Updated book cover for The Drinkable Globe worldwide booze book

Just a quick tweak to the cover of my upcoming book coming this fall from Turner Publishing. It’s now called “The Drinkable Globe: The Indispensable Guide to the World Wide of Booze. Pre-order it now and! Amazon is selling it, at least temporarily, for the extremely low price of $11.85! Get it before the price climbs back…

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George Washington’s Rye Whiskey Distillery gets spirited birthday party

It’s been 10 years since George Washington’s Distillery at Mount Vernon re-opened and to mark the occasion, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe signed a bill Sunday officially naming George Washington’s Rye Whiskey the Commonwealth’s official spirit. Not a bad tenth birthday present (or 220th birthday, depending on how you look at it).

Chicha de jora, Machu Picchu & high-altitude light-headedness

On the latest episode of “The Drinkable Globe” I go to Machu Picchu and Cusco, Peru in search of chicha de jora, the Incan fermented corn beverage—essentially the Americas’ first beer, long before the Europeans brought their own version. I apologize for my lethargy in this particular video. I was a little loopy and woozy from being…

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WSWA: Taste of the Industry

Taste of the Industry is always a highlight of the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America Convention. It’s a chance for marketers to showcase emerging brands in front of key decision makers at the major distribution outfits across the country. It’s impossible to even come close to trying everything in the hall in two hours—it’d be…

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WSWA: Colombian aguardiente

MGB Corp.’s Ana Vincentelli talks about Colombia’s Aguardiente Antioqueño. For those not familiar with aguardiente, it’s the term (meaning “fiery water”) for a range of Central and South American spirits. It tends to be drunk as a shot. Regional traditions often dictate flavors; in this case, the prevailing flavor from Colombia’s Antioquia Department is anise.

WSWA: Whiskey from Oaxaca, Mexico (Yes, you read that right!)

One of the great surprises at the 74th Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America Convention was Sierra Norte, a new brand of whiskey from Oaxaca. Oaxaca, of course, is known for mezcal, but one particular producer and importer of the agave spirit has decided to make use of the Mexican state’s abundant corn crop and produce…

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