Winter is here, that perfect time of year when sitting around a nice fire can take the chill out of the night air. But if you're anything like us, it's also the time of year you crave a bit of bourbon for the same wonderful warming effect. Although bourbon is an American corn-based whiskey that is named after Bourbon County, Kentucky, it is not necessary for bourbon to made in KY, and is legal for it to be produced in any...

According to Luxco President David Bratcher, the company is very close to "putting a shovel in the ground" for its first distillery, a bourbon distillery in Kentucky. Similar in size to the one Diageo is building for Bulleit in Shelby County, it will add significant new bourbon production capacity to Nelson County, which already claims the title of 'Bourbon Capital of the World.' If all goes according to plan, Luxco will...

Reports circulated last year that Franklin County Sheriff Pat Melton proposed auctioning 28 bottles of Pappy Van Winkle recovered during a high profile Bourbon theft case. However, the Lexington Herald-Leader now reports that Julian Van Winkle III, president of the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery, has objected to the proposals and expressed concerns that the bottles may have been contaminated. He therefore asked that the...

Old Medley Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is yet another in a string of labels from yesteryear that has been resurrected to take advantage of bourbon’s surging popularity. Reportedly distilled in Kentucky and bottled in California, the original generation of Old Medley was brought into the world by 5th generation master distiller Thomas Aquinas Medley following the repeal of Prohibition. Medley’s grandson, present-day and...

The Kentucky Distillers’ Association announced Tuesday that Master Distiller Chris Morris of Brown-Forman has been named chairman of the 136-year-old group that unites, promotes and protects the state’s signature Bourbon and distilled spirits industry. Morris, an acknowledged authority on Bourbon and Kentucky history who is celebrating his 40th year in the industry, will serve through December 2016. The KDA Board of Directors...

What should the avid whiskey drinker watch for this year? After speaking with leading voices across the industry, while personally remaining steadfast with all things whiskey over the past year, here's what to know. Irish and Canadian Whisky Primed for Huge Year Rye whiskey enjoyed its share of the spotlight in 2015, with more and more high-end products reaching store shelves, and every big and small distiller trying to...

Jazz-age Kansas City had it all — music, gambling and around-the-clock entertainment. There was plenty of booze, too, even during Prohibition, largely thanks to political boss Tom Pendergast. Boss Tom made the city swing, as a University of Missouri-Kansas City Web exhibit about him put it, and the romance of it all lives on at Tom’s Town Distilling Co., which opens Wednesday. “It’s an era, it’s a spirit, it’s an entire...

December saw the launch of Yellowstone Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon by Limestone Branch Distillery. Bottled at 93 proof (46.5% abv) in a 75cl bottle with a commemorative tube, Yellowstone Select is crafted using hand-selected barrels of four-year and seven-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon. “Yellowstone Select uses some of the finest hand-selected barrels available to create a well-rounded bourbon – a spicy rye taste at...

No other drink is as American as bourbon. Eastern Europeans can carry the vodka flag, the Scottish can bring their peaty single malts, we’ll take a bottle of bourbon and a pigskin-loving bald eagle. And when you’re stocking your home bar with some Kentucky classics (though not always from Kentucky), there are bottles that deserve a spot on a shelf. Not all of these are hard to find (though many are), but they’re all...

The fourth annual Bourbon Classic, set for Feb. 26-27 at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, will launch early with a Top Shelf event Tuesday, Feb. 23. James Beard Award winning chef Sean Brock of Husk Restaurant in Nashville will join Julian and Preston Van Winkle for a progressive pairing featuring 10-, 12-, 15- and 20-year Pappy Van Winkle bourbons. The event takes place at Copper & Kings, 1111 E. Washington St...

Not that long ago, before packing peanuts and standard intermodal freight containers and corrugated cardboard, our world ran on barrels. They weren’t just used to store wine and spirits; those ingenious, cylindrical wooden containers held everything: sauerkraut, lobsters, cooking oil, paint, ball bearings. If it was a commodity, the odds were good that it came in a barrel (and, often, a specially made barrel of unique size and...

Kentucky Knows was started by Lexington, Kentucky. native and former Marine Tony Davis in his barn. Davis began crafting cutting boards from bourbon barrel heads as a hobby, and as a way to highlight Kentucky history through bourbon. “I wanted to be able to tell the story of our people through word of eye,” Davis told The Whiskey Wash on a recent visit to his shop in the former James Pepper Distillery. Davis originally got the...

