Drink the Bottles

  Let's address the elephant in the room right away.   Yes, it's called Chicken Cock. The name inevitably gets a smile, a raised eyebrow, or a joke from nearly everyone who encounters the bottle for the first time. But behind the playful branding lies one of the most intriguing stories in American whiskey history—a story that stretches back 170 years and includes saloons, Prohibition-era smuggling, organized crime lore, and a remarkable modern revival. While many whiskey brands spend millions trying to create heritage, Chicken Cock actually has it.  And once you get past the name, you'll find a surprisingly well-crafted bourbon that delivers exactly what many enthusiasts are looking for: bold flavor, respectable proof, and a profile that remains approachable enough to enjoy neat. Chicken Cock Whiskey traces its roots back to 1856 in Paris, Kentucky, making it one of America's oldest whiskey brands.  Long before today's bourbon boom, Chicken Cock had already esta...

We've been Old Elk fans for several years, always interested in what was next for this brand.  There were a few fleeting moments where we were seeing fewer and fewer selections on the shelves of our local liquor stores, and we were puzzled.  After some investigating, we found that this non-distilling producer, founded in Fort Collins, Colorado, has sold to Middle West Spirits in Columbus, Ohio.  We were immediatley thrilled about the new ownership, as the Ohio distillery produces some fantastic bottles under their own labels.  Keep an eye out to see what becomes of this new marriage! In today's bourbon landscape, everuy brand seems to be searching for a way to stand out.  Some chas higher proofs.  Others lean heavily into barrel finishes and limited releases.  Old Elk, under the watchful eye of Master Distiller Greg Metze, took a different path.  Rather than focusing solely on what goes into the barrel, they spent years perfecting what happens aft...

Some bourbon brands are built around mash bills. Others are built around age statements. Burnt Tavern Bourbon is built around a story.  And it's a pretty good one. In a category crowded with heritage claims and frontier imagery, Burnt Tavern reaches back to an actual piece of Kentucky history. The bourbon takes its name from a legendary tavern in Garrard County, Kentucky, that was destroyed by fire not once, but twice, only to be rebuilt each time. That resilience became the inspiration behind a whiskey designed to embrace fire rather than avoid it.  The result is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon that doesn't simply rely on barrel char as a production necessity—it uses smoke, toasted oak, and secondary barrel finishing as part of its identity. The original Burnt Tavern dates back to the late 1700s when settlers established a travelers' stop along the historic Wilderness Road and Zane's Trace routes through Kentucky. The tavern became a gathering place for pioneers, merchant...

The American whiskey landscape has never been more crowded. Every year brings a wave of new brands, experimental finishes, and creative mash bills, all competing for attention on increasingly crowded shelves. Yet every so often a bottle arrives with a story that feels genuinely different.  Keeper's Heart American Pot Still Whiskey is one of those bottles. While the label may be familiar to whiskey enthusiasts who have followed Keeper's Heart since its launch, this release represents something entirely new for the Minneapolis-based distillery. Rather than blending sourced whiskey from multiple origins, American Pot Still Whiskey is the first expression distilled entirely in-house by O'Shaughnessy Distilling Co. More importantly, it serves as a statement of purpose from a distillery seeking to bridge the traditions of Irish and American whiskey making. At the center of that vision is Brian Nation, a name that carries considerable weight in the whiskey world.  Before joining O...

  Owensboro, Ky.  (June 11, 2026)  - Green River Distilling Co. will debut its oldest liquid to date with the first in the new limited Distillery Select series, Toasted Double Oak Bourbon .  Green River Distillery Select Toasted Double Oak  will debut at the Owensboro distillery on Saturday, June 20 and at the Louisville Tasting Room on Friday, June 26. The Distillery Select series will showcase some of the best whiskey coming out of this venerable Owensboro distillery.  Through different proofs, finishes, or specific rickhouse selections, Distillery Select releases will celebrate straightforward innovations rooted in tradition.  This 8-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon, finished six months in new American toasted oak, represents the oldest Green River bourbon released to date.   Toasted Double Oak  starts with Green River's classic bourbon mashbill - corn (70%), rye (21%) and malted barley (9%).  It is then aged eight years in th...

The Pacific Northwest may not be the first place whiskey enthusiasts think of when discussing American rye, but Wildwood Spirits has spent more than a decade proving that exceptional spirits can come from outside the traditional whiskey hotbeds.   Founded in 2014 by master distiller Erik Liedholm and restaurateur John Howie, Wildwood Spirits began with a simple philosophy: source exceptional ingredients, focus on craftsmanship, and create spirits with the same attention to detail typically reserved for fine wine. Located in Washington State, the distillery has built a reputation for its small-batch approach and its commitment to locally sourced ingredients whenever possible.  While Wildwood produces its own spirits, the company has also demonstrated a talent for sourcing quality whiskey and putting its own signature on the final product through thoughtful maturation and finishing techniques. That philosophy is on full display with Rendition Aged 10 Years Rye. What immedia...

  Penelope Bourbon Expands Ready-to-Pour Lineup with Blackberry Old Fashioned Ready-to-pour cocktails have exploded in popularity over the past few years.  But most bourbon drinkers still approach them with a healthy amount of skepticism.  Why?  Because, historically, many of these RTP offerings have been unbalanced in alcohol, flavor, finish and overall appeal.  An Old Fashioned is one of the easier cocktails to learn and perfect.  And, it is also one of the easiest to get wrong! Penelope Bourbon has released previous expressions of the RTP Old Fashioned.  The new release is the Blackberry Old Fashioned, which enters a crowded space but stands out head and shoulders above the competition.  If you want a spoiler (which we sometimes offer), we can tell you this.  This is our favorite ready-to-pour Old Fashioned offering to date - ever!   Despite such a bold claim, we hope you'll continue reading. The Blackberry Old Fashioned from Penelope...

Penelope Bourbon Launches Classic Series, Introducing Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Straight Rye     Built on eight years of innovation, Penelope’s new portfolio is designed for everyday occasions        St. Louis, MO — (June 9, 2026) — Penelope Bourbon announces the launch of its Classic Series and its new expressions: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Straight Rye Whiskey, two foundational whiskeys designed for everyday drinking occasions.       Over the past eight years, Penelope has built its reputation through experimentation, blending, and innovation, all with the goal of creating exceptional whiskey experiences that continually bring consumers something new to explore and enjoy. The Classic Series continues that journey, reflecting Penelope’s belief that there is always more to discover in the world of bourbon and whiskey.   “Since the beginning, our mission has always been to deliver the best possible whiskey to the...

  Chicken Cock Whiskey Core Collection There are whiskey brands built on marketing stories, and then there are whiskey brands that have actually lived through American history. Chicken Cock Whiskey belongs firmly in the second category. Founded in 1856 in Paris, Kentucky, Chicken Cock has survived just about everything the whiskey industry could throw at it — Prohibition, changing tastes, distillery fires, and decades of disappearing from shelves altogether. Today, the brand has reemerged as one of the more fascinating names in American whiskey, blending deep heritage with a willingness to evolve. And now, as the brand celebrates its 170th anniversary, Chicken Cock is entering another new chapter with a complete refresh across its core lineup. A Brand That Refuses to Blend Into the Crowd Chicken Cock has never looked like every other bourbon on the shelf — and honestly, that’s part of the appeal.  The distinctive bottle design has long nodded to the brand’s Prohibition-era hi...