Mike recommended that I conduct a blind tasting with Pennsylvania rye whiskeys versus Rittenhouse rye. Pennsylvania was the birthplace of American rye whiskey and one of the staples of a Pennsylvania rye is that it does not use corn in... Continue Reading →
In the 21st century, people don’t remember that in the 1930s, Hiram Walker was a major player in the whiskey industry. The company was founded in Canada, just across the border from Detroit, in the 1850s. Hiram Walker created the... Continue Reading →
When I first started in the industry in 1991, I was told that the Old Fashioned Cocktail was created in Louisville at the Pendennis Club. That has since been proven incorrect by extensive research done by Dave Wondrich. I remember... Continue Reading →
This post sponsored by the Glencairn Whisky Glass Brown-Forman first introduced their “President’s Reserve” expression of Old Forester in the late 1940s. At that time it was a single barrel expression and packaged in amber glass that was a round,... Continue Reading →
Ever since distillers discovered the benefits of aging whiskey in oak, it was inevitable that someone would try to speed up the process. This experimentation took many forms over the years and has met with mixed results. I thought it... Continue Reading →
In 1901, Illustrated Louisville was published. This was a book with short histories of the businesses in Louisville at the time. It was a for-profit venture and the businesses featured in the book paid a fee to have their business... Continue Reading →
This post sponsored by the Glencairn Whisky Glass Old Dominick Whiskey is a brand created by the D. Canale Co. of Memphis, Tennessee in the 19th century. The company were wine merchants and not distillers and the 1909 Mida’s Financial ... Continue Reading →
After the Second World War, the distilling industry was growing at an astounding pace. The distilleries finally had aged whiskey that could compete with imported whiskey and rum. There were no limits on their ability to distill once the war... Continue Reading →
In 2001 I was in Virginia to watch the distillers of DISCUS (Distilled Spirits Council of the United States) distill some whiskey at Mount Vernon. While I was in Virginia, I visited the A. Smith Bowman Distillery. That is when... Continue Reading →
