In the 18th century, John Shenk, a Swiss Mennonite farmer, settled in Pennsylvania's Blue Mountain Valley. He worked tirelessly and harvested more grains than he could sell locally. Shenk decided to distill the excess grains into whiskey, establishing Michter's, the first distilling company in the United States. Prohibition in 1919 led to the closure of Michter's and other distilleries. In the early 1990s, Joseph J. Magliocco and Richard Newman revived the brand, focusing on creating exceptional whiskey. Michter's US*1 Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey is crafted from plump rye grains, fermented, distilled, and aged in charred American oak barrels. The heat-cycled warehousing process enhances the mingling of whiskey and wood, resulting in marmalade and light caramel notes.

Michter's Barrel Strength Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey is the limited, overproof version of their Single Barrel Rye, with a bold aroma of butterscotch, golden raisins, and vanilla. The palate offers flavors of morning toast, maple syrup, and fresh fruit, followed by a spicy finish with hints of mint, cinnamon, and honey.

LIMITED RELEASE CASK-FINISHED WHISKEYS

Diamond Peak is our annual limited release of special cask-finished whiskeys we prize most.

PROCESS & PROFILE

Diamond Peak’s second unique release highlights flavors that transcend traditional whiskey. Using a marriage of 5-8 year Stranahan’s, the liquid spends just over 2 years in casks that previously held the finest extra añejo tequila, the prized Reserva de Familia blended from the José Cuervo special family reserves. The resulting whiskey is a burst of brightness that’s herbal, peppery, and has just the right amount of agave sweetness.

DISTILLATION: Distilled from 100% malted barley and handmade in small batches at the Stranahan’s distillery, Colorado’s first legal distillery since Prohibition

MATURATION: A marriage of five to eight-year-old Stranahan’s American Single Malt Whiskey, initially aged in virgin American Oak Barrels with #3 char.

FINISH: Upon completion of the aging process, the whiskey is transferred into extra añejo tequila casks, where the liquid is finished for up to a little over 2 years. The resulting taste is both rich as it is complex, producing a mix of flavors and an ultra-smooth taste.

CUT: Cut to proof with pristine Rocky Mountain water from Eldorado Springs and non-chill filtered.

NOSE: Peppery and floral, softly layered with butterscotch.

PALATE: Herbal, salted caramel with a mellow oak backbone.

FINISH: Creamy malt fades into light agave sugar.

Kirk and Sweeney was the name of a wooden schooner that was best known for smuggling rum from the Caribbean to the United States during Prohibition," says August Sebastiani, President of 35 Maple Street Distillery. Just before it entered the territorial waters of the United States, the schooner would drop anchor and sell the rum to smaller boats which would come up alongside the Kirk and Sweeney. The smaller boats, which were faster and more maneuverable than the boats in the Coast Guard's fleet, would smuggle the rum ashore. As other boats followed suit, the edge of U.S. jurisdiction the line where boats like the Kirk and Sweeney dropped anchor became known as the "Rum Line" and the row of ships waiting to sell rum on the Rum Line were said to be anchored on "Rum Row." Kirk and Sweeney 18 Year Old Rum is a rum crafted in the Dominican Republic from raw sugarcane. After being distilled, the rum is aged for 18 years in American oak casks. As a result, it has a deep amber and iridescent copper color along with an aroma of dried fruits and sweet, toasted breads. On the palate, initial hints of honey, toffee and caramelized sugar lead to subtler notes of almond and vanilla, which finally give way to bursts of figs, dried plums, caramel and sherry on the finish. "Playing off the concept of global navigation," says Sebastiani, "we silkscreened an antique nautical map of the main rum smuggling route around the circumference of the bottle" of Kirk and Sweeney Rum. In addition, the neck of the bottle is hand-numbered with the rum's batch and bottle number, while a photo of the Kirk and Sweeney and the bottle's safety seal are printed to look like authentic nautical brass. "The overall design serves as a reminder of the risk so many were willing to take for a good taste of rum during the 1920s," says Sebastiani. This limited edition 18 year old bottling builds off of the success of Kirk and Sweeney's flagship 12 year old rum, which earned a score of 95 points from Wine Enthusiast and was named one of the Top 50 Spirits of 2013.

