In celebration of International Whiskey Day, I broke out a bottle of one of my favorite Irish whiskeys. Several months back, we caught a Broadway production in a nearby city and we had dinner at a traditional Irish restaurant. I asked the bartender what kind of Irish whiskey he’d recommend for a bourbon drinker and without hesitation he grabbed a bottle of Tullamore DEW 12 Year and handed me a pour. It’s D.E.W, not dew At first glance, I instinctively thought that Tullamore w

Many of us are trying to eat healthier and low-carb, but low-carb doesn’t have to mean low-flavor. Check out my interpretation of a classic grilled chicken breast and sides. Serves 2 Glaze 1 Tbsp butter ¼ cup orange marmalade ¼ cup pure maple syrup 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard ¼ tsp Old Bay Seasoning 4 Tbsp bourbon (reserved) 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 1/3 pound each Heat a cast iron grill pan on stove on medium – medium-high heat. Spray with non-stick vegetable spr

I saw a display of this at my neighborhood grocery store and it immediately caught my eye. At $18 and a limited edition, I didn’t have much to lose, right? Hitting shelves during the Fall of 2018, this arrived just in time to celebrate the 85th anniversary of Prohibition’s repeal (December 5). I wondered how it compared to some of my other favorites from the Jim Beam label, including Bonded (bottled-in-bond) and Jim Beam Black Extra Aged. Non-Chill Filtered The label highligh

Walk into any of your favorite shopping sites for bourbon and you’ll see a dizzying array of words on a label. Here are some of the most common words you may see: ABV: Abbreviation for alcohol by volume. An ABV of 40 indicates that the bottle you’re holding contains 40% alcohol. Multiply this by two (80%), and you will get the proof that most of typically seek. Barrel Proof: Bourbon that is bottled at the proof it attained while aging in the barrel. Sometimes referred to

Over the holidays, my bourbon buddy, Ryan, gave me the gift of a bourbon tour and tasting at the new Whiskey Acres Distilling Company in Dekalb, Illinois. Located 70 miles west of Chicago, and just a stone’s throw away from where Ryan grew up, Whiskey Acres is a true Midwestern success story. Founders Jim and Jamie Walter, along with Nick Nagele began the operation in 2014 on their 2,000 acres of farmland and make the spirits in a true farm-to-bottle operation. Corn, rye, and