Drink the Bottles

  Three friends - Tom, Jason and Zack - had a dream like so many spirit enthusiasts do.  They wanted to create a product that they could not only call their own, but own it from beginning to end.  A 100 gallon still helped them realize this dream, allowing them to create a line of flavored moonshines, gin, vodka, award-winning rum and now whiskey and bourbon in small batches. This is the Wise Men Distillery Bottled in Bond Bourbon out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Most of you know the requirements for a bourbon to be labeled "bottled in bond", but if you're new here, we're going to share that with you.  For a whiksey to be labeled Bottled in Bond (or better known as the acronym BiB), it must meet the following: The whiskey must be produced during a single distilling season (January - June) or (July - December) and it must be made from a single distiller at a single distillery. The whiskey must be aged for a minimum  of 4 years in a federally bonded warehouse...

  We're not going to lie.  We know that a perk of this project is the ability to taste unique and extraordinary spirits that we may not be introduced otherwise.  The Johnny Smoking Gun Blended Whiskey from Two James Spirits out of Detroit, Michigan is just one of those cases.   The distillery's founder, Dave Landrum, pays homage to two important men in his life who also bear the namesake of the brand.  Both named James (father and grandfather), left a positive mark on those around them by the love they showed for their communities and the passsion for life, among other things.  Dave is no stranger to the food and beverage world.  He is a mixologist, sommerlier and self-proclaimed spirits snob who wanted to carve his own path by creating a brand he could call his own. Two James Spirits is deeply rooted and excited about their Corktown, Detroit community.  While being environmentally conscious, they also corn and grain locally in Michigan, mai...