Friday, January 30, 2015

Why barrels are the secret behind great spirits


Why barrels are the secret behind great spirits
To make the best whisky in the world, you needed to make the best barrels. ... More from the blogging barman, Luke McCarthy · Australian whiskies ...

Hillsboro's Big Bottom Whiskey renamed Big Bottom Distilling, debuts first in-house spirit


Hillsboro's Big Bottom Whiskey renamed Big Bottom Distilling, debuts first in-house spirit
The gin's release comes just months after the debut of what owner Ted Pappas called the company's "flagship product," an American blended whiskey ...

Whisky Quarterly magazine launches at Church House Conference Centre

Whisky Quarterly magazine launches at Church House Conference Centre
Church House Conference Centre was chosen as the venue for a lavish event for the launch of a new luxury whisky publication Whisky Quarterly.

Profits and sales down at Scots spirits firm Diageo

Profits and sales down at Scots spirits firm Diageo
The world's biggest distiller of Scotch whisky has reported a sharp fall in sales in some of its key markets. Diageo said profits in the second half of last ...

Sir Sean crowned toast of Scotland in whisky poll



Sir Sean crowned toast of Scotland in whisky poll
The survey, conducted to mark the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, crowned Sir Sean as the Scot the British public would most like to toast in person ...

Rare bottle of Pappy Van Winkle's bourbon seized in Pittsburgh


Rare bottle of Pappy Van Winkle's bourbon seized in Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH —State police said charges are pending after a rare, high-end bottle of bourbon was seized Thursday with the help of Duquesne ...

Bulleit bourbon sales a bright spot for Diageo earnings


Bulleit bourbon sales a bright spot for Diageo earnings
Bulleit Bourbon and Bulleit Rye on display during the Taste of the New South Tasting Room, hosted by Tom and Hollis Bulleit, at the 11th annual Tales ...

Tourism Booming at Kentucky Bourbon Distilleries


Tourism Booming at Kentucky Bourbon Distilleries
Tourism is booming along with production at Kentucky's bourbon distilleries. Along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail — featuring such venerable brands as ...

7 Amazing Cocktails for Chilly Winter Nights



7 Amazing Cocktails for Chilly Winter Nights
This drink with a little whiskey can alone make winter endurable. Irish coffee is a blend of hot coffee, some Irish whiskey, and sugar, stirred together ...

Glenfiddich extends hand to Australian whisky producers


Glenfiddich extends hand to Australian whisky producers
Kinsman's point about Australians not making Scotch is an important one. "We stand on the shoulders of 600 years of whisky-making," says ...

Scotch whisky industry in 'prolonged slowdown'


Scotch whisky industry in 'prolonged slowdown'
It comes at a difficult time for Scotch with Chinese imports down 35% in value in the first half of this year according to the Scotch Whisky Association ...

Thursday, January 29, 2015

The Rise of the (Whiskey) Tasting Lounges: Peering Into Los Angeles' Bar Jackalope


The Rise of the (Whiskey) Tasting Lounges: Peering Into Los Angeles' Bar Jackalope
Contrary to popular belief, Bar Jackalope isn't a speakeasy – it is a whiskey tasting lounge according to manager Andrew Abrahamson and his partner ...

Journeyman Distillery sets release date for Federalist 12 Whiskey

Journeyman Distillery sets release date for Federalist 12 Whiskey
This special release rye whiskey closely resembles the original recipe George Washington sipped himself, according to a news release.

Whiskey Porn: Copper Still Constructed in 2 Minutes


Whiskey Porn: Copper Still Constructed in 2 Minutes
Bowman is responsible for the popular Bowman Brothers bourbon and more limited Abraham Bowman whiskey series. Master distiller Brian Prewitt ...

Whiskey goes where vodka has given up treading

Whiskey goes where vodka has given up treading
That hasn't stopped whiskey producers from trying the same trick. After the success of Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey, the creation of ever-more ...

