Spirits

Irish whiskey is one of the most widely consumed alcoholic drinks globally. Its light, fruity, oaky flavor is beloved by cocktail lovers and whiskey enthusiasts alike.

How Is Irish Whiskey Made?

Irish whiskey is primarily made from water, barley, and a yeast strain called saccharomyces cerevisiae. Barley is used to make most kinds of whiskey because it’s easy to ferment, and it happens to grow in abundance in Ireland. 

The barley is first malted, a process of soaking, heating, and kiln-drying that causes the grains to germinate. However, some Irish whiskeys use a combination of malted and unmalted barley. It’s then ground into a coarse powder called “grist,” added to water, then heated to 60 degrees Celsius. The resulting sugary liquid mixture is filtered and introduced to the yeast, resulting in a frothy, beer-like liquid. It’s then distilled

Whether you’re hosting a formal holiday party or a casual gathering in your backyard, if you’re serving cocktails, you’ll want to make sure you’ve got these home bar must haves.

Home Bar Essentials and Equipment

If you’re going to get serious about mixing drinks, you’ll need the following home bar essentials and equipment:

• Ice Bucket. An insulated, stainless steel ice bucket will keep cubes frozen for hours and is the perfect vessel for chilling wine or Champagne.

• Shakers. Certain cocktail recipes call for shaking, not stirring a drink. Generally, cocktails that contain citrus or other juices, cream, eggs, or other dairy products should be shaken, so a quality cocktail shaker is a must-have.

• Mixing Glasses. A good mixing

Ever wondered about the shelf life of your favorite wine, beer, or spirits? Wonder no more. We’ve got the lowdown on the life span of your favorite beverages as well as how to store alcohol to ensure you have optimal time to enjoy it.

Does Alcohol Go Bad?

Does liquor go bad? If someone gifted you a bottle of whiskey or rum, is it safe to drink if it’s been sitting on your shelf for a while? Just how long does alcohol last? The good news is that liquor such as gin, vodka, whiskey, tequila, and rum, are considered shelf-stable. That means that as long as you store the bottle properly and it remains unopened, you can consider it safe to drink indefinitely. 

The Shelf Life of Liquor

The shelf life of liquor can vary depending on the type of alcohol as well as on how it’s stored. Variables such as temperature, light exposure, and o

Back in the day, whiskey was often used to help alleviate the symptoms of a cold. And while you may feel a bit skeptical about this treatment, there is some scientific basis for turning to the bottle when you come down with the sniffles.

Does Whiskey Help a Cold?

Whiskey contains ellagic acid, which is an antioxidant. Antioxidants work to improve immune function and fight infections caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Additionally, when mixed with warm water, whiskey can be numbing and soothing on a sore throat, so gargling with the combo can ease pain. Finally, just like the menthol in your favorite cough drops, alcohol dilates mucus membranes, meaning a moderate amount of whiskey can help you get rid of that stuffy nose.

Hot Toddy Ingredients for a Cold

When you’re sick with a

While the words “liquor” and “liqueur” might look similar, they are two different things. Those differences go beyond how the words are pronounced (liquor, pronounced liᐧkr, and liqueur, pronounced luhᐧkur) to the differences in how they taste.

What’s the Difference Between Liquor and Liqueur?

It’s true that both liquor and liqueur are alcoholic beverages. Both can be enjoyed alone or as an ingredient in a cocktail. And both can range in potency. Where they differ is in their flavors. 

What is Liquor?

Liquor is a distilled spirit containing alcohol and derived from plants or grains. The primary six liquors include whiskey, brandy, gin, rum, vodka, and 

If you’re a whiskey enthusiast, you probably already know what you prefer. But if you’re new to whiskey, you may want to dig a little deeper and discover the nuances in flavors that distinguish one type of whiskey from another. 

Whiskey is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from different grains that have been mashed, fermented, and then aged in wooden casks. When whiskey is spelled with an “e,” it means it’s been distilled in the U.S. or Ireland. Whisky without an “e” is distilled in Scotland and Canada.

The differences between the types of whiskey are due to their various ingredients and the processes by which they’re made.

Irish Whiskey

Irish whiskey is req

The holidays will be here before you know it. If you’re planning on doing some entertaining in the months ahead, the time to set up that at-home bar with cocktail essentials and tools is now. Start perfecting your mixology skills and be prepared to artfully quench the thirst of all your guests.

The History of the Basic Cocktail

There’s so much more to a cocktail than dumping vodka into a glass of orange juice. In 1806, a cocktail was defined by The Balance and Columbian Repository of New York as “a stimulating liquor composed of any kind of sugar, water, and bitters…”1 In 1862, a bartender by the name of Jerry Thomas published The Bartender’s Guide (How to Mix Drinks) which became the widely accepted encyclopedia for bartenders and wanna-be mixologists worldwide.

The availability of ice and the ability to successfully transport it before it melted propelled cocktail culture forward, as did the repeal of Prohibition. By the mid-

You may think that the correct way to spell “whiskey” isn’t all that important in the big scheme of things. For the average person, that’s probably true. But if you are a true whiskey aficionado, the spelling of the word makes all the difference in the world.

Which is the Correct Spelling--Whiskey or Whisky?

Both “whiskey” and “whisky” are spelled correctly. Then why are they spelled differently? It’s not a quirky distinction some marketer made up to differentiate their brand. Whiskey, with an e, refers to liquor distilled in the United States and Ireland. Whisky, sans e, distinguishes liquor distilled in Scotland and Canada. 

The word whiskey refers to a wide range of distilled liquors. They are produced with a fermented mash of grains and most often aged in oak barrels. If you are a whis

Who says you have to go out for cocktails when you can just as easily (and affordably) make at home? Even if the most bartending experience you’ve ever had is pouring wine from a bottle, these five drinks will have you thinking about a career in mixology. 

Most of these classic cocktails contain no more than three or four ingredients--many you probably already have in your cabinet. And if you have the bare bar essentials like a cocktail shaker and an ice cube tray, you’re ready to stir things up.

Whiskey Sour

Sweet, tart, and impressively classy, bartenders have been making this whiskey drink since 1862. With just four ingredients, it’s simple to mix and tasty to drink.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. bourbon whiskey
• 1 oz. fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 oz. simple syrup
• Orange slice or co

Given the surprising variety of liquors and cocktails, you might be surprised to learn that there are ultimately only seven core spirits from which they're made. Each of these distilled spirits has its own unique flavor, and each one features slight variations in the distillation process. Learn them, and you'll have a much better sense of how to mix the perfect drink. 

What's The Difference Between Alcohol and Spirits? 

All spirits are alcoholic, but not all alcoholic drinks are spirits, also referred to as hard liquor.

These drinks tend to have a higher alcohol content than other alcoholic beverages and are made via distillation. Working with a fermented liquid as a base, distillation essentially separates the drink by boiling and condensing it, increasing the alcohol content as a result. While modern distilleries use a little more complicated process than "just boil it," the process is still roughly the same.

What Are The Different Classifications