Kirk and Sweeney was the name of a wooden schooner that was best known for smuggling rum from the Caribbean to the United States during Prohibition," says August Sebastiani, President of 35 Maple Street Distillery. Just before it entered the territorial waters of the United States, the schooner would drop anchor and sell the rum to smaller boats which would come up alongside the Kirk and Sweeney. The smaller boats, which were faster and more maneuverable than the boats in the Coast Guard's fleet, would smuggle the rum ashore. As other boats followed suit, the edge of U.S. jurisdiction the line where boats like the Kirk and Sweeney dropped anchor became known as the "Rum Line" and the row of ships waiting to sell rum on the Rum Line were said to be anchored on "Rum Row." Kirk and Sweeney 23 Year Old Rum is a rum crafted in the Dominican Republic from raw sugarcane. After being distilled, the rum is aged for 23 years in American oak casks. As a result, it has a deep amber and iridescent copper color along with an aroma of dried fruits and sweet, toasted breads. On the palate, initial hints of honey, toffee and caramelized sugar lead to subtler notes of almond and vanilla, which finally give way to bursts of figs, dried plums, caramel and sherry on the finish. "Playing off the concept of global navigation," says Sebastiani, "we silkscreened an antique nautical map of the main rum smuggling route around the circumference of the bottle"of Kirk and Sweeney Rum. In addition, the neck of the bottle is hand-numbered with the rum's batch and bottle number, while a photo of the Kirk and Sweeney and the bottle's safety seal are printed to look like authentic nautical brass. "The overall design serves as a reminder of the risk so many were willing to take for a good taste of rum during the 1920s," says Sebastiani. This limited edition 23 year old bottling builds off of the success of Kirk and Sweeney's flagship 23 year old rum, which earned a score of 95 points from Wine Enthusiast and was named one of the Top 50 Spirits of 2013.

A tale of passion

Nestled amongst the rolling hills of the Cotswolds countryside, the Cotswolds Distillery was born from a dream to produce delicious spirits in one of the most beautiful regions in the world.

From hedgefunds to HEDGEROWS
It all started back in 2014, when our founder Dan, a native New Yorker and whisky connoisseur, had moved to the Cotswolds after working in finance in London for many years. Seeking to leave behind that world and spend more time in the picturesque countryside of the Cotswolds with his family, it eventually dawned on him that he could combine his love of whisky with his desire to start a new business. A dedicated whisky fan, Dan saw the fields of golden barley around his house in the Cotswolds and had a brainwave ‘I suddenly thought, there’s barley all over the Cotswolds and nobody’s distilling it, let’s be the first!’ Having found a derelict site near his house, he set about building a distillery and a team to run it, and the doors of the Cotswolds Distillery opened in July 2014.

The making of our GIN

Although Dan's dream was always to make whisky, he also wanted to create a full range of delicious spirits including gins and liqueurs. Our first project was the gin, on which we spent two months researching botanical recipes. We distilled 150 individual botanical spirits in a whole range of different flavors and set about experimenting with different combinations. Our distillers created over 60 individual gin recipes which we whittled down to one finalist, and that became our Cotswolds Dry Gin. It may have started as something of a side-project, but it’s now at the heart of what we do and we’re very proud of what we’ve created.

Our award-winning Cotswolds Dry Gin is a delectable blend of nine carefully-considered botanicals, including local lavender from the Cotswolds and freshly peeled pink grapefruit and lime zest. Due to the unusually high volume of botanicals we use, our gin causes a beautiful pearlescent cloud to appear when ice or tonic is added. A juniper-led gin with fresh citrusy notes and a hint of lavender.

