Having the right glassware is essential for an optimal bourbon tasting experience. So naturally, good bourbon glasses are the perfect gift for a bourbon lover. I recently found a great selection of bourbon gifts and engraved glasses and decanters at GoovyGuyGifts.com. The Gentleman’s Decanter set has a classic design that will look great on your…
Maker’s Mark Review
Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky has been of my perennial favorites for years. I actually bought the bottle in the photo a while ago to write a proper review and, now that I found the time, I only have about a half of a shot left. Here’s the history: Maker’s Mark was introduced to the market in…
Elijah Craig 12 Year Old Small Batch Review
Elijah Craig 12 Year Old Small Batch is named for the minister who discovered the defining method of making Kentucky Bourbon when he stored his drink in barrels that had been charred by a fire. It is bottled from parcels of 100 barrels or less, giving it small batch status. In the glass, Elijah Craig has a…
Suggestions for Gifting Bourbon
My neighbor recently asked me what bourbon I would recommend as a gift for a coworker. The occasion is a 50th birthday (so kind of special) and she was looking at something in about the $50 or so range. I figured that this information may benefit others, so here was my response: There are a lot of options in that…
Bittermilk
In honor of Bourbon month, I’m dedicating this post to a great little craft mixer that my wife brought back from a recent trip to Charleston, SC. I don’t always go for a cocktail, but if you like an old fashioned, you probably know it’s kind of a pain to make. Bittermilk Bourbon Barrel Aged Old Fashion is an…
Bourbon & Bacon
Finally someone has written a book about my two favorite smokey indulgences. Bourbon & Bacon : The Ultimate Guide to the South’s Favorite Food Groups, by Morgan Murphy, is both colorful and entertaining. It’s packed with bourbon recipes, food recipes, and tasting notes on about 75 whiskeys (which would be particularly useful as a quick reference before you pick up your next bottle). There…
Jefferson’s Reserve Review
In addition to Jefferson’s Reserve, McLain & Kyne bottles several varieties of bourbon and rye including Jefferson’s, Jefferson’s Presidential Select, Jefferson’s Straight Rye Whiskey, Jefferson’s Ocean, and Jefferson’s Chef’s Collaboration. The bottle is fairly minimalistic with a script font that harkens to a colonial time and a small graphic of Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello, below. The labeling includes the…
W. L. Weller Special Reserve Bourbon Review
It’s hard to write a review of W. L. Weller without referencing it’s wildly hyped cousin, Pappy Van Winkle. Both are produced by the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky and both are made from the exact same wheated formula. Unlike Pappy, Weller is pretty easy to find and is sold at very reasonable price. A wheated bourbon…
The Bourbon Family Tree (Infographic)
GQ recently posted an interesting infographic – a bourbon family tree showing the relationships of bourbon brands via their conglomerate parent companies. The chart and accompanying article were excerpted from The Kings County Distillery Guide to Urban Moonshining, written by the founders of Kings County Distillery, New York City’s first distillery since the Prohibition era. View the infographic and…
Bourbon Milkshake
At Jack Allen’s Kitchen’s, Beverage Manager David Toby’s Bourbon Milkshake is made with milk, bourbon, vanilla, simple syrup, nutmeg, and Amy’s Mexican Vanilla ice cream. This hearty libation, appropriately nicknamed by the regular customers as “eggnog on steroids,” is a riff on New Orleans’ Frozen Bourbon Milk Punch. Ingredients: 4 cup of milk 1.5 cup of bourbon (feel free…
Bourbon and Coffee Recipe
Since it’s starting to get cold, I figured it would be a good time to share a bourbon and coffee recipe. Here’s one that you might like: Ingredients 1 cup bourbon (Jim Beam works well) 4 cups freshly brewed strong coffee 1/2 cup orange juice 1/4 cup honey 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (or substitute with ground…
Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon Review
Claiming production back to the 1860s, Four Roses has deep roots in bourbon making. During prohibition, the Frankfort Distilling Company (who owned and produced it at the time), was one of only six distilleries granted permission to produce Bourbon for medicinal purposes. Several different stories have been documented about where the name Four Roses comes…
Gone A’Rye
Lucy’s Fried Chicken’s Gone A’Rye, made with Old Overholt Rye, Luxardo, Campari and lemon, is sure to warm you right up. Ingredients: 1.5 oz Old Overholt Rye Whiskey 1/2 oz Campari 1/4 oz Luxardo Cherry Liqueur 1/4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice Mix all ingredients in a shaker tin with ice. Shake well. Stir until well chilled…
Cat’s Pajamas
And at drink.well., the Cat’s Pajamas stays true to its namesake, a lively blend of Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon, Savory & James Creamy Sherry, Cynar, Bar Keep Chinese Five Spice Bitters and topped off with apple slices. Ingredients: 2 oz Four Roses Single Barrel .75 oz Savory & James Cream Sherry .5 oz Cynar 2 Dashes Barkeep…
PennyPacker Bourbon Whiskey Review
PennyPacker Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey was the number one selling Bourbon in the European market in the 1970s, but was only introduced to the US market in the Spring of 2013. The whiskey itself is aged in white oak for at least three years, but the actual aging time is at the discretion of the distiller….