Binny's Blog

Last week it was new wines, this week it's new spirits. Pat once again overdid it and brought too many new items for us to sample.

We love a good tasting experiment on Barrel to Bottle, so this week we're making Manhattans. A lot of Manhattans. So many Manhattans that we can't keep track of how many we're making. We tried 21 different bitters to see which one makes the best Manhattan.

We're joined by design icon and fashion mogul Vera Wang for an exploration of her new, limited edition Chopin vodka.

The Whiskey Hotline is joined by Bryan Cranston for a tasting and discussion of Dos Hombres Mezcal.

The Whiskey Hotline is joined by mezcal expert Francisco Terrazas for a tasting of the varied offerings from Mezcal Vago.

The difference between mezcal and other agave spirits. Maybe someone told you that all tequilas are mezcal but not all mezcals are tequila.

How to read a mezcal label. If you’ve read that mezcal label closely, you’ve maybe seen words like “artesenal” and “ancestral.”

The difference between tequila and mezcal. You’re a tequila fan and you’ve been hearing about its smoky cousin, mezcal?

Originally, the Sazerac cocktail was made with French brandy. In 1873, the recipe for the Sazerac Cocktail was altered to replace the French brandy with American Rye whiskey. We decided to recreate the original with Hennessy Cognac - plus ginger syrup, a few dashes of barrel aged bitters, and of course, a heavy absinthe rinse.

We're mixing things up with this classic gin cocktail. Instead of gin, we're adding mezcal. It adds a smoky flavor that blends magically with the sweet and bitter flavors in the cocktail.