Image created with GPT-4Does whiskey ever ‘go bad’? It is a commonly asked question and people usually don’t get a satisfactory answer.
First, whiskey in the bottle is very sturdy stuff. It will remain unchanged indefinitely. It has only a few en…
Joseph Lloyd Beam, Master Distiller, Bardstown, Kentucky. (date unknown, probably late 1920s)Yeast, and the different characteristics a particular strain can impart during fermentation, is a fundamental part of bourbon-making. Today, most ye…
Sautéed mushrooms, quickly cooked in butter and extra virgin olive oil, then finished with a flambé of bourbon.Mushrooms are tasty on pizza, battered and deep fried, or stuffed with crabmeat. Maybe you like grilled portabellas with polenta, or sh…
Russia has its own whiskey, but they want ours.Despite sanctions intended to deprive Russia and Russians of any Western goods they may want, many things are getting through, including scotch and bourbon. The mule satisfying Russia’s whiskey jones…
Bulleit American Single Malt Whiskey is bottled at 90° proof (45% ABV). MSRP is $60 (750 ml).Are you excited to try the new Bulleit American Single Malt? Well, here’s a hot tip.Bulleit didn’t make it.Diageo, which owns Bulleit, is the biggest dis…
The building across 3rd Street from Ollie’s is now the Republic Academic Center, part of Spalding University.I never intended this to be a two-parter, but the original post got me feeling nostalgic about that time and place, now 46 years ago. Tha…
Daniel David Beam, 1941-2015I just happened upon this happy picture. It’s from 2014, I think. That smile belongs to David Beam, the last Beam distiller at Jim Beam. (The last one with the last name of Beam, that is.) The picture was taken at Tom’…
My first office in Louisville was on the top floor, left side. Right across the street was my favorite lunch place. Both are still there.My recent post about Five Brothers Bourbon and the early history of the Heaven Hill Company brought to mind m…
Heaven Hill was named after the farmer, William Heavenhill, who originally owned the land where the distillery was built. The company’s founder and first distiller was a member of the famous Beam family, Joe Beam. Joe’s first cousin, Jim Beam, had…
Barry Maurice Berish, 1932-2024Barry Berish died last week. He was 91.Berish worked for 40 years, 1957-1997, at Jim Beam Brands, rising to the position of Chief Executive Officer in 1982. Under his leadership, Beam went from a one-brand company to the …
