Credit: Photographs by Robert Buckley

These are strange and great times for American whiskey. A list^[1] has been quietly making rounds among aficionados that many popular "small-batch" distillers get their product from a former Seagram distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, naming Templeton Rye, George Dickel Rye, and over fifty others that are "likely distilled" in the same place. While a handful of high quality and expensive brands are in the mix, it's a little tough to tell what all the fuss is about unless you're a serious whiskey fan. Like anything great in life, what matters more than anything is quality; if you enjoy drinking bourbons or ryes from that Indiana distillery, that's all that matters. 

But if a bottle of bourbon that's truly handcrafted is important to you, the good news is that you don't have to look too far, because we're currently in the middle of the greatest era for brown liquor in American history. From small Southern distillers doing it in their backyards to upstarts on the East Coast, right now, these five brands really are making it from the grain up. 

Catoctin Creek

Founded in 2009 by husband and wife duo Becky and Scott Harris, Catoctin Creek^[2] is the first legal distillery in Loudoun County, Virginia, and is the epitome of a 21st century whiskey maker obsessive about the organic (often locally sourced) ingredients they use to make their spirits, the company also makes it a point to let people know about their commitment to using solar energy at their plant^[3]. But enough about the logistics, let's talk about the product.

A bottle of organic Roundstone Rye 92-proof is what you're looking for if you want your socks knocked off. Just the amount of spice you'd expect from a great rye, but it won't have you breathing fire. If you're looking for something a little more subtle, a bottle of sweet and spicy regular Roundstone Rye should always be within reach. You can't ever go wrong with Catoctin Creek. 

Widow Jane

It's difficult to say "Artisanally crafted in Brooklyn" with a serious face these days, but in the case of Widow Jane^[4], one of the better bourbon producers in the country, it seems worth noting that the company is indeed located out of Kings County, while some of their product has origins in Kentucky and is imported up to New York (hence the reason they can print "Kentucky Bourbon" on the bottle) to get cut down to proof. With their Heirloom bourbons, however, they see the entire process through, from the growing of the GMO-free Indian corns to limestone-rich water they use from the Catskills. 

The company offers a number of bottles you should try^[5], but it is impossible to go wrong with the 7-year straight bourbon, which will warm you up in the winter, but is also perfect to drink slowly as you watch the ice cubes melt in the summer. With its aroma of butter and caramel, and the zesty finish that sits in your mouth for a few moments after each sip, it makes for one damn fine Manhattan. 

Dry Fly

The thing about there being great whiskey from the Pacific Northwest is that it makes perfect sense, but you wouldn't really think about it since, let's face it, there ain't much bluegrass in Spokane. 

But there is lots of water in Washington state. Whether it's falling from the sky or the bodies of water that flow through it, like the Gallatin River that inspired the idea to make a whiskey that represents everything that is great about the area. Dry Fly ^[6]is that whiskey, and it is the best of the West. 

It's pretty difficult to lose with a bottle of Washington Wheat. It is the perfect sipping whiskey for sitting around with some friends, but also works perfectly taken neat alongside a nice pilsner. If you're looking for something a little different, the Port Finish has subtle hints of huckleberry port that you get with the finish. 

Few

Go to Chicago to get your ketchup-less hot dogs and beer, but do not forget to pick up a bottle of Evanston, IL's distiller Few's ^[7]bourbon. It could be one of the city's famously frozen January evening, and this stuff will instantly transport you to a porch in Louisville. It smells spicy, it has an undeniable kick to it, but it goes down easy. 

Everything Few bottles is great: We obviously love the bourbon, but the white whiskey has flavor, which is something a few distillers have had a problem pulling off. The rye, distilled from a mashbill comprising 70% rye, 20% corn and 10% two row malt, is perfect for mixing, and makes a Sazerac that would make even a New Orleans native smile. 

Corsair 

When you think about American whiskey, your mind probably wanders south. And since Corsair^[8] has been distilling some of the most interesting and best American whiskey over the last few years, that puts them at the head of the new class of whiskeys to come from below the Mason-Dixon Line. 