Plenty of small businesses tout their family roots in marketing pitches. But because members of the Stein family are third-generation farmers, those roots are literally the foundation of their business making whiskey, bourbon, vodka, rum and specialty cordials from the grains they grow near Joseph. Stein Distillery recently opened its first tasting room outside of the small northeastern Oregon town at Beaverton’s Progress...

The “bourbon boom” may have netted the commonwealth hundreds of millions in new investment in recent years, Kentucky Distillers’ Association president Eric Gregory warns Kentucky isn’t the only state capitalizing on the phenomenon. While Kentucky still produces 95 percent of the world’s bourbon and remains synonymous with the spirit, distilleries are now popping up in every state. Speaking with KET’s Bill Goodman this week...

Frankfort/Franklin County has added more than 2,668 jobs since the recession bottomed out in 2009, according to a report released this week from the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. Its 9-percent increase during that period puts Franklin County in the top quarter of Kentucky counties for job growth. Need evidence that Frankfort has successfully recovered from the recession? Buffalo Trace Distillery can provide plenty of ...

If you’ve never run across a Stone Fence — a Colonial-era tipple that combines hard cider with hard liquor — the holiday season is a good time to get acquainted, because it’s a no-fuss workhorse of a cocktail. It's a crowd-pleaser that's both festive and potent. The Stone Fence plays nicely with the yuletide season for several reasons. First, it’s essentially a non-heated, higher-octane version of a mulled cider drink...

If you or a friend happen to enjoy a drink of Kentucky bourbon this holiday season, you can rest assured there’s more where that came from. Plenty more. In fact there are some 5.7 million barrels of bourbon aging in the commonwealth today. At about 53 gallons per barrel, that’s more than 300 million gallons of whiskey waiting to be consumed (minus what eventually will be lost to evaporation, which bourbon aficionados...

If you’re looking for a last-minute gift for the bourbon-lover on your list, tickets to all — or even just one — of the Kentucky Derby Museum‘s “Legends Series: Bourbon Masters” would make her jump with glee. The event offers an intimate experience with a bourbon legend, where you get to hear them talk about their experiences, taste their bourbon, snack on appetizers and ask questions afterward. Each session is hosted by the...

I came late to the bourbon party, generally preferring wine and lighter spirits. But what matters is this: I eventually showed up, lured by Bourbon's cousin, my good friend Rye. I'm happy to say the latter joined the fun last night at Doc's Wine and Spirits. We Sampled five high-end bourbons (don't even try to get these; they are so gone because of a little thing called allocation), including a Pappy Van Winkle 15-year and a...

Alhough it might sound crazy, it’s hard to point to one particular “bourbon heritage” during Christmastime in Kentucky. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, heritage means “the traditions, achievements, beliefs, etc., that are part of the history of a group or nation.” But frankly, bourbon is more like an expectation, akin to salt and pepper on a dinner table. You know it’ll be on the bar, at a table, in a cocktail...

Pat Bruner calls herself a cookie baker. She’s also a longtime entertainer. So each holiday season, she spends a lot of her time in the kitchen baking cookies and preparing her Bourbon Balls “Everybody is feeling good about those aren’t they?” Bruner said over the phone with a laugh. Bruner’s Bourbon Balls, as she’s rightly named them, are a no-bake cookie but still require a bit of patience to make. She writes in her recipe...

Tom's Town Distilling Co. hasn't yet opened, but it's already rooted in history. The craft distillery is slated to open Jan. 6 in the Crossroads Arts District and draws inspiration from political boss Tom Pendergast, who controlled Kansas City during the 1920s and 1930s. Every Tom's Town product is named after a real person from the Pendergast era, such as Eli's Strong Arm Vodka, a nod to Pendergast's bodyguard and gatekeeper...

It’s common knowledge at this point that Louisville, Kentucky, is the center of the bourbon universe. The city is at the heart of Kentucky’s most famous industry, and everything you need to make bourbon can be produced within the city limits. One such business at the heart of the bourbon industry that often goes unnoticed is Vendome Copper and Brass Works. If you’ve never heard of Vendome, you’re probably in the majority...

“The Birth of Bourbon: A Photographic Tour of Early Distilleries” by Carol Peachee. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2015. 232 pages, $29.95 (hardbound). The author and photographer explains in her introduction that while she was looking for good documentary material to photograph she came upon some abandoned buildings in Lexington’s Distillery District and was not impressed at first. However, after peeking in mostly...

