The humble Thermos. Generically known as a vacuum flask, it’s been around for well over a century, accompanying some of the most famous expeditions in the world—Shackleton at the South Pole, Roosevelt in the Belgian Congo, even the Wright Brothers during an early flight. Soldiers have carried the Thermos into battle, while doctors use it to transport plasma, insulin, and other substances. Its vacuum-sealed design has been applied in research across a number of scientific fields. Not bad for an insulated vessel best known for carrying mom’s homemade soup to school or filling with hot chocolate for an autumn hayride....

The taste of a fine whisky in the company of good friends just makes you feel good. Choosing a whisky that gives to a worthy cause, whether it’s conservation , military veterans , or historical preservation, can make the moment even more satisfying.

When you sip some Macallan or Highland Park this holiday season, raise a toast to Edrington , the company that owns the brands and the largest independent grant-making trust in Scotland. The Robertson sisters, whose grandfather founded Edrington, set up The Robertson Trust , which remains Edrington’s largest shareholder and allocates all its dividends to charitable giving....

We normally equate devices that purport to improve our whisky with Ponzi schemes, snake oil, and the ‘Spanish Prisoner’ ruse. However, would-be whisky alchemists continue to conjure up devices that pledge to work miracles. In the interest of science, our tasting panel put these products’ claims to the taste test with a basic bourbon and blended scotch, both priced around $20, and a $40 white whiskey.

The Barrel Mill Oak Infusion Spirals —$25/6 pack of 2.5 inch spirals Promise: Forgo barrel aging as you “…achieve similar results directly in the bottle.” Intended for unaged whiskey, Oak Infusion Spirals come in...

In 2017, a group of New York distillers announced the creation of a new style of whiskey: Empire rye. Any whiskey so labeled must be made in New York from at least 75% New York State rye grain and aged in charred new oak barrels for at least 2 years, along with a few other requirements intended to ensure top quality.

The initial group of distillers—which included nine distilleries located all over the state, from New York City up to Rochester—each released an Empire rye to kick off the bold and ambitious new designation, and Whisky Advocate tasted them all....

Summer is officially upon us, as of juni 21, and there are lots of new whiskies to celebrate that occasion. In fact,  Highland Park ‘s latest release specifically honors the longest day of the year, and the lengthy daylight hours that occur in the Orkney Islands during the summer months. Highland Park The Light is a counterpart to The Dark , which came out last december. Aged only in refill American oak sherry casks, it is 17 years old and costs $300, with 4,500 bottles available in the U.S.

Meanwhile, the newest Booker’s bourbon is named Backyard BBQ, commemorating the...

What’s better than a refreshing ice pop on a hot summer’s day? How about one made with whiskey? This recipe from ...

What’s better than a refreshing ice pop on a hot summer’s day? How about one made with whiskey? This recipe from ...

What’s better than a refreshing ice pop on a hot summer’s day? How about one made with whiskey? This recipe from ...

Frozen treats are among the most nostalgic of summer eats—cool, refreshing, and suddenly sticky for those who dare to dawdle. But ice pops aren’t just for kids from the hands of Brooklyn freezemeisters People’s Pops . “We are the grand masters of boozy pops,” declares co-founder Joel Horowitz. Taking their inspiration from seasonal farmers’ markets and savory cocktails, People’s Pops offers inventive icy treats, many designed for legal drinking age lickers.

“When you freeze things you lose the flavor, so you need heightened flavors before you freeze, which makes whiskey, especially younger whiskeys, perfect for a pop,” says Horowitz, who...

Memorial Day is on Monday, maj 28, and if you’re looking to show your support of our nation’s armed services through whisky, look into some of the distilleries founded and run by veterans . You maj just find your new favorite bourbon, rye, or corn whiskey.

Or check out this week’s newest whiskies. Smooth Ambler has unveiled Big Level, a 5 year old wheated bourbon made entirely at the West Virginia Distllery. Smooth Ambler had previously released a wheater, and this whiskey is made with the same mashbill, process, and barrels, but, according to director of sales John Foster, the...

Wedding bells will ring across the Atlantic and beyond as Prince Harry marries Meghan Markle this Saturday, maj 19 at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. As with any nuptials, the Royal Wedding 2018 calls for a toast, and scotch whisky blender  Royal Salute is releasing a limited edition whisky just for the occasion. Never mind that the ceremony starts at 7 a.m. EST, put on your best Burberry, grab your finest glassware, and prepare for regality.

