Lincoln Chinnery

Though progress has been slow, some American distillers are doing all they can to minimise their environmental impact
Nearly two decades ago, former vice president of the United States Al Gore and film director Davis Guggenheim teamed up to make a documentary about climate change titled An Inconvenient Truth. Released in 2006, the film detailed what was happening to planet Earth as a result of the unchecked and barely regulated polluting by corporations and individuals. The documentary pointe...

In picturesque Greenport, New York, on the northern fork of Long Island, sits Matchbook Distilling Company. Matchbook is not a brand-focused distillery, churning out 50 states’ worth of the same product. Rather, it creates and develops custom spirits on an alternative timetable — almost as if their guide was The Old Farmer’s Almanac — for private clients and niche imbibing establishments looking to catch the eye of consumers drowning in a sea of choices.
Matchbook’s distilling projects are Mo...

Whiskey groups on Facebook.

Drinks terms defined

Between the election and the Pandemic, everyone needs to access a little happiness right now. One of the best ways to do that is to make something wonderful, something delicious – either for yourself, your roommates or that special person who has agreed to some personal social distance socializing. One of the easiest things to make is a cocktail. And one of the simplest cocktails to make is The Manhattan. Trust us, it’s a lot simpler than baking bread. #OvenCleaner
Regular Joes and Janes have...

Well, it’s finally 2021. Congrats, we made it. Let’s celebrate another year around the sun with a new old friend, The Old Pal.
The Old Pal is our favorite cocktail of the moment. It’s a bold-yet-smooth whiskey drink that’s perfect for toasting distant friends during this interminable plague winter. Below, we’ll share everything you need to know to create the perfect Old Pal cocktail.
First, here’s what you’ll need.
How To Make Old Pal Cocktails: Recipe & Ingredients
1.5 Ounce Rye
3/4 Ounce Dr...

As I packed up my home bar for a recent move, my girlfriend came across a bottle of brown liquor that she wasn’t familiar with. She walked it over to me and asked a simple question: “What the hell is applejack?”
For the uninitiated, which is most people, applejack is the original American moonshine. This spirit was hugely popular in colonial times, and you can count Founding Fathers like George Washington among its fans. Thanks to the rise of craft cocktails and independent distilleries, appl...

Why write about whiskey in Brooklyn?
Bourbon and Brooklyn have a forgotten relationship. Their past is murky and violent and because of that history, combined with an untapped real estate market, the two are now in a more stable and mutually beneficial pairing.
The year was 1810 and the place, Brooklyn. The Cunningham and Harris Distillery was constructed in an unused section of the borough – that section is now called DUMBO (down under the Manhattan bridge overpass). They are not the first, ...

Why is a whiskey magazine talking about cork?
Quercus Alba and Quercus Suber Linnaeus, for those not fluent in Latin or closely engaged with the Google Translate app, American white oak and Portuguese cork oak.
Cork oak is a subspecies of white oak, meaning they’re related. The twist in this family tree, no pun intended, is that they are equally important to the Bourbon (spirits) industry, but somehow cork oak doesn’t get the respect it deserves. Granted, cork is a critical line of defense ag...

About

Somewhere in the middle of a very extensive collection lies “Esquire’s Handbook for Hosts.” This long-forgotten tome of cocktail recipes and hosting tips was published in 1949. It’s filled with line drawings, antiquated bar terminology (what’s a pony of brandy?*), and some painfully outdated themes. Namely, that (white) men are in charge, and women are… not.

Everyone who enjoys a good brown Spirit (Bourbon, Whiskey or Rye) has a favorite bar. Whether it’s a hole in the wall on the wrong side of the tracks or a swanky hotel bar that makes you wait outside for 25 minutes before entering (yet alone imbibing), everyone has a favorite.
Combine that with a destination, a preferred city to visit. It could be someplace you and your friends constantly traveled to in your youth. Or a city that makes you smile every time it’s mentioned. That getaway trip, t...

Every level of cocktail enthusiast has dreamt of owning a bar. Many have fulfilled that dream by opening an amazing den dedicated to the gentle art of imbibing. Others have kept their dreams alive by with good Spirits.

Building a home bar could be as simple as clicking a few links on the Crate & Barrel website or a complicated as hiring a contractor to build one. Thankfully, stocking a home bar is easier. The first building block in any home bar should be Bourbon.

Kentucky Bourbon

Old Foreste...

A good home bar is built on a solid foundation of Spirits. Previously, the question of what Bourbons should be in your home bar was asked and answered. Now it’s time to dive into the other member of the Holy Liquid Trinity – Rye Whiskey.
American Rye Whiskey. Three sweet words that only scratch the surface of the category.
For an American Brown Spirit to be labeled a Straight Rye Whiskey it must be distilled from at least 51% Rye and aged for a minimum of two years. And much like Bourbon, if ...

Adding Bourbon, Rye, and Scotch to a home bar is a great place to start. The thing is, all too often many imbibers skip over the growing selection of American Single Malt Whiskeys (NOT to be confused with Scotch, which is made across The Great Grey Pond).
Why?
The addition of an American Single Malt Whiskey to a home bar might raise an eyebrow but the reasons why are explained by Jeanine Racht, the National Sales Manager at Clear Creek Distillery.
“Single Malt Whiskey is often served neat. Ou...