During the late 19th century, an overwhelming number of distilleries throughout the United States were still not aging their whiskey. As a result, some retailers would add juices and syrups to sweeten the whiskey, while others would add acid and tobacco to give their whiskey its signature, amber hue. In 1870, George Garvin Brown a young pharmaceuticals salesman from Kentucky saw the need for a consistently high-quality whiskey that would remain unadulterated after distillation. After saving $5,500, Brown and his brother opened the doors to J.T.S. Brown & Bro. Distillery and began distilling bourbon. Unlike other distilleries at the time, Brown aged his bourbon, which was named Old Forester, in oak casks and bottled it in a sealed glass bottle to ensure authenticity and quality. Since its introduction in 1870, Old Forester has been on the market continuously, even during Prohibition, when it continued to be sold for medicinal purposes. It is the only bourbon continuously distilled and marketed by the founding family before, during and after Prohibition. Old Forester 1870 Original Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is the first release in Old Forester's Whiskey Row Series, which aims to highlight the distillery's significant milestones and production innovations throughout its nearly 150 year history. The whiskey is named for another practice pioneered by George Garvin Brown batch distillation. Brown was the first to batch together bourbons from multiple distilleries in order to ensure consistency of flavor. In homage to Brown's pioneering spirit, Old Forester 1870 Original Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is made by batching together bourbons from various warehouses at the distillery, creating a final product that is greater than the sum of its parts. Old Forester 1870 Original Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey has a lively aroma of caramel apple, vanilla bean and oak, which leads to a palate filled with leather, tobacco and vibrant spices including cinnamon and ginger. The finish is dry and smooth, with notes of oak, candybar and more baking spices. 

Founded as a dry community, Evanston, Illinois was the birthplace of the Women's Temperance Movement and home to Frances Elizabeth Willard, an influential protagonist in the story of Prohibition. As the Temperance Movement approached a boiling point, abstinence slowly began to creep across the country and Willard and her league of temperance supporters turned Evanston into a stronghold. For over 100 years, Evanston remained a dry town. It wasn't until Paul Hletko, owner and master distiller at Few Spirits, began lobbying the town that the antiquated laws were lifted. "I'm the vice president of the PTA at my kids' school and I coach their soccer and T-ball teams," Hletko says. "People around town know me and what I'm about, which is handy when you're looking to change 100 years of laws." Today, hidden down a dark alley in a former chop shop, Hletko and his skilled team are producing another batch of Few Spirits Barrel-Aged Gin. The gin is crafted from a mash of corn, wheat and unmalted barley, which is infused with a secret recipe of botanicals, each individually selected for the way it interacts with wood. As its name suggests, Few Barrel-Aged Gin is laid to rest for four months in five-gallon, new American oak barrels which have been toasted with a #3 char. As a result, the gin has a soft amber color, and a nose filled with liquorice candy, citrus and clove. The palate is earthy and balanced, with flavors of fresh grain and sugar complemented by light, oaky undertones. The finish is soft and delicate, with notes of caramel and brown sugar. Bottled at 93 proof, Few Barrel-Aged Gin earned a Gold Medal from the Beverage Testing Institute, where it was the highest rated gin in the last five years.

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 8 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 eight years before being bottled in the lush Andean mountains of Quindo, Colombia. Parce 8 Year Old Straight Colombian Rum has an exquisite aroma of cherries and candied fruit, which leads to a playful palate filled with light vