Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2023 i American Whiskey Magazine

WHISKY STUDIO Since this issue is focused on the intersection of whiskey and art, I couldn’t help but applaud Edinburgh, Scotland-based design agency Whisky Studio. The studio’s founder John Robertson creates a wide range of contemporary artwork inspired by all aspects of the whisky industry – products, people, and places – and contemporary artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. “I’m inspired to ‘positively provoke’ how we interpret and appreciate the world of whisky using our visual and mental senses,” Robertson says. Robertson works with ‘digital-oil’ paintings of whisky bottles to abstract portraits and AI-generated bottle label concepts. If you peek at his Instagram page, you’ll be as instantly hooked as I was. Guided by his fascination with how far the boundaries of design can be pushed across the whisky…

Music and whiskey seem to go hand-in-hand. Musicians can be stereotyped for their hard-drinking and partying, but some are instead fans of the craft of whiskey making and want to get in on the action. Regardless of a musician’s point of entry into the whiskey world, there are countless brand partnerships and collaborations throughout the industry. With so many talented musicians entering the whiskey world, it’s hard to say who the headliner would be in a music festival for musician-related whiskey brands. No one with a whiskey brand has been in the business longer than Bob Dylan. No one in the music business is more prolific than Bob Dylan, either – he’s written more than 600 songs in the 60-plus years he’s been in the music business, on top of…

Karla Green is the creative director of Louisville’s Watch Hill Proper, one of the largest whiskey bars in the United States. There are more than 1,700 American whiskeys on the menu, so I wouldn’t recommend trying to order a white wine spritzer or a gin and tonic. There’s a whiskey, or a whiskey cocktail, for everyone and food and cocktail menus there rotate seasonally. We recently caught up with Green to understand how she develops these continually rotating cocktail menus. Maggie Kimberl (MK): How does designing a cocktail menu for a whiskey bar differ from designing a cocktail menu for a general bar? Karla Green (KG): The difference with Watch Hill is just the magnitude of offerings that we have. Only being American whiskey, since that is our primary focus,…

As much as it is a science, whiskey must also be considered a work of art and in many cases a pursuit of a passion. For Caleb Kilburn, master distiller at Kentucky Peerless Distilling in Louisville, the opportunity to take on the role he currently occupies was a dream come true. The skill Caleb has demonstrated while executing this dream role was celebrated during the recent 2023 Whisky Magazine Awards America, where he was crowned the American Master Distiller of the Year in the Icons of Whisky Awards. Caleb said the moment the announcement was made left him completely blindsided and humbled by the honor. “The room was filled with so many amazing artisans that I look up to, so I had zero expectations of being recognized,” he explains. “I…

Woodford Reserve recently named Elizabeth McCall as master distiller, succeeding Chris Morris in the role. McCall will be the third master distiller to hold the title in the brand’s 26-year history. McCall, who has been training for the master distiller role for more than 10 years, will oversee quality and innovation efforts and bring new Woodford Reserve products to market. She will lead the brand’s special, rare bourbon releases, including the Master’s Collection and Distillery Series, bringing her unique touch and point of view to new whiskies. McCall said she is deeply honored to take the baton from her mentor and friend, whom she called a legend in the spirits industry. Morris will remain an essential part of the Woodford team in an emeritus role, the highest honor one can…

Woodford Reserve, the Presenting Sponsor of the Kentucky Derby, has honored “The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports” with the release of its 2023 commemorative Derby bottle. This year’s special release celebrates the 50th anniversary of one of the most iconic moments in sports history – Secretariat winning the 1973 Derby. The bottle features the artwork of Kentucky native Jaime Corum, known for her stunning horse portraits. Her painting captures Secretariat in the Winner’s Circle at Churchill Downs, with the famed Garland of Roses draped over the colt’s withers. The bottle retails for $55 and is available for purchase globally. Secretariat is considered one of the greatest thoroughbreds of all time. A Triple Crown winner, he still holds the record for the fastest race time at the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and…

Bryson Yarbrough is the COO of Brough Brothers Bourbon in Louisville, Kentucky, the first Black-owned bourbon distillery in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He founded this business with his brothers (Christian, CMO and Victor, CEO), and because of his background in biological and mechanical processes, he was a shoo-in for the distilling role in the company. We recently caught up with him to learn more. Maggie Kimberl (MK): When you started this business with your brothers, how did you all arrive at the decision that you would be the distiller? Bryson Yarbrough (BY): Based on everybody’s strengths, attributes, and skill sets. Throughout my career I have the most experience dealing with equipment, and also with the science and art of distilling, and plant-based applications. So, everything revolving around a science or…

THE ATLAS OF BOURBON & AMERICAN WHISKEY: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE SPIRIT OF AMERICA by Eric Zandona 2021, Mitchell Beazley, $19.99 The title of this book is somewhat misleading. I’ve certainly used and enjoyed wine atlases containing detailed maps of wine-producing regions with vineyards and geographic features identified. The maps here are small reproductions of historical maps – colorful, but not useful. What Zandona has written is a very good account of the important whiskey-making regions of the United States (both historic and current) which will be eye-opening to anyone who thought Kentucky was the be all, end all of American whiskey. For example, from 1837 until the advent of Prohibition in 1919, the largest amount of whiskey produced in the US came from one city – Peoria, Illinois. With…

Usually, whiskey pairs well with sumptuous dinners and desserts – but this time, we’re taking a delightful detour. Whether you’re watching a movie that briefly shows a bourbon-based cocktail, or singing along to a buzzy tune riddled with lyrics about whiskey (here’s looking at you, Chris Stapleton), it’s evident that the enjoyable brown spirit gets its share of the limelight. So, if you’re looking for a fun solo or group activity involving whiskey, vinyl, or film from the comfort of your own home, we’ve got you covered. We asked four whiskey industry gurus about their ideal whiskey and movie or music pairing. So, save these recommendations and enjoy your interactive drinking experience! MILES MUNROE MASTER BLENDER & PARTNER, WESTWARD AMERICAN SINGLE MALT WHISKEY The pairing: A Boulevardier with music by…

Independent bottler of American whiskey Lost Lantern has announced the release of its ninth single cask collection since launching in 2020. The Spring 2023 collection features four limited-edition single cask expressions, all aged for at least seven years, and hailing from three separate distilleries: Westland Distillery in Washington, Watershed Distillery in Ohio, and Corbin Cash Distillery in California. It is Lost Lantern’s first 2023 release and its first since being named the 2023 Independent Bottler of the Year at the Icons of Whisky Awards America in February, hosted by Whisky Magazine. The new collection demonstrates just how much the world of American whiskey has transformed in recent years. “Distilleries that began experimenting and exploring new ideas a decade or more ago have now proven that those ideas work,” said Lost…

“I’m hoping this kind of kick starts something and more brand owners and producers are brave and go this route. There are a lot of stories out there to be told and I think stories and whiskey just go hand in hand, so for me it’s about Kate… lifting her up and promoting this story,” Mel Heim, co-founder and head of product, proudly states when explaining her hopes for the future of Big Nose Kate. Proclaimed as ‘The greatest story never told. Or let’s just say, not told nearly enough. Until now,’ on the whiskey’s website, Big Nose Kate – who was also known as Mary Katherine Cummings, or Katie Elder, or Mária Magdolna Horony – is finally having her moment in the sun. Big Nose Kate was a figure…