“This smooth cocktail starts with the high notes from the mandarin and the sweetness from the walnut and vermouth,” says mixologist and beverage director Christopher Wagner of New York City’s...

Many whisky drinkers prefer to try a small pour of something before committing to buying a whole bottle. That’s why WhiskyFest is perfect for the curious drinker. There are hundreds of whiskies to sample, including new releases that maj not have even made it to store shelves yet. (WhiskyFest is also a great time to revisit old favorites, or try highly rated whiskies you’ve never gotten around to tasting—like these top scotch and bourbon picks.)

WhiskyFest San Francisco 2017 will have plenty of new drams to taste, including some—like the unaged and barely-aged Tennessee whiskey being made by John Lunn and Allisa...

“Fall is my favorite time of the year for live music. The Empire Line cocktail is named for a song from the upcoming fall release from The National. The drink emulates the song with its depth and richness,” says Steva Casey, bartender at...

The Late Harvest, created by bartender Mario Salas of Nashville’s...

The Falling in Love cocktail combines spices with bourbon and fruit juices for a drink that tastes and looks like fall. “You get warming spices and robust flavors that help keep you warm, but also make you feel at home,” says creator Cody Goldstein, founder of...

“There’s nothing like sitting around a backyard and savoring the final moments of summer as we transition to the cooler evenings of fall,” says Jacyara de Oliveira, bar manager at Beatnik in Chicago. She created The Pandorica Opens to celebrate the joys of cooler weather. “The combination of smoke and apples in the base spirits here reminds me of campfires and apple picking.” Add the warming spices from Yellow Chartreuse and walnut liqueur, plus some nutty sherry to dry it all out, and this cocktail tastes like fall in a glass.

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An Apple a Day keeps the doctor away…or in this case keeps you warm and cozy. “This cocktail evokes memories of grandma’s baked apple pie, the crisp autumn air, burning leaves, and hayrides through the orchard,” says Allen Lancaster, master cocktail craftsman at...

Corn isn’t just for eating off the cob or running mazes—try it in this cocktail, created by Becky McFalls-Schwartz, beverage director at Bar Moga in New York City. “The corn flavor in this recipe really comes through, adding a sweet vegetal, pasture-like note that makes me think of the close of summer and transition into fall. The chipotle adds a faint smokiness and depth without imparting too much heat, and the sherry and Cherry Heering round it out with the faintest touch of acidity,” says McFalls-Schwartz, who collaborated on this recipe with the chefs at Table X , Salt Lake...

I’ve rarely written about Edradour . It’s one of Scotland’s smallest ‘traditional’ distilleries (12 casks a week, they claim) and a charming place with old production methods, but I’ve never really understood their whisky. Keep in mind that I got into whisky around 2005-2006 and Edradour kept releasing weird finishes and inconsistent whisky to say the least.

I have to admit I didn’t follow the new production closely but recently I had been hearing positive things so I thought it was time for a new assessment.

Edradour 10 Years is aged in a combination of Oloroso Sherry and Bourbon casks...

This 27 year-old Glenrothes is part of the Art of Whisky series, the show bottlings of the recent Whisky Show in London.

Glenrothes 27 yo (51,1%, Elixir Distillers 2017, 204 btl.)

Nose: a very bright, sweet / sour fruitiness. Lots of pears, yellow plums and peaches, with whiffs of marzipan. Oranges and honey. Definitely lime and mint. Something floral / eucalyptus-like as well, which works well here. Mouth: still very fresh and fruity. Stewed apples, a hint of kirsch and pear eau-de-vie. Green spices, peppercorns and ginger. Faint waxy notes, as well as gentle char towards the end....

Today we’ll have a look at one of the two new Benromach whiskies, the Benromach Triple Distilled.  It’s a limited edition, distilled in 2009 in a wash still once and twice in a spirit still before being matured in first fill bourbon barrels.

Triple distillation usually means more delicatea and lighter spirit but we’re also having a strong first fill bourbon cask impact, so a Benromach for beginners?

Benromach 2009/2017 Triple Distilled (50%, £43.50 / €67.00 )

Nose : Light smoke and sweet honey, cereals youth, lots of pears and a bit of apricot, bananas, dry sooty smoke, white pepper, limestone...

Octomore OBA is not a normal Octomore release. In fact you could say it’s kind of a foster child of the family. It’s wasn’t released as a member of the annual series nor did it get any official numerical assignment (x.1 to x.4) but instead it was a separate release with irregular bottle size (which delayed the release).

It’s the Octomore version of the Black Art series (hence the OBA naming), 10 wine casks matured Octomore spirit with a secret recipe. Although Bruichladdich preaches transparency, when it comes to Black Art releases, the leaps are sealed. All we know that...

SPI Group , the parent company of boutique whiskey brand Kentucky Owl , has plans to build a $150 million distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky, according to documents released by the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA). The company is eyeing property in Bardstown, home to several bourbon distilleries, including Heaven Hill , Barton 1792 , Willett , and Bardstown Bourbon Company , as well as Lux Row , which is set to open in early 2018. SPI Group’s project has been approved for a tax incentive of up to $2 million, and is estimated to create 77 new jobs.

Kentucky...

As news breaks that Kentucky Owl maj be getting its own distillery , there are plenty of new whiskies to look for this week. Woodford Reserve is releasing its annual Master’s Collection special edition. This year, it’s a bourbon that features a high-malt mashbill : 30% malted barley, all of it smoked over cherry wood to lend the finished whiskey a nutty and slightly smoky flavor.

Meanwhile, Islay’s Kilchoman Distillery is rolling out two new single malts. The 2009 vintage follows up previous years’ vintage releases and clocks in around 8 years old. It includes whiskies aged in both bourbon...

The District of Columbia might be best known for hard-nosed politics and massive protests, but the hard-working men and women of the nation’s capital can at least agree on one thing: the need to unwind with a whiskey. Already home to one of the world’s best whiskey bars, Jack Rose Dining Saloon , D.C. now offers a thriving craft distilling culture, with several making the good stuff right in the heart of the city.

There are half a dozen whiskey-producing distilleries in the nation’s capital, and that’s just in D.C. proper—no need to hit the beltway or figure out the...

T he potato chip is one of those happy accidents of the culinary world. The story goes that chef George Crum was cooking his haute cuisine one evening in 1853 at Moon Lake Lodge in Saratoga Springs, New York. Fashionably, Crum offered french fried potatoes on the menu. When a guest sent them back to the kitchen, not once but twice, proclaiming they were cut too thick, Crum had enough. He sliced and fried the potatoes thin and crisp in a fit of rebellion. As it turned out, the crispy potatoes were a hit and became a specialty known as...

Should you add water to your whisky? Some scientists say adding water yields a more flavorful whisky, but the amount is a personal choice. Legendary bourbon distiller Pappy Van Winkle believed 50% ABV (100 proof) was the ideal alcohol concentration for whiskey. He resisted selling anything at lower proof because, he said, “I see no sense in shipping water all the way around the country.”

Van Winkle recognized, of course, that some people liked additional water with his whiskey, so he suggested adding the whiskey to the water instead. “That way you make a poor thing better rather than a...