CAREFULLY SOURCED INGREDIENTS

Juniper berries, coriander seed and angelica root form the classic foundation for our Cotswolds Dry Gin. We then add Cotswold lavender from nearby Snowshill and bay leaves. The citrus element comes from freshly-peeled lime and pink grapefruit zest - unusually we use fresh peels rather than dried because of the greater quantity of essential oils. This entails peeling several hundred limes and grapefruits per week, by hand! The final botanicals are cardamom seed and black peppercorn, to give a hint of spice.

TASTING NOTES

NOSE: Fresh notes of grapefruit with earthy coriander backed-up by sweet, piney juniper. A hint of perfumed Cotswold lavender.

PALATE: Clean, pine juniper spice with fresh citrussy grapefruit. A touch of dryness from the angelica root, with eucalyptus notes from bay leaf. Subtle lime and lavender.

FINISH: Clean and balanced. Juniper, citrus and some cooling notes from bay leaf and cardamom.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

For the perfect Cotswolds Cloudy G&T, fill a large copa glass with ice, pour over a 50ml measure of gin and top with classic tonic water. Garnish with a slice of pink grapefruit and a fresh bay leaf.

Crafted in 1849 at Stitzel-Weller, Rebel Yell's original wheat-based recipe marked a bourbon twist. In 1936, Mayor Charles F. Farnsley registered "Rebel Yell," producing limited batches for the southern U.S. After the 1980s, LUXCO Spirited Brands took over. Now, over 150 years later, Rebel Yell Small Batch Reserve maintains the legacy with a slightly higher proof (90.6), offering a complex profile of caramel, oak, vanilla, and brown sugar. With notes of wheat crackers and sugar cereal on the palate, it finishes subtly with hints of orange peel and dark chocolate, uniting heritage and modern tastes, available nationwide for the first time.

Platinum Award (Best in Show) at the 2009 World Beverage Competition

The original Rebel Yell recipe dates back to 1849, created at what later became the Stitzel-Weller Distillery. Known for using wheat instead of rye, it offers a smoother flavor. In 1936, the brand was officially registered by former Louisville Mayor Charles F. Farnsley. After the distillery closed in the 1980s, Rebel Yell transitioned to LUXCO Spirited Brands. Now available nationwide, Rebel Yell American Whiskey blends bourbon and rye for a rich aroma of oak, caramel, leather, and red fruits, followed by a palate of sweet plums, raspberries, wheat, and rye, finishing with oak and chocolate notes.

In the late 19th century, many US distilleries didn't age their whiskey, leading to additives like juices or tobacco for flavor. George Garvin Brown changed this in 1870 by founding J.T.S. Brown & Bro. Distillery, creating Old Forester bourbon. It's the first continuously distilled bourbon, surviving Prohibition for medicinal use. Made from corn, rye, and malted barley, its unique fermentation process and oak cask aging give it depth. Try Old Forester Mint Julep, the official drink of the 141st Kentucky Derby, a collaboration celebrating Kentucky's heritage. Grab a bottle today!

Following the end of the American Civil War, the Ripy Brothers returned to their native state of Kentucky and together, opened a distillery on the slopes of a hill in Lawrenceburg. The distillery operated continuously for nearly fifty years until the 18th Amendment, which prohibited the sale of alcohol in the United States, was ratified. Following the end of Prohibition, the Ripy Brothers Distillery was reopened and a distillery executive named Thomas McCarthy took samples of maturing whiskey from the distillery on a turkey hunt with a group of friends. The next year, his friends asked him to bring "some of that wild turkey whiskey"on their next hunt, giving birth to the distillery's new name. Today, Wild Turkey Distillery is stewarded by Master Distiller Jimmy Russell and his son Eddie Russell (together, the pair have over 90 years of experience producing bourbon). "I was born and raised in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky," says Jimmy, "which was a small community when I was growing up, but there were four bourbon distilleries here, and you had families working all the distilleries. You wanted to get in the business. My grandfather and my father, me, and now my son, we've all been in the business." Wild Turkey American Honey Whiskey shares Wild Turkey Real Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey's high-rye mashbill and patient aging in #4 alligator charred American oak barrels (typically, the degree of charring within a cask is measured on a scale of one to four, with a #1 char referring to casks that have been lightly toasted, and a #4 char referring to casks that have been charred so heavily that the interior resembles an alligator hide). Blended with real, pure honey, Wild Turkey American Honey Whiskey was originally invented by Master Distiller Jimmy Russell three decades ago. Today, it stands the test of time with its pleasant aromas of citrus and vanilla, as well as its thick, honey-coated palate and soft finish filled with butter and caramel. Wild Turkey American Honey earned a score of 91 points from Wine Enthusiast pick up the original honey whiskey today!