The Proof: Islay Scotch can leave you tongue-tied


The Proof: Islay Scotch can leave you tongue-tied
The island of Islay rests off the west coast of Scotland, and it's there that some of the boldest Scotch whiskies are made. Islay whiskies are known for ...

Scotch is great, says Scotch Whisky Association

Scotch is great, says Scotch Whisky Association
To support the release of its latest report, entitled 'The Economic Impact of Scotch Whisky Production in the UK', trade body The Scotch Whisky ...

Taste-testing Haig Club single grain Scotch whiskey with David Beckham


Taste-testing Haig Club single grain Scotch whiskey with David Beckham
After 22 years as a professional athlete, David Beckham is now a whiskey man. The former Galaxy star and Simon Fuller, who created "American Idol," ...

Jim Murray's Whisky Bible names Australian whiskies 'liquid gold'


Jim Murray's Whisky Bible names Australian whiskies 'liquid gold'
Australia's booming whisky industry continues to go from strength to strength with the naming of three local drops as "liquid gold" by the world's ...

Demand for rare Japanese whisky rises in Asia


Demand for rare Japanese whisky rises in Asia
Auction house Zachys has hailed the growth of “enormous interest” in Japanese whisky as a number of rare bottlings smash their presale estimates in ...

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Collingwood rye whisky named best in Canada

Collingwood rye whisky named best in Canada
Collingwood 21-year-old Rye Whisky, which is produced at the Canadian Mist distillery, was named Canadian Whisky of the Year at the Canadian ...

Cigar Spirits: Hudson Maple Cask Rye Whiskey

Cigar Spirits: Hudson Maple Cask Rye Whiskey
I've written before about aging whiskey in small barrels and the theories behind it: some say it's a shortcut to make a young whiskey taste like fine ...

Getting that whiskey in the jar


Getting that whiskey in the jar
Arlington resident Alex Store takes his place in the assembly line production, filling new bottles with organic Roundstone Rye. Lisa Bolton/The ...

Warm your cockles with a whiskey tasting masterclass


Warm your cockles with a whiskey tasting masterclass
Whiskey, like wine, caters to a range of tastes but perhaps more than any other drink, dramatically polarises opinions. A couple of hours with an expert ...

Will bourbon boom follow craft beer craze in the Triad?


Will bourbon boom follow craft beer craze in the Triad?
And at the same time, craft distilling is gaining steam nationally, with bourbon in particular occupying more space behind the bar and on the menu.

Spirits sales in US control states on the rise


Spirits sales in US control states on the rise
Overall, Irish whiskey performed strongest out of all spirits categories, showing an annual growth rate of 11.6%, marginally less than 2013's 12%.

Ireland primed for first Irish whiskey festival



Ireland primed for first Irish whiskey festival
According to the festival's organisers, Irish whiskey is making a major comeback locally due to the reopening and expanding of distilleries across the ...

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Beards, boots and whiskey: New shops aim for the 'modern gentleman'

Beards, boots and whiskey: New shops aim for the 'modern gentleman'
That is, if you're a guy in the market for ceramic flasks and whiskey-scented soaps. Retro men's styles are hip once again at retailers and other ...

Wee Willie Whiskey? Mommy needs a cocktail, and pun-filled new book has the recipe


Wee Willie Whiskey? Mommy needs a cocktail, and pun-filled new book has the recipe
Entries include “John Junior Jagermeister Schmidt,” “Wee Willie Whiskey,” “Mary Had a Little Dram” and “Humpty Drunky,” each followed by a no-fuss ...

Moonshine, whiskey joints announced

Moonshine, whiskey joints announced
Whiskey Rhythm Saloon is set to open in a building located at 1811 Division Street in Midtown, Nashville Business Journal reports. The structure was ...

REDLANDS: JR Riley's aims to distill the essence of good whiskey

REDLANDS: JR Riley's aims to distill the essence of good whiskey
Before she died several weeks ago, Jason Riley's grandma whispered some parting words to him: “You just keep turning water into whiskey.”.

