House-made ales, spirits and wines, hotels that raise the bar on happy-hour creativity.
Blackberry Farm, Tennessee
The staff at Tennessee’s 68 – room Blackberry Farm already grow produce, raise livestock, and make cheese, so brewing beer was an easy next step. The classic Saison, a Belgian farmhouse ale with citrus and spice notes, pairs well with everything from shell-fish to sheep’s –milk cheese, and is the reigning saison gold medalist at the World Beer Cup.
Cap Maison Resort & Spa, St Lucia
Cap Maison Resort & Spa’s spirited passion project, Solera cask-aged rum, is made in partnership with St. Lucia Distillers and aged at the hotel for ten years. The result is a golden, Spice-accented liquor used in the resort’s signature Cap Maison Elixir, made with orange juice, coconut cream, and mint. The 49-room resort’s resident “rummier,” Robinson George, guides tasting and dispenses sealed bottles for guests to take home.
Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo
To celebrate its tenth anniversary the 245-room Ritz- Carlton, Tokyo teamed up with Japan’s other Ritz-Carlton properties (including those in Kyoto and Osaka) and the Shichiken sake brewery to develop the hotel’s first signature sake label. The floral Junmai ginjo sake, served chilled by the carafe, is also available to take away from the café.
Marques Riscal, Elciego, Spain
Frank Gehry’s second architectural masterpiece in Spain (after the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao) is the 43-room Hotel Marques Riscal, a Luxury Collection Hotel, which shares its address with the Marques de Riscal vineyards. From 40-year-old vines, workers handpick the tempranillo and graciano grapes that go into the hotel’s house red, Finca Torrea. Redolent of dark fruit and toasty spices, the wine finishes fruity and evokes the Rioja region.