Be There in Spirit

A sample of a region’s signature liquor may be all the souvenir you need

Many die-hard bourbon drinkers believe that if it’s not made in Kentucky, it’s not bourbon; while for Jack Daniel’s fans, Tennessee is the place to be. Unlike wine varietals, spirits don’t have to be made in a particular locale, but many connoisseurs prefer liquors that come from their signature region, and for good reason. When enjoyed on the road, certain regional spirits can be your ticket into local culture. A tipple can promote instant kinship with fellow travelers and locals alike, linking you together in the moment and place. And a souvenir sample purchased from a local shop can bring that feeling back even after you return home.

1

Lima: Peruvians often drink pisco, their country’s native brandy, straight up, but serve it to visitors diluted with lemon juice in the form of a pisco sour. Both Chile and Peru claim pisco as the national beverage, but in Peru, this potent and flavorful spirit undergoes a highly regulated distillation process. The puro grade is made almost entirely from the aromatic Quebranta grape. In Lima’s San Isidro neighborhood you’ll find a fine selection of pisco at Distribuidora Nuevo Mundo (Avenida Arenales 287-289), not far from the Huaca Huallamarca, a fourth-century pre-Incan worship site. Some of the best Peruvian brands to try are Italia Biondi, Tacama, Ocucaje, Tabernero, Santiago Queirolo, and Don Isidoro.

2

Belfast: This year marks the 400th anniversary of Ireland’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery, Bushmills. Located an hour and a half outside Belfast and two miles from the spectacular Giant’s Causeway, the distillery (2 Distillery Road, Bushmills, County Antrim) is a great place to learn about, sample, and purchase Bushmills blends and single-malts, including some not available for sale elsewhere. For an outstanding selection of Irish whiskeys in Belfast proper, visit Vineyard Belfast (375-377 Ormeau Road). Cross over the River Lagan via the Ormeau Bridge to find this emporium founded in 1957. Tony McGurran, son of the original owner, runs the shop with his son Jonny, who takes particular interest in the 500-odd Irish whiskeys and malt liquors available, many in special-edition gift boxes priced from about $20 to $2,750.

3

Stockholm: In Scandinavia, the native spirit is aquavit, a strong, vodka-like beverage flavored with spices and berries and traditionally quaffed with shellfish and smoked savories. At Christmas, birthdays, and August crayfish parties, Stockholmers break out the spice-scented spirit to wash down herring and potatoes au gratin. In Stockholm city center, make your way to Operakallaren in Karl XII’s Torg (Charles XII Square), on the water and adjacent to the opera house. The restaurant’s posh bar is a great place to sample aquavit. Swedes often sing while partaking. Raising the nubbe (glass) to chest level, drinkers look their companions in the eye, tilt their heads back, and down it. To purchase aquavit as a memento, stop at one of the many locations of Stockholm’s state-run liquor emporium, System Bolaget. There you’ll find an aquavit sampler called Svenska Nubbar — 10 classic aquavits from Reimersholme Distillery variously flavored with cumin, fennel, anise, and cinnamon.

4

London: At one time gin, a grain spirit flavored with juniper berries, was considered a poor man’s drink. But no more. Known alternatively as mother’s milk or mother’s ruin, gin first took up residence in London after the Thirty Years War, when troops serving in the Low Countries drank the Dutch libation to ward off the dampness. It eventually became so popular in England that London makers grew famous for their distillation process, and today, London dry gin (which in addition to juniper berries usually has citrus flavors like lemon and bitter orange peel) is the preferred style in most English-speaking countries as well as in Spain. In London, you’ll find 45 types of gin at Gerry’s Wine & Spirits (74 Old Compton St., Soho).

5

Mexico City: In 2006, a bottle of Tequila Ley .925 fetched $225,000 at auction in Mexico City. Most of us don’t lay down that kind of cash for our tipple, but in Mexico’s capital, tequila rules. A sumptuous setting for sipping it is El Estribo (The Stirrup). This legendary bar, located on the grounds of the 16th-century Hacienda de los Morales (Vazquez de Mella 525), offers more than 300 varieties of tequila, the largest selection anywhere. To purchase tequila by the bottle, try La Naval, a purveyor in the city center with an extensive selection (Av. Insurgentes Sur 373, at calle Michoacán).

6

San Juan: Across the bay from Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, sits the world’s largest premium rum distillery. From the heart of the city, it’s only a short drive to Bacardi’s “cathedral of rum” (Casa Bacardi Visitors Center, Cantaño, Route 165), where you can take a 90-minute tour, visit the Bacardi Family Museum, purchase bottles at the store, and sample the goods at the Lounge, an art deco re-creation of Cuba’s legendary Havana Bar, famed for quenching Americans’ thirst during the Prohibition era. Today, visitors celebrate the golden age of the cocktail by sampling Bacardi and cola and Bacardi mojitos and daiquiris.

7

Tokyo: Westerners typically think of sake when they think of Japanese spirits, but shochu is gaining popularity in many corners. There are two classifications: Honkaku shochu (also called authentic shochu) is made by the traditional small-batch, single-distillation process, and white liquor, sometimes known as “Japanese vodka” because of its neutral taste, is mass-produced using a continuous-distillation method. In Tokyo’s Shiodome (Higashi-Shimbashi 1-8-2, Caretta Shiodome), a former railway station near Tokyo Bay and an architectural hot spot, you can find the distilled spirit at Shochu Authority, where clerks ascend moveable ladders to access the more than 3,200 varieties on hand.

8

Lexington: Made from corn and originally produced in Bourbon County, bourbon whiskey has been making a big comeback lately — in some corners for its mixability, and in others for straight-up sipping. Whether you already know your preference or you’re still deciding between a mint julep and a bourbon manhattan, Kentucky serves up some thirst-quenching answers. At Heaven Hills Bourbon Heritage Center in Bardstown, less than an hour south of Lexington, you can purchase any of seven super-select premium bourbons including the elusive Evan Williams 23-year-old variety, most of which gets exported to Japan.

Getting There: All the destinations covered in “Go to Town” can be reached by flying Continental Airlines. To book your trip, visit Continental Airlines Vacations at covacations.com.