Michael Orson
Michael Orson is a branding consultant by day and a spirits enthusiast by night. It all began at the tender age of 19 when he saw the 1988 Tom Cruise classic, Cocktail. Within days, he was working behind a bar and learning the dark arts of mixology. One evening, Master of Malt's illustrious directors Justin Petszaft and Ben Ellefsen walked in and offered him a job and the rest is history. To quote Doug Coughlin, "There's no better way to make it than behind three feet of mahogany." Over the years since he's lived around the world and worked for brands like Samsung, Siemens, and Tabasco. He's also seen Toto six times in concert.
Is Glenlivet better than Glenfiddich?Which is the best glen? Close? Campbell? Livet? Fiddich? It’s an intense debate that dominates every breakroom, common area, or coffee shop in the land. So, today, we will start…
Is Japanese whisky better than Scotch?“Is Japanese whisky Better than Scotch whisky?” Without a doubt it’s one of life’s great questions, up there with “should the chap in the Clash song have stayed or gone?”…
Is there a market for old whisky?Why, yes, there’s a market for everything… For example, in the year 2000, a slice of French toast, half-eaten by Justin Timberlake, sold on eBay for $1,025. Now obviously he…
There is a certain aura surrounding the very rarest of the rare… an allure… dare we say, a mystique? It could be a Rothschild Fabergé egg, some of that ‘white…
What is the best Jamaican rum to buy?When we think of the top rum-producing nations in the world, Jamaica is high on the list. It’s a unique country with a rich, distinctive culture and heritage, and it…
What are the different flavours of Dead Man’s Fingers Rum?One night in the Rum and Crab Shack, a charming rum bar and seafood restaurant in St. Ives, Cornwall, the owners Chris McGuire and Neythan Hayes were sipping the Venezuelan…
The best rum to buy at any priceRum is a unique spirit which has captured the hearts of connoisseurs and casual drinkers alike. Originating in the 17th-century Caribbean, rum has a rich and often tragic history. It’s…
The best gin to buy at any priceGin is a spirit as diverse as it is unique, tracing its roots back to the Dutch jenevers of the 17th century. Since that time, numerous styles and types of…
Whisky is a spirit as rich in history as it is in flavour. Its origins are shrouded in the mists of time, with roots stretching back to the ancient Celtic…
If you’ve ever seen photos of a traditional dunnage warehouse, or even seen a whisky cask or barrel used as a bit of chic (read: hipster) decor, you may have…
What is the best dark rum?Rum – the sumptuous spirit of sunshine. We love it, especially dark rum, whether it’s in a beautiful Rum Old-Fashioned, a Dark and Stormy or Mai Tai, or neat and…
Gins to watch out for in 2024As the mercury falls and 2023 draws to a close, we’re reminiscing on the year that was and thinking of the very special releases we’ll be enjoying in 2024. We’ll…
Top 10 whiskies to buy for Christmas 2023With Christmas and the New Year quickly approaching, it’s still not too late to get those last-minute gifts for that friend, loved one, special someone, or even just for yourself….
What are whisky stones?You may have seen someone dropping (well, not dropping, but carefully placing) two or three stones inside their whisky glass, and wondered: what the heck is happening? Are they using…
Why Fèis Ìle is the saviour of the Scotch whisky industry.We’ve had a lot of comments following Dr Nick Morgan’s recent post entitled ‘How Fèis Ìle was stolen by the Scotch whisky industry’ so we thought we’d give an opportunity for…
