Because of the singular nature of this spirit, I’m going to take a slightly different tack to this Swill Sampling than Jerry would. Stay with me, and you’ll soon see why …

I’m doing a tasting of Barrow’s Intense Ginger Liqueur, a lovely spirit I encountered when I met one of its company leaders, Josh Morton. Barrow’s is a Brooklyn-made liqueur that is hand-crafted with fresh ginger, neutral cane spirit and sugar. Its simplicity in ingredients is reflected in its taste. Read on to learn more …

[Disclosure: Barrow’s Intense provided us with a complimentary bottle of ginger liqueur. These opinions are our own.]

Olfactory Notes

Ginger. Just ginger – and I LOVE it! I’m a huge fan of ginger’s pleasantly spicy, vibrant flavor profile, and Barrow’s Intense gives me lots of it. As it should: It takes 200 lbs of fresh ginger root to create one batch of the stuff! And it totally comes through …

Tasting Notes

Ginger. And … sweet. (Can you tell now why I’m about to take a different approach to this Swill Sampling??) Sipped neat, this liqueur is all ginger all the time, with a potent kick on the palate from the fresh root. Because of it’s sweetness, I wouldn’t recommend drinking it straight-no-chaser, but I’ve got a couple of other ideas.

Cocktails

The generous folks at Barrow’s Intense offered plenty of great cocktail ideas, including a Mule that blends the liqueur with – believe it or not – ginger beer. Not plain bubbles, like a soda or tonic? Nope; ginger beer works, and it’s not overwhelmingly gingery! You might also try it as a base with champagne as a nice alternative to your weekend mimosa. Here’s another couple simple recipes from Barrow’s Intense.

Intensely Stormy
2 oz. Barrow’s Intense
1 oz. dark rum
splash of soda

Stir ingredients and serve on the rocks.

Intense Ginger Ale, pictured
3 oz. Barrow’s Intense
soda
1 mint sprig (optional)

Pour the Barrow’s Intense into a tall glass and fill it with ice. Fill the rest of the glass with soda and garnish with mint, if desired.

Also check out a wonderful recipe Jerry concocted in his Swill Sampling of Montelobos Mezcal, as well as more recipes from Barrow’s.

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