If ever there was a spirit cursed with a double-edged sword, it’s absinthe. On one hand, its many nicknames include the Green Fairy and the Green Muse. Drinkers of it include such notables of potables as Edgar Degas, van Gogh, Gauguin, Ernest Hemingway, Picasso, Oscar Wilde, and maybe it’s most famous drinker of all, Henri…
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Roger Jorgensen was minding his own business in South Africa when Guy Brennan contacted the master distiller and wine maker. He had heard of Roger and sent him some fresh African juniper berries from the mountains of Kenya and asked him if they could be used to make gin. Roger thought why not, scribbled some…
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Worldwide, every single culture that drinks alcohol, has an illegal stream of producers making high-proof booze that is way off the radar of authorities – as if they’re making it under the light on the moon. However, in the States craft and big whiskey distillers are jumping on the legal moonshine bandwagon and making profits…
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One of the fastest growing drink categories here and around the world is RTD – Ready to Drink – cocktails in a can. And exposure is only going to get even bigger thanks to the pairing of Jack Daniels and Coca-Cola. This will be the real think, marrying Jack and with Coke’s worldwide distribution network….
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To most customers and fans, today’s distilling industry seems like it has changed very little in the last three-hundred years. And, indeed, tradition is the hallmark of many spirits and it’s what many customers look for in buying a spirit. But… as much as it appears to stay the same, it changes, with as many…
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During Scotch malt whisky production, fermentation has been traditionally carried out in large wooden vessels known as washbacks. Although wooden washbacks are still widely used today, many distilleries are now opting for stainless steel vessels. However, when comparing new make and mature spirit produced in both types of vessels, differences in levels of flavour-active methyl…
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Anyone can make an average tasting gin, spiced rum, vodka, or other spirits, but not everyone can sell it. And the real kick in the pants is this: You might be making a superior tasting spirit, but your bottles still sit on a shelf gathering dust. We’re led to believe that if we build a…
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With Scotch whisky, there is no question about regional taste and flavour. Put five different whiskies in front of an expert and they’ll be able to tell from which Scottish region each whisky came from. However, does this flavour come from the actual physical location of the stills, combined with local weather and water, or…
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The majority of craft gin distillers in the UK have treated the journey as a second career. They wake up one morning, look in the mirror, and see a gin distiller staring back at them. They ditch the ties or the heels and start thinking about botanicals. While it’s hard thinking of an exception to…
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Is the story here about Ben Schroder, mezcal, his mezcal import company Pensador, or the small craft spirit producers of southern Mexico? If Peter Jackson was writing this, each idea would be its own feature-length film, ultimately tied together in part six with 18 hours of film. Jackson, prone to exaggerating characters, would probably turn…
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