opinionated alchemist

I read a lot about American whiskeys these days. And this is a good thing [except, that nothing new and/or great seem to arrive in the Middle East]. For such long time, which spans from the end of the prohibition [respective from the start - depending how you see it] until the early 2000's, American whiskey was quite a shadow - a side remark in the whisk(e)y industry. But now - it is talk of the town [even if it is not this town]. And bourbon and rye have all the right to be en vogue. The flavors are bold - but also absolutely stunning. The prices are compared to other whisk(e)y really accessible. There were so many great brands and bottlings which resurfaced after the millennium or new distilleries, which gain traction. However these days, it seems, that the American distillers are loosing their way and it just seems, that they try too hard. It started with flavored whiskey- while I absolutely love the concept [and house-crafted bourbon infusions can be really amazing], t...

Yes - there is another awesome video of Jeffrey Morgenthaler out, with his thoughts about the classic Mint Julep. I think the video is not as timeless as his first one about the daiquiri - but anyway - it rocks. But there is also some more to say about your humble julep... The first you can find is, that julep comes from the Arabic jallab - as they had a drink, made out of grape molasses and dates flavored with flower water [and all]. I think this reference is rather unimportant - you won't always refer to Karl Benz and his first car, if you are talking about a modern automobile, will you? But it is rather essential to understand, that this drink is already quite some time around. It predates the cocktail [1806] easily for at least half a century - maybe even longer. The notion to say, that it is a predecessor of an Old Fashioned cocktail I really cannot share. You have to understand: most cocktails were very similar - smashes, juleps, slings, sours - often only one in...