Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2022 i American Whiskey Magazine

To many, the story of the Brough Brothers could look like an overnight fairytale success, where the trio arrived on the Kentucky whiskey scene with their Bourbon and took it by storm. However, that is far from the case; this is a story of drive, determination, and passion. The brothers behind the brand are CEO Victor Yarborough, COO Bryson Yarborough, and CMO Chris Yarborough. As with all siblings, the trio each bring their own individual strengths to the operation, but with a uniting vision: integrity and legacy. Although the distillery officially opened in December 2020, its beginnings went back a long way and, perhaps rather unexpectedly for those that do not know the brothers’ story, to London. “I lived in the UK for 10 years, I’m a UK citizen,” Victor…

RTDs, or ready-to-drink cocktails, are taking the market by storm. Gone are the days of dressed-up malt liquor. Quality cocktails in a convenient form have gone from the novel 2015 release of the Jefferson’s Bourbon Barrel Aged Manhattan to a product so ubiquitous that stores are having to designate new aisles for them. “The availability of good-quality spirits at an affordable price has increased significantly,” says Neal Cohen, co-founder and chief marketing officer at Tip Top Proper Cocktails. “With the whiskey boom 10 to 15 years ago, and the surge in spirits overall, there’s a surplus of great ingredients out there that allow for better canned cocktail options.” But it’s not just the availability of cocktail ingredients in the market, otherwise this could have become a trend in the 1970s…

As you walk down the aisle of your local liquor store and see bottles on the shelves that proudly display their various awards, do you ever wonder who it is that awards them? On a recent trip to my local liquor store, as I walked along looking at the hang tags on bottles, and shelf talkers, my mind began to wander. After discussions with other whiskey enthusiasts and friends, it dawned on me that the process of ‘spirit judging’ can seem shrouded in mystery. It was surprising that I had not really put much focus on who these judges were, their backgrounds, and their thoughts on how spirit judges represent consumers. With that in mind, it was time to reach out to Carolyn Sellar, whiskey judge and sommelier, to help…

The Mississippi River begins at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, 1,475 feet above sea level, and flows 2,552 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. On the way, it runs through or along 10 states, receiving water from 32 US states as well as two Canadian provinces. The ‘Mighty Mississippi’, or ‘Muddy Mississippi’, holds a special place in the American psyche. It was the western border in the USA’s formative years, and remains the major dividing line, with areas commonly referred to as East of the Mississippi, or West of the Mississippi. Before the transcontinental railroad, the Mississippi was the main artery by which Bourbon made its way from the Ohio River Valley to markets on the Eastern Seaboard and abroad. Depending on how you define a distillery and how far from the…

As 2022 has well and truly kicked into gear, it’s time to take a look at some of the events you can expect to see, both in person and at home, from the Whisky Live team. Whisky Live at Home is in full swing, and if you’re looking for something to get through the cold winter months, it could be the perfect companion. You can find out more on the Whisky Live website. With thanks to the ever-changing global landscape, some of the year’s event dates will be a little different to those that long-time Whisky Live attendees have seen before. Whisky Live Dublin, which is usually held in November, will be an in-person event on 11-12 March, 2022. Have no fear, you will still be able to enjoy all…

As lovers of the whiskey industry, change and adaptation is something that we all come to expect and encourage. However, if the world of spirits has taught us anything, sometimes it can be the smallest alterations that make the biggest difference in the long run, creating building blocks over time that bring us to moments that are noticeable. During the past two years in particular the industry, and the world, has been journeying on a pretty wild ride and it has inspired us here at American Whiskey Magazine to create ‘The Watch List’. In each issue we will unveil a round-up of the people, places, products, and topics that have captured our hearts, minds and, of course, palates. From travelling across the country to experience new visitor centers, to enjoying…

It was a cold and rainy night in December. Taxis were speeding along the busy streets, people were huddling under dripping umbrellas; there was an air of anticipation of what was to come floating around us. Okay, I’ll stop with the Agatha Christie novel intro now, but very soon you’ll understand why I couldn’t resist a little foray into the style while pondering the way to begin the review of an evening to remember. The evening certainly was rainy and cold, but as I walked through the revolving door and into the ground floor of Great Jones Distilling, all the woes of the outside world were forgotten. I was immediately transported back in time – which, judging by the décor, was the point – to a moment of glitz and…

Back in 2014, Chai Dobbins, now known as The Cigar Dutchess, was looking for a job and a friend knew of a cigar lounge that was hiring. She took the job not knowing anything about cigars or what her preference for them might be, but she was open to the experience. Now, seven years later, she is charged with running the cigar program at a chain of upscale speakeasy-style cigar lounges, called Red Phone Booth, as well as developing training programs and special events around her passion for cigars. After working her way through a starter pack that was given to her, she recalls, “I had the Oliva Melanio, which went on to get cigar of the year… and it changed everything for me… And then you add in the…

As women are working hard for equity in the whiskey business and the women who are making the whiskey, behind the brands and on distillery floors, are gaining more recognition than ever before for their work and achievements, the same is being done in the cigar industry and community. I had to the opportunity to light up a good stick, a Drunk Chicken Living The Dream, pour a glass of Widow Jane American Oak Aged Rye Whiskey, and sit down with Erica Arroyo and Amy Tejada from The Lounge Experience (TLE) podcast to gain some insight into their ground-breaking work in the cigar community. Market research conducted in the late 1980s determined that women comprised onetenth of one per cent of the total cigar market in the United States. Today,…

The (not so) great debate about whether (or not) whiskey can have ‘terroir’ – a sense of place – can be replaced with the simple question: what degree of terroir does your whiskey have? Whiskey can have terroir, but not all whiskeys do. Commoditization of food in the last half of the 20th century brought consistency. In making food products that could last on a shelf for months (or years), or having hamburgers that taste the same in Budapest as in Singapore, character took a back seat to yield and disease resistance. Terroir can be engineered away by demands of scale and consistency, but it can also be found. The strong and long-lasting appeal of single malt Scotch testifies to the public’s want for spirits possessing provenance. Sense of place…

Comic books, like whiskey, are a true way of uniting people from different walks of life, but have you ever wondered which whiskeys your favorite character would drink? Well, here’s a little insight from four of the artists behind some of the greatest comic book creations of our time. Between them they have worked for the biggest names in the business, with two of them also creating The Drink and Draw Social Club to share their love of whiskey. Lincoln Chinnery (LC): Do you have a favorite whiskey? Dan Panosian (DP): My favorite is Kentucky Owl, but I also like Warbringer Mesquite Smoked Bourbon. Good stuff Jeff Johnson (JJ): I am a big fan of High West and Bulleit. Mark Reznicek (MR): I don’t really drink any of those anymore.…

For more than a decade, the owner and operator of The Flatiron Room and Fine & Rare, Tommy Tardie, has provided a spirits-focused approach to his New York City restaurants with some of the country’s largest selections of whiskey and spirits. largest selections of whiskey and spirits. After he was inspired by the commonality between fine spirits and quality coffee, noticing the way in which fans enjoy savoring the experience of each note and layer of their drink, Tardie decided to create a coffee with a whiskey drinker in mind. The resulting product is The Morning Dram, a new line of barrel-aged coffee that launched in time for the 2021 holiday season and ensured that January’s cold mornings got off to a much brighter start. The launch products include Bourbon…