Looking for a holiday cocktail that’s unique and yummy? Drizly’s Chief Cocktail Officer Trisha Antonsen suggests you consider a bourbon-based option (AND, you can prepare it ahead of time!). She shared this festive favorite with Parade.com. “This is a smooth cider cocktail that will please many, even those that don’t typically turn to bourbon drinks,” Antonsen says. “It’s sweet but still has a fresh bite from the liqueur and...

Maker’s Mark is throwing their hat into the private barrel ring in a big way in 2016. Starting in December 2015, Kentucky and Illinois based retailers will be able to customize their own Maker’s by finishing fully-matured Maker’s Mark Cask Strength in a single barrel made up of their custom selection of oak staves for nine additional weeks. With 1,001 possible stave combinations, this will be one of the most unique private...

Lots of people like bourbon, but Morgan Weber likes it a lot. As one of the principles in Agricole Hospitality, the Heights-based restaurant group behind Revival Market, Coltivare and the soon-to-open icehouse Eight Row Flint, Weber has been among the spirit's most passionate local advocates. Yes, the bar will sell chips, queso and tacos from an onsite food truck with recipes developed by Agricole partner Ryan Pera...

Many bourbon brands have fanciful names and fictional origin stories, but a few have real history behind them. In the case of Beam Suntory's Knob Creek, it is named after a real body of water with a lot of history. That history has only a small connection to the current Knob Creek brand, but it is real nonetheless. There are several streams called Knob Creek in Kentucky and southern Indiana. The word 'knob' refers to the...

To me, nothing says "happy holidays!" quite like a bottle of good spirits. Unlike wine or beer, which are usually gone in one sitting, a fine choice of the hard stuff is a gift that can be savored over time. And the range of possibilities is inspiring. Whether your favorite drinker is a locavore sipper or world whiskey geek, a value booze buddy or someone worth a major splurge, I have 10 good bottles to choose from here...

Presented in a commemorative tube, the bottling has been crafted using hand-selected barrels of 4-year-old and 7-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon. In 2010, Limestone Branch Distillery was opened by brothers Steve and Paul Beam in Lebanon, Kentucky. The distillery reintroduced the Yellowstone Bourbon brand, which was produced by the brothers’ great-grandfather more than 100 years ago. “Yellowstone Select uses some of the fine...

Let’s face it, despite all good intentions, buying holiday gifts can come right down to the wire. Luckily, spirits are perfect for last minute crunch time holiday shopping. In putting together our holiday gift guide for whiskey, we wanted to accolade and include some of the most amazing whiskeys we tasted this year, but many of them (including the best Irish Whiskey we’ve ever had, Exclusive Malts Irish 13 year old 2002) are...

The coming holidays mean lots of guests. In New York City, where I used to live, no one would dream of visiting without calling two weeks ahead of time. York is another story. People feel free to drop by and take their chances on whether you will be home or not. I prefer this more relaxed custom.

I have had many people come up to me and tell me that they loved Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey: An American Heritage and asked me what I would recommend next for them to read. The bibliography has many sources listed and they all look interesting, but what should they read next? My advice is the following from my bibliography...

Even if you can’t make it to Kentucky to shop for the bourbon lover in your life, there’s plenty of authentic bourbon lifestyle gifts available on Amazon that will ship right to your door. Below is a list of books, food, and gear sold by Kentucky writers and companies. No matter what you are looking for, you will find something for everyone in this list!

It’s crunch time for many of us looking for that right whiskey gift for our friends, loved ones or clients. We did the hard work for you. We found the perfect gifts for that client who deserves a $38,000 bottle of Scotch Whisky or you need a luxury gift for your champagne, wine or spirits lover. It’s also fun to buy a gift for someone based on their personality.

Savannah has long been known for its spirits — both haunted and distilled — and two friends are working to bring more of the latter to the Hostess City with the founding of Ghost Coast Distillery.

Back in 1991, Michael Veach was a graduate student at the University of Louisville, working on a master's degree in history when he heard that an area distiller was looking for help. At the time, a company called United Distillers, which is part of Diageo PLC today, was interested in creating an archive for its historic Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Shively. They needed a graduate student to put it together.

