer. Tour includes 1 free beer and lasts around 45 minutes. Our guide was awesome. Definitely knew his stuff, mixed in a few jokes, and overall was just really nice. You get to see quite a bit of the facility, and learn how the brewing, packaging, etc. take place. History lesson also included. Oh yeah, and the tour is $5. What? Honestly who authorized that. Probably a great idea as people come for the tour and buy beer and gifts to take back as the tour itself was so affordable. It worked for me. I bought a glass and almost bought some other stuff. They tell you to be there 15 minutes before the tour starts, but your fine showing up at start time. I would recommend getting there early as they give you some free taste beers, but don’t sweat it if you show up 2 minutes before your tour. Overall, awesome experience. A must for anyone visiting. Only thing I regret is not getting a taste of the Black Mirror. It’s one of the beers they only serve at the brewery. Grrr.

Bittercube Bar & Bazaar – Menu with Prices – 4828 W Lisbon Ave, Milwaukee

I orchestrated a special, early Father’s Day of fun for my husband and two other couples a couple weeks ago. Logically, we started at Bitter Cube, an establishment for all things bitters. Bitter Cube is, for those not familiar with it, is a local store, bar, and production plant for bitters. They offer tours, tastings, and a very interesting menu featuring their amazing products. They don’t use the run of the mill Angostura, which every place in Wisconsin keeps rotting behind the bar for the occasional Old Fashioned request. They have a flavor to enhance every drink, sauce, or baked good under the sun, including everything from root beer to grapefruit. The tour is about $15/person, a real bargain considering they throw in 2 drinks! The tour takes about a half hour. It is a really casual affair, but packed with awesome information. We got to see the bar area, party room, and the whole production plant. The workers were even packaging up a giant order while we waltzed through. Our tour guide was hilarious, very knowledgeable, and managed not to roll his eyes when one of our tour mates asked if they considered ever taking the company organic. Ugh. Following the tour, everyone was given the opportunity to taste and smell about 10 different products. It was the best aromatherapy experience I’ve had in years! The really interesting part was that we didn’t really need to cleanse our pallets between products because everything was so distinctly different. We also got some fun little stories about the origins of a few of the flavors. We ended up purchasing a sampler after our tour and cannot wait to experiment with it. I’m not much of a drinker, so I’m dying to try the cherry vanilla flavor in a batch of chocolate chip cookies. I’m certain my husband has more exciting plans for it. I highly recommend people swing by and take the tour when they have them available. They have a great website that is easy to navigate and can be used purchase tickets online. They also have some excellent weekly specials and other events. The vibe, the products, the staff, the menu, and pretty much everything about this place is amazing. We are lucky to have this place call Milwaukee home. Check it out!!

Restaurant Shahzad – Menu with Prices – 1420 S Mason Rd, Katy

We are big fans of Persian food so I was excited to try this new restaurant. It’s cute, decorated nicely, and the family truly, deeply cares that you have a good experience. If you are new to Persian food, they are happy to assist and educate (which is a nice touch). We’ll be back just for ^^these factors. The bread, herbs and cheese were fantastic. That is one of our favorite starts to a good meal and this was nicely done. Overall, the quality was nice for each dish, but the seasoning could be a little heavier on some of the skewers. I’m hopeful that this place will ‘make it’ in Katy. It’s a good ‘introductory’ sort of spot for Persian food and as they build confidence I’m sure the few minor issues will be resolved.

The Crescent Olive – Menu with Prices – 2901-C, Devine St, Columbia

I stopped by thinking I could just run in to grab a hostess gift but was not prepared for all the awesomeness inside! Boyfriend couldn’t find parking so I told him to drop me off so I could just grab something. “I’ll be right back!” Hahahahaha. No. I walked in to at least 40 different olive oils and vinegars and had to pause near the door since I couldn’t decide where to go first. I was greeted as I entered and told that they would be with me in a minute. This gave me some time to wander around. I started checking out the different infused olive oils and someone helped me. She was super nice and explained the tasting process. She sliced some fresh bread for me to use to taste the different olive oils and white vinegars. She also offered me a sample of a brownie that was made with their blood orange infused olive oil. YUMS! I tasted some of the olive oils and decided to get the Persian Lime infused one for me. Wait… didn’t I come in here for something else? Oh right! A hostess gift. I mention this and was told you can actually buy an empty bottle and the person can bring it back in and partake of the tasting experience themselves and then select their favorite to fill up their bottle. Sold! Is this not ridiculously awesome? If I got this for a hostess gift I’d be ecstatic! (Hint Hint party goer friends!) It was also at this point that I was told that I could receive a scoop of vanilla ice cream to try the dark vinegars. Say what? I don’t know about that. Bread and olive oil? Sure. But ice cream and vinegar? Ew. I’m all about trying something new though. I’m in the process of choosing my first ice cream and vinegar pairing when boyfriend walks in giving some major one eyebrow raised action and I can hear his thoughts… “Just going to run in and out huh? ‘I’ll be right back’ my….” You get the point. I tried to ease his pain by telling him about the ice cream. He also made a face when I suggested the ice cream and vinegar combo but agreed to take the plunge with me. I’ve apparently been eating ice cream wrong all my life. This was delicious. Obviously you can put the vinegar on other items (the store actually has suggested pairings on their website) but the ice cream is a great way to taste the different flavors. My favorite was the pomegranate and boyfriend and I both liked the blackberry ginger. After this little ice cream tasting, my delay in returning to the car was forgiven and he tried the tasting with the olive oils. We were finally ready to make our purchases. They wrapped my hostess gift up for me and filled our bottle and sealed it for us to take home. Small bottles are $11 or $12. Mediums were about $16 and the large bottles were around $20 I think. They also have some special gift bags and other accessories in the store. Also, if you run your empty bottle through the dishwasher and bring it back they will knock a buck off the cost to refill it. Recycling pays in many ways! We have used our Persian Lime infused olive oil on some shrimp so far and it was absolutely delicious. We only used a tiny bit and not only did it provide a flavor punch but the house smelled wonderful. So while it might be a bit pricey for olive oils it will certainly last a long time. And can you really put a price on quality? No. The Crescent Olive if priceless!

