“At Old Elk Distillery, in Fort Collins, Colorado, craft is everything. Founded by serial entrepreneur, Curt Richardson, the innovator who created OtterBox and Blue Ocean Enterprises, Old Elk Distillery creates their own process for spirits. To them, excellence does not come from riding trends, but comes from experience and patience instead. Look at their Master Distiller, Greg Metze. With over four decades of experience in producing world class whiskies, Metze worked with the team to create Old Elk’s signature Slow Cut proofing process.”
“Wheaters, come gather ‘round because this one’s for you. A delicious and well-balanced wheated bourbon is something every whiskey lover should get their hands on. Ours is a chance for us to show you and the world what we’re capable of. By using our expertise in creating our delicious flagship bourbon, we tweaked our recipe and upped the wheat and kept the corn at the minimum. Our wheated bourbon consists of 51 percent corn, 45 percent wheat and four percent malted barley. The result? A liquid that allows for each ingredient to not only shine on its own, but highlights what happens when success meets craft.”
Tampa Bay in sunny Florida has risen recently in popularity amongst craft brewing destination spots, with a myriad of unique and tasty brewpubs popping up every month. But, what people don’t know, is that Tampa is quickly becoming a destination for whiskey enthusiasts as well.
More than a dozen whiskey distilleries can be found within an hour’s drive of the lighting capital of the world, and each of them bring a unique story and flavor, both literally and figuratively.
However, after a challenging year for the spirits industry, one Tampa distillery is looking to kick-off 2021 with a bang, featuring collaborations with various artists and comedians in a socially distant return to live entertainment.
It’s incredible to see how distillers are working with a variety of artists and their communities to still produce the whiskey and entertainment we all crave. Especially after the toll that 2020 took on craft distilleries and creative minds worldwide.
Both events are limited attendance to promote public safety, so make sure to grab a ticket before they’re sold out. We hope to see you all there!
The Dark Art Show – Jan 16th @ 4pm & 6pm
The Dark Art Show will feature a number of local artists and is a collaboration between Dark Door Spirits, a whiskey brand that pushes the boundaries of conventional whiskey, and Tyler of the TT Art Collective.
Multiple artists will be featuring their work for attendees to enjoy over a sampling of craft cocktails made by Dark Door’s own resident Mixologist, Shane Neukam.
Time slots will be limited to 2-hour time blocks at 4pm & 6pm to help promote social distancing. The tickets are $25 each and can be found by clicking here. Tickets include two hours at the distillery, the art show, and two craft cocktails.
There are only 100 tickets available.
You can check the curator and artists out on Instagram:
Tyler @tylerintampa
Jon David Ray- @jayray_visual
Graffiti Egypt- @graffitiegypt
Bujikimo- @bujikimo
Thinggys- @thinggys_
Nicholas Lucius- @nicholasluciusart
Damien Stuck- @artby_stuck
Trent Alyse- @kittybombcurios
The Comedy Show – Jan 30th @ 7:30pm
The Comedy Show is in collaboration with The North American Comedy Brewery Tour featuring the comedian Kenny Garcia and friends.
You can learn more about Kenny by clicking here or by checking him out on instagram @iamkennygarcia
The tickets are going to be $15 in advance or $20 at the door. You can purchase them by clicking here.
Tickets are EXTREMELY limited (30 total), so get them quick!
https://www.whiskeyculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Art-Show-Insta-e1610394464679.png4591080https://www.whiskeyculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/WC-No-Background-e1566736739851-300x195.png2021-01-12 14:26:142021-01-12 14:43:05Dark Door Spirits is Kicking Off 2021 With a Bang
“Originally known as Shenk’s and later as Bomberger’s, the whiskey company which ultimately became known as Michter’s was founded by John Shenk, a Swiss Mennonite farmer, in Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania in 1753. In its earliest days, Shenk’s produced whiskey from rye grain, a favorite local crop in the Pennsylvania Blue Mountain Valley where the distillery was located.”