Pikesville Rye traces its Maryland roots all the way back to the Civil War from 1861-1865, the Civil War drew thousands of outsiders to Maryland, outsiders who would grow accustomed to the state's particular style of rye whiskey. After the war's end, these people returned to their homes with a lingering thirst for Maryland rye, and a few pioneering businessmen with the help of a recently-improved railway infrastructure began to produce and sell this style of whiskey all across the country. One such producer was the L. Winand and Brothers Distillery, which was founded in Scott's Level (just northwest of Baltimore), Maryland in 1895. The distillery began producing its flagship product Pikesville Rye, named after the adjacent town shortly thereafter, choosing the name because Scott's Level sounded too much like Scotch. After the passage of Prohibition, L. Winand and Brothers Distillery was forced to close, and though subsequent owners Pikesville continued to distill the whisky in Maryland until 1972, the brand was ultimately sold to Heaven Hill in 1982, making it the last-standing Maryland rye whiskey. Produced today at the famous Bernheim Distillery in Kentucky, Pikeville has maintained its popular status in Baltimore after all these years. Crafted by Heaven Hills Co-Master Distiller Denny Potter, Pikesville Straight Rye Whiskey is made from a mash of rye, corn and barley, and evokes the spicy character of traditional Maryland rye whiskies. To set it apart from other ryes, I selected barrels at a minimum of six years old from high storage and bottled it at a proof that allows the most character from the barrel to come through without overpowering the spicy grain notes, says Potter. As a result, Pikesville Straight Rye Whiskey has a pale copper color and an aroma of dark cocoa and burnt oak. The palate is filled with layers of honey, clover and white chocolate, and leads to a finish accented by vanilla bean, butterscotch candy, maple syrup and caramel. Pikesville Straight Rye Whisky won a Double Gold at the 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and earned 95 points at the 2015 Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

Bourbon may be our first love here at Black Button Distilling, but gin is a close second! So much so that we have two of the five Gin Guild members outside of the United Kingdom right here at our distillery. Started in London in the 1600s, the Gin Guild promotes and encourages commitment to excellence in gin distillation. 

Starting with an ultra-refined wheat-based spirit and infusing an alluring blend of botanicals, creates an exotic citrus experience that will have you coming back for more. Our Citrus Forward Gin can capture the hearts of the strongest gin critics, even those that are sure gin is just not their spirit. 

Named “The Official Gin of Summer” by Food and Beverage Magazine, the rich and juicy orange delivers a bold fruit taste and is a perfect match for the New York State Cascade hops and delicate notes of juniper. Citrus Forward will add a unique character to any cocktail.

If you have never been a fan of the strong ‘tree’ flavor of gin, we encourage you to give gin another chance! It will put a twist on a classic Gin and Tonic, but is refined and smooth enough to be used in a Dry Gin Martini. The Black Button Team suggests using Citrus Forward in a classic Bee’s Knees cocktail; just add lemon juice and honey syrup (1:1 honey to boiling water), shake with ice and pour — perfect for porch sipping on a hot summer day. 

