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Presenting a very old, very rare American Light Whiskey, distilled in 1992 and bottled in extremely limited quantities, exclusively at Bitters & Bottles. Don't sleep on it.

We talk to people all the time who know they like American whiskey, but maybe don’t know exactly where to start. Sometimes they’ll know a few bottles they’ve tried and liked, sometimes they aren’t sure it’s Bourbon or Rye or a Single Malt they go for, and sometimes they just aren’t quite sure what whiskey is at all. That’s what we’re here for!

There is a persistent myth that has grown rampant in the world - that great bourbon and rye, the great treasures of the imbiber's New World, can only be made and barreled in a small fraction of the land of "amber waves of grain." But just like The Star Sprangled Banner, bourbon and rye, and all the wonderful in-betweens of American Whiskey, belong to no man, state or county. Learn more about our favorite Whiskies of the West.

Brandy may be scarce on many of today’s cocktail menus, but it’s really the OG spirit of classic cocktails, and we think it deserves a bit of a Renaissance. Brandies of various kinds were distilled throughout the American northeast before Whiskey was ever even dreamed up farther inland, fueling the livers of the revolution and eventually making some of the first cocktails. Old school drinks that we generally associate with whiskey, like an old fashioned or Sazerac, were originally made with brandy, before changing national tastes made American whiskey the barrel aged spirit du jour.

Plantation has long been known for their uncanny ability to source incredible rums, releasing them in both blends or single varietals for aficionado and layman alike. In 2018 we are fortunate to get a new addition to their permanent line up with the Xaymaca (pronounced zay-muck-uh) Special Dry release.

The Lemorton family is one of the most notable and unique producers of Calvados, having been growing apples and pears and producing brandies from them in Normandy for generations. On a recent trip to the area, I got to visit with them, take in the sights, smells, and tastes, and discover just what makes this traditional, family made spirit so special.

Recently we've been fans of simple cocktails - just look at Melissa's incredibly fun and practical post on "no math" cocktails. Complex and elaborate cocktails will always have a special place in our hearts, but sometimes something that's quick and easy is just the ticket. But that doesn't mean that we can't expect a lot out of our simple cocktails! Quite the opposite - simple but uncompromising cocktails is one of out favorite challenges. 

This three part primer is a spirited introduction to the oldest grape distillate in the Americas, pisco. Part 1 defines pisco, then explores its origins and historical connection to San Francisco, before covering its presence around the world. Part 2 takes a look at pisco’s grape varietals and producing regions, then describes the distillation process, all of which give pisco its unique taste and terroir. Part 3 provides guidelines for selecting the right pisco for your (home) bar, reviews four classic pisco cocktails, and gives recommendations for making your own pisco cocktails.

Getting back into rum production after a 45 year hiatus, the Worthy Park distillery first began releasing rum again under the Rum-Bar label in Jamaica in 2007. Although the US has gotten hints of what they've been up to through independent bottlers (if you've had Hamilton Jamaican, The Funk, or Doctor Bird, you've had Worthy Park), the company was waiting for their first premium bottling to mature before they made their official debut.

What the hell is brandy anyway?

The most common kind of brandy, and what most people are talking about when they say brandy, is produced from grapes, and is often aged in barrels, though not always. The grapes are picked younger than is usual for table wine production, making a more acidic and less sugary white wine, which is then distilled into an eau de vie, or unaged brandy, before generally going into oak barrels.

I recently had an epiphany. A customer asked how he could easily increase the number of cocktails in his home bar repertoire but still genuinely wow his friends. I started to write out a list of my favorite recipes and quickly noticed a pattern emerging. It hit me: all the drinks I make on a regular basis, at least the way I make them, use absolutely no fractions. Not necessarily equal parts but whole parts. Keeping things simple allows me to whip up stylish drinks without a lot of fuss.

While there aren’t exactly any definitive laws that say a cocktail must be shaken or stirred, there are a lot of damn good reasons why some drinks are mixed one way and not the other. Let’s break it down.