The Van Winkle Family have never been distillers. They have never held a job where they made the mash or […]
Category
History
Orphan Barrel: An American Whiskey Story
The Orphan Barrel Whiskey Distilling Company was organized in 2013, by Diageo, the world’s largest spirits company, as a vehicle for commercializing a large stock of ultra-aged American whiskeys that it had maturing at the Stitzel-Weller distillery in Shively Kentucky. Although the company is relatively young, its whiskeys have deep roots in the storied and convoluted history of American whiskey.
Why is Whiskey Brown? It’s Mostly (But Not Always) The Barrel
Why is whiskey brown? In general, whiskey is brown because it comes into contact with barrels. Alcohol is a solvent, […]
Women in Whiskey: Helen and Elizabeth Cumming of Cardhu
One of the few historic photographs of Elizabeth Cumming of Cardhu Distillery While women are often absent from the history […]
Wheat Whiskey and Wheated Bourbon Explained
An explanation of what “wheat” means in terms of whiskey and bourbon
A Dram with American Presidents
Presidents helped define the whiskey and bourbon industry. Here we take a closer look at those presidents and their relationship with whiskey
Bacteria and Your Bourbon
Exploring the unlikely relationship between bacteria and bourbon
Chart: The Family Tree of Bourbon Whiskey
Check out this fascinating chart, showing which bourbons are produced by whom. Source: Chart: The Family Tree of Bourbon Whiskey […]
Buffalo Trace Distillery Gets into the Archaeology Business with 150 Year Old Discovery
Buffalo Trace recently unearthed bourbon history as it began to renovate its famed O.F.C. distillery.
Understanding Whiskey Stills: Pots, Columns, Hybrids
There’s a lot of attention paid to the way that whiskey is aged. Talk to even a casual whiskey drinker and […]
Answering The Whiskey Caramel Coloring Question
For many people, the most important aspect of whiskey is its flavor. Whether it’s a spicy, herbaceous rye or a grainy […]
What Is Legally Whiskey In the United States?
According to the Tax and Trade Bureau, there are no fewer than 41 different types of what’s legally whiskey in […]
Whiskey Bottle Labels: Understanding A Whiskey’s Origins
Here’s the scene: you’re at your local liquor store, perusing the bourbon aisle. A new bottle in the “local” section […]
Before There Was Bourbon: Spirits In The Frontier Days
Kentucky was the first American West. In the 1770s, settlers started coming to Kentucky, traveling either through the Cumberland Gap or […]
Behind the Bottle: Eagle Rare Bourbon
Everybody loves a good bourbon. The smooth, tangy notes of this libation are as American as apple pie, and twice as […]
In Kentucky It Is All About Horses And Bourbon
Legend has it that Kentuckians started breeding fast horses after returning from New Orleans, a dangerous trip that took about […]
Rolling on the River: Steamboats and Bourbon Lore
Kentucky is blessed with more miles of navigable rivers than any other state in the Union after Alaska. These rivers made […]