×
Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $38.26 $40.27
Golden amber color. Aromas and flavors of dark caramelized nuts, sassafras float, coffee ice cream, coconut custard,...
12 FREE
BTI
91
Sale
Spirits
375ml
Bottle: $33.62 $35.39
12 bottles: $24.39
Clear color. Aromas and flavors of celery, cider apples, pressed flowers, and sweet taro custard with a velvety,...
BTI
88
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $58.13 $61.19
6 bottles: $57.59
Clear color. Aromas and flavors of celery, cider apples, pressed flowers, and sweet taro custard with a velvety,...
12 FREE
BTI
88
Spirits
375ml
Bottle: $21.64
12 bottles: $15.93
Our signature double-distilled 1800® Silver Tequila infused with natural, ripe coconut flavor. With its...
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $39.43 $41.51
12 bottles: $32.59
Our signature double-distilled 1800® Silver Tequila infused with natural, ripe coconut flavor. With its...
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $208.62 $219.60
Amber color. Aromas of toffee coated popcorn, peanuts, warm Madeira cake, and prunes with a satiny, lively,...
12 FREE
BTI
96
UBC
94
Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
1.0Ltr
Bottle: $32.74 $34.46
Wonderfully savory on the nose, with hints of fire-roasted herbs and tomatoes, flint, and cedar before tropical...
UBC
90
Sale
Spirits
375ml
Bottle: $20.99 $22.09
12 bottles: $14.61
Wonderfully savory on the nose, with hints of fire-roasted herbs and tomatoes, flint, and cedar before tropical...
UBC
90
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $41.26 $43.43
12 bottles: $34.65
Wonderfully savory on the nose, with hints of fire-roasted herbs and tomatoes, flint, and cedar before tropical...
UBC
90
Sale
Rapid Ship
Spirits
1.0Ltr
Bottle: $32.82 $34.55
Surprisingly floral and delicate, this workhorse silver tequila has a pleasing agave aroma and a crisp, peppy flavor...
WE
91
UBC
90
Sale
Spirits
375ml
Bottle: $20.56 $21.64
12 bottles: $14.72
Surprisingly floral and delicate, this workhorse silver tequila has a pleasing agave aroma and a crisp, peppy flavor...
WE
91
UBC
90
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $39.43 $41.51
12 bottles: $32.82
Surprisingly floral and delicate, this workhorse silver tequila has a pleasing agave aroma and a crisp, peppy flavor...
WE
91
UBC
90
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $39.43 $41.51
12 bottles: $32.59
Crafted from 100% Weber blue agave harvested at its peak. 1800® Cucumber & Jalapeño is born from our signature...
Instore only
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $29.99
Freshly sliced jalapeno is front and center aromatically. There is a hint of sweetness from the cucumber on the...
UBC
91
Instore only
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $29.99
Here is a tequila that can be simply enjoyed with soda or used to kick up a Paloma. The grapefruit and hibiscus give...
UBC
93
Instore only
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $29.99
Like a bright summer morning; the sweet smoke of the agave is matched by fresh squeezed orange juice, blossom, and a...
UBC
94
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $47.88 $50.40
6 bottles: $46.20
Excellent, Highly Recommended - 2020 ULTIMATE SPIRITS CHALLENGE
12 FREE
WE
92
UBC
92
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $62.70 $66.00
6 bottles: $57.60
The mild aroma shows the faintest whiff of dried herbs. That herbaceous quality is more pronounced on palate, reading...
12 FREE
WE
90
Sale
Spirits
750ml
Bottle: $58.60 $61.68
6 bottles: $49.50
Earthy aromas of pine and yellow fruits mix with vanilla. Sweet on the palate with brown sugar, vanilla syrup, and...
12 FREE
UBC
96
Sale
Spirits
375ml
Bottle: $95.99 $101.04
6 bottles: $90.36
Truly excellent tequila is something worth searching for, savoring, and celebrating. At 818, we bring you tequila...
12 FREE

Mavrodaphne Tequila

In the Archaea region, high in the Northern Peloponnese mountains, the predominant grape varietal grown is the prized Mavrodaphne. Meaning 'Black Laurel', the Mavrodaphne grapes have extremely dark skins, and ripen slowly under the Greek sunshine, helped by the mineral rich soils the vines thrive in. This grape varietal is mostly used to produce the opaque, inky fortified wine of the same name, which is popular all over Greece and elsewhere in the world. This fortified wine allows the grapes to really show off their complex and fascinating flavors, which range from a rich marzipan to flavors of bitter chocolate, sweet coffee, dried figs and prunes, as well as plenty of jammy fruit notes.

Mavrodaphne is produced in a traditional method which involves leaving the grape juice exposed to the sun in large vats, before having its fermentation halted by the addition of various distillates taken from previous successful vintages. This mixture contains plenty of residual sugar, which gives the end result its characteristic sticky sweetness, and also helps with the next fermentation process, which typically takes place in large underground cellars. The final product is a heady drink, absolutely bursting with unusual, rich and sweet flavors and carried in a dark and slightly viscous Port-like liquid.

Mavrodaphne grapes are also used for the production of still red wines, but are generally blended with varietals such as Agiorgitiko or imported grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon. Mavrodaphne grapes are excellent for mellowing more acidic varieties, and producing deliciously rounded wines, which have taken the international market by storm in recent decades.

Additional Information on Greek Wines


Greek Wines
Ancient Greek Wines – A Brief History of Wine in Greece
The Myth of Dionysus, Greek God of Wine
What is Retsina?

Tequila is probably Mexico’s greatest gift to the world of fine spirits, and is also possibly one of the most underestimated and misunderstood drinks in the world. Widely used for shots and slammers, and more often than not associated with parties and hangovers, Tequila is in fact a wonderful drink full of subtleties and expression of terroir, that is highly rewarding for those who look into its finer points.

One of the special things about Tequila is the fact that it is capable of expressing the fine nuances and subtle notes of its raw material, far more so than other, similar spirits. That raw material is, of course, the Blue Agave - not a cactus, as is commonly believed, but rather a succulent quite like a lily, which grows in the deserts of Mexico mainly around the province of Jalisco. The Blue Agave takes a decade to mature, and during those ten years, it takes in many of the features of its surroundings, just like a grapevine would. This is why Tequila varies in flavor and aroma from region to region, from the earthier Tequilas of the lowlands, to the more delicate and floral examples from areas of a higher altitude.

The picking and peeling of the spiky Agave, and the distillation process of Tequila is a complicated one, and one which is carried out with enormous skill by the jimadors and master craftsmen who produce the spirit. Steam cooking of the body of the plant is followed by crushing, then fermentation and distillation completes the process. The end product is categorized according to whether or not it is made with pure (‘puro’) agave, or blended with other sugars, and according to how long the spirit is aged for.