Features
Witchmark Distillery: English Whisky Made MagicA witchmark is an apotropaic symbol. A small carved sign believed to ward off evil, bad luck, and other unwelcome forces. Derived from the Greek apotropaios, meaning “turning away”, these…
The Story of Aberargie Distillery and its First WhiskyAberargie Distillery has been laying down casks since November 2017. If you haven’t heard of them until recently, you’re not alone. The Lowland whisky maker was quietly tipping away on…
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…
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…
Five New Releases from That Boutique-y Whisky Company!Dave Worthington is here to introduce you to five new releases from That Boutique-y Whisky Company. Each single cask whisky from your favourite bottler is more interesting than the last. Ever…
What Should I Pair With Whisky?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…
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…
Unconstrained Spirits: Circumstance Breaks the Whisky Rulebook in BristolMy introduction to Circumstance Distillery, based in Bristol, came as That Boutique-y Whisky Company began developing our ‘Home Nations Series’ in 2021. Our initial aspiration was arguably ‘The Full English’…
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….
Bushmills 12 Year Old, Marsala Wine, and The Smoky Soda BreadBushmills 12 Year Old is the new front door to the Irish whiskey distillery’s single malt range. It’s replacing Bushmills 10 Year Old, having already done the rounds internationally, picking…
Kevin Balmforth: Stepping Into the Chivas Brothers Master Blender RoleSandy Hyslop’s retirement marks the end of an era. No matter how mighty the lighthouse, there comes a time to switch keepers. Keeping the ships off the rocks going forward…
Whisky Tourism and How Place Became the PointWhisky tourism did not begin as an experience economy. It grew out of a simple impulse. As whisky crossed oceans in barrels and boxes, carrying Scotland and Ireland to places…
Small Batch, Big Soul: A Deep Dive Into Retribution Distilling Co.An Instagram message at the end of November 2021 introduced me to Retribution Distilling Co. It simply read: ‘Hello, random message of the week. Can I send you a new…
The Drinks Calendar: Every Boozy Holiday Worth Celebrating in a YearThe Ultimate Drinks Calendar. Because if someone can invent Bikini Day, we can absolutely justify Daiquiri Day. Somewhere on the internet, every single day of the year has been assigned…
The Revival of Islay Whisky PeatlandsThe Islay whisky peatlands are famous. Their smoke defines a style, a place, and an expectation in the glass. But the bogs themselves tell a much longer and more complicated…