“2020 Release Shenk’s is a Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey made with a substantial amount of rye. Following up the success of the 2019 Shenk’s release, where some Chinquapin (Quercus muehlenbergii) barrels were utilized during maturation, the 2020 release utilizes a greater percentage of whiskey aged in Chinquapin Oak in each batch. The wood has been naturally air dried and seasoned for at least 3 years. The longer seasoning combined with our specified toast and char allows the oak aromas and characters specific to Chinquapin oak to fully express themselves.”
https://www.whiskeyculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Greg-Sinadinos.png7802050https://www.whiskeyculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/WC-No-Background-e1566736739851-300x195.png2021-01-03 13:18:042021-01-03 13:18:10Whiskey Wednesday With Law’s Whiskey House
The HHS Office of Public Relations has issued a statement that the FDA acted without authority in releasing the fee schedule!
Due to all the outreach and coverage the fee schedule got, the HHS reviewed the order and deemed that the fees were unfairly targeting those who had helped throughout the pandemic, and that the FDA assessed the fee without approval and without the department’s consent. This means distilleries should not be charged for producing sanitizer during a national shortage and global pandemic.
Original story below:
2020 sent the majority of the world into a tailspin. Doors were shut, jobs were lost, and businesses that had operated for decades dematerialized in a matter of months. However, some people stepped up from the proverbial ashes from the tides of march and tried to make a difference in their respective communities.
Many distillers, both small and large alike, turned some of their whiskey production capacity towards something a fearful community was facing a critical shortage of, hand sanitizer.
Many of these companies donated hundreds of bottles, and in some cases hundreds of… well… cases, to local firefighters, law enforcement, non-profit shelters, and other limited-funding organizations who weren’t well equipped to handle contact with those in need safely. Additionally, the vast majority of them were offering their sanitization products at a break-even price considering the approvals, manpower, loss of revenue, donations, and supplies it took.
Now, to rub salt in the wound left by this year, the FDA has come in and slammed these distilleries with a bill of just over $14,000, which could equal out months of profit for some of the younger distilleries. Now, these distilleries are being left to scratch their head at how stepping up to help their community could have sent them tumbling down an incredibly expensive rabbit hole. To make matters even more confusing, special allowances were put into place by local and state governments specifically so that these companies could produce sanitizer and help alleviate the dramatic shortages we faced earlier this year.
How did this happen?
The FDA passed a new set of regulations this last Tuesday, and in this new set of regulations is a shiny new set of fees for what they’re now calling “monograph drug facilities,” which is a new term for anyone producing anything on their new list of over-the-counter drugs.
Unfortunately, they have, in their infinite wisdom, determined that hand sanitizer is a qualifying drug, and that if it was produced for 2020, you retroactively owe the fee and are required to register under their new designation to remain federally complaint.
It is a swift and crushing blow to distilleries still in recovery mode from the hardships of this year, and a slap in the face by the same organization that reached out to them for production help earlier this year. On top of the fee, many of these smaller distilleries are now facing a long uphill legal battle to try and overturn these fees or get an exemption without any clarity as to whether that is even possible.
This comes after a new series of lockdowns and shelter-in-place orders dampened alcohol production and sales during one of the most profitable times of year, the winter holiday.
What can we do?
We can click here and let the FDA know that this is crippling to the entire whiskey community, and that they are unfairly targeting the very people they pleaded for help during national shortages during a global pandemic. This may be the only way to help our friends and save some of our favorite craft producers after they helped us.
https://www.whiskeyculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/4E7635F1-B933-4009-8C11-606183BCC023-scaled-e1609424703112.jpeg12482560https://www.whiskeyculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/WC-No-Background-e1566736739851-300x195.png2020-12-31 14:56:172021-01-01 11:47:42New Fees Slam Distilleries Who Stepped Up During Pandemic
“For over 200 years, Buffalo Trace Distillery has been defined by a dedication to one craft: making fine bourbon whiskey. By honoring tradition and embracing change, Buffalo Trace Distillery has earned its place of leadership among the legendary spirit makers of the world.”
