Prohibition in the United States drove many talented bartenders overseas to make a living. The result of this migration of talent is that cocktails became very popular in Europe. This led to a huge boost to the cocktail culture in... Continue Reading →
This book was a book that I considered my nemesis. When my book first came out, I was always number two on the Amazon list of best sellers in the spirits category. The Drunken Botanist was always the book that... Continue Reading →
I have met David Wondrich a couple of times, but most of my interaction with him has been via email. Wondrich is an excellent mixologist, a very good researcher and a fine writer. We were both friends with the late... Continue Reading →
I first met the author of this book, Davin De Kergommeaux, at the Bourbon Affair in 2016. We shared a table, signing books in the tasting room of the Marriott East Hotel. I was impressed with his knowledge of Canadian... Continue Reading →
I have known Fred Minnick for many years now and consider him a friend as well as a colleague. I met him not long after he came to Louisville and started to write about Bourbon and other American whiskeys. I... Continue Reading →
Tom Bullock was an African-American bartender who worked at the Pendennis Club in Louisville in the 1890s. He is often credited with creating the Pendennis Club’s version of the Old Fashioned cocktail with muddled fruit. There are a couple of... Continue Reading →
This is the latest addition to my library’s cocktail books. It is a modern reprint by Vintagecocktailbooks.com. The book was originally copyrighted in 1891 by “The Only William” (William Schmidt). There is no indication in the text as to where... Continue Reading →
I have known Nicholas Morgan since he hired me in 1991 to work on putting together an archive at the Old Fitzgerald Distillery. He was working with United Distillers to create archives for all of their products but he was... Continue Reading →
I first met Julian Van Winkle III in the early 1990s. He called me and asked if he could videotape the presentation I was giving to the Beargrass Creek and St. Matthews Historical Society on the history of distilling in... Continue Reading →