First, there's Triple Smoke, easily one of the best bottles of whiskey you can buy right now. Smoked in three different ways (cherrywood, peat, and beachwood), this whiskey delivers everything you could want. More spice than sweet, you get these hints of chocolate and nuts, but there's something about the stuff that will have you thinking you're drinking a great single malt. This is a whiskey designed to knock socks off, and it delivers every single time. 

References

1. ^{^} A list (recenteats.blogspot.com)
2. ^{^} Catoctin Creek (catoctincreekdistilling.com)
3. ^{^} at their plant (catoctincreekdistilling.com)
4. ^{^} Widow Jane (widowjane.com)
5. ^{^} a number of bottles you should try (widowjane.com)
6. ^{^} Dry Fly (www.dryflydistilling.com)
7. ^{^} Few's (fewspirits.com)
8. ^{^} Corsair (www.corsairartisan.com)

Credit: Photograph by Michael Pirrocco

Spain's viticultural renaissance is one of the great wines stories of the last half-century. Under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco, Spain's wine industry was moribund. Following the restoration of democracy in 1976, the wine industry began a slow recovery, and forty years on, Spain has become a premium source of both high-end and bargain wines. Its wine renaissance has even reached the gates of Madrid (in a manner of speaking).

Madrid is apparently the only city in the world with its own wine appellation. The Vinos de Madrid appellation is located in a mountainous area some 50 miles west of the city proper. Although wine has been produced there since the Middle Ages, the region was only granted appellation status in 1990. There are currently some 40 wineries that fall within the Madrid jurisdiction. The predominate grapes are grenache and tempranillo for red wines, malvar, airen, and albillo for whites.

RELATED: Cheap Wines that Taste Great^[6]

We are especially fond of the grenaches. One we adore is the Camino de Navaherreros, made by a winery called Bernabeleva (yes, the names in this case are as mouth-filling as the wine; Navaherreros, in case you're curious, is the name of the sub-region from which the wine came). The 2012 Bernabeleva Camino de Navaherreros is a spunky Grenache with rich, chewy dark fruit, black pepper, black licorice, and tobacco notes, all balanced by muscular, ripe tannins. It's a crowd-pleaser, and will go beautifully with anything grilled. With its a low 14.5 percent alcohol, it will drink even better in winter. It is a wine for all seasons, and proof that one doesn't always have to journey far from the city to find excellent vineyards. [$13; wine-searcher.com^[7]]

References

1. ^{^} Food & Drink (www.mensjournal.com)
2. ^{^} Close (www.mensjournal.com)
3. ^{^} Share on Facebook (www.facebook.com)
4. ^{^} Email (www.mensjournal.com)
5. ^{^} Print (www.mensjournal.com)
6. ^{^} RELATED: Cheap Wines that Taste Great (www.mensjournal.com)
7. ^{^} wine-searcher.com (www.wine-searcher.com)

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We're all supposed to be sipping a Guinness when the clock strikes Saint Paddy's Day, but it's worth breaking from tradition to try some American interpretations of the Irish dry stout. The best of the style look inky black and have a surprisingly light body and dry finish. They're brewed with some amount of roasted unmalted barley, which creates the dryness. Don't expect a beer with a wallop of hops or the character of a fudgey brownie.

To note: Guinness^[3] sets a high bar for the style, with its pitch-black color, creamy texture, and roasty maltiness. Plus, it only has an ABV of 6 percent, which means you can throw back a few without the effects of a boozier brew and, besides, it means its low in calories^[4]. (Low alcohol is a common characteristic of a good dry stout.)

American brewers took note and came up with clever deviations. The North Coast Old #38 Stout^[5] is one example, with strong notes of coffee and chocolate with just a hint of bitterness. The 4.9-percent ABV Boulevard Brewing Dry Stout^[6] is lightly roasty, dry, and smooth, and is usually served on tap with nitrogen, for added creaminess. Or try the Brooklyn Dry Irish Stout^[7], which boasts a super light body plus earthy notes and a just a hint of smoky coffee.

