Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2023 i American Whiskey Magazine

As we approach 2024, it behooves us to reflect on our wins and losses over the past year. Whether this was “your” year or you’re like me and were doing well just to get up each morning and conquer the day (which is still no easy feat), you deserve to treat yourself. So, this mini wishlist consists of some of my favorite must-haves to round out 2023. Bravo for everything you’ve overcome and will accomplish in the next year! DEATH & CO. THREE-PIECE DECANTER SET $120 www.deathandcompanymarket.com A stackable decanter and tumbler set?! Sign me up. This all-in-one is perfect for storing and pouring whiskey – and serving a couple of Old Fashioned cocktails. I love that you can keep the entire set in your freezer, so you’ll always be…

If you’ve ever toured a distillery, chances are you’ve seen a cat or two around the grounds. Cats have long been expected to carry out rodent remediation duties at distilleries, but dogs have just as long a history around distilling operations as cats. Pappy Van Winkle was well known for keeping his hunting dogs in his office at the Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Shively, Kentucky, occasionally letting them out to retrieve a bird he’d shot from the front porch. Dogs have always been our companions, but they serve many roles at the various types of distilleries around the world. Historically, when farm distilleries were the norm, dogs would serve as guardians for the livestock that was kept to dispose of the spent mash. Today, most distillery dogs serve as morale officers,…

Bluebird Distilling’s founder and master distiller recently announced a new partnership with the Jetty Rock Foundation, the non-profit arm of the coastal lifestyle and apparel brand Jetty. Available for national purchase now, 10 per cent of proceeds from brand-new Breakwater Bourbon will be directly applied to the maintenance, protection and care of oceans and waterways. The new spirit, inspired by late-summer fireside hang-outs, is now available for purchase on Bluebird Distilling’s online store nationwide, as well as on-premise at Bluebird Distilling, both Char & Stave locations in Pennsylvania, and select retailers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania for $54.99. Combining Jetty’s commitment to quality crafted goods and Bluebird Distilling’s dedication to creating world-class spirits, Breakwater Bourbon embodies the thrill of unforgettable journeys and remarkable discoveries made along the way. The well-aged,…

Whisky Live’s flagship London tasting experience is returning to the city in 2024 with exciting improvements and a new venue. The 2024 Whisky Live London show will be taking place on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 March at the Woolwich Works, a larger space than the show’s previous home at the Honourable Artillery Company. With their own Whisky Live Glencairn glass in hand, guests will be able to sample a huge array of whiskies from producers around the world, from rare drams to fan favorites. All guests will also have access to Whisky Live London’s sister show, Gin Live London, which will be taking place at the same venue. There are three ticket types available: the Whisky Live Taster Experience, which gives four hours’ access to Whisky Live and Gin…

In 2016, Samara Davis was living in the San Francisco area and doing brand activations for spirits companies. She’d been trying to find her place in the online whiskey groups, but struggled to find a place where she felt like she belonged. She turned her frustration into a mission and founded the Black Bourbon Society. “It came about through two different ways,” recalls Davis. “Number one, I was falling in love with whiskey, like completely in love with it, and I was looking for my own community to join. Back then, there was one in Kentucky that was really big, Women Who Whisky was just getting started, and Whisky Chicks was just getting started. There were all these little groups starting to pop up, and it was great because I…

This issue’s shelf is stocked with books to fill in some historical gaps in your library. Topics are a classic cocktail, the 19th-century rectifiers’ “art”, and a chronicle of one of Kentucky’s most important bourbon-making centers. THE OLD-FASHIONED: THE STORY OF THE WORLD’S FIRST CLASSIC COCKTAIL WITH RECIPES AND LORE by Robert Simonson 2014, Ten Speed Press, $19 As the title suggests, the combination of whiskey, sugar, water, and bitters came to be the first iteration of what has become identified as a “cocktail.” Simonson thoroughly chronicles its history from its possible origins to the current creative variations on the basic theme. As he explains, the first use of the name was in legendary bartender Jerry Thomas’s classic 1862 book, the first collection and publication of drinks recipes by a…

