Vitae Spirits, Charlottesville

Maybe the best person to create a new, modern spirit isn't a bartender or mixologist or even Don Draper; maybe the best distiller is a scientist. Vitae Spirits is led by founder Ian Glomski who's spent his whole professional life fascinated by fermentation. It makes sense, though, considering he's a former professor of microbiology and a former student of the Pasteur Institute of Paris. He takes all of that scientific knowhow and puts it to use creating exciting and delicious rums and gin. Even the labeling gives a nod to that scientific past as it uses artwork by a botanical artist. But it's not the science behind the liquors or the art on the labels that makes them truly special; it's the taste:

• Platinum Rum: Made from sugar-cane molasses, this clear run has a caramel taste with notes of candied vanilla, making it perfect for drinks like the mojito or daiquiri.
• Golden Rum: More robust in flavor than the Platinum, Golden Rum is infused with fresh sugar cane grilled on Hickory and Oak charcoal, toasted American Oak, and a touch of molasses to give it a smoky caramelized richness that is ideally suited to richer drinks, such as hot-buttered rum and dark & stormies.
• Modern Gin: Juniper pairs with 16 other botanicals in this contemporary gin that gets a unique flavor from the same sugar-cane molasses Vitae uses in its rums. The balanced flavor pairs well with any classic gin cocktail.