Bourbon is booming statewide, and for Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky’s capital so are the numbers of visitors coming to learn about it. Buffalo Trace Distillery experienced tourism growth last year, hosting 201,491 guests. The number, up from last year’s visitor total of 170,587, is a sharp increase from the approximate 52,000 visitors in 2010, according to a news release from the...

The Maker's Mark bourbon distillery, a national landmark in Loretto, Ky., started producing bourbon in the 1950s, but the Samuels family that makes it has a colorful history that goes farther back, and somehow involves Colonel Sanders, Abraham Lincoln, Jesse James, George Washington and two Archbishops of Canterbury.Maker's Mark is still steered by the Samuels family, although it is...

When faced with the question "what's your poison?" in a cocktail bar, it's likely that your response has been along the lines of "something with an elderflower twist", "anything with a bourbon base", or "a classic Old Fashioned, please". It's probably never been "what have you got with gravy?". This could all be about to change, thanks to KFC and its rediscovery of the "stocktail", a savoury ...

Bardstown Bourbon Company announced today that Castle Brands Inc., the maker of Jefferson’s Bourbon, has joined BBCo’s Collaborative Distilling Program. Castle Brands will work together with BBCo to produce custom Bourbon and whiskey for the Jefferson’s Bourbon portfolio. BBCo and Jefferson’s will begin their first distillation this year. Through BBCo’s distilling program, Castle Brands will...

When people try Maple Craft Foods’ bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup for the first time and taste the all-natural sweetness of the Vermont syrup layered with subtle smoke and caramel flavors imparted by aging in bourbon barrels, their reactions are often visceral, Dave Ackert says. Watching new fans “ooh” and “ah” their way through this tasting is the best part of the job for Ackert, who owns the...

Jeptha Creed Distillery is located in Shelby County, Kentucky within sight of the I-64 expressway. It was created on the 64 acre family farm where they grow their own corn for their whiskeys. It is the brainchild of Joyce and Autumn Nethery, a mother and daughter team who are creating some very innovative products while aging their Bourbon. To start with they are growing Bloody Butcher corn...

With the way social media permeates everything these days, the bourbon boom is front and center 24-hours a day, if you want it to be. Like many of us, I follow several bourbon groups on a variety of social media platforms. The constant onslaught of information and opinions can be overwhelming at times. I’m sure I’m not the only who sees some of this stuff and says “Wait, what?”...

It’s that time of the year when we’ve all been inside a little too long. As soon as we have that first nice day you’re going to want to get outside and enjoy the first front porch cigar of the season. You were probably gifted a few special cigars for the Holidays, so it’s time to break them out and celebrate living through another polar vortex. But what kind of bourbon should you pair them with? Here’s a pairing guide for...

In September of 2016, rapper Drake launched bourbon whiskey brand Virginia Black along with Brent Hocking, the entrepreneur behind DeLeón Tequila. Now Drake wants to take the brand public, but in a somewhat unconventional way: through crowdfunding. The brand plans to offer shares of the company through a Regulation A+ offering, crowdsourced fundraising enabled during the Obama era, the Financial Times reports...

Three reasons to grab a hot toddy this week: 1. Even though it could be a whole lot colder this time of year, it’s not exactly summer out there, and a toddy will warm you up. 2. The hot bourbon and honey combo is a cold and flu cure-all. Or, at least that’s what we choose to believe. Don’t correct us. 3. Jan. 11 is National Hot Toddy Day! Below, some of our favorite spots to warm up and celebrate this glorious occasion...

Rowan’s Creek Bourbon is bottled at Kentucky Bourbon Distillers and has been an important brand in their portfolio for decades. It is unknown as to where the whiskey was produced and in fact it could have been produced at multiple distilleries as KBD has had access to whiskey from pretty much every major distillery for years. They have been known to batch together whiskey from two or more distilleries...

November 5th is National Donut Day, but here at The Bourbon Review we’re celebrating year round. We’ve taken a selection of pastries from our favorite local donut shop, North Lime Coffee & Donuts, and matched them with the Bourbons we love best. While those outside of our hometown of Lexington, Kentucky may not be able to pick up these exact pairings, every pairing has a third option...