Tasting Notes

>Bright citrus notes on the nose

>A hint of spice and hops on the tongue

>Finishing with clean and refreshing hints of juniper

According to a 2013 poll by WIN/Gallup International Association, Colombia is the happiest country on earth Parce founders (and brothers) Brian, Jim and Patrick Powers hypothesize that this has something to do with the rum. Upon travelling to Colombia, the three brothers were taken by the country's beauty, culture, and the warmth and hospitality of its people, and they wanted to share the time-honored Colombian tradition of celebrating quality rum with others. In South America, they would be drinking rum much more as a sipping rum, enjoying the complexity and character Certainly sipping rums have existed here [in the United States], but I dont think there's been much awareness of them, and we thought maybe we could get the sipping rum on the map here, too. The Powers brothers were inspired to go into business together by their father, and they found the perfect partners for their venture in another family business the father-and-son duo of master blenders from Bogota, Colombia, Arthur and Brojen Fenandes Domecq. Together, Arthur and Brojen have over 50 years combined experienced working with rum, and the Domecq family boasts nearly three centuries of history crafting traditional wine, sherry and brandy in the south of Spain (Brojen's grandfather, Jose Ignacio Domecq, was known in the industry as "La Nariz" the nose for his expertise in sniffing and blending). Parce 12 Year Old Straight Colombian Rum is crafted from sugar cane carefully selected from both local (San Cristobal) and foreign (Barbados, Trinidad) sources, all of which is harvested manually every season. Under the guidance of master blenders Arthur and Brojen Fenandes Domecq, the sugar cane is processed and then fermented with natural spring water and homegrown yeast for 36 to 48 hours. Once fermented into cane wine, the resulting spirit is distilled through a stainless steel, 4-column still each still produces a slightly different unaged spirit for use in the final aging and blending process. The spirit is then transferred to spent, charred American oak casks where it is aged for 12 years before being bottled in the lush Andean mountains of Quindo, Colombia. Parce 12 Year Old Straight Colombian Rum has an attractive aroma of creme brulee, toffee, dried tropical fruits and baking spices. The palate, which is medium-bodied and semi-sweet, leads to a long, meandering finish complete with notes of mocha, toasted nuts and pipe tobacco. Parce 12 Year Old Straight Colombian Rum earned a score of 92 points from the prestigious Beverage Testing Institute.

In 1876, John D. Willett one of Kentucky's original bourbon aristocrats transferred his interest in the Willett & Frenke Distillery to his son-in-laws, Benjamin Mattingly and Thomas Moore. Mattingly and Moore continued to operate the Willett & Frenke Distillery together until 1881, when Mattingly finally sold his stake in the company to a group of investors. Within a few years, Thomas Moore acquired complete control over the distillery and eponymously renamed it. Moore would continue to operate the distillery for another five decades, until he was ultimately forced to close his doors at the onset of Prohibition. Today, the Barton 1792 Distillery operates on the same site as the historic Tom Moore Distillery, and continues to use the same methods that Moore used over a century ago when distilling his own bourbon. 1792 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is made from a mash of corn, rye and malted barley. While the use of corn in the bourbon's recipe adds classic notes of buttered bread, biscuits and roasted nuts, the heavy use of rye in the bourbon's mashbill yields a more complex and full-bodied whiskey. After the grains are harvested, they are mashed and fermented before being distilled through a copper-pot still. After distillation, the bourbon is aged in new, American oak casks for a minimum of eight years in Warehouse Z on the distillery's estate in Bardstown, Kentucky. Warehouse Z is situated on the edge of a bluff and as a result, enjoys the intense heat and humidity that are ideal for maturing whiskey. "When it comes to barrel aging," says Ken Pierce, Barton 1792's master distiller, "it's just like real estate location, location, location. That's why 1792 ages in Warehouse Z up there on the bluff." In addition, during the maturation process, Pierce samples each cask of bourbon as it rests to determine when the bourbon has reached its peak of maturity. "Quality in, quality out," says Pierce, who has over two decades of experience at the distillery. Once the bourbon has matured for a minimum of eight years, it is brought to proof with water drawn from the Tom Moore spring. The iron-free, Kentucky limestone water the same water used by Moore over a century ago when crafting his own whiskey adds a subtle touch of complexity and depth to the bourbon. 1792 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which was named after the year that Kentucky achieved statehood in the United States, earned the Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco Wine and Spirits Competition in 2011 and earned a score of 95 points the same as Pappy Van Winkle's 23 Year Old Bourbon at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge in 2012. "Hope you enjoy the taste as much as I do," says Pierce. Enjoy a great bourbon today!