RELATED: Beyond the Irish Stout^[8]

References

1. ^{^} Food & Drink (www.mensjournal.com)
2. ^{^} Close (www.mensjournal.com)
3. ^{^} Guinness (www.guinness.com)
4. ^{^} low in calories (www.mensjournal.com)
5. ^{^} North Coast Old #38 Stout (www.northcoastbrewing.com)
6. ^{^} Boulevard Brewing Dry Stout (www.boulevard.com)
7. ^{^} Brooklyn Dry Irish Stout (brooklynbrewery.com)
8. ^{^} RELATED: Beyond the Irish Stout (www.mensjournal.com)

Irish whiskey is one of the fastest growing spirits for a few years running now, with so many options that picking a bottle of Irish whiskey is actually now somewhat befuddling. And while we love Jameson for shots at the bar (and we're hardly alone; Jameson is the best-selling Irish whiskey in the world), if you're going to buy a bottle rather than a round of shots, go for an upgrade

Our go-to for a perfectly-priced, high-quality sipping Irish Single Malt is Powers Gold Label. This workhorse whiskey has been popular with the blue-collar set for years, but it has a seriously refined finish. Powers goes big on the barley – it's much more of a whiskey taste than a lot of others in the category – but it's still got that sweet honey taste at the end. Best of all, it won't leave you with the same burn as your economy-priced bottle of Irish whiskey.

References

1. ^{^} Food & Drink (www.mensjournal.com)
2. ^{^} Close (www.mensjournal.com)

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Despite a glut of watered down wheat beers, not to mention mass market duds like the now defunct Bud Light Golden Wheat – the kind you have to make better with a squeeze of lemon – the wheat beer is worth drinking, in quantities. You just have to know how to know what to order.

Wheat beers, known as weissbeir and weizen in Germany, are brewed with loads of malted wheat, an ingredient that adds a creamy texture and long-lasting heads to the brew. In the glass, many wheat beers glow with a gorgeous haze (if they're unfiltered) and hold the kind of foamy white heads that won't disappear until you drink them. They generally have smooth bodies, without much hoppy bitterness, and plenty of refreshing carbonation.

Most wheat beers sold in the U.S. fall into two categories: American wheat ales and hefeweizens. . "A true hefeweizen uses traditional hefeweizen yeast, which creates notes of clove, black pepper and banana,"  says Steve Dresler, brew master at Sierra Nevada's^[1] Chico brewery. (“Hefe” translates to “yeast” in German.)

But American brewers have taken liberties with the style, lumping any beer brewed with wheat into the hefe category – such as the iconic Widmer Hefeweizen^[2], which uses a strain of ale yeast instead of a traditional hefeweizen yeast, instead relying on hops and wheat to create the crispness and fruitiness of the traditional beer. If you want a straight up American pale wheat ale labeled as such, don't miss the Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat^[3], a perfectly cloudy, citrusy and bready beer.

Widmer's Hefeweizen hit the market in the 1980s and quickly became a best seller. Many craft brewers followed the model of making a hefeweizen with a non-traditional yeast, while others stuck to the tried and true. For example, you should seek out the hazy and banana-forward Sierra Nevada Kellerweis^[4], which uses a true hefe yeast.

There are plenty of other styles of wheat beers to try. A dunkelweizen, a darker but still murky version of a hefeweizen will have more caramel flavors to go with your bananas and cloves – and tastes a lot like banana bread. Or try a Belgian-style witbier, a fruiter and more spice-forward wheat beer made with coriander and orange peel (yes, MillerCoors' Blue Moon^[5] qualifies). Because witbiers are still light, they go well with seafood and salads. The Allagash White Ale^[6] is perfect for those pairings.

As for that slice of lemon, Dresler calls the practice an Americanization. "In Bavaria, where hefeweizens originated, they would never do that," he says. Because the citrus kills the beer's head and can muddle the most interesting flavors in a good wheat beer, just say no.

References

1. ^{^}  Sierra Nevada's (www.sierranevada.com)
2. ^{^} Widmer Hefeweizen (widmerbrothers.com)
3. ^{^} Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat (www.boulevard.com)
4. ^{^} Sierra Nevada Kellerweis (www.sierranevada.com)
5. ^{^} MillerCoors' Blue Moon (www.bluemoonbrewingcompany.com)
6. ^{^} Allagash White Ale (www.allagash.com)