Trinity River Distillery – Menu with Prices – 1734 E El Paso St, Fort Worth

A friend and I went for the tour we got from Groupon. The tour was nice and very entertaining. It provided a good overview of the whiskey and vodka making process. The tour guide, sorry do not remember his name, was very knowledgable, and answered all questions. The bar area and patio are awesome, that part could have been a 5 +. Comfy couches, pool table, great outdoor seating. The staff was allgreat, very friendly and fun. The bar was the reason for the 4 not 5 stars. It is a little limited in options, but my biggest issue was: If you are going to be a “whiskey” themed bar, you better be able to make a knock out old fashioned, they didn’t. The mix of bitters/whiskey/simple syrup was okay but it was mixed in the glass it was served in and garnished with an orange slice on the rim not a peel in the drink. Sorry to be a bit of drink snob, and PLEASE do not let this keep you from visiting, it is an awesome place.

Tom’s Town Distilling Co. – Menu with Prices – 1701 Main St, Kansas City

Found this place through a google search, didnâ??t know it existed before that. Took the tour with a friend for their birthday. This was great. We went on a Friday evening and were the only people on the tour which I thought was going to be awkward, but our tour guide was great! He was so knowledgeable, answered all the questions we didnâ??t have know we had, and showed us the whole operation. It felt very special which was perfect for my friendâ??s birthday. When we got to the tasting we walked through the different flavors and styles he explained all the different things we should notice. ***y’all have got to try their gin*** after the tour we went upstairs and had a drink in their lounge, the drinks were Fantastic! They knew how to perfectly highlight the flavors in the alcohol. Over all I would totally recommend this place for a tour or just an evening it for drinks. Definitely a hidden gem and a must try in KC.

Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery – Menu with Prices – 801 W Main St, Louisville

While visiting Louisville we did the legacy tour which is held once a month at Fort Nielsen Michter’s distillery, it was $100 and you taste everything from their regular rye, 10yr also, small batch bourbon, 10 and 20yr bourbons, and Bombergers whiskey. During the tour they Explain the distilling process along with the water quality of Louisville and the toasting of their barrels it is more information then I was able to retain. Highlights of the tour was of course the tasting and I really liked the smelling process, let me explain. They had a chart with flavor notes and in little glass jars had cotton balls to smell, like toasted almonds, vanilla, ect. and the jelly bean trick was awesome. So you plug your nose and pop a vanilla jelly bean in your mouth and chew, but you don’t taste anything until you unplug your nose. Party trick.. Afterward we went upstairs to the bar and had a craft cocktail, which was nice and swanky. On the way out I bought some Fort Nelson bourbon which they personalize the bottle, a bottle of Shenks bourbon which they recieve a case a day they said, tshirt and I got a swag bag for attendanting the tour which had a nice etched michter whiskey glass. I know 100 sounds like a lot, but if you consider you’re trying aged bourbon and getting a quality whiskey glass, I think it is well worth the price.

The Library @ La Rioja – Menu with Prices – 1135 E Washington St, Brownsville

Upon walking in I was very pleased by the decor here. It had a very cozy, relaxing vibe. The place was not busy at all; there was only one person at the bar, with no other people besides my wife and me. The bartender said we could sit anywhere we’d like, we chose to sit at the couch. She gave us menus almost immediately. We were not hungry so all we wanted was something to drink. After setting our menus down we sat and waited about 10 minutes or so for the waitress. I got tired of waiting for someone to take my order so I got up and ordered at the bar. I ordered a Red Top Old Fashioned and she had a water. We waited nearly 20 minutes. By this time we were still the only ones there, besides the guy sitting at the bar. I’m glad we didn’t order food…no telling how long that would of taken. So we had our drinks and during that time no one came to check up on us or anything…until we were done. My Old Fashioned was decent for the price. We were ready to go, the service was slow and we felt unwelcome. I go to the bar to pay and no one is acknowledging me, so I had to beckon the bartender over. There was no interaction at all. She didn’t tell me the total, ask how our drinks were, how our visit was, or anything. I had to tell her what we ordered as we didn’t receive a tab or anything. She never told me my total. She punched in some things then stared at me. I handed her my card, took my receipt and said have a nice day. She halfheartedly said likewise.