Adam O'Connell
Adam O'Connell has been writing for Master of Malt for over eight years now. He’s visited distilleries, wineries, and breweries across the world, reviewed a variety of whiskies, gins, rums, Tequilas, mezcals, brandies, vodkas, wines, beers, and cocktails, and contributed all kinds of words in all sorts of places, including over 1,000 articles to its award-winning online blog, The Whisk(e)y Wash, and many of the handy guides you might have enjoyed. He’s even jammed with Kiefer Sutherland AND dined with Ainsley Harriott. Not at the same time.
Compass Box Hedonism 2026: Recharting the Course of Grain WhiskyCompass Box Hedonism 2026 exists because in 2000, John Glaser decided grain whisky was good enough. At the turn of the millennium, he launched Hedonism as the first blended grain…
Win A Trip To Los Angeles with Compass Box and Karen GillanCompass Box has made Karen Gillan the face of Hedonism 2026, and for a couple of glorious weeks, Master of Malt is the only place you can get your hands…
Glenfiddich Redesign Revisits the Past to Frame its FutureThe Glenfiddich redesign is here. Come take a look. The Speyside distillery has given itself a refresh, drawing heavily on cues from its own archive. Helpfully, the press release includes…
How To Make Your Own Maraschino CherriesMaraschino cherries are an essential cocktail ingredient. But they also have a bad reputation. Cocktail sabotage by these lurid, oversweet, radioactive-looking, vaguely cherry-flavoured impostors has occurred for decades. But the…
Top 10 Gins for the Ultimate MartiniHere’s our Top 10 Gins for the ultimate Martini. Purchase by clicking on the links in the product’s name. Got any suggestions? Leave them in the comments below. There’s an…
Karen Gillan becomes the face of Hedonism 2026The 2026 edition of Hedonism from Compass Box is here, and actor Karen Gillan stars as this year’s Muse. Yes, that Karen Gillan. From Doctor Who to Guardians of the…
Ever ask yourself: What should I pair with whisky? If you have, this is the guide for you. Whisky lovers know the right pairing can turn a good dram into…
Have You Tried Whisky and Lemonade?Whisky and lemonade doesn’t roll off the tongue like whisky and Coke or whisky and soda. It’s not even really regarded as an official whisky drink, more of a last-minute…
Top 10 Best Tequilas for a MargaritaThese are 10 of the best Tequilas for a Margarita cocktail. Got any favourites you’d like to share? Leave a comment below. Margarita Day rolls around on 22 February every…
Enjoy Life – Drink The Good StuffI get to drink the good stuff a lot. It’s an occupational hazard. But I’m as much a slave to the culture of deferment as the next person. Save that…
Ardbeg 10 Year Old Cask Strength UnveiledArdbeg 10 Year Old Cask Strength is being released this month. The standard Ardbeg 10 Year Old is already one of the most revered peated whiskies on the planet. And whisky drinkers,…
Top 10 Valentine’s Day DrinksValentine’s Day drinking comes in many forms. There’s the thoughtful gift. The bottle you fully intend to open together. The cocktail session that starts civilised and ends with music far…
The Scotch Whisky Tariff Cut in China in ContextKeir Starmer and China have reached an agreement that tariffs on Scotch whisky imports into China will be reduced from 10% to 5%. Effective in early February, the deal will…
Mark Reynier’s Bids for €12 Million of Waterford StockReports this week reveal that Mark Reynier, former owner and founder of Waterford Whisky, is seeking to buy back €12 million worth of bulk whisky stock from the company’s receivers….
How Roaming Road Follows the Cask and Bottles the WorldRoaming Road Spirits is built on a simple, stubborn idea: go anywhere, taste everything, bottle only the casks that stop you mid-sip, and leave them exactly as you found them….
This Is The Most Valuable American Whiskey Collection Ever SoldSotheby’s has closed the book on The Great American Whiskey Collection with a final total of $2.5 million, officially making it the most valuable single-owner American whiskey collection ever sold…
