My Tiny Bottles with Tammy Coxen
Tammy Coxen explores the history of hundreds of tiny vintage liquor bottles that she inherited from her grandmother.
Reveal #25
Time for another reveal episode! This one features some new versions of familiar bottles as well as some surprises. And a bottle of gin that continues a mysterious trend...
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ to see the bottles or read the transcript.
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And you can find my cocktail classes at https://www.tammystastings.com/
#128 Bermúdez Anejo Especial
Bottle #128 is Bermúdez Anejo Especial. Bermúdez was founded in 1852 and is the oldest rum distiller in the Dominican Republic. This was one of my trickier bottles to research, but was very rewarding in the end as found some really great 1970s advertising.
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ if you want to see those ads!
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Tasting Ouzo with Apostolos
I went all the way to Greece to taste Grandma’s two tiny bottles of ouzo with a local. Apostolos was the perfect guest, sharing his family stories of ouzo, talking about its production, and offering up an experienced palate for exploring Bottle #20: Boutari and Bottle #49: Ouzo by Metaxa with me. (Note: Apostolos talks fast - if you're having a hard time following, there's a transcript on the website!)
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ for a transcript and more.
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#127 Havana Club
In this episode I tell the history of how the Havana Club brand, how it became the name that Cuban rum is marketed by all over the world today, and how my Grandma in Canada might have ended up with a bottle.
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ for pictures and more.
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And you can find my cocktail classes at https://www.tammystastings.com/
Tasting Babycham with Farah
I knew that I’d need a British woman of a certain age to taste Bottle #14: Babycham with me, and my friend (and 1980s barmaid) Farah Mendlesohn turned out to be the perfect guest. At only 4.2% ABV I didn’t have a lot of hope that this one would taste anything like it did when it was bottled in the late 1970s, but I won’t spoil you here – check out the video or the transcript to find out all about that. I hope you’ll also enjoy our fun and fascinating conversation about gendered drinking in the 80s and the role...
#126 Dark Eyes Vodka
It’s January of 1942. The US has recently entered World War II. And Clear Spring Distilling Company, a Jim Beam subsidiary, has just released a brand-new product. It’s called Dark Eyes Vodka, and Bottle #126 is Grandma’s tiny bottle of it. Hers is from the 1980s. But World War II was really influential on vodka’s ascendancy in the United States, and echoes of that kept coming up as I researched this tiny bottle, and I dive into that fascinating history in this episode.
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ for pictures and more.
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Tasting 70s Smirnoff & 80s Courvoisier with Keith Waldbauer
In this episode I'm joined by Keith Waldbauer from The Doctor's Office in Seattle. He explains why he's the best person to taste vodka with me, and then we sample a very interesting tiny bottle of 1970s Smirnoff. Then I make that experience up to him by opening up a Courvoisier VS from the 1980s.
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ for a transcript and more.
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#125 Cinzano Orancio
It's a little bottle of orange vermouth, Cinzano Orancio from the 1990s. So of course I had to talk about the thing everyone needs to know about vermouth, as well as talking about the history of the Cinzano brand.
I only touch the surface of the history of vermouth, here's an amazingly comprehensive article all about that.
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ for pictures and more.
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Tasting SnoShoe Grog with David M. Perry
My guest, David M. Perry, is a medieval historian and journalist who's published books and articles all over the internet. But I called upon him for his other expertise - Minnesotan outdoorsman - to taste this bottle of 1980s Phillips SnoShoe Grog. We talk about the joys of fishing, why ice fishing doesn't cut it for us, and then taste this bottle of peppermint schnapps mixed with brandy.
Find David on Bluesky or at his website.
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ for a transcript and more.
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#124 Dimple Scots
Known as "Pinch" in the US Dimple Scots has a lot of things going for it. Super cool looking bottle, awesome history from one of the oldest names in Scotch, and James Bond and Walter White. What's not to like? Find out all about it in this episode.
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ for pictures and more.
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Reveal #24
Another fun reveal video, with a bottle I've been waiting for (and that gamers will especially appreciate). Two of the bottles tried to fake me out as I thought they were one thing but turned out to be another. All-in-all an action packed set of picks and some fun research ahead!
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ to see the bottles or read the transcript.
