Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2020 i American Whiskey Magazine

I can’t actually remember the last time I had a good night’s sleep. As I write this, we are about a week into a string of ‘tropical nights’ that are making a comfortable night of sleep a thing of the past and, let’s face it, in the UK we just aren’t used to or prepared for it. But hey, it’s not all bad as we can spend the entire day complaining about something! Add onto that a marathon evening of writing and you have yourself one slightly dishevelled and grumpy editor… a (not so) subtle hint to my colleagues who will read this after me that, yes, I would like a coffee. I’m getting off topic here because actually, this week aside, for the past month I’ve been in a…

There was never much time in my previous schedule (pre-Covid-19) to fully engage myself in listening to spirits podcasts. Let’s face it, I am in the industry and although savvy at keeping up with information of new brands and trends, it was my perception that podcasts were just more of the same. It didn’t even make the top 10 things to do on my priority list. I am now enlightened, as the need for human contact and the feel for keeping my finger on the pulse of the spirits industry became increasingly important to me during the lockdown. In fact, I participated in interviews for fundraising, discussed my new book and frankly, was given a platform to educate, all courtesy of the podcast hosts. It was truly a spirits community.…

What’s your favorite meal of the day? We all have one, but the very word “brunch”, allows you to cheat and love two at the same time. Offcially speaking, brunch is a meal usually taken late in the morning that combines a late breakfast and an early lunch. Yes, the offcial definition, but there is NO definition for a Bourbon brunch which means I can create a bonanza of flavors and dishes that any Bourbon lover will fawn over and call me the Bourbon Brunch Star. As I share a menu of favorites to enjoy, I pause to consider the most important element. Which cocktails do I serve? Champagne is a long-time tradition and the reason it is served is because it literally goes with any food. I am not…

$: Under $25 $$: $25-$49.99 $$$: $50-$99.99 $$$$: $100 and above Welcome to the AmericanWhiskey Magazine tasting pages. We guide you through a plethora of whiskeys so you are equipped to make your next purchase, whether something new or an old favorite. Whiskeys are tasted blind, with only proof and style information given to the experts. In this edition, Peggy Noe Stevens and Susan Reigler give their palates a workout. Peggy Noe Stevens Peggy Noe Stevens became the world's first female master Bourbon taster and can trace her lineage back to some of the great Bourbon making families in Kentucky. In 2011, she created the Bourbon Women Association. Susan Reigler Susan Reigler is the author of several Bourbon books, including Kentucky Bourbon Country: The Essential Travel Guide, and is a…

In a tiny cigar-producing town in Nicaragua called Esteli, Jessi Flores has made a name for himself as an artist. Flores started with graffiti and eventually tattooing in Miami, Florida, was later hired by Drew Estate for their artistic branding, and now is a freelance artist serving businesses and individuals across the world. “I started off as a graffiti artist,” recalls Flores. “The next thing you know I was doing tattoos… I didn’t know that I was going to get paid for a hobby.” At Drew Estate, Flores managed an entire studio of graffiti artists who decorated every surface of the factory with colorful graffiti murals. When cigar enthusiasts would visit on Cigar Safari, Flores and his team would customize art as a commemoration of their trips. Over time he…

Many Bourbons have been named after legendary pioneers of American distilling history. Sometimes both distillery and brand bear the same name, but usually that is not the case. Famous brands that were around before Prohibition ended up in the hands of businessmen who built new distilleries after Repeal. Here is a story about Elijah Craig, the 18th century reverend and Renaissance man who was eventually immortalized as a whiskey brand by Heaven Hill Distilleries. Elijah Craig was born in Orange County, Virginia, in 1743, and started his working life as a tobacco farmer. With two Baptist preachers he organized meetings in Craig’s tobacco barn and he was ordained a reverend in 1771. His interpretation was a bit too loose for Virginian members of the Church of England, so he moved…

As legends of their craft go, Michter’s Andrea Wilson is right up there with the best of them. Whiskey has always been in her blood, growing up listening to stories from her great uncle who worked for Seagram and a grandfather who was a moonshiner for many years. On the other side of her family was a grandpa who worked for many years as a police detective and, later, a sheriff, who hosted numerous parties at which a toast with Kentucky Bourbon would always be made. As the years went by, Andrea saw that she wanted to develop her career in the whiskey industry. However, with a distinct lack of schooling in the area at the time, she took time to learn the trade through family and mentors before discovering…

It’s still February, right? Social distancing is such a strange thing for so many people. We aren’t used to having our waking hours look mostly the same and few of us stay home for days on end. That was probably one of the biggest shocks adjusting to the new normal of the pandemic – for months I’ve really only been to the store for essentials, so it feels as though time has stood still. My hat is off to those on the front lines, from the medical professionals fighting the disease, to the store workers keeping the groceries flowing – all of you deserve a drink and a raise. For those of us working and existing at home, staying connected has been a true struggle. It has been great to…

As the months fly by this year, I have to admit that I’m getting increasingly numbed to, or perhaps by, the goings on in the world. And really, you can’t blame me, it’s a lot. To be pleasantly surprised by something I saw in the headlines was becoming a fond and fleeting memory, like hugs and spontaneity. Given their record of feats within the industry, it wasn’t a shock to me to see the news of Uncle Nearest and Jack Daniel’s working together to create opportunities for increased diversity within the whiskey industry we know and love. News of the Nearest & Jack Advancement Initiative was greeted by rapturous applause from the industry, especially during this time of change. As Uncle Nearest’s CEO, Fawn Weaver explains, “We began working on…