<p>First there was Julian Van Winkle, also known as Pappy. Then there was Julian Van Winkle, Jr. And now, Julian P. Van Winkle III carries on the <a href="http://oldripvanwinkle.com/&quot; id="yui_3_15_0_1_1414594942773_1632" target="_blank">Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery</a> in Frankfort, Kentucky.</p>

<p>All Southerners dream of coating bacon with bourbon and candied brown sugar, but how many actually&amp;nbsp;achieve&amp;nbsp;this dream? Now everyone can, thanks to&amp;nbsp;<em>Southern Living’s Bourbon &amp;amp; Bacon:&amp;nbsp;The Ultimate Guide to the South’s Favorite Food Groups</em>, by Morgan Murphy,&amp;nbsp;an authority on these regional favorites.</p>

Bourbon may have its roots in Kentucky but a local restaurant group is trying to extend the reach of the beloved regional beverage into southwest Ohio. Cincinnati-based Tavern Restaurant Group announced last week plans to open Horse &amp; Barrel at 631 Walnut St., which is in the heart of downtown Cincinnati’s entertainment district. The site formerly housed Bootsy’s and most recently Walnut Street Grill before it closed in 2012.

Charles Joly superb mixologist and the co-founder of Crafthouse Cocktails joins Frank Fontana in studio to show him the perfect drinks to make for your fall and Halloween parties!

<p>LOUISVILLE, KY. –  Kentucky's bourbon industry is making a bigger splash in the state's economy, nearly doubling its workforce in two years and leading a $3 billion distilling sector, a study said Tuesday.</p>

<p>FRANKFORT — Kentucky's bourbon industry is in the middle of a billion-dollar building boom that could have far-reaching economic consequences for agriculture, tourism and taxes, according to a new study released Tuesday.</p>

<p>For years, <a href="http://www.nola.com/bar-guide/index.ssf/2010/07/avenue_pub.html">Avenue Pub</a> owner Polly Watts has been proud of the way she has developed the Uptown bar's craft beer menu in keeping with national trends — and was a major reason it made our list of "<a href="http://www.nola.com/bar-guide/index.ssf/2014/07/new_orleans_top_10_bars… Orleans' Top 10 Bars for 2014</a></p>

<p>FRANKFORT, Ky. –&amp;nbsp;In just over the two-year minimum it takes to age straight bourbon, the number of Kentucky distilleries has tripled, according to a economic impact survey released Tuesday.</p> <p>That's just one of the major findings of the survey that puts more analysis behind what's obvious to anyone outside of a temperance league — the bourbon business is booming in Kentucky.</p>

<p><span style="font-family:georgia; font-size:18px">Hunting season nears, not only for wild game but the rarer prey of domestic small-batch whiskey. In a matter of weeks, the frenzied search for that most American of spirits and elusive of brands will begin anew.</span></p>

<p>One of my favorite things about autumn is that it's the perfect time to transition from bright summertime cocktails to sturdy brown spirits. I prefer Scotch and Irish whiskies, but Pittsburgh is quite clearly a bourbon town, and that's just fine.</p> <p>Butcher and the Rye got a nice first-anniversary present when...</p>

<div>Whether you call them mixologists or bar chefs these days, bartenders are returning to their roots and making classic cocktails like Manhattans and Old-Fashioned once again. That couldn’t delight Wild Turkey’s legendary Master Distiller&amp;nbsp;Jimmy Russell more.&amp;nbsp;

Savvy whiskey sippers have learned that many small-batch, locally made spirits are neither. And now these drinkers are demanding truth in advertising. Iowa’s popular Templeton Rye, which became the poster child for poseur micro-distilled booze this summer after reports surfaced that the company uses a rye whiskey from a large Indiana plant. In August, Templeton officials admitted to using the stock rye, which it marketed as...

Know Your Whiskey Stein Distillery Straight Bourbon Stein Distillery was started in Joseph, Oregon in 2009. They make three different American whiskeys, rum, vodka, and fruit cordials. The three whiskeys are all distilled and bottled in Joseph using ingredients found in Oregon. The bourbon is 80 proof and aged for three years. Oregon Spirit Distillers C.W. Irwin Straight Bourbon C.W. Irwin is distilled and bottled by Oregon...

BOZEMAN – A Tennessee organic chemist and a Montana farmer's daughter fell in love. All the way back to when he was dating Kristy Moeller, Philip Sullivan started eyeing her dad's cornfield and scheming with her brother Matt. Now the Moeller family's corn, grown in Corvallis, is turned into Montannassee Corn White Lightning at Wildrye Distilling of Bozeman, one of the newest distilleries in what's developing as the epicenter...