Considering much of the country is enjoying an unseasonably warm December, it’s not too difficult to imagine camping, or sitting outside a cozy cabin, campfire burning, a comforting bourbon cocktail to help you enjoy the night. Bulleit Bourbon has partnered with Brooklyn-based design team W&P Design to create the ultimate...

With 40 years of industry experience leading such companies as Schieffelin & Somerset, Bacardi North America, Moët Hennessy USA and most recently Stoli Group USA, John Esposito joined Park City, Utah-based High West Distillery as chief commercial officer in October 2015. High West was founded in 2004 by David Perkins, and its first craft spirits hit the market in 2007 with the release of Rendezvous rye, comprised of whiskey...

What better way to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition, on Dec. 5, 1933, than to drink some of the world’s best whiskey? Just visit the Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Experience at the historical Stitzel-Weller Distillery, located just a few minutes outside Louisville, Kent.

Sometimes you just want a no-bake cookie recipe that's short, sweet and easy. Of course, there's an added bonus if it includes bourbon. This recipe comes courtesy of reader Kate Wheeler of Pasadena. She was a finalist one year in our L.A. Times Holiday Cookie Bake-Off. She writes: "Something about the flavor of liquor in desserts just screams 'holiday' to me. Maybe it's a nod to fruitcake and plum pudding, or maybe it's just a...

Home of triple-distilled, triple blend Irish whiskey Tullamore Dew, the €35 million distillery started producing spirit in September 2014. The brand is now offering three tours to visitors: the Ultimate Distillery Experience, where guests follow the whiskey production process; the Whiskey Wise Masterclass, which includes sampling six ‘rarer’ whiskeys; and the Curious Taster’s Journey, where a whiskey experts gives a personal...

Do you need a little Christmas spirit? And would you care to have said spirit served over ice or in a festive cocktail? You're in luck. Following in the footsteps of craft beer's seasonal offerings, liquor producers are rolling out limited edition releases aimed at making spirits bright this holiday season. Anchor Distilling Co. in San Francisco hits the trend from both the beer and spirits side. Sister company Anchor Brewing...

Chris Weld is a distiller. But he can’t help but concede he’s a craft beer fan as well. That’s one reason Weld is embarking on a new venture, one that will involve distilling whiskey from beer made by 15 craft brewers. Weld is calling it the Craft Brewers Whiskey Project. Craft beer, it turns out, already has been good for Weld’s Sheffield company, Berkshire Mountain Distillers. Nearly three years ago, Weld started working...

If you live in Kentucky, you're almost expected to know a little about bourbon, says Bernie Lubbers, a global brand ambassador for Heaven Hill. As a resident of the bourbon capitol, family and friends often feel it's safe to assume you're capable of explaining what you like, scanning a shelf and - most importantly - choosing a good gift. But we all know not every bourbon lover is as bourbon expert, so the Courier-Journal is...

Turn every day into a holiday with Cindy Moblo’s Texas Cowboy Cake. Her family has been making this wonderful cake at the holidays for generations. Dates and raisins add moisture to the cake while cinnamon and cloves add lovely spice. It’s a true celebration of family and flavor! See step-by-step photos of Moblo’s recipe at www.justapinch.com/cowboycake. Texas Cowboy Cake 3 cups sugar 11/2 teaspoons cinnamon 3/4 teaspoons...

As a proud Jew and a hearty drinker, I can tell you firsthand we are not often regarded as great producers of intoxicants. At best, you might think of Schmaltz Brewing, the solid, upstate New York brewery that makes plenty of Jew-punny beers like their He’Brew Jewbelation strong ales; at worst, though, you most certainly think of the god-awful Manischewitz Kosher wine. But, believe it or not, some of the finest whisky being...

Jessica Dowd Crouch’s history with whiskey-making runs deep.

Millennials dominated last week’s bash sponsored by the Distilled Spirits Council, or DISCUS, both in numbers and in spirit. And the spirit they clearly preferred was whiskey. Pundits cite reasons for millennials’ unexpected affair with fermented mash, most notably a preference for authentic and hand-crafted products. These youngsters are also averse, reportedly, to big brands and Gen X staples — two reasons behind their vodka...

“When my grandfather came here, this warehouse was full of whiskey. When he left, it was still full of whiskey. When my father came here, this warehouse was full of whiskey. When he left, it was still full of whiskey. When I came here, this warehouse was full of whiskey. And when I leave, this warehouse will still be full of whiskey.” Freddie Johnson tells this