The Story of Black Distilling Is Being Written Now
When I took my first steps into the world of whiskey, let’s be honest: The whiskey was its own reward. But part of the lure for me was also the history. There were tales that I wanted to learn....
Whiskey, Taxes & Liberty Poles
For those who live in western Pennsylvania and love whiskey, it is impossible to escape the history of the rebellion against an excise tax that happened here. Pieces of the story are scattered in museums, cemeteries and reenactments. Anyone...
Interview with Bill Thomas of Jack Rose Dining Saloon
Ask any D.C. spirits aficionado the bar you should not miss in D.C. and most likely they will mention Jack Rose Dining Saloon. Talk to whisk(e)y fanatics across the country—especially those who travel—and they’ll bring it up, too. With...
Top 10 Vancouver Bars
Surrounded by water and mountains, Vancouver is the shining big city of western Canada. This picturesque city shares some of the rich produce and mild climate (for Canada) with the U.S. West Coast below it, with Seattle being a...
From Roadside Bombs to Colorado Moonshine
Mike Girard first became interested in distilling through a nontraditional route: explosives.
As a former US Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician (EOD) in Afghanistan in 2012, Girard found a way to re-forge swords of terrorism into ploughshares.
Girard took a pressure...
Copper & Kings Founder Discusses Transitioning Away From Sourcing
Many distilleries plan to source until their own spirits mature. But how do you make the transition when they actually are ready?
Louisville, Kentucky-based Copper & Kings Distillery has played a truly critical role in the emergence of American brandy...
The Story of the Scientific Distiller
Michael Griffo, a distiller with a doctorate in physics, likens alcohol to — of all things — pancakes. A self-characterized “experimenter,” he walks the line between the romance of making spirits and the science to master it. In other...
New Release Roundup for November 2020
My bottle review column (last month’s edition here) is less about tasting notes and more about what is unique, new or trending in spirits alongside my ratings (on a 1–5 rating scale). Now more than ever, small-batch distillers and...
Interview with Bar Owner, Chris McMillian
There are bartenders who love their craft but are in the industry merely for a season. There are bartenders who get into the business for moments of press or local fame, then move on to brand ambassador-type roles or...
Top 10 Bars in New Orleans
New Orleans’s celebratory spirit and joyous sensuality is unmatched. As one of the world’s truly great drinking cities, its crucial place in cocktail history includes being the city where many of history’s best cocktails were invented: Sazerac, Ramos Gin...