Nestled in between salty peanuts and a cold beer, a candle flickers in a dive bar. A candle! What is that thing doing there? I rub my hand along the bar’s edge. Gone were the familiar sticky spots. The original lacquer felt smooth to the touch. Hey, what’s going on here? Why aren’t my soles making peeling sounds when I walk? And where’s the occasional peanut shell crunch?...

There is something new to do when you visit Kentucky, drink vintage spirits. Kentucky's Vintage Spirits Law is just a few days old, but I've been working on my personal wish list. These are all whiskeys I have had at some point and would like to have again. Where I have indicated a label, that wording identifies the distillery where the whiskey I tasted was made, to distinguish it from other versions of...

I was standing in an empty Kentucky Kroger parking lot as the sun was setting on Christmas Eve night, five years ago, taking stock of my situation. We don’t get to choose our family, especially when we marry into one, but that night my wife, her siblings and I were inside the only open grocery store for 10 miles, shopping for a replacement meal to one of the most sacred nights in a calendar year. The previous hour was not...

The earliest mention I know of about charring barrels to age whiskey is at the Filson Historical Society in the Corliss-Respess Family Papers. It dates from July of 1826 and tells John Corliss that if he will burn or char the inside of the barrel it will improve the whiskey. Charred barrels are a relatively new concept for aging whiskey. Barrels date back to the early medieval days and are often referred to as the medieval...

Kentucky Artisan Distillery started to make the Bourbon Bill and I want to bottle for Jack Rose in DC. Rosemary and I met Maggie out at the distillery on December 27th. Unfortunately Bill is not in town for this part of the project. They are making this Bourbon to our specifications. It is 60% Hickory Cane white corn. This is an heirloom variety of corn that MY Dad’s family still grow down in Barren County today...

Set in a rugged, relatively remote part of Oregon surrounded by snow-capped volcanoes in the Cascade Range, it’s not surprising that Bend-area distilleries like Cascade Street Distilling take inspiration from their scenic surroundings. The brother and sister team who founded the Sisters-based company a few years ago reportedly took their inspiration from a mountain-view landscape painting their...

Bourbon has never been more popular than it is right now. This definitive guide of the best bourbons of 2018 explores everything you need to know about America’s favorite brown spirit, including important terminology, the politics of pricing and, of course, a list of the best bottles you can actually find at your local liquor store...

On January 1, Kentucky’s new ‘Vintage Spirits Law’ took effect. The new law (actually, revisions to the commonwealth’s existing alcoholic beverage statute) says, “A person holding a license to sell distilled spirits by the drink or by the package at retail may sell vintage distilled spirits purchased from a nonlicensed person upon written notice to the department in accordance with administrative regulations promulgated...

It’s long been an open secret that a lot of “craft” distilleries buy and bottle whiskey from an Indiana factory called Midwest Grain Products (MGP). You only need flip over a bottle and see “Distilled in Lawrenceburg, IN” to know who is doing it. Often it’s because the distillery’s own whiskey is still aging, and the company needs something to sell during the years of maturation. Dozens of brands offer hundreds...

The craft and art of whiskey-making has always involved a degree of looking backwards; the drink itself is an expression of captured aging – a history experienced in each sip. You can’t seem to separate the making of a new whiskey from the history of the process, the history of the maker, and the history of the location in which the spirit is distilled. As an example of this, you need look...

To start the new year right, let’s put to bed the ‘Is Jack Daniel’s bourbon?’ argument once and for all. Jack Daniel’s is not bourbon. That is the correct answer. Although it is made almost exactly like bourbon, and pretty much tastes like bourbon, Jack Daniel’s is a little bit different so its makers prefer to call it Tennessee whiskey. That is all true; undisputed, in fact...

“The only correct way to drink bourbon is often, and without spilling it,” explained our guide at Angel’s Envy distillery in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. It was one of the many witticisms that poured out of our tour guides during a three-day, full-immersion into the world of bourbon whiskey. I was there with my friend Paul, whom I’ve known for over 30 years. Our whiskey-tasting trek...

