Whisky Magazine Feb/Mar 2022

Brand partnerships are currently in vogue and have been for some time. The observant whisky enthusiast will note with bemusement that there’s something of a recurring pattern to these collaborations, as one brand’s organic and original choice of partner will be echoed months later by a direct competitor. It’s a little like watching suburban rivalry play out: one neighbour buying a brand new Mercedes just days after another drives home in a classic BMW. Some whisky brands’ activities feel similarly superficial to these peacocking displays while others are more akin to a third neighbour’s genuine love of their practical but cherished old family car. In truth, real collaborative efforts can’t be compared to ownership as they should come from positions of mutual agency and respect. Joint efforts between brands with asymmetrical…

As 2022 has well and truly kicked into gear, it’s time to take a look at some of the events you can expect to see, both in person and at home, from the Whisky Live team. Whisky Live At Home is in full swing, and if you’re looking for something to get through the cold winter months, it could be the perfect companion. You can find out more on the Whisky Live website. With thanks to the ever-changing global landscape, some of the year’s event dates will be a little different to those that long-time Whisky Live attendees have seen before. Whisky Live Dublin, which is usually held in November, will be an in-person event on 11-12 March, 2022. Have no fear, you will still be able to enjoy all of…

Our regional Icons of Whisky awards offer an opportunity for the whisky scenes of the world to champion the very best people, places and campaigns in their respective industries. When reflecting on these awards each year, the Whisky Magazine team is always in absolute awe of just how many talented people are involved in bringing each and every dram to the glasses of whisky drinkers all over the world. From the distillers themselves to still makers and coopers, warehouse staff, visitor centre managers and bartenders, not to mention the expertise of the dedicated brand teams at each company’s headquarters, a great deal of craftsmanship, skill and specialist knowledge is required at every stage of the incredible process that transforms raw materials into a bottle of whisky and transports it to whisky…

Long ago, and for at least several decades, all bourbon was single-barrel bourbon. Once someone had the idea of putting bourbon into barrels instead of earthenware jugs, as was common in the frontier days, the whiskey would then be sold to taverns or grocery stores in those barrels because bottles were expensive. Sometimes, grocers would bottle bourbon in their own packaging, to make it easier for people to pick up, but, for the most part, when a person on the frontier ran out of whiskey they would take a jog down to the tavern or store and pay to refill their own receptacle. Once machine-blown glass made bottles more economical, George Garvin Brown got the idea that selling his whiskey only in sealed bottles would indicate better quality and consistency to…

As I write this, it’s mid-December, which means it’s the time of the year when every newspaper article, trend roundup, talk-show segment, television advert and sentimental think-piece begins with ‘it’s that time of the year when.’ For me, it’s the time of year when Led Zeppelin’s ‘What Is and What Should Never Be’ loops through my skull like the perpetually falling glitter in a snow globe. (And yes, I consider myself very lucky, indeed. It’s the time of year when there are certainly worse earworms to contend with.) I’ve come to reason that this song gets lodged in my brain every December because the title points to every industry-watcher’s favourite holiday-time parlour game: trend forecasting. And so, I figured I’d use this issue’s column to take a minute to consider,…

The motivation to remove alcohol from society often rests on four social pillars: firstly, to redirect household expenditure; secondly, to reduce crimes of drunkenness, assaults and domestic abuse; thirdly, to solve economic problems of productivity, absenteeism and work safety; and finally, to limit the cost of prisons, poorhouses, and hospitals. Investigating US history offers a picture of whether these goals were achieved and the consequences of this social experiment on the broader health of society. The national objective was to eliminate the availability and consumption of alcohol. In 1920, the first year of Prohibition, liquor consumption fell by 35 per cent. However, by 1927 illicit liquor expenditure had jumped by 36 per cent compared with 1917. By 1928, under Prohibition, consumption continued to climb to 71 per cent of pre-Prohibition levels,…