Only 70 bottles of Royal Salute’s Royal Wedding Edition have been created, with the married couple receiving one as a gift. Those remaining are each...

With a bid of HK$8,636,250 (approx. $1.1 million), Macallan have retaken the title of the world’s most expensive standard sized bottle of whisky sold at auction. The bottle of Macallan Valerio Adami 1926 60 year old was sold at Bonhams, Hong Kong on maj 18, 2018 shattering the existing record set by Yamazaki 50 year old in januari. The bidder, with paddle number 666, set a new record hammer price of HK$7.05million (Bonhams add a 22.5% buyer’s premium) considerably higher than the HK$3.6 – 4.5 million estimate. This is a staggering 371% higher than the previous record set at Sotheby’s,...

When you’re discerning about whisky, bitters, and other cocktail ingredients, the last thing you want to do is ruin a Manhattan by adding an overly sweet, Day-Glo red maraschino cherry. High-fructose corn syrup and artificial coloring and flavoring have no place in a well-crafted drink.

Many premium cocktail cherries, like Luxardo, can be bought off the shelf at a significant price. But there’s no need to spend an arm and a leg on a great garnish. Making your own cherries is about as easy as making preserves, says Gates Otsuji, a bartender and co-founder of cocktail mixer company Swig +...

Absinthe, a high-proof anise-flavored spirit, maj have the naughtiest reputation in the spirits world. Its mere mention evokes images of seductive green fairies, bursts of artistic creativity, and blithe stupors. A century-long ban will do that to a spirit’s good name.

Blamed for a slew of social ills, from madness to murder to mere lollygagging, absinthe became one of the first victims of the temperance movement. The charges were largely trumped up. Nevertheless, the U.S. and most of Europe banned its sale and manufacture by 1915. So when the spirit, ostensibly of Swiss origin but made popular in fin de...

BenRiach Distillery makes both peated and unpeated single Maltwhisky, which gives master blender Rachel Barrie a lot of options for putting together different expressions. Here she explains how using Speyside peat to dry locally grown barley, then distilling the grain with local water creates a terroir-driven style for BenRiach Curiositas. Compare that whisky with BenRiach 10 year old: Barrie describes both as having rich fruit flavors, but the 10 year old tastes like orchard fruit—apples and pears—while Curiositas has more forest fruit. Do a side-by-side comparison for yourself—do you taste the difference?

The post How One Blender Works...

Many writers have found inspiration in a bottle of good whisky: Mark Twain, James Joyce, William Faulkner, Dorothy Parker, and numerous others. Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns, wrote dozens of works that mention or focus on whisky, including “ Scotch Drink ” and the humorously metaphorical “ John Barleycorn .”

Joining the literary greats in using the water of life as a muse, Sara Robinson of Charlottesville, Virginia has been writing poetry about whisky for nearly a decade, though she came late to the craft after a career in the chemical and mineral processing industry. “I was writing articles in...

The classic match-up for cookies maj be a cool glass of milk—but who wants milk when you can have whisky? Just as there’s a different style of whisky to suit every person’s taste, various cookies also have a perfect flavor match.

“Whisky and cookies are an ideal pairing,” says Morgan Kirchner, whiskey advisor for Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Washington, D.C. “Cookies, like whisky, are a marriage of simple ingredients that come together to make an incredibly delicious snack. Aside from the fact that they share multiple aromatic and flavor profiles, cookies are comforting and homey, as is a lot...

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Working together with your dad—or grandfather—can have its ups and downs. But when that work is making whiskey, and the distillery is Wild Turkey , there’s a lot to enjoy. Jimmy Russell has served as master distiller at Wild Turkey for over 60 years; his son Eddie has worked alongside him since the early 1980s; and now Eddie’s son Bruce is coming up in the business. The three Russells sat down to share memories and stories about making whiskey, (occasionally) butting heads, and building a legacy that now spans multiple generations.

The post Uncut & Unfiltered: Jimmy, Eddie, and...

This week’s newest whiskies come from Scotland, Kentucky, Indiana, Ireland, and beyond.

Balvenie is releasing this year’s batch of Peat Week 14 year old. Vintage-dated to 2003, the peated whisky will be quite available—36,000 bottles are destined for the U.S. market—and will cost $99. If you’re wondering why Balvenie, a typically unpeated Speyside single malt, would make a peated version,  find out the answer from the man who makes it, David Stewart .

Another whiskey that’s coming back for the second year in a row, WhistlePig Farmstock Crop 002 is now hitting shelves. The blend includes ryes sourced from MGP...