Catherine Manabat started off in the beverage industry as a bartender at 21C Cincinnati and has worked her way through several positions within the distilled spirits industry, including sales manager for Watershed Distillery and cofounder of HomeMakers Bar in Cincinnati. These days she’s the hospitality manager at New Riff Distilling Company in Newport, Kentucky, where she’s tasked with visitor education and with creating cocktail menus that rotate seasonally twice a year. “There are some people who will only taste our whiskey through the vehicle of a cocktail, especially if they’re starting out in a new category of a spirit,” Manabat explains. “Whether it’s whiskey or rye or bourbon or what have you, it’s really a lovely way to meet people where they are. It’s really cool to be able to…

It’s incredible to think that the entire Texas whiskey industry isn’t even old enough to graduate high school. Garrison Brothers broke ground in 2004 but didn’t have a license until December 2007. That license signaled the birth of Texas whiskey. Dan Garrison started his journey by heading to Kentucky and soaking up every ounce of knowledge he could get from some of the most famous distillers in the history of bourbon. Funnily enough, when he returned to Texas, he wound up being the first consulting client for Dave Pickerell, who became the Johnny Appleseed of American whiskey. Dan loved the idea of Texas whiskey, but frankly, he had no idea if it was going to work. He thought it would, and obviously hoped it would, but no one had made…

People from around the world hit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail to tap into the brown spirit’s rich heritage while enjoying a few pours. However, while Kentucky is one of the forerunners of bourbon, it’s not the only state promoting whiskey tourism. The Centennial State, better known as Colorado, has more than 100 distilleries, and a vast number of those make whiskey. Moreover, with the increase in popularity of whiskey, especially bourbon, there are a fresh crop of establishments offering exclusive pours, such as W Aspen. The hotel is forging a new path – and club – to attract whiskey newcomers and connoisseurs locally and internationally. W Aspen launched the Spring & Dean Barrel Club, named after the intersection of two of Aspen’s most iconic streets, aptly during National Bourbon Heritage…

Over the years cousins Anna Axster and Wendelin von Schroder developed a taste for whiskey through their combined travels and family gatherings, which formed the inspiration for them to craft their own spirit. Striving for high-quality liquid, while always being approachable, the whiskey and brand embodies the laid-back California lifestyle where the brand is based. Lodestar Whiskey was born out of the universal truth that special moments are always better when shared. Here, it’s time to find out more about the new brand before its official launch this fall, in discussion with the two co-founders. American Whiskey (AW): Firstly, how did you come up with the concept of Lodestar Whiskey? Lodestar Whiskey (LW): As cousins, friends, and colleagues, we spent over a decade working together in music and film. Having…

It’s easy to forget that cigars, like whiskey, are part of agriculture. By the time the product reaches the end user, it’s been processed and formed into something spectacular for the enjoyment of the consumer. But it started off as a seed growing from the soil. Much like the whiskey industry, the cigar industry is cyclical. The boom of the late 1990s brought a lot of innovation as well as new collectors. Those collectors have held on to some really interesting stuff that isn’t on the market anymore. Across the world there are time capsules of cigars from a bygone era, and they are starting to make their way back into the marketplace much like vintage whiskeys have in recent years. One of the things I am most looking forward…

Peggy Noe Stevens is a master taster, whiskey reviewer, and competition judge. She is known for her super palate in the industry, as well as her founding innovations connecting whiskey and food-pairing styles and methods. This issue we feature the following brands and the inspiration for creating unique profiles and food pairings. The following is a guideline to discovering the ultimate food pairings for your guests. Featured products that received the highest flavor tasting profile ratings: New Riff Aroostook Malted Rye “Since the start of New Riff almost a decade ago we’ve loved working with malted grains. Sugar Creek Malt Co. in Lebanon, Indiana is a small malting house that offered us a rare malted rye made with the Aroostook rye variety. We were thrilled at this opportunity to try…