Banter Happy 4th of July! Bourbon & Banter would like to wish everyone a very safe and Happy 4th of July.
Banter Bourbon Flavor Wheel Tasting Mat Just a quick post today to let everyone know that we’ve created a new page where you can download the Bourbon & Banter bourbon flavor wheel for free along with a variety of bourbon tasting mats for your personal use.
Heads & Tails Heads & Tails: Why The Hell Not Edition Testing out a new weekly feature on the blog today. Every week we receive a lot of press releases and updates from across the whiskey industry and beyond.
Banter The Ultimate Blind Rye Tasting If you’ve read any books on how the mind works, then you are well aware that we humans are excellent at being fooled and fooling ourselves. Case in point: many of you think you aren’t improperly influenced by a name, a catchy bottle design, or the story behind a whiskey.
Banter Bourbon & Banter & BBQ Playlist You’ve got your grill, your friends, and your bottles ready to go for the 4th of July. Now get your Bourbon & Banter & BBQ Playlist.
Events Michael Veach Visits Indianapolis Bourbon Society This past Monday evening I got to hear Michael Veach speak to the Bourbon Society of Indianapolis. Due to our proximity to Kentucky, we have had the opportunity to have some amazing guest speakers in our first year.
Cocktails Burnt Peach and Sage Bourbon Infusion Barbecue season is upon us, and if you’re looking for a cocktail recipe to accompany all that grilled meat, look no further than this burnt peach & sage bourbon infusion.
Cocktails Stay Cool with a Kentucky Mule Now that we are enveloped in the throws of summer and barbecue season is well underway, it is time to re-open discussions about what adult drinks of choice will complement the fare coming off the grill and keep you cool on the those hot, humid evenings on the back patio.
Banter I Have A Problem – But It’s Not What You Think I have a problem. I know what you’re thinking, but no, it isn’t a drinking problem. In fact, it might be just the opposite. I have “invested” a lot of effort over the years building my whiskey library. As of this writing, I have 57 Bourbons to enjoy.
Bourbon News Maker’s Mark Private Select Reimagines Barrel Selection Maker’s Mark is one of the most iconic bourbon brands of the modern age. Bill and Margie Samuels lead the way, post-prohibition, in bourbon marketing, tourism, and helping people outside of Kentucky rediscover quality bourbon.
Banter Are you celebrating National Bourbon Flag Day? Today is a pretty special day for all of us here at Bourbon & Banter. Not only is it Flag Day, but it’s National Bourbon Day. Yep, two holidays for the price of one you might say. And we think this special day calls for us to do something special for all of our loyal readers.
Banter Red, White and Gray: Realities of the Bourbon Market Jim Beam recently released its 13-year Booker’s limited rye with a suggested retail price of $300. For many long-term whiskey enthusiasts, this flashpoint was tantamount to a declaration of war. Who do they think they are? How dare they?
Distilleries Visiting the A. Smith Bowman Distillery “A. Smith Bowman Distillery Old Reston Avenue.” That is the title of this painting by Doris Kidder that has hung all winter, in the hall outside of our company office in Leesburg, VA.
Banter Freddie Johnson: Bourbon Superhero Buffalo Trace Distillery, run by the Sazerac company, is a distillery known around the world for their amazing bourbon portfolio, including Blanton’s, Eagle Rare, Pappy van Winkle, and many other fantastic labels.
Banter Meet Our Newest Bourbon & Banter Team Members As you may recall, several months ago we put out a Help Wanted post to recruit new writers for Bourbon & Banter and from that post, we welcomed a group of eight new writers. Almost three months later we’re excited to introduce another round of bourbon loving folks who will be regular contributors.
Banter Pack Your Bags!! We’re Going On A #Bourbonjourney Let me be the first to welcome you aboard the Bourbon Express!! Please step forward with your ticket and prepare yourselves for a fun, interactive experience as we explore one of America’s greatest treasures – BOURBON!
Distilleries Striped Pig Distillery Visit As many of us know, a few things are required to make a bourbon a bourbon: 51% corn, new charred oak barrels, minimum and maximum proofs, and time. For a new, fledgling distillery, time is not always on your side.
Gear News Whiskey Speech T-Shirt Today we’re introducing our newest t-shirt – Whiskey Speech. In 1952, Mississippi state representative, Noah S. “Soggy” Sweat, Jr., gave his infamous “Whiskey Speech” on the floor of the Mississippi state legislature concerning whiskey.
Banter Off the Roost with Wild Turkey A few weeks ago I received a message via our Facebook page from Jim Turlington. Jim’s a wildlife artist, photographer, researcher and commercial art designer who lives in Central Florida where he’s been creating art professionally since 1980.
Scotch Whisky Reviews Ardbeg Dark Cove Review May 28th 2016, better known as Ardbeg Day, or ‘Ardbeg Night’ as it will be called this year, is nearly upon us and whisky enthusiasts the world over are anxiously awaiting the official release of this year’s special commemorative bottling… Dark Cove.
Banter Marriott Bourbon Battles – The Fight Goes On On May 12, 2016, the second of five Bourbon Battles was waged Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront. While the first battle in Lexington was centered around Maker’s Mark, the Portland battle featured Brown-Forman’s higher end products.
Banter When It Comes To Bourbon: You Can’t Always Get What You Want You know the feeling. You hear from a buddy that ABC Liquor store got a case of Elmer T Lee. You drop what you are doing and rush to the store. Walking in you notice someone walking out with a square bottle in a brown paper bag.
Banter Why Ken Griffey Jr. May Be The Future of the Bourbon Industry Baseball season is back in full force, and my Chicago Cubs are looking pretty good. I have been a baseball fan for about three decades.
Bourbon Whiskey Reviews Blood Oath Pact 2 Review A little over a year ago, St. Louis-based Luxco debuted their first foray into the fast-growing premium bourbon category – Blood Oath Pact 1. As further evidence of their whiskey-fueled momentum, Luxco is releasing Blood Oath Pact 2, the sequel to last year’s Blood Oath Pact 1.
Cocktails Whiskey: A Spirited Story with 75 Classic and Original Cocktails Whiskey: A Spirited Story with 75 Classic and Original Cocktails by Michael Dietsch is, for me, that great book. It begins by defining whiskey in its myriad forms and includes the requisite “whiskey vs. whisky“ explanation.
