Innholdsfortegnelse for June 2019 i American Whiskey Magazine

What a time it is for American whiskey at the moment. Boom times are certainly upon us, but that does leave some big, elephant-like questions lurking about: where is this all going, is it sustainable and when might it end? The first part of those conundrums is possibly the easiest to tackle. I mean to be honest, they are all pretty heavy dinner table topics, but if you are going to start it’s as good a place as any. So, if you look at how the craft beer market developed, this could give us a good lead. Beer was at one point where whiskey is now, mushrooming numbers of small and microbreweries, ever increasing choice for consumers, the push to drink local and more and more people pushing the innovation…

Whiskey is a passion for many people these days, as evidenced by the growing popularity and number of whiskey clubs and societies. Once limited to drinks professionals, there are now enough categories of whiskey clubs and societies to satisfy any vantage point for your love of whiskey. When you find your whiskey friends you’ll find a commonality rooted in a shared passion for aged, distilled spirits. But what is the root of this commonality? I often find myself talking about wine in relation to Bourbon. The people who are passionate about wine and the people who are passionate about Bourbon share a love of their preferred beverage. Both groups collect. Both groups tour the places where their favorite vintages are made. Both groups get together with people who share their…

Choosing the perfect cigar isn’t always an easy task. Maybe you are new to cigars, or maybe you are looking for a particular cigar flavor profile. No matter the occasion, your local tobacconist can help. “A tobacconist is always going to guide you in a way that is going to open you up to new experiences,” says Liquor Barn tobacco merchant, Jason Lois. “If you are new to cigars it’s important to allow the tobacconist to help guide you.” Newer cigar smokers can be put off by strong flavor profiles found in medium to full bodied cigars, and it’s important to note that you can’t always tell what you are getting by the color of the wrapper. Some blends can be deceiving, and it’s the job of the tobacconist to…

Last summer we were invited by our New York publisher Workman to do a promotional tour for A Field Guide to Whisky. The route was planned beforehand and took us through a whopping 14 states in the following sequence - Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and last but not least South Carolina, where we live part of the year in the beautiful city of Charleston. In a mere four weeks we would digest more than 3,400 miles [5,500 km] of asphalt by car. Life on the road as we know it… Heading south when still in Maryland, we decided to make a detour and visit George Washington’s restored distillery in Mount Vernon. Becky had an ulterior motive. She wanted…

Welcome to the American Whiskey Magazine tasting pages. We guide you through the 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 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 Author of several Bourbon books including Kentucky Bourbon Country: The Essential Travel Guide and former restaurant critic and beverage columnist for the Louisville Courier-Journal. She is the immediate past president of…

Let’s start this one by talking about beer, specifically beer regulations. Don’t worry, it does come back to whiskey, and it’s important. Because someone’s trying to stop whiskey progress, and as Mister Pink (Steve Buscemi) said in Reservoir Dogs, I want to know whose name is on the handle! Last September, the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) issued a sudden regulatory change to taproom rules that the state’s breweries had been operating under since 2012. ‘Events’ were limited to 25 per year. No food was to be sold, no food trucks allowed in the parking lot and breweries weren’t even allowed to keep menus handy for local delivery options. The response from breweries and consumers was shock and anger. Politicians quickly forced the ABC to roll back…

SMOKY’S CIGAR LOUNGE 31560 RANCH RD. 12, STE. 207 DRIPPING SPRINGS, TX 78620 (512) 829-5560 SMOKEYSLOUNGE.COM What started out as a vintage Airstream trailer, converted to a mobile cigar lounge for weddings and events, has grown to include a full-service cigar lounge right across the street from Treaty Oak Distillery in Dripping Springs, Texas, known to locals as “drinking springs” for the heavy concentration of distilleries, breweries, and wineries. This rural area is growing and now the area will be served by this great new cigar lounge, just opened in February 2019. The Airstream will still make appearances at events around town, but if you can’t catch up with it now, there’s a great place with televisions and comfy leather couches to escape the Texas heat. There’s a walk-in humidor…

Whisky Live New York May 22, 2019 The first Whisky Live ever held in the US, Whisky Live New York, moves to the Altman Building on 18th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. Established in 1896 as the carriage house for the B. Altman department store, The Altman Building is a stunning space with 13,500 square feet over two floors. Original mahogany bay doors connect directly to the street to welcome visitors into an expansive piece of New York history, with custom hardwood floors, exposed vaulted brick ceilings, and an expanse of windows that lend an endless cascade of natural light. Standard ticket prices are $159, with VIP tickets at $199, which include unique masterclasses hosted by Whisky Magazine and American Whiskey Magazine’s editorial team and distillers. VIP access is…

A well-made whiskey sour is a thing of beauty. Too often associated with neon-green, shelf-stable sour mix, the humble whiskey sour had once fallen out of favor with whiskey lovers. It’s often pushed aside for the Manhattan or the Old Fashioned, but a well-made whiskey sour can be delicious and refreshing, without any of the sticky chemical flavors it has come to be associated with. A whiskey sour is the perfect refreshing way to drink your whiskey in the summertime - think of it as a more sophisticated version of a whiskey margarita. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WHISKEY SOUR? The age of convenience is at least partly to blame for the downfall of the whiskey sour. It’s not a terribly complicated cocktail to make, but it does take a little…

After eight years and countless setbacks, Michter’s Fort Nelson Distillery is open to the public for tours. Included in the space are the original stills and mash tubs from the Michter’s Distillery in Pennsylvania, which closed in 1989. Visitors have the opportunity to see a working distillery and get a cocktail at the bar at this newest addition to Whiskey Row in Louisville. First to announce, last to open In July 2011, Michter’s announced plans to turn the historic Fort Nelson building on Main Street in Louisville, Kentucky into a small distillery and visitor experience. At the time no one else had plans for such a thing – visitor centers for Kentucky distilleries were generally at the site of distillation and were little more than factory tours, with the exception…

Michael Myers, the founder of Distillery 291 is a fashion photographer turned whiskey maker, aiming to replicate the taste, smell and folklore of the Wild West from his distillery in Colorado Springs, Colorado. His whiskeys are known for their unique character and flavor of a bygone era… rugged, refined and rebellious. Myers moved his family west in the wake of the September 11th terror attacks, which he witnessed from just blocks away. Exactly 10 years after that fateful day, Myers fired up his first run on the still. Today, Distillery 291 is distilling, from grain to bottle, with 10 distinctive whiskeys. The young distillery has earned bushels of national and international awards, including the title of World’s Best Rye at the 2018 World Whiskies Awards. WHISKEY #1 291 Barrel Proof…