Classic with a twist: That describes both the Lion's Tail cocktail and the new Velvet Buck restaurant unveiled recently at the St. Regis Aspen Resort. Though the bar pours cocktails aged in petite oak barrels (Boulevardier or Rumhattan, the flavors of each mellowed over a month or more), this spin on a lemony whiskey sour will roar good riddance to 2017. Here the Lion's Tail — a 1930s-era quaff crafted using...

his recipe was adapted from food52.com and combines the classic chai latte with espresso (making it “dirty”) and bourbon, which morphs it from latte to toddy. It’s guaranteed to kick off your 2018 right...

If you’re anything like us, you’re going to be enjoying an alcoholic beverage (or six) this New Years Eve. Obviously, when the ball drops in Times Square (or wherever you live) and Anderson Cooper, Ryan Seacrest, or your local newscaster chants his or her way into 2018, you’re going to be sipping on some tasty bubbly. But before that, roundabout the time when Mariah Carey is lip syncing her way into the new year...

This brand dates back to the late 1940s when Julian Van Winkle wanted to reach out to the market that still remembered purchasing whiskey from a barrel at a liquor store or saloon. It was called then Weller Original Barrel Proof, had a seven year age statement and was bottled at the proof it came out of the barrel at 110 proof. A few years later the decision was made to bottle it at barrel entry proof of 107...

So the silly season is over, but what do you do with all that leftover ham? Here are a few ideas to help you keep things interesting in the ham department, with not a sandwich in sight...

The world of rye whiskey, as we saw recently in Scotland and England, is no longer limited to just American and Canadian expressions. It is truly becoming a global type of whiskey, and now one distillery in Finland specializing in using rye grains has debuted its first rye whisky. Kyrö Distillery, housed in an old dairy in the somewhat remote Finnish village of Isokyrö, has so far made a name for itself...

This past November I celebrated my twelfth year of living in Portland, where The Whiskey Wash is based. (This wasn’t a factor in my decision to move, but it might figure into my choice to continue to stick around.) Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to review some close-to-home products, such as Westward and Westland. And now, I’m excited to add 2bar to that list...

No matter how you choose to remember the year 2017, it’s been a banner 12-month run for drinking connoisseurs. Here, we’ve collected a sampling of liquors that came into the world this year—spirits that are either delightfully delicious, distractingly daring, or both. If you’re looking for some fresh ideas to start off 2018, each bottle on this list is worthy of an unforgettable investigation...

As you likely gear up for flying to some destination this holiday season to vacation or visit loved ones, some of you will be heading through the Louisville, Kentucky airport. This gateway to the famed bourbon country has many amenities beyond the security gate for those heading home afterwards, but until of late it lacked one thing which seemed like a no brainer – bottles of bourbon for sale. That’s just changed...

I’m pretty sure Mayor Greg Fischer has been pacing around his office the last few weeks, wringing his hands and sweating in nervous anticipation. Would the Bar Belle deliver her annual Christmas list of the best Old Fashioneds in town? Could she? Should she? Of course she would, could and should — what else is there to give a mayor who has everything...

Are you a fan of Christmas, dessert and alcohol? Well, you're in luck. Celebrity caterer Andrea Correale, of Elegant Affairs Catering in Glen Cove, has created five boozy cocktails, inspired by classic Christmas desserts, that you can make at home during your holiday celebrations. Here are the recipes, courtesy of Correale...

Bourbon and food have been paired together for as long as bourbon has been around, yet many consumers aren't sure which kinds of bourbons go best with which kinds of foods. While most people, of course, could tell you that red wine goes well with steaks and white wine with fish, fewer people have a sense of whiskey and food-pairing rules. Fortunately, there aren't rules, or any long-standing...

Mac and Cheese is perhaps the quintessential kids food, but for me, my first experience with the iconic blue and orange box was after leaving home for college. The college years are a time for experimentation for most kids, and for me, I delved into the world of frozen dinners and sugary snacks that my mother would never buy. It didn’t take long for me to realize most of these things didn’t taste all that great...

