Port of Barcelona gin.

The founder of the Esmeralda Distillery, Bryan Davis, has already launched a highly acclaimed obsello absinthe and now he is looking towards further liquid horizons with gin.

Titled with the mystiqal name of Port of Barcelona, the spirit offers a spirited change from the traditional Beefeater or Bombay Sapphire brands found in every bar with a more complex blend of citrus, pepper, juniper, floral iris and vanilla hints, making Port of Barcelona Gin a tantalizing base for the classic martini or gin & tonic.

At an affordable $90 per bottle, it will impress your guests and not break your bank.

Five-times distilled Swedish import Svedka vodka has come out with a distinctive new look and some great new all natural flavors in time for warm weather cocktails – increasingly on our mind as the weather finally improves.

The clean, modern graphics are a breath of aesthetic fresh air as some storied brands try to appeal to a wider range of customers with over-designed bottles or supposedly upscale flourishes that actually erode their brand identity in our opinion.

The two new flavors we’re looking forward to quaffing are Svedka Citron, infused with the juices of fresh California lemons and Mexican limes; and Svedka Clementine, featuring the essence of Italian tangerines from Sicily and Calabria.

Svedka is created by combining a centuries-old Swedish vodka recipe with state-of-the-art distillation technology. Over three pounds of high-quality Swedish wheat is distilled for over 40 hours in an innovative five-column process and then blended with natural spring water for a smooth, clean taste.

Rum is one of those afterthought liquors that you picture mixed with fruit juices and a festive paper umbrella.  However, with summer quickly approaching, a new rum is rolling out that is sure to set the bar quite high:  Mount Gay 1703 Rum.

The 1703 Old Cask Selection arrives in an elegant oval bottle and is made of golden sugar cane and the clean water of Barbados, is aged in former bourbon casks.   Allen Smith, Master blender, has used rums aged for 10 to 30 years and his own experience of nearly 20 years to create a rum that has a cognac-like appeal.   The 1703 will be rolled out next month for around $100 in major markets so plug this into your PDA as a “must-buy” for the month of May.