In 1958, a rare blend of Scotch malt and grain whiskies was found in 10 oak casks in the Port of Leith, Edinburgh in a warehouse owned by William Muir. It was soon discovered that the blend was originally distilled in 1954, and that the original recipe dated back to the 1800s. Several years later, in 1966, a small quality of the blend (which was now 12 years old) was bottled for the private use of the directors of William Muir. Six individuals were instrumental in this project, and therefore the whisky came to be known as Syndicate 58/6, named after both the year the Scotch was discovered and the number of people involved. Syndicate 58/6 Premium Blended Scotch Whisky contains 18 single malt whiskies and 4 single grain whiskies, and is aged through a solera system. Solera aging involves filling a series of casks at different intervals over a long period of time. As whiskey from the oldest cask is emptied and bottled, the cask is re-filled with an equivalent amount of whiskey from the second-oldest cask in the solera. This cascading effect continues until the youngest cask in the solera is filled with new whiskey. As a result, no cask in the solera is ever fully emptied. In addition, as the younger whiskey ages and cascades through the solera, its average age and complexity gradually increases over time. Because of the solera aging process, Syndicate 58/6 still contains a small amount of the original blend discovered in 19858. Finally, Syndicate 58/6 Premium Blended Scotch Whisky is married and additionally matured for up to two years in Oloroso Sherry casks imported from the Andalucia region of Spain. As a result, Syndicate 58/6 Premium Blended Scotch Whisky has an burley aroma of roasted grains, cinnamon, oatmeal, orange peel and light smoke. The body is full of complexity, with notes of honey, apple pie, sherry and butterscotch, and leads to a hearty finish complete with smoked meats, pepper and tanned leather. This limited edition was bottled exclusively for Mahesh Patel and Whisky Concierge in 2014.

Amador Whiskey Co. Double Barrel marries the best of Kentucky Bourbon with Napa Valley wine barrel finishing. Its journey began in the heart of Bourbon country, where we selected exceptional Kentucky Bourbon that came to life in new charred American oak barrels aged 3 years.

We transported this treasure westward along the 38th parallel to California, where we finished the Bourbon with our family’s Napa Cellars Chardonnay French oak barrels for 9 months and bottled at 86 proof. This double-barrel aging technique creates characteristics from the individual barrels that are then blended together to make exceptional Bourbon, far greater than the sum of its parts.

TASTING NOTES

Exquisite copper brown color. Notes of vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, roasted almond mingle with hints of honey and tobacco. Rich and full bodied with a creamy, long finale. Enjoy this unique Wheated Bourbon with Kentucky pedigree and California flair.

Situated on a ridge above the banks of the River Spey, the Easter Elchies House has been the spiritual home of The Macallan for over three centuries. In 1820, Alexander Reid began renting the home from Sir Lewis Grant of Grant. Reid was a farmer, and soon after he sowed the fields surrounding the home with barley, Reid established the first licensed distillery on the estate, which he named Macallan after an ancient church that had been destroyed by fire during the 15th century. In the winter when there was little activity on the farm Reid would ferment and distill his excess grains into whisky, which was often drunk straight from the still or sold to travelers passing through the town. Today, the Macallan Estate encompasses 370 acres, 95 of which are devoted to the production of the Macallan Estate's Minstrel barley (a single acre produces about 2.5 tons of barley each year, enough to yield 1,800 bottles of The Macallan). In addition, the distillery contracts with farmers to purchase barley that is low in nitrogen and high in starch, resulting in a rich and oily whisky. After the barley is harvested in late August and early September, it is malted before being mashed in one of The Macallan's two mash tuns, a process that takes between four and eight hours. Then, the barley is fermented with a specially cultured yeast before being distilled twice through The Macallan's copper-pot stills. The copper comprising the stills acts as a catalyst, and enhances the formation of sweet esters while minimizing impurities such as sulphur. In addition, the curiously small stills some of "the smallest stills within the Scotch whisky industry," according to production manager Alexander Tweedie produce a whisky with a heavy, oily flavor. The Macallan M Single Malt Scotch Whisky was crafted from a marriage of seven unique casks of Macallan, each of which was personally selected by Macallan's Master Whisky Maker after more than two years of searching through the Macallan's vast cellars of over 195,000 barrels. Each cask (the oldest whisky was distilled in 1940) was previously used to mature Oloroso sherry. As a result, the whisky as a deep copper color, along with an aroma of dried fruits, vanilla, green apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Rich, viscous wood spices dominate the palate, and are complemented by undertones of leather, cedar and violets. 

