Patrick "Pops" Garrett

Founder and Chief Drinking Officer of Bourbon & Banter. I've been drinking, writing, and arguing about bourbon professionally since 2011.

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Virtual Tasting

Replay: Barrell Craft Spirits Virtual Tasting

Industry News

The Neck Pour Debate Might Be Over—Thanks to a New Packaging Innovation

“There’s a lot of interest in premium bourbon, but not everyone wants to hunt or pay secondary prices. A format like this gives people a legitimate way to engage with the brand.”

This Round's Mine

Before Bourbon & Banter, There Was Bourbon Club

October 2008 to now is nearly a third of my life. That's a weird sentence to sit with. A joke about Don Draper's bar cart set off a chain of events that became a business, a community, a podcast, a content platform, tastings across the country, and whatever comes next.

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HQ Update

HQ Update: 2nd time's a charm?

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Virtual Tasting

Replay: Michter's Virtual Tasting

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This Round's Mine

Your High-Proof Habit Might Be Wrecking Your Palate

This Round's Mine

Fourteen Years of Not Selling Out

So tonight, wherever you are and whatever's in your glass — raise it. We made it fourteen years. That deserves at least a few pours.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Strange Raven 6-Year: A Bourbon Worth Paying Attention To

Compared to many of the sourced NDP releases launched over the last six months, this is one of the better ones I've tasted.

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Annual Summit

Save the Date: The 2026 Bourbon & Banter Summit

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This Round's Mine

What the Four Roses Sale Actually Means

This isn't a disaster. It's not a guarantee of greatness either. Gallo has the resources and distribution muscle to make Four Roses bigger. Whether they make it better depends on how much they meddle.

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After Hours

Is this really the voice of reason?

So, in an effort to prove the critics wrong—or possibly confirm their suspicions—we decided to run an experiment. What happens if we intentionally include a voice of reason in our video tasting reviews?

Breaking Boundaries or Garanimals for Drinkers?

Love it or hate it, this redesign opens up a bigger conversation about bourbon branding, usability, and how whiskey companies are trying to stand out in a market that’s only getting louder.

Rye Whiskey Reviews

Detroit City Distillery’s Homegrown Rye Seriously Caught Me Off Guard

A rye I didn’t see coming. Detroit City Distillery’s Homegrown Rye surprised the hell out of me, and I break down why in this video review. If you like discovering new bottles, this one’s for you. 🥃

Industry News

An Interview with Chuck Cowdery: Made and Bottled in Kentucky

Chuck covers a lot of ground here: why the documentary came together, how bourbon storytelling has changed over the years, and why accuracy still matters—especially now.

31 Days of Rye Challenge

Why Go Dry When You Can Go Rye?

At the same time, we have watched Dry January grow in popularity. And to be clear, if taking a month off drinking is the right choice for you, we fully support that. No arguments here. But we kept coming back to one simple question...

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Virtual Tasting

Replay: Bourbon & Banter Holiday Blind Tasting & Trivia Gauntlet

Annual Summit

Tours, tastings, bottle shares and BBQ highlight Bourbon & Banter ’25 Summit

Surely no one came to bourbon musing there would someday be drinkers like them; lovers of bourbon who want to see it made, meet the people who make it and then drink it with friends new and old. But that, in a nutshell, describes Bourbon Banter’s third-annual Summit.

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Virtual Tasting

Replay: 10th Mountain Distillery Virtual Tasting

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BITB Club

Replay: BDC Live Tasting #16

Our sixteenth Blinkd Drinkers Club (BDC) Live Tasting of the Year was held this past Monday. This month's tasting included samples illustrating the growing trend of multi-brand blending, craft distilleries finally coming of age, and a reminder that heritage distillers can create new products for the market that

Podcast

Ramble On: The 2025 Summit Podcast Special Edition

This wasn’t an “anniversary episode.” No balloons, no confetti, no commemorative T-shirt order (yet…). Just a damn good conversation fueled by great whiskey and even better company.

Ingram Distillery

Ingram Distillery Announces Floating Barrelhouse Built From Salvaged SS Edmund Fitzgerald

Once completed, The SS Edmund Fitzgerald Barrelhouse will host guided tastings, overnight berths, and what Ingram calls a “nautical proofing program,” where barrels experience the constant temperature swings of Lake Superior’s famously unforgiving climate.

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Virtual Tasting

Replay: J. Henry & Sons Virtual Tasting

Podcast

Bourbon & Banter Podcast #39 – Gitche Gumee Cometh

The biggest and most honest podcast in all of bourbon is back — this time live and in person (and we've got the video to prove it). That’s right, Pops and Bob are finally sharing a mic and a room again, kicking off fall with full pours, fresh rants, and faces made for radio.

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BITB Club

Replay: BDC Live Tasting #15

Our fifteenth Blind Drinkers Club (BDC) Live Tasting was held a little over a week ago. This month's dark and disturbing tasting kits included a variety of samples providing a fantastic range of expressions, including budget-friendly bottles and pricier, hard-to-find new releases. As always, hanging out with everyone

Bottle of the Day

BOTD Spotlight: Michter's US★1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon

If you’re on the quest to complete the 30 Days of Bourbon Challenge, Michter’s US★1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon is a no-brainer addition to your lineup.