Why You Should Order More Craft Whiskey on the Internet With Caskers

Why You Should Order More Craft Whiskey on the Internet With Caskers
The past decade has been marked by an explosion in the craft spirits industry. Small producers from every corner of the country now offer bold ...

David Beckham's whisky ad cleared by watchdogs despite complaints it would appeal to children


David Beckham's whisky ad cleared by watchdogs despite complaints it would appeal to children
A WHISKY advert starring retired footballer David Beckham has been cleared by advertising watchdogs despite complaints it could encourage ...

Wild Turkey's Eddie Russell earns official master distiller title


Wild Turkey's Eddie Russell earns official master distiller title
"Eddie will also be out on the road a lot more, sharing travel duties with me to act as an ambassador for bourbon around the world," Jimmy Russell ...

Crowdfundin' Monday [Eat Like Kings Bakery, Straight Up: Kentucky Bourbon, Linear Downfall

Crowdfundin' Monday [Eat Like Kings Bakery, Straight Up: Kentucky Bourbon, Linear Downfall 
With a plan hatched to turn Straight Up into a series, they're setting up for the next round: a film all about Kentucky Bourbon, covering the beverage's ...

New Lexington distillery plans to make absinthe, vodka, bourbons


New Lexington distillery plans to make absinthe, vodka, bourbons
An extra-smooth bourbon without back burn, he said, and one with a burn, because some people like it that way. And two double-wooded bourbons ...

Fred Noe to guest bar tend at Bourbons Bistro


Fred Noe to guest bar tend at Bourbons Bistro
At a launch party for the new Jim Beam Bonded bourbon, master distiller Fred Noe will serve as guest bartender at Bourbons Bistro, 2255 Frankfort ...

Pernod Ricard UK Business Development Executives

Pernod Ricard UK Business Development Executives
Our key brands include ABSOLUT vodka, Beefeater gin, Chivas Regal Scotch whisky, Havana Club rum, Jameson Irish whiskey, Malibu rum, Martell ...

Scotch whisky more important to UK economy than steel and computing


Scotch whisky more important to UK economy than steel and computing
Each year, Scotch whisky producers spend £1.8 billion on cereals, bottles, packaging, energy, transport and distribution, 90% of which is spent in the ...

Scotch whisky losing ground to other spirits, says Rabobank

Scotch whisky losing ground to other spirits, says Rabobank
In the latest Rabobank Spirits Quarterly Report for Q1 2015, Scotch whisky is said to be “battling structural changes” which have caused export sales ...

Monday, January 26, 2015

Whiskey, bourbon bringing cheer to the spirits market


Whiskey, bourbon bringing cheer to the spirits market
PARIS (Reuters) – The growing popularity of cocktails will drive consumption of brown spirits such as whiskey and bourbon to rise more than other ...

High spirits for Tucson distillery businesses

High spirits for Tucson distillery businesses
In August, Hamilton Distillers, Tucson's first craft distillery and purveyor of its own brand of mesquite-smoked whiskey, moved its operations from a ...

Illegal Egyptian Moonshine Is Best Consumed Around a Fire


Illegal Egyptian Moonshine Is Best Consumed Around a Fire
Siwa, a small Egyptian town just 60 kilometers from the Libyan border, is renowned for its hot springs and mud-brick fortress—and, following the ...

West Overton announces plans for whiskey production and festival

West Overton announces plans for whiskey production and festival
West Overton Village and Museums in Scottdale is bringing history alive with plans to open a distillery and offer a tasting experience for Old Farm ...

Harris Distillery set to welcome summer tourists


Harris Distillery set to welcome summer tourists
“In Tarbert there will be a warehouse for whisky casks and a bottling hall, so everything can be done on site, and we'll be able to make spirits, gin and ...

John Wayne's Heirs Are Suing Duke University for the Correct to Make 'Duke' Bourbon


John Wayne's Heirs Are Suing Duke University for the Correct to Make 'Duke' Bourbon
OK, here's a mental experiment: Assume of the word “Duke.” What do you conjure? The Southern school with a quite great basketball group?