<p>LOUISVILLE -- The long-rumored whiskey tourism project at the heart of <a href="http://www.courier-journal.com/story/money/2014/09/25/whiskey-row-proje…; title="http://www.courier-journal.com/story/money/2014/09/25/whiskey-row-proje… Louisville's historic Whiskey Row block is a rumor no more.</a></p>

<p>Three Portland bars, Multnomah Whiskey Library, Pope House and Produce Row (sic), made the cut for&amp;nbsp;<em>The Bourbon Review's</em>&amp;nbsp;<a href="http://gobourbon.com/americas-best-bourbon-bars-2014/&quot; target="_blank">60 Best Bourbon bars in America</a>.&amp;nbsp;</p> <p>Winning criteria for the bars was "simple," Justin Thompson of <em>The Bourbon Review</em> said.&amp;nbsp;</p>

<p>Although bourbon belongs to the state of Kentucky, Atlantans aren’t shy about tipping a glass toward this Southern brown liquor. September is recognized by the U.S. Senate as National Bourbon Heritage Month. <em>Bar manager Jeff Banks of Graft Restaurant</em> in Grayson shares the history of bourbon.</p>

<p>This month's release of Four Roses 2014 Limited Edition Small Batch offers fans of the Bourbon distiller a bump up in output from recent special releases, with 11,200 bottles hitting the market.</p>

<p><strong>AN Australian whisky being named the best single malt at the prestigious World Whisky Awards in London this year has sparked more interest in whisky in Australia. </strong></p> <p>Following the win by Sullivans Cove French Oak Cask, whisky drinkers are starting to catch on to the domestic distilleries that have been earning international recognition since 2010.</p>

<p>After a lifetime in the bourbon business, Fred Noe is contemplating his legacy. The master distiller of Beam Suntory, America’s largest bourbon maker, plans to distill a legacy bourbon late this year or early next year, one of the initial stages as Noe—the great-grandson of founder James Beam—prepares to ease into retirement.</p>

<p>Buffalo Trace Distillery donated a total of $75,000 to 20 local organizations in Frankfort and Franklin County at a ceremony held Sept. 4 in the Elmer T. Lee Clubhouse.</p> <p>As part of its annual “Contribution to the Community,” the distillery honored organizations that have helped make a difference and improve the local quality of life by hosting a Mardi Gras-themed reception.</p>

That local liquor from the distillery down the road might not be so local. Chances are the brown liquor comes from industrial factories in Indiana, Kentucky or Tennessee and the vodka comes from large ethanol producers. Those factories churn out millions of gallons of hooch every year, and they feed the nation's exploding craft distilling industry. Ever wonder how a brand-new distiller is offering 8-year-old whiskey? It is...

Twenty years ago the American whiskey industry was in dire straits. Scotch, particularly single malts, ruled the whiskey world. Vodka, just like today, was the planet’s most popular spirit. Bourbon was more popular outside the U.S. than at home. Distilleries were closing, production was way down, and the future was bleak.

Soaring popularity of bourbon is creating shortages for fans of the smooth drink. The whiskey named after a long-ago French royal family is primarily distilled in Kentucky and by federal law can only be made in the United States. This corn-based spirit is in increased demand and that popularity is leading to decreased availability, particularly of some very coveted bourbons.

From 1883 to 1918, the Buffalo Distilling Company produced various hard liquors under brand names like “Old Colonial Rye Malt” and “Golden Grain Whiskey” from its facility at Pratt and William streets in Buffalo. It was one of only a handful of distillers in the entire state, the majority of which were located in Buffalo—where corn, wheat, and rye from the Midwest arrived on Great Lakes steamers for storage in our massive grain...

BROOKLYN, N.Y., Jan. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a letter from Widow Jane founder Daniel Preston: When Widow Jane decided to try its hand at crafting Bourbons, it started by identifying its goal: Produce the finest Bourbons and whiskeys, sparing no expenses, cutting no corners, making no compromises, using no genetically modified corns, grains, yeasts, or enzymes.

While microbreweries have boomed in Minnesota, entrepreneurs and drinkers state-wide have been slower to get into another craft craze: spirits. Now, thanks to a 2011 law change and a host of passionate micro-distillers, Minnesota is about to catch up. Our cover story this week looks at what to expect from the upcoming crop of local spirits. Here's your roundup of where, and when, to find them. 1. Norseman Distillery

Headframe Spirits in Butte can now brag that their bourbon is award winning. A national competition called 'The 50 Best' compares bourbons. Headframe Spirits owner John McKee told us he found out Wednesday morning that their "Neversweat" bourbon whiskey won a gold medal. He said the Neversweat bourbon is a special tribute to Butte. "When they pick up the bottle they don't just learn about the whiskey, they learn about us as...

Here's something to look for that's both old and brand new. It's called Medley Brothers Bourbon. It is from Charles Medley and his son, Sam, who have been producing Wathen's Single Barrel for about 15 years now. Charles is the son of Wathen Medley, who is second from the right on the label above.

