Entries tagged with 'whiskey'
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Serious Cocktails: What's New (and Old) in American Whiskey

©iStockphoto.com/ManuWe Autumn is whiskey season in Kentucky, and at the recent Whiskyfest in San Francisco, I was able to try out some of the recent releases now appearing in bars and liquor stores (typically in very small amounts). One of the most appealing American whiskies I tasted was Wild Turkey "Tradition," a 14-year-old, 101-proof bourbon that entered the U.S. market last week in a limited run of 14,000 bottles. With the characteristic spicy tang of Wild Turkey bourbons, the Tradition bottling has a deeper, richer character that comes from its older age, as well as its aging position in the "center cut" of the distillery's warehouse. Also memorable is the latest bottling of Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, a 12-year-old,...

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Serious Cocktails: Women and Whiskey

[Photograph: Robyn Lee] This Friday is Whiskyfest in San Francisco, the annual event (it also takes place in Chicago and New York) that's part collector's geek-out and part Detroit Auto Show for booze, where distillers reintroduce thousands of enthusiasts, media, and industry colleagues to their standard selections, as well as debut unique and rare bottlings and special editions. I'll no doubt have some interesting whisk(e)y-related news in the coming weeks, but as I prepare for my visit to Whiskyfest, there's one question in particular that'll be on my mind: how many women are going to be there? No, it's not what you think—rather, I'm heading to Whiskyfest thinking about the changing world of whiskey consumers. As recently noted by...

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Video: Johnnie Walker 'I Walk' Ad with Robert Carlyle

AdFreak is calling this spot for Johnnie Walker whiskey the best ad of the year so far. At six and a half minutes, it's a bit long but well worth viewing. It's shot in a continuous long take, with Scottish actor Robert Carlyle narrating the history of the brand as he walks down a road in the Scottish highlands. The mini movie becomes completely engaging about a minute in, when you realize the director has worked in a clever set of well-timed visual cues at roadside that correspond to Carlyle's walking, talking narrative. Watch it, after the jump....

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Cocktails: Belt-Tightening in the Liquor Store

"When you’re trying to buy a bottle for less than what you used to spend on coffee every day, there are some things you need to be prepared to live without." ©iStockphoto.com/monkeyphoto Oh, those heady, innocent days of early 2008. Sure, the economy was losing parts as it wheezed down the road and the real estate market was looking pretty sour, but how bad could it really get, right? Around last year’s tax day I put up a post called Cheap(er) Drinks: Tips for Enjoyable Drinking Without Going Broke. Well, compared to now, April '08 was downright rosy, and in this post-Madoff era, "drink cheap" has become the imbiber’s new mantra. The most recent round of the Mixology Monday drink-blog...

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The Rise of Small-Scale Distilleries: Beer and Hard Liquor Under One Roof

Inside Ballast Point Brewery, from the Los Angeles Times. In today’s Los Angeles Times, Jenn Garbee contributed a story that’s sure to resonate with spirits geeks like me: “West Coast brewers pick up the distilling spirit.” Small-scale distilleries are on the upswing nationwide, as consumers take greater interest in locally sourced products and states reassess the tax revenue such operations can generate. And while many distilleries are truly independent startups, many talented brewers who have learned the business from making quality beer are either adding distilleries to existing operations, or working in tandem with like-minded distillers. Garbee spotlights Ballast Point Brewing in San Diego, which has been making beer since 1996. Now with a 600-square-foot distillery, the owners are...

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Drinking in the Season

In a recent article in the Washington Post, Jason Wilson reminisces about the time a friend of the family took him to a nice hotel bar—where he was apparently a regular—and announced to the bartender that the time had come to switch to his winter drink (a Stinger, in case you were wondering). Reading this story reminded me of a rule I read on an online message board back when I was first starting to explore mixology: As the seasons change, so should your drink. Since reading that instruction, I’ve happily taken it to heart—besides, December is no time to be ordering a mojito. While I’m always exploring different recipes, I typically have one or two favorites that I keep...

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Going Antiquing, the Whiskey Way

Baseball fans have opening day, but what do whiskey drinkers have to look forward to all year? If you’re talking bourbon and rye, it’s the annual release of the Antique Collection from Kentucky’s Buffalo Trace Distillery.

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Becoming Fashionable

Collectively, Nick Kindelsperger and Blake Royer are The Paupered Chef. This week, our frugal friends explore the Old Fashioned, a venerable cocktail whose clean appeal is long on taste but short on expense.

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