Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2020 i American Whiskey Magazine

In a world where you can be anything, be someone that thinks outside of the box; it seems to be the attitude that has built the foundations of a new rye empire. The story of Brooklyn-based New York Distilling Company began many years before it was even a passing thought for co-founders, Allen Katz and Tom Potter. The two experienced vastly different formative years in their careers, but both shared a deep-rooted desire for adventure. While sat in The Shanty, the distillery’s very own bar, and enjoying a dram of their Ragtime Rye, Allen brought to life their bricks and mortar with his stories of building their dream from the ground up. Allen’s industry experience began in the early-90s New York bar scene, specifically getting involved in cocktails before deciding…

We’ve all had a lightbulb moment in our time. You know the one, where you come up with a life-changing idea that will ultimately make you millions and ensure that you can retire at approximately 25 years old. Sadly, a fair few fall by the wayside, but in doing so they make room for new dreams, ideas and career paths. However, some ideas are made to make it out into the world and the story of Still Austin Whiskey Co. is most definitely one of them. The Austin, Texas-based distillery (how did you guess?) made its move into the spirits industry as the city’s first legal whiskey distillery; of course, with an accolade like this came a lot of red tape to work through. One of the distillery’s co-founders, Chris…

When you sit down and think about a dream job, what is it you’re picturing? I count myself as one immensely lucky lady when it comes to my 9-5 and contrary to Dolly’s opinion, it seems like a pretty good way to make a living if you ask me. Talking about whiskey, tasting a few of them along the way and meeting the incredible people that create it… I can definitely live with this. However, if there was something else I could choose to be, something that I didn’t really know existed until a few years ago, there is no doubt in my mind that it would be a master taster. Can you imagine getting to test out liquid gold and find the perfect place for it, for a living?…

During the past decade, Marianne Eaves has forged herself a career that has been both innovative and inspiring. After graduating from the University of Louisville with a degree in Chemical Engineering in 2012, Marianne continued her upward trajectory of success in the whiskey world. In 2009 she had started an internship with the world-renowned Brown-Forman, from which she rose up to the role of master taster in 2014. This move actually led her to secure a spot on the Forbes 30 under 30 list. After departing from the Brown-Forman team in 2015 Marianne went on to bring Castle & Key Distillery back to life, remaining there for four years in her role as master distiller. Marianne explains, “The project building Castle & Key was a tremendous opportunity to meet people…

Pairing cigars with your favorite beverage is about personal preference. Often you will hear someone say that you can’t pair cigars with red wine or beer or even Bourbon, but what they mean is that it is not their personal preference to do so. Pairing any type of flavors together is about achieving balance. First and foremost, it’s important to keep a notebook for your combinations. It doesn’t have to be a lot – just the key flavors and sensations. A flavor wheel can help you and they are easily found for all types of whiskey, as well as cigars. This can help you with pairings later. When approaching a whiskey and cigar pairing, it’s important to have a flight of at least three whiskeys available to pair with a…

Bourbon and blues, those famous American icons, have a distinctive duality in common: on the one hand the devil music and demon alcohol. On the other hand, the sad music that makes you feel better and the dram a day keeping the doctor away. The early songsters in the Delta not only sang secular numbers, but also religious ones. Among them were preachers, such as the Rev. Gary Davis, famous for his 12-string guitar playing. Some older blues-men turned to religion in the 1930s and 40s not wanting to play the blues anymore and then reappeared on the scene during the 1960s blues and folk revival. The same goes for distillers, of whom several were lay ministers. Elijah Craig preached the gospel in Kentucky, happily distilling whiskey throughout his life.…

Portland is known as the place where young people go to retire, but it’s worth noting that the relative ease of living there allows people to explore a lot of creative pursuits. This has long been a hotbed for craft breweries, and distilleries are a natural extension of that already strong sector of the economy. When people have the opportunity to be creative and make things with their hands, innovation follows. American Whiskey Magazine recently spent a few days in Portland getting to know the folks at Westward Whiskey, producers of fine American single malt whiskeys. “I’m from Seattle,” says Westward cofounder, Christian Krogstad. “Throughout my life my parents had always given me a little cup of beer or wine with meals. It’s no surprise that once craft beer came…

Portland has the kind of weather that makes drinking whiskey seem like a necessity. It’s never too hot and never too cold, but the rain falls in a steady drizzle. It’s the perfect weather for flannel shirts, fireplaces and gathering your friends in a warm place over whiskey cocktails. American Whiskey Magazine recently caught up with several bartenders local to the area to get their take on how Portland does whiskey cocktails. “Portland has a storied connection with whiskey,” says Jordan Felix, distillery ambassador at Westward Distillery. “Way back in the day we have a few records of whiskey being made down on the banks of the Willamette River, illegally on a small rudimentary still that they ran up and down the river. There are other elements of whiskey history…

A 2016 law passed by the Kentucky General Assembly (i.e. the state legislature) was a game changer for distilleries. For the first time it allowed the places where Bourbon was made to sell their products by the drink. Several of the large legacy distilleries were quick to create cocktail bars on-site, including Woodford Reserve, Jim Beam and Four Roses. A restaurant with a full bar was included in the design of Bardstown Bourbon Company, which opened to visitors in 2018 and immediately raised the level of dining in Bardstown, traditionally a very meat-and-potatoes area. The newest distillery-run restaurant is also in Bardstown. Last fall Willett Distillery, a small, family-owned craft operation, entered the cocktail and culinary scene when it opened The Bar at Willett. Located on the level above the…