“Ancient buffalo carved paths through the wilderness that led American pioneers and explorers to new frontiers. One such trail led to the banks of the Kentucky River where Buffalo Trace Distillery has been making bourbon whiskey the same way for more than 200 years. In tribute to the mighty buffalo and the rugged, independent spirit of the pioneers who followed them, we created our signature Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.”
https://www.whiskeyculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/DCD23607-697E-4EC3-A7F2-FF36893AB913-scaled-e1608216145178.jpeg11262560https://www.whiskeyculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/WC-No-Background-e1566736739851-300x195.png2020-12-17 15:17:392020-12-17 15:17:46Buffalo Trace – Corona Store Pick
“Originally established in the early 1800s, Kentucky Peerless is now home to six fermentation tanks, a 3,800-gallon beer well, and a one-of-a-kind 26-foot continuous copper still made locally by Vendome Copper & Brass Works. The 2,500-gallon Peerless cooker holds the finest corn, rye, barley, and Kentucky limestone water.”
“Peerless® Kentucky Straight Bourbon upholds the promise of producing top-notch spirits from the historic distillery. Unlike rye, which features more hay and pepper, Peerless® Bourbon is rooted in fruits, florals, and oaks. The nose features citrus, cedar, and honeysuckle as well as a nice balance of spicy oak. The first sip is that of caramel and toasted oak before a multitude of notes from around the flavor wheel show up on the palate. The finish showcases an enduring duel between sweet and spicy notes as citrus, florals, and sweet oak tussle with dry cocoa, cinnamon, and spicy oak. The result is an amazing whiskey – fascinating for everyone from beginners to connoisseurs.”
We are proud to announce the release of our 4th issue today!
You’ll get to take a walk through a dark door with Dark Door Spirits in Tampa, FL, stroll through Maker’s Mark, learn about the top 10 best whiskies we tried this year, and more!
You can click the picture below to read on desktop or mobile!
“Fitzgerald was a bonded US Treasury Agent who had access to the rickhouses, where bourbon barrels were stored and aged. His position gave him the means and opportunity to steal tastes of some of the best bourbon. Using his keys, Fitzgerald would let himself into the rickhouses, thieve bourbon from the best barrels, and take jugs home for himself. When it came time to dump the barrels, some were found to be unusually light – and exceptionally smooth. These barrels became known as ‘Fitzgerald Barrels.’ Even when the distillery was later sold to the legendary whiskey man Pappy Van Winkle, the Fitzgerald name – and his reputation – endured. Today, the spirit of John E. Fitzgerald lives in our family of award-winning Wheated Bourbons.”
“Discover a taste worth stealing. Made with wheat instead of rye as the secondary grain, our signature Wheated Bourbon delivers a taste that’s hard to resist.”
“In 1789, Elijah Craig became the first distiller to age his whiskey in new charred oak barrels. Some claim that an accidental fire charred his barrels and changed the whiskey inside. Others say he stored his whiskey in former sugar barrels and was impressed with how charring improved the flavor. However it happened, Elijah Craig knew he had discovered something great. He continued to refine the barrel charring process, imparting smooth, rich flavor to the spirit that would become known as Bourbon. 250 years later, he is still known as the Father of Bourbon—and we craft our Bourbon today using the same time-honored methods.”
“The award-winning Bourbon that started it all. Our signature Small Batch owes its distinctive warm spice & subtle smoke flavor to Level 3 charred oak barrels. Handcrafted by our Master Distillers, it’s a favorite of Bourbon connoisseurs and casual whiskey fans alike.”
About Davidoff Tampa: “Designed to be Cigar City’s destination of choice for those seeking the ultimate premium cigar experience. Visit us to enjoy only the best cigars and libations, featuring over 5,000 sq. ft. of humidified space, multiple lounges both indoor and out, and elegant full service bar with over 100 different spirits.”