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#123 Captain Morgan Black Label
This tiny bottle of Captain Morgan Black Label rum from the 1970s was really fun to research, because I ended up diving deep into the history of Canadian Navy rum - the British daily tot is a pretty well known thing, but I didn't know the Canadians had it too! Also, learning about this bottle helped me better understand an earlier bottle, and that what I'd called "Captain Morgan Light" really was "Captain Morgan Gold Label."
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ for pictures and more.
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Tasting Captain Morgan Light with Rum Wonk
Matt Pietrek, AKA Rum Wonk, is back to taste more rum with me! This time we dove into the history of the Captain Morgan brand as we try to determine where the liquid in Bottle #33: Captain Morgan Gold Label might have come from. We talk Jamaican rum history and compare Grandma's old sample to a modern Jamaican bottling.
Find Matt at these links, and as @rumwonk on all the socials:
https://www.rumwonk.com/
https://www.wonkpress.com/
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ for pictures and more.
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#122 The Singleton of Auchroisk 1975
This is rare vintage single malt Scotch with an interesting and little-known history! And a hard to pronounce name, which may have been its downfall, as The Singleton part still lives on today, but for a different whiskey altogether!
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ for pictures and more.
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And you can find my cocktail classes at https://www.tammystastings.com/
Tasting Inca Pisco with Alex Hildebrandt
Grandma's bottle of Inca Pisco is one of the coolest looking bottles in the collection. But what does that say about how it will taste? I find out in this episode when I'm joined by Alex Hildebrandt, co-founder of SUYO Pisco. Alex shared his deep knowledge of Pisco and offered up two of his company's bottles as comparisons to the grandma's tiny bottle.
Find out more about SUYO Pisco here: https://www.suyopisco.com/
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ for pictures and more.
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#121 McGuinness Creme de Menthe
This bottle of McGuinness Creme de Menthe from the 1970s took me on a fascinating journey through the history of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, or LCBO. From permit books and interdiction lists to self-serve stores and woman employees, it's seen a lot of changes through the years which I dive into in this episode.
Head here for even more on the history of the LCBO:
https://www.tvo.org/article/buzzkillers-a-brief-history-of-the-lcbo
https://www.tvo.org/article/we-are-hip-and-relevant-what-happened-when-ontario-introduced-the-first-self-serve-lcbo
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ for pictures and more.
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Tasting Irish Mist with Brian Nisbet
In my last episode I talked about the many fantastic stories behind a bottle of Irish Mist. Now I get to find out what’s inside it, as I taste Grandma’s late 1980s to 1990s bottle of Irish Mist with my good friend and Irishman, Brian Nisbet. Sláinte!
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ for a transcript and more.
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#120 Irish Mist
They say Ireland is a land of stories, and so too is Bottle #120: Irish Mist. I’ve talked about a lot of liqueurs with mythological origin stories on My Tiny Bottles, and this one has all the rest of them beat. Irish Mist has an ever-changing series of origin myths that manage to both build on and contradict each other! And its real story is a good one too. Check out this episode as I talk about how Irish Mist fits into the over all history of Irish Mist, as well as what Austrian soliders, wild geese, and the Cl...
#119 Marie Brizard Blackberry Liqueur
Since I've already told the origin story of the Marie Brizard brand in a previous episode, I took this one in a different direction! Blackberry Liqueur is also known as Creme de Mure, and that's a key ingredient in The Bramble. This cocktail is incredibly popular and well known in the UK, but largely unseen on cocktail menus in the US. So I dive into its story and talk about why it's had a hard time crossing the pond.
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ for pictures and more.
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Tasting Goldschlager with John Coxon
In a deep cultural exchange, my friend and late 90s college kid John Coxon shares with me his love of Goldschlager, as we compare grandma's mini to the modern stuff, complain about how much less gold there is now, and then get "bombed" at the end.
Find out more about John and the Octothorpe podcast here:@johncoxon.bsky.socialhttps://octothorpecast.uk/
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ for a transcript and more.
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Reveal #23
This was a fun little assortment, with one bottle with a very unusual shape and feel, a rum that got Tammy very excited (and another that didn’t), and more fascinating bottles from around the world.
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ to see the bottles or read the transcript.
