Two Decades of Diageo

It almost seems like Diageo plc has been around forever, given the fact that it owns so many classic, venerable brands, including Johnnie Walker scotch, Smirnoff vodka, Tanqueray gin and Guinness stout. But as a company, it’s still a year away from legal drinking age—in the U.S., at least, not in its U.K. home—as Diageo…

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New book, ‘The Drinkable Globe,’ now available! Makes a great holiday gift!

Today’s the day my new book, “The Drinkable Globe: The Indispensable Guide to the Wide World of Booze,” officially launches. Order it at all the usual channels (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, etc.) or directly from me. I’ll gladly personalize and sign as many copies as you’d like. Drop me an e-mail for details.  

Senate Finance Committee tax reform proposal includes FET relief for craft distillers

Last night, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) released his Chairman’s markup of the long-awaited major tax reform proposal, which included a landmark provision to create tax fairness for the country’s 1,589 small, independent craft distillers. Current tax policy allows for a reduced excise tax rate for small producers of beer and wine, however,…

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Conviction Small Batch Bourbon released from Whiskey Prison after 3.5-year term

  Southern Grace Distilleries, the first distillery in the United States to be located in a former prison, has released its first bourbon after opening its doors three and a half years ago: Conviction Small Batch Bourbon. “The hard time aging in oak barrels behind bars here at Whiskey Prison has created a cask strength bourbon that’s subtly sweet…

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