Pappy Van Winkle 23: Tasting the Unicorn
I’ve written about Pappy Van Winkle 23 before. Not about tasting it of course — I mean, realistically I never thought I’d get a chance to. The hype surrounding this [in]famous bourbon is such that mere mortals with laughably puny bank balances are rarely afforded…
Autumn Visits to Prince Edward County Wineries
There’s few places more charming in Ontario than Prince Edward County. Its rustic country appeal is augmented by the upscale-appeal of thriving vineyards and the money brought in by tourists visiting. This fall, I got to be one of those tourists, and I have rarely…
In Defense of Pumpkin Beer
It’s no secret that the subject of Pumpkin beer tends to be divisive among beer drinkers. There are some who wring their hands anxiously as autumn approaches, eager to get their lips on a bottle simmering with cinnamon and notes of nutmeg. On the other…
The Complete Introduction to Wine Tasting
Even if you’re a regular wine drinker, the process of wine tasting might seem a bit strange (or downright silly) to you. Is it even possible to eke out those vague nuances real wine tasters claim? Could the whole process be bullshit? Regardless of your…
Dalwhinnie 15 Year Old Scotch Whisky: Win the Scotch Gift Gamble
We’ve all experienced the scotch gift gamble. You want to get a special bottle for the discerning sipper, but perhaps you’re not familiar with their favourites or worse, you don’t know much at all about scotch and are reliant on the ramblings of bloggers for advice…
3 Great Spots To Stop for Craft Beer on Toronto’s West Side
If you like cities and beer, you’d be hard pressed to live in a better spot than Toronto. A thriving craft beer community has sprung up, and nowhere is it making more of an impact than on the west side. Naturally, as a west side…
Tilia Malbec Tastes Terrific, Especially on a Tight Budget
When I began writing about booze in University, it was almost exclusively to recommend inexpensive alternatives to the crap my friends were drinking. Getting college drinkers off boxed wine and Budweiser is no mean feat, but I approached it with the unique vigor of someone…
3 Summer Cocktails Perfect For Chilling Out
Ah summer. It’s time to pack away your boozy cold-weather whisky drinks and bust out the crisp and refreshing summer cocktails. While many simply stop at the easy and obvious (sometimes it’s hard to beat the basic combination of gin and tonic), a little effort can…
Sipping With Stogies: What Whisky to Pair With Your Cigars
Whisky and cigars have a long and glamorous history together. You’ll be hard pressed to watch an old movie featuring high society without a scene where dinner jacket-clad men repair to an opulent room to sip scotch and puff on a stogie. It’s something many…
The Cult (and Critics) Behind the Pappy Van Winkle Hype Machine
Is there ever such a thing as too much good publicity? For producers and fans of Pappy Van Winkle, the luxury, premium line produced at Buffalo Trace Distillery, the answer is simply a resounding “yes.” It would be hard to think of a brand in…