In 1898, Teddy Roosevelt a Long Island native organized the First United States Volunteer Cavalry, commonly known as the "Rough Riders," in preparation for the Spanish-American War. The regiment comprised 1,250 volunteers from across the country, including cowboys, Native Americans and other pioneers of the West. After seeing action in Cuba, the Rough Riders earned a decisive victory at the Battle of San Juan Hill before returning to Long Island. Upon their return, the soldiers celebrated their victory and presented Colonel Roosevelt with a small bronze statue of a cowboy riding a bucking horse. "There could have been no more appropriate gift from such a regiment," wrote Roosevelt later. "Most of them looked upon the bronze with the critical eyes of professionals. I doubt if there was any regiment in the world which contained so large a number of men able to ride the wildest and most dangerous horses." Crafted by Long Island Spirits, Rough Rider The Big Stick Cask Strength Rye Whiskey pays homage to Roosevelt's First United States Volunteer Cavalry, and reminds us of the President's old foreign policy adage, Speak softly and carry a big stick. The whiskey is crafted from 100% Long Island winter rye, which is planted on local farms to maintain the sustainable characteristics of the soils following the harvesting of Long Island's iconic potatoes. Aged in 30-gallon American oak barrels, Rough Rider The Big Stick Cask Strength Rye Whiskey is micro-blended from just eight barrels before being bottled at 121 proof. Rough Rider The Big Stick Cask Strength Rye Whiskey has an aroma of toasted rye bread, marmalade and cinnamon sugar, which leads to notes of malt chocolate and chile peppers on the palate. The finish is a touch warm and very smooth. "It's part of the pioneer spirit to try to do something by putting your own signature on it," says Richard Stabile, Long Island Spirits founder and master distiller.

Born in southern Burgundy, Alexandre Gabriel spent his youth working on his family's farm in central France. After studying at the Macalester College in Minnesota and earning a degree in Lyon, Gabriel began working at Maison Ferrand, one of the oldest cognac houses in France. During his tenure at Maison Ferrand, Gabriel would dispose of used cognac casks by selling them to distilleries in Scotland and the Caribbean. "Our love affair with rum began when we sold the prized casks that once held our Cognac to rum producers, and we fell in love with their product," says Gabriel. The tradition of "pineapple rum" dates back to the 1700s, when Caribbean distillers would soak pineapples in their rum barrels, giving the rum an uncommon richness and sweetness. Although the practice eventually fell out of favor, Gabriel and his partner-in-crime, cocktail writer David Wondrich, decided to revive the tradition after stumbling across several ancient recipes buried in the 1824 English Journal of Patent and Inventions and the 1844 Journal of Agricultural Society. To craft Plantation Stiggins Fancy Pineapple Rum, which is named after Rev. Stiggins, a character in Charles Dicken's "Pickwick Papers," Gabriel steeps the flesh of Queen Victoria pineapples in his aged Plantation Original Dark Rum. Then, seeking more aromatics, Gabriel distills the pineapple rind with his Plantation 3 Stars White Rum, blending the two rums together before letting the new spirit spend additional time in oak barrels. "It's not too weird... that's the strength of it," says Wondrich.