satanswhiskers

I'm not typically one for thread necromancy, but this one is right up my alley. Since I live in an ABC store state, my wife and I always stop at little hole-in-the-wall liquor stores to scrounge around whenever we leave the state. I've found some of the usual oddities like old bottles of Cherry Marnier, but my all time favorite has been this: Warm, spicy, it tastes like liquid apple-y sunshine. The full text of the label is "CALVADOS BIZOUARD Hors d'Age Apple Brandy". I can't for the life of me remember which little joint in South Carolina it came from, and I would just LOOOVE to get some more of it. I've found a few places online that have something that sounds similar, but no label photos and no indications of it being the "hors d'age" bottle. On my latest trip I came up with this: Of course when I tore the foil and grabbed the plastic cork-topper the cork sheared right in half and the lower part fell into the cognac. After pouring the liquid into a clean bottle so that I could get the cork out I was able to see that the back of the bottle label indicated that it was bottled in June of 1973. Haven't really been able to come up with much of anything about this online, but it is quite tasty.

I picked up a bottle of Regan's Orange Bitters for my favorite local bartender while I was passing through Kentucky, and I want some recipes that I can suggest that will really show off the awesomeness of the bitters. Most of the drinks that I'm used to making with orange bitters (like the Pegu) use them in a more subtle sense, but I'd like to have something I can knock his socks off with. Any suggestions?

So after much tracking down and being told by various local wine retailers that they have either never heard of Vya or absolutely can't get it, I have discovered through the NC distributor posted on the Quady Winery (they make Vya) website that the shop right down the street can order it, they just didn't know it. It seems that even though liquor may not be ordered in NC, wines (and by extension vermouths) can be. So my next question is trying to get some Carpano Punt e Mes. I have heard lots of interesting things, and being the same %ABV (16) as Vya Vermouths I wonder if perhaps this can be acquired as well. Anyone know the official US distributor for them? Anyone know any other interesting products that can be had in the desolate wastes (liquor selection-wise at least) of North Carolina?

Every time I go anywhere out of state I always check the liquor stores for good/interesting things and bring back a box or two full.

What I would really like would be a state-by-state breakdown of laws and such... Is there any state out there that is not bound by regulations and can get whatever you want? New York or California perhaps? Here in North Carolina you can only get liquor at the state-run ABC stores and only what is on their fairly meager state list.