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And you can find my cocktail classes at https://www.tammystastings.com/
#118 Silk Tassel
Grandma's collection had a lot of Canadian whisky and my explorations of the genre continue with Bottle #118: Silk Tassel from McGuinness Distilling. This turned out to be a really good bottle to talk a little bit about the trajectory of Canadian whisky from the 1950s to the modern day and what I've learned about that from the collection so far!
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ for pictures and more.
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Tasting Carleton Tower & Canadian Club Classic
My friend Jered brought me a fascinating bottle of Canadian Whisky from his parent’s cellar, so we had to taste it along with some of Grandma’s tiny bottles. Carleton Tower was a premium whiskey produced by Hiram Walker in the 1950s and 60s, and this particular bottle was most likely from 1956, containing whisky no younger than 1946, and some all the way back to the 1920s. We compared it to two bottles of Canadian Club (#82 and #96), since those are from the same maker – Hiram Walker – but from a later time period. Listen in to hear what we thought of all of...
Tasting Monnet Cognac with Christine Cooney
In this episode I taste both of Grandma's tiny bottles of Monnet Cognac with Christine Cooney, co-owner of Heavenly Spirits Imports (and a French knight! ). Heavenly Spirits is the US importer for Monnet Cognac today. We compare the two tiny bottles and look for bottle-to-bottle variation, then taste the modern "Sunshine" bottling that matches up best to Grandma's bottles. Christine was a delightful and knowledgeable guest (with a very charming French accent) and we had an awesome time comparing and contrasting, as well as talking about her personal history in the industry, and the tumultuous story of the Monnet...
#111-117: Catching Up!
This is a little bit of a different episode! As I've been working my way through Grandma's collection I've come across a few duplicate and near-duplicate bottles. I didn't know what to do with them, so I just put them aside. But now I'm catching up on all them and giving you a little peek into my research methods.
This video covers:
Bottle #111: Boggs Cranberry Liqueur (older & higherproof bottle than Bottle #26)
Bottle #112: Amaretto di Saronno (older bottle than Bottle #10: Disaronno Amaretto)
Bottle #113: Jack Daniels (bigger and similar age bottle to Bottle #6)
Bottle #114...
Tasting 1980s Glenlivet with Brett Adams
Brett Adams is the spirits curator for Multnomah Whiskey Library and I couldn’t have asked for a better guest to taste this bottle of 1980s Glenlivet. In our wide ranging conversation we talk about whiskey trends, what “smooth” means, and learn about Brett’s awesome book with Jacob Grier, Raising the Bar. And of course we taste my Grandma’s tiny bottle of 1980s Glenlivet 12 year old single malt Scotch and compare it to the modern bottling.
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ for a transcript and more.
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#110 Newman's Port
The second bottle of Port I've found in Grandma's collection is nearly as curious as the first. Newman's Celebrated Port was matured in Newfoundland, and for a time was considered one of the best Ports in the worldwide. In this episode I dive into how that strange state of affairs came to be!
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ for pictures and more.
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Tasting Cognac and Armagnac with Dave Wondrich
Dave Wondrich has been at the top of the list of people I wanted to taste tiny bottles with since I started the project, so I was thrilled to have him join me. We taste two bottle of 1980s French brandy – Bottle #70: Remy Martin Cognac and Bottle #109: Marquis de Caussade Armagnac. We talk about the differences between the two styles and what makes French brandy so special. Then Dave surprises me with a bottle of 1930s Hennessy which was the perfect topper to this day of brandy tasting!
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ for a transcript and more.
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#109 Caussade Armagnac
This tiny snifter of Armagnac is filled with good stories. There's the murder and betrayal of the Marquis de Caussade, Eliot Salter. The Marquis de Lafayette makes an appearance. And then there's the bit about Victor Hugo's love letter to Sarah Bernhardt...
Check out this bottle on https://mytinybottles.com/ for pictures and more.
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And you can find my cocktail classes at https://www.tammystastings.com/
Tasting Pousada Brandy with Chantal Tseng
For this episode I was joined for a second tasting with Chantal Tseng, a Washington DC based bartender-sommelier. Our first tasting had been of sherry – something Chantal is very familiar with. This time we explored a mysterious bottle of brandy from another part of the Iberian peninsula – Portugal.
