I have known Susan Reigler for over thirty years. I first met Susan when she was the restaurant critic and whiskey writer for the Courier-Journal. I was working for United Distillers as their North American Archivist at that time. Susan... Continue Reading →
Presidents often have an influence on the Bourbon Industry. Most recently, Donald Trump’s tariff created a trade war that hurt Kentucky’s Bourbon industry in a bad way as countries imposed retaliatory tariffs on Bourbon. But not all Presidents had a... Continue Reading →
I have made friends with many great people in the whiskey industry over the past thirty years. Unfortunately, many of them have since passed away. Ova Haney and Al Young from Four Roses, Booker Noe from Jim Beam, Parker Beam... Continue Reading →
I first met Marty Duffy in 2010 when I was invited by Andrea Wilson to speak to a gathering of Diageo’s Masters of Whisky at the Stitzel-Weller Distillery. Marty was already an experienced whiskey ambassador at that time. Marty is... Continue Reading →
If you have ever met Gary Crunkleton, then you know why he is a great bar owner. He is very friendly, extremely knowledgeable about the spirits industry, and hires, trains and retains staff that also possess these qualities. His accomplishments... Continue Reading →
Farm Distilleries were common before Prohibition. The excise tax on distilled spirits made them less common after the American Civil War, but they continued to exist up to the beginning of Prohibition. With Repeal came stricter regulations and it became... Continue Reading →
Westport Whiskey & Wine is a Louisville institution for spirits lovers in the city. It is owned by Chris Zaborowski and his business partner Richard Splan, bur Chris is the more public figure of the two. Chris worked in the... Continue Reading →
In the late 1980s the idea of using Bourbon to cook with was the occasional Bourbon Ball or some other chocolate fudge combo, baked beans and the daring chef would substitute Bourbon for Brandy in a recipe. Then came Woodford... Continue Reading →
When I first met Al Young I was a new archivist for United Distillers and he was the Plant Manager at Four Roses under Master Distiller Ova Haney. He would come to hear me speak on Bourbon History whenever he... Continue Reading →
