Top 5 Things That Will Make Me Smack You at GABF

The Great American Beer Festival is once again upon us and if you’re heading to Denver this week to join in the revelry (as I am) and you don’t want me to beat you up on sight, these are the behaviors from which you should refrain: 5. Applauding when a glass is dropped. Seriously, how old are you?…

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The Conspiracy of the Go-Nowheres: One Traveler’s Rant

I recently had an epiphany that there’s a vicious conspiracy among infrequent travelers to get those who actually enjoy exploring the world to curtail or completely cease their journeying. According to the International Trade Association and U.S. Commerce Department of Commerce/International Trade Administration somewhere between 15 and 20 percent of the U.S. population left the…

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Bitter in New York

I love a good Old Fashioned. Mainly because I love good bourbon. (And I want to taste the bourbon, so don’t you dare put any club soda in it. But I digress). But the one ingredient that’s often taken for granted is the bitters—without which, an Old Fashioned wouldn’t be an Old Fashioned. You’ll never…

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Bluegrass State of Mind: Part 3

Editor’s note: This is the final installment of my three-part Kentucky Adventure. Click the numbers for parts 1 and 2. Part 3: Urban Bourbon and Off-the-Beaten-Path Beer For the more serious drinking part of the Kentucky drinking trip, I was eager to explore the Urban Bourbon Trail, a loose confederation of watering holes promoted by…

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Bluegrass State of Mind: Part 2

Editor’s Note: This is the second of three parts recounting my recent adventure into bourbon country. For part 1, click here. Part 2: Where the Buffalo Roam (and we drink) The allure of things small and intimate should not deter travelers from visiting a truly sprawling distillery operation—the, well, operative word being “operation.” Interestingly, the…

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Bluegrass State of Mind Part 1

Editor’s note: After I visited Kentucky last year, I wrote up a gargantuan piece on my experiences in bourbon country. I’ve decided to post it in installments to spare you from such an oppressive read. Part 1: Beyond the Trail As Kentuckians in the know like to point out, the Bluegrass State contains more aging…

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