Redbreast 12 led us off, and to follow it up, we’re heading to their Redbreast Lustau Edition.  Similar to their Redbreast 12, it starts life being made using a mash of malted and unmalted barley that is triple distilled in copper pot stills.  It’s then matured in bourbon seasoned American Oak and Oloroso Sherry seasoned […]

Thanks to explosion of popularity driven by Pappy Van Winkle, all things Buffalo Trace became scarce.  This didn’t just impact rare and high end products like the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, but also impacted everything from the under branded Hancocks to the dusty Weller Special Reserve on the bottom shelf.  Not spared from this desire […]

The Vieux Carre is New Orleans in a glass.  It represents an amazing fusion of cultural elements that were impact America in the 1930’s.  Sweet Vermouth from Italy meet Rye from America with a French influence of cognac and Benedictine.  Adding in the bitters from Angostura (the Caribbean) with Peychaud’s bitters (the Caribbean / New […]

Welcome to the start of our Irish Whiskey Month!  It’s no secret that the last whiskeys I’ve written about here have been less than thrilling to try, and so this year, we’re going up market starting with Redbreast 12 Year Old Irish Whiskey.  Distilled by Middleton, Redbreast 12 is made using a mash of malted […]

While A Midwinter Night’s Dram (MWND) might be one of the most sought after whiskey releases that is finished with Port, it’s far from the only offerings on the market.  The best part is, a fair number of them don’t cost anywhere near the exorbitant $130 a bottle that MWND commands.  Now while they’re all […]

Quinine, the compound that gives tonic water its distinct taste, has been used as an antimalarial since the 19th century.  To improve the palatability, it was mixed with various things including tonic water, fortified wine, or gin.  This trend eventually gave way to commercial tonic water being mixed with gin toward the 1940’s.  This two […]

Hine provides one of the most over the top descriptions for H by Hine I’ve seen in nearly 15 years of writing about wine and liquor: H by Hine is whimsical. If it were a young man, it would have the keen eye of Dick Diver in Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night. Adventurous, lively and […]

Late last year, we covered the first OHLQ pick of Ezra Brooks Distiller’s Collection Bourbon.  We gave it high praise for the amazing caramel and vanilla backbone that was layered beautifully with spice, tea, and notes of fruit.  At $35 it was nothing short of absolutely stellar.   So can Ezra Brooks Distiller’s Collection Bourbon – […]

While the exact date of creation of the Hotel Nacional Special is subject to debate, the drink is created to Will P. Taylor, who created the drink at the Nacional bar in Cuba.  He’s notable for also being the last manager of the Old Waldorf Astoria’s before prohibition.  Among the credits that The Gentlemen’s Companion give […]

Sometimes you get lured in by the concept or the bottle.  When I first started my spirits journey, I admittedly started in scotch.  My grandfather drank it, my father would drink it, and so I wanted to drink it as well.  As a result, I started with Johnnie Walker Black, but this gave way to […]

In addition to Maker’s Mark’s annual wood finishing series bottles (FAE-01 / FAE-02), they also have a fairly substantial presence on the shelves as private selections (or store picks).  The picks are made up of combinations of finishing staves to impart different flavors on 5 – 7 year old Maker’s Mark Cask Strength.  The finished […]

One of my favorite parts of crafting new cocktails is the process, and how inspiration can be found seemingly anywhere.  The original cocktail I had been planning for Valentine’s Day was based on Elvis’ Song, Burning Love, but while attempting to refine it, my wife had a brilliant idea that pushed the original cocktail into […]