What is Burns Night? A guide to the Scottish tradition


What is Burns Night? A guide to the Scottish tradition
A wee whisky toast is made to the haggis and the feast can begin. ... that followed are washed down with 'water of life' (uisge beatha) – Scotch whisky.

Whisky crisis means drinkers may soon struggle to find a decent Scotch


Whisky crisis means drinkers may soon struggle to find a decent Scotch
Scotch whisky makers have waged a long and bitter war against the taxman for centuries. As the poet Robert Burns wrote in 1785, “Thae curst ...

Whiskey To Get Frisky In The Coming Years

Whiskey To Get Frisky In The Coming Years
While whiskey and bourbon are both relatively small markets, the study saw consumption of the dark spirits increasing by 12.22 percent by the end of ...

Whiskey and Girl Scout Cookies: Oh Yes


Whiskey and Girl Scout Cookies: Oh Yes
It's in this spirit (pun intended) that I present to you this bit of important information...how to properly pair Girl Scout cookies and whiskey. Here's a ...

East London distillery reveals plans for rye whisky


Bar Magazine
East London distillery reveals plans for rye whisky
A distillery in east London has begun work on producing its first whisky, planning to release London Rye in 2018. East London Liquor Company, ...

Artists go with the grain in whisky-funded competition


Artists go with the grain in whisky-funded competition
A Speyside whisky distillery is offering aspiring artists the chance to grab a prize worth £10,000. William Grant & Sons of Glenfiddich Distillery is ...

Have bourbon, will travel: Distillers sending barrel to D.C. in spirit of Henry Clay

Have bourbon, will travel: Distillers sending barrel to D.C. in spirit of Henry Clay
Taking Obama up on his offer of a "bourbon summit," the Henry Clay Center for Statesmanship and the Kentucky Distillers' Association are sending a ...

Penderyn Distillery joins Drop the Duty campaign calling for 2% cut in alcohol duty ahead of The ...

Penderyn Distillery joins Drop the Duty campaign calling for 2% cut in alcohol duty ahead of The ...
campaign which is being run by the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), ... equates to consumers paying £10.06 in tax on an average bottle of whisky.

Hogmanay revellers join worldwide Burns singalong


Hogmanay revellers join worldwide Burns singalong
However, the Scotch Whisky Association has chosen some other compositions - Burns' attacks on the “excisemen” who tax the “Scotch drink” - to point ...

Burns night boost for haggis and whisky worth billions to UK


Burns night boost for haggis and whisky worth billions to UK
Exports of Scotch whisky are worth £135 a second to the British economy, with exports of Scottish products helping the UK foodchain generate £103bn ...

Friday, January 23, 2015

Review: Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

 Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
80 Proof | 750 mL
In Scotland, the term “Monkey Shoulder” was once used to describe the hard working maltmen who labored long hours turning barley during the malting process. At the end of the day, the shoveling would cause one arm to hang lower than the other, lending to the nickname. Times have since changed, but this Scotch whisky was created to pay tribute to these men. Monkey Shoulder is distilled from only malted barley from three of Speysides finest distilleries. True to the namesake these distilleries still turn their malt by hand. Malt Master Brian Kinsman hand selects each cask from Kininvie, Glenfiddich and Balvenie using only ex-bourbon barrels to add mellow vanilla notes. Finally, the casks are then combined in small marrying tuns for six months to ensure the three single malt flavors have combined. If you are fan of Speysides this is great example of three legendary distilleries coming together to create a great blended malt where zesty orange meets honey and spiced oak. - Casey Teague, Whisk(e)y Specialist, H&F Bottle Shop

Jim Murray lauds Sullivans Cove

Jim Murray lauds Sullivans Cove
Acclaimed Tasmanian single malt whisky Sullivans Cove has been ... in this year's bible, the highest score ever achieved by an Australian whisky.