Want to know how to tell yeast and bacteria apart just by looking at them under the microscope? It’s easy!

Recently I was able to spend some time in NYC and was so excited to pop in to Van Brunt Stillhouse located in Brooklyn. They are a farm distillery embracing the fact that whiskey is an agricultural product and they just celebrated their 10 year anniversary the week before we got there. I would highly recommend checking out Van Brunt Stillhouse! You can really taste that each whiskey was artisanally handcrafted.

Proof is simply just twice the percent alcohol by volume (ABV). But it seems silly to have both ABV and proof listed on a bottle of distilled spirits. So how did proof come to be? The development of the term “proof” in reference to alcohol concentration has many stories. Not all of them are historically accurate and I’ve definitely told the more fun ones that may or may not just be myths. Ultimately what it comes down to is taxes. Talking taxes is no fun, so allow me to start with the fun stories!

There are so many meaningless words on whiskey labels that just add more confusion to which bottle you should buy. These frivolous words don’t give any indication to what the whiskey will actually taste like and as consumers, what we really care about is whether or not we’re going to enjoy the whiskey. So let’s go over them!

Last weekend I ventured 1 hour & 45 minutes up the coast to Ventura Spirits, located in Ventura, CA. And it is such a cool, down-to-earth distillery producing craft spirits… I don’t use the word “craft” lightly. All of the ingredients used for their spirits are sourced from local farms around Ventura and they constantly have the goal of reducing waste in mind. If you are ever on the west coast, Ventura Spirits is definitely worth a visit!

This year, I curated four different whiskey advent calendars to choose from. Each one was filled with either 12 or 24 delicious whiskies from all over the world. The advent calendar I chose for my countdown to Christmas was, of course, the 12 Days of Top-Shelf Whisk(e)y. Here are my tasting notes!

This past weekend we ran about 200 miles through Kentucky just to drink bourbon. Was it worth it? Abso-frickin-lutely! We also had some other fantastic experiences that you might not think to do while in Kentucky (not including running). So whether you’re an avid runner or are just interested in unique things to do in Kentucky, here’s a play by play from our neat weekend!

(Image from Lolo Liquor & Wine)

My parents have done every tasting and course that I’ve offered (they’re very supportive). But after chatting with them and essentially giving them a mini pop quiz the other day, I realized that they really needed a refresher on the whiskey basics. In fact, they needed a refresher on the basics of all distilled spirits. We get into so much detail about various whiskey aspects during the tastings, but I don’t always remember to zoom back out. I mean alllll the way out. So this is for not only my parents, but anyone else who feels like they need a refresher. And I hope the illustrations I’m including well help.

I have a challenge for anyone reading this. I’m assuming you have some beverage in your hand, whether it’s whiskey, another spirit, a cocktail, wine or coffee. If not, go grab one, I’ll wait. Now, take a few moments to place all your focus on what it looks, smells, feels and tastes like. Really, commit…

What happens when seven wheated bourbons step into the heptagon to face one another? The battle will be judged on flavors, aromas, mouthfeel and, of course, accessibility. The fate of each bourbon falls on only one taster, so this tasting is entirely biased. And none will make it out alive (because I’ll drink them all). See what happens here!

In recent years, Japanese whisky has picked up a lot of hype with consumers. So much so that the prices of some bottles have increased by five times their original market price. But why? What’s the big deal? What makes Japanese whisky so special?

The law states that bourbon must be made in the US from a majority corn mash bill and stored in new charred oak barrels. But why? How did corn and new charred barrels come to define bourbon? Many stories relate to the origins of bourbon, a lot of them stir up controversy. Most of them are probably folktales, emerging only because the truth is not actually known. So mysterious! I dive into some of those stories here.

“When is it okay to add water to whiskey and how much do you add?” This question can spark a heated argument depending on who you ask. But since you asked me, I’ll tell you my guidelines for adding water. Do not add water during a tasting unless clearly instructed to do so by the host. All other times, you can add water as desired, be it in the frozen, still or sparkling form. Read my reasoning for these guidelines here. Hint: I take a scientific approach.

Here’s a picture of me lifting a sandbag, which is not what this blog post is about. Read about how I got into whiskey and why I’m passionate about it. Hint: Whiskey is more than just a spirit you drink.

There are 122 active single malt distilleries in Scotland and each distillery has their own take on what makes a whisky delicious resulting in single malts with diverse flavor profiles. A simple way to start navigating your way through all of this variety is to know what flavor profiles are associated with the region that the whisky is produced. Here I outline the characteristics of each Scotch whisky region.

With an “e” or without and “e”. That is the question. I describe why there’s no simple answer to this question, only general rules-of-thumb.