Binny's Blog

Celebrate Flagship February with local beers from Chicago, the suburbs and just over the border.

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.

Flagship February is a yearly opportunity to revisit some craft beer classics. These are the beers that keep the lights on for their respective breweries. They often reflect the period of craft beer history during which they were conceived. Some of these are relatively new flagship beers, while others have been going strong for decades.

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?

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.