When it comes to the history of American whiskey, there is no more important topic than that of the Whiskey Trust. In fact, American whiskey history should probably be divided […]
Why Are the Insides of Whiskey Barrels Charred?
Occum’s razor basically proposes that the simplest explanation is most likely the right one…That it’s best to avoid the more elaborate explanation when possible. While the principle doesn’t always hold […]
Pre-Prohibition Distillers of Pennsylvania
I have spent the last few years researching and cataloging information on nearly 200 distilleries that produced rye whiskey across Pennsylvania before 1920. The information about Pennsylvania’s distilling history along […]
Does Terroir Influence Whiskey?
When a wine maker talks about what sets his/her wine apart from others, you can be sure terroir will be a part of their explanation. Terroir is “the complete natural […]
Let’s Talk Bourbon and Tulips…
Let’s talk bourbon and tulips. I popped into the Philadelphia Art Museum recently to browse an exhibition and found myself wandering the European Art wing. One of the historically reconstructed […]
New Distilleries in Pennsylvania
The American Whiskey Convention in Philadelphia was a bit of an inspiration for me to spend a bit more time discussing the boom in whiskey distilling here in Pennsylvania. The […]
Whiskey and Technology
Has technology in whiskey production taken anything away from American whiskey? So much of the growth of whiskey production in this country has been wrapped up in innovation and technology. […]
Lets Hear It For The Maltsters!
One of the most amazing steps in making whiskey is the one of the first steps and is often overlooked in its importance. The first step is farming the grain, […]
What is Triticale Whiskey?
We know that whiskey is made from grain. A lot of new micro-distillers, in an effort to try something new and set themselves apart, are creating interesting artisanal whiskeys with […]
What is a Sour Mash Whiskey?
So what is sour mash whiskey anyway? The term sour mash gets thrown around a lot, but it’s really just a technique used in making whiskey. It is not particular […]