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ for a transcript and more.
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And you can find my cocktail classes at
Tasting Vintage Drambuie with Garnish Girl
It's an amazing vintage Drambuie tasting! Tammy is joined by Katie Stryjewski, also known as Garnish Girl on Instagram. They taste four samples of vintage Drambuie, including one of my grandma's tiny bottles, and see what we can learn about how this iconic Scottish liqueur has changed through the decades from the 1970s to 2020s.
Find Katie online:
https://www.garnishblog.com/
https://www.instagram.com/garnish_girl/
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ for a transcript and more.
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#108 Frangelico
Frangelico, is not now, and never has been, made by monks. But it sure looks like it should be! I dive into the surprisingly recent history of Grandma's tiny bottle of Frangelico from the 1980s.
Check out this bottle on https://mytinybottles.com/ for pictures and more.
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And you can find my cocktail classes at https://www.tammystastings.com/
Reveal #22
Time to unbox some more bottles from the collection. This selection was very international with bottles from all over the world - France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Canada!
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ to see the bottles or read the transcript.
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And you can find my cocktail classes at https://www.tammystastings.com/
#106 & 107 Phillips Brandy & Sno Shoe Grog
There's more to say about the company behind this brand than the liquid in the bottles, so I'm covering both these Phillips bottles in a single episode. It's one of those old American liquor companies that you've probably never heard of by name, but you almost certainly interacted with the products and people. From peppermint schnapps to luxury vodka to politics, there's a LOT in this one!
Check out this bottle on https://mytinybottles.com/ for pictures and more.
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#105 Wild Spirit
This bottle of Wild Spirit has it all. It's a product of Jaquin's, a classic American company. It's got a totally fake origin story. Absolutely scathing reviews AND $150 vintage bottles. Not to mention SEC investigations and bribery at the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board!
Here's that fantastic negative review!
Check out this bottle on https://mytinybottles.com/ for pictures and more.
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And you can find
Tasting Wild Turkey Liqueur with Abigail Gullo
For this episode I was joined by Abigail Gullo, the Creative Director of Loa Bar & International House Hotel. We talk about all things New Orleans and our mutual love of rye whiskey, including some of Abigail's awesome family history. Then we dive into my Grandma's 1978 bottle of Wild Turkey Liqueur, which was one of the first American spirit products to be created and marketed with women in mind. We follow Abigail's inspiration and end up back at the bar, where she mixes up a vintage cocktail featuring two of my tiny bottles!
More about Abigail & Loa
<...#104 Rebel Yell Bourbon
I dive into the story of Grandma's bottle of early 1980s Rebel Yell bourbon, produced at the famed Stitzel-Weller Distillery. It comes from just before the brand that was produced "exclusively for the deep south" went national. In this episode I tell the brand's origin story, reflect on some of their advertising, and talk about its connection to today's top cult bourbon!
Check out this bottle on https://mytinybottles.com/ for pictures and more.
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Tasting Gilbey's Gin with Paul Clarke
In this episode I was joined by Paul Clarke, the editor-in-chief of Imbibe Magazine to taste Grandma's tiny bottle of pre-1975 Gilbey's Gin. Find out why Paul chose this bottle, what we expected to find, and what we actually found!
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ for a transcript and more.
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And you can find my cocktail classes at https://www.tammystastings.com/
Reveal #21
Time to unbox more dusty mini bottles from Grandma's collection! This set included some familiar and some not-so-familiar bottles, which should be fun to research for future episodes!
Check out this episode on https://mytinybottles.com/ to see these bigger bottles or read the transcript.
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And you can find my cocktail classes at https://www.tammystastings.com/
Tasting Canadian Whiskey with Jacob Grier
It was so much fun to get together with author and bartender Jacob Grier. He wanted to learn more about Canadian whisky and I have a lot of Canadian whisky, so it was a match made in heaven. We tasted two of Grandma's tiny bottles - the 10 year old Noblesse from 1975 and the 12 year old Gibson's Finest from the 1980s. We compared and contrasted and talked about what makes something a porch whisky. Plus Jacob talked about his visit to another maker of Canadian whisky, the Gimli, Alberta distillery that makes Crowne Royal, and why it was quite so...
