Elizabeth’s Pick: Revel Stoke Whisky

I just came off a 6-week detox in which sugar, refined carbohydrates, and alcohol were completely off-limits. While it truly was far less torturous than it sounds, that didn’t stop me from having a cocktail the first chance I got. My poison of choice: Revel Stoke whisky. Normally I’m a Bulleit bourbon or Maker’s Mark girl, but this rugged bottle and name (Revelstoke is a ski town in British Columbia) did me in. Apparently, the slightly spiced spirit has been around since 2000, but I didn’t notice it on shelves until a recent rebranding effort by Minneapolis-based Phillips Distilling. Now it definitely out-classes Captain Morgan, and outperforms both Jim and Jack at a whopping 90 proof. If whisky were a motorcycle, this would be a chopper. It’s only mildly sweet, and smoother than you’d expect from something so potent. I prefer it on the rocks, which feels cozy and backwoods, but plan on sipping it with ginger beer and a twist of lemon and lime come summer.