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 […]
What defines whisk(e)y?
So what determines what whisk(e)y is anyway? Government laws and regulations do. They have changed over the years, but as whiskey becomes a larger contributor to government budgets (through taxes) […]
Herman Melville’s Rye Whiskey Reference
Today is the day that Herman Melville’s Moby Dick was published by New York’s Harper and Brothers in 1851. There is a reference in the book that connects whiskey to […]
What is the Difference Between a Flavored Whiskey and a Liqueur?
I was just speaking to a bartender that wanted to know the difference between flavored whiskey and liqueur. Hopefully, by now, most of us are aware that Southern Comfort (made […]
There Were No “Old” American Whiskeys Before 1958…
Picture the whiskey industry after WWII. The few distilleries that remained after prohibition had been successful with pulling themselves out of a whiskey drought by producing massive amounts of young […]
Proof of Proof? History of Proof vs. ABV
Did you know that “proof” of alcohol content used to be proven with gunpowder? The term proof probably originated in the 16th century. Soldiers had no tools to determine whether […]
Is Distilling Illegal? Yes.
Is distilling legal if you’re just making it for personal consumption? NO. It is very much ILLEGAL. I get these questions a lot. Why would they sell stills smaller than […]
John Glaser of Compass Box
We all know what happens when you insert Scots-Irish folks into American whiskey production. Great American whiskey, of course. But what would happen if you insert an American into Scotch […]
Bourbon is Not Scotch…
Bourbon is not Scotch. Silly and obvious, I know, but after reading an article where a man was blasting bourbon distilleries for removing age statements, I feel it must be […]
To “E” Or Not To “E”…
The spelling of the word whiskey is somehow an argument… I’ve been asked this question many times, “What is the correct spelling of whiskey?” There is no correct spelling. It […]