Dallas Distilleries, a little whiskey distiller nestled in a forlorn Garland industrial patch, has gotten off to a great start with its brand new Herman Marshall Texas Bourbon Whiskey. The spirit earned a silver medal earlier this year in the straight bourbon category at the prestigious, blind-tasted American Distilling Institute 7th Annual Judging of Artisan American Spirits.

If there’s just one thing I take away from my conversation with Louisville, Kentucky, historian Michael Veach, it’s that there is no wrong way to drink bourbon.

As the resident New Mexican on staff at HuffPost Taste, I do my best to tout the many things my home state does best when it comes to eating and drinking. Our green chile is second to none. Our sopapillas are the stuff of dreams. I did not realize we were jumping into bourbon, until I stumbled upon Don Quixote Distillery's Blue Corn Bourbon Whiskey. This Los Alamos-based distillery is situated in the gorgeous, quiet Jemez...

Colorado has been known as a beer-brewing mecca for years, and recently that trend has shifted to micro distilleries. In early 2011 the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau had issued 18 distilling permits in Colorado. In November, Wood’s High Mountain Distillery in Salida received the 38th permit in the state.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the marvelous mixtures being served at our mighty local bars and lounges that we forget that the ingredients being mixed are often great by themselves, too. To narrow down what particular cocktail ingredients are worth trying solo, I asked a few local bar stars for suggestions in their own words. I also added one of my own. Black Walnut Bourbon Liqueur Nik Virrey (Liberty) From Dancing Pines...

A plane-flying electrical engineer and a Morris County lawyer with a passion for roller derby get together, searching for a new career direction. Their conclusion: let's make rum. If that sounds like something cooked up over a few too many drinks, the outcome is as real as a bottle of Bacardi: New Jersey's Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control has granted its first distilling license since the agency was created in 1934, in...

Quincy Street Distillery: This craft distillery has had a shop since October at 39 E. Quincy St. in Riverside, but its spirits will soon be available at other Illinois stores, too. “We just signed our Illinois distribution contract for our spirits with Midwest Wine &amp; Spirits,” owner Derrick Mancini says. Quincy Street's small-batch spirits include Water Tower White Lightning Whiskey and Old No. 176 Gin. The distillery's website...

Barely a month from its launch, Tatoosh Distillery's bourbon has arrived in some top Seattle-area cocktail lounges and restaurants, partly by stressing its Northwest roots. The company's founders are local, but their vision is global. “The Asian market could be considered an emerging market for American bourbons,” Chief Operating Officer Troy Turner said.

It would seem to be difficult to go wrong with a whiskey named Most Righteous Bourbon. And, so far no one has. Catskill Distilling Company‘s bourbon of that name has just earned a gold medal in a tasting competition held by The Fifty Best, an online guide, among 19 different bourbons. That honor comes on the heels of four-star ratings awarded in December by F. Paul Pacult’s prestigious Spirit Journal for both Most Righteous...

THE indispensable ingredient in great whiskey is time: years of aging and mellowing in casks. But in the world of craft whiskey, a growing number of distillers are unwilling to wait that long. With a range of new technologies and techniques — smaller barrels, ultrasound machines, pressure chambers — they can put on the shelf in a matter of months, if not weeks, whiskeys that they say compare to ones matured for three to five...

It is official, bourbon production has returned to Maysville and Mason County with the opening of The Old Pogue Distillery. Although the original buildings and barrel house of the H.E. Pogue Distillery are no longer standing, the Ryan-Pogue family home on West Second Street has become the site of a small batch distillery that began operation one month ago. On Saturday, members of the Pogue family gathered for a dedication...

We can say "we knew them when..." The brilliant mad scientists at Corsair Artisan Distillery continue to garner recognition and acclaim from the national spirits community. They were recently the subject of a "Whiskeys on the Wild Side" article in Wine Spectator magazine, which featured their Triple Smoke along with some other wacky experimental whiskeys. But where they really shined was at the recent American Distilling...

Twelve sixty-gallon barrels of corn mash sit in a Richmond warehouse. The mash will soon be transferred to a large copper still and made into whiskey. No, moonshiners are not making a comeback. The mash is part of the process for a licensed operation in Richmond that makes small-batch whiskey. Reservoir Distillery partners and childhood friends David Cuttino and Jay Carpenter, both 38, are almost ready to make their line of...

J.P. Trodden, a new Woodinville-based craft distiller, is about to start production on a bourbon-style whiskey. To qualify as a bourbon [this should read "straight bourbon," see comments for details], whiskey has to be made in the United States from at least 51 percent corn and aged for at least two years in New American oak barrels. In other words, you won’t be tasting J.P. Trodden whiskey for some time.