Virginia is in many ways the true birthplace of American whiskey. As we let that sink in, note that Kentucky will always be known as America’s preeminent whiskey destination. But its eastern neighbor is giving it a run for its money. Virginia distilleries bottle some of the best American whiskeys available today, and, more surprisingly, its whiskey heritage actually predates Kentucky’s...

The Bardstown Bourbon Company (BBCo) and Copper & Kings American Brandy Company (C&K) took the bourbon world by storm with the release of Collabor&tion, two distinct products made with 10-year-old straight bourbon whiskey—one finished in Copper & Kings’ American Brandy barrels and the other in Muscat Mistelle barrels, for more than 18 months in the Copper & Kings basement maturation cellar...

Imagine our surprise when we made a stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail for our Buffalo Trace distillery tour in Frankfort and met our tour guide from … wait for it … Philadelphia. With a southern drawl and a warm, welcoming smile, the tour guide seemed every bit like a local at first glance. We totally assumed that he was born and bred in Kentucky until he dropped the bomb that not only was...

As the trend of microbreweries, craft distilleries, and reclaiming old buildings become ever more popular with no limits in sight, The Depot Craft Brewery & Distillery in Reno, Nevada, has doubled down and done all three. Opened on Dec. 31, 2014, after a year of renovation by the owners, this restaurant, brewery and distillery is housed in an old train depot...

Why do winter cocktails have to be so damn wintery? I don't need seven sticks of cinnamon, half a holly tree, or a metric ton of cloves to entice me to drink booze in the winter. I don't need mulling spices or liqueur that tastes like cookies. I need something strong, with the same comforting effect of warming cold toes in front of the fireplace—without the added artificial spice....

<div> <p>The cinnamon stick gives this classic holiday libation its signature flavor and adding fresh ginger to the mix just take this warming drink to the next level...&amp;nbsp;</p> <div>&amp;nbsp;

There's a lot to know when it comes to drinking whisky. Whether it's deciding whether or not to have ice, what brand to buy, or simply knowing the difference between whisky and whiskey, there's a lot behind enjoying a glass of scotch, bourbon, or rye. Business Insider spoke to Ewan Gunn, whisky master for the global drinks giant Diageo, which produces mass-market brands...

The Triple S Planning Commission in Shelby County will hold a public meeting on Tuesday as commissioners consider the development plan of another new distillery proposed for the county. The plan calls for a 30,000-square-foot distillery on 184 acres of agriculturally zoned property near Waddy. Just south of Interstate-64 at Bardstown Trail and Buzzard Roost Road, the proposed facility would also feature a...

Rosemary Miller is a very wise woman. She has heard me answer the question “What is your favorite Bourbon?” so many times that she laughs about my answer of “Free Bourbon”. This started a discussion about the nature of tasting whiskey and begs the question can you ever really have a “favorite” Bourbon? Rosemary reasons that every time you taste a whiskey – Bourbon, rye, etc., it is the results of many other...

Your tree and halls are decked, your goose (or pork, or lamb, etc.) is ordered, and maybe even everyone on your gift list has been crossed off-or maybe, you've just entered full-blown Panic Mode after reading that sentence and realizing that Christmas really is just a few sleeps away. Either way, you could probably use a drink, and when the time finally comes to gather your loved ones together for a Christmas...

There’s a bonafide pretentiousness associated with the culture of whiskey drinking. So it shouldn’t be entirely surprising that two entrepreneurs are selling a special water devised to release “all of the flavor and aroma nuances of your favorite bourbon.” One plastic liter of Kentucky’s finest water, Old Limestone Mixing Water — “the official companion of Kentucky Bourbon” — retails for...

In time for the holiday season, Old Elk Distillery in Fort Collins, Colorado introduces its flagship Old Elk Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey and seasonal release Nooku Peppermint Bourbon Cream. Crafted by Master Distiller Greg Metze, Old Elk Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey features a signature mash bill that incorporates four times more malted barley than conventional recipes....

Diageo plans to build a $10 million visitors’ experience at the new Bulleit Distilling Company in Shelbyville. The 9,000-square-foot project, which was approved for $2.5 million in incentives from the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet on Wednesday, will have a tasting room, tours and more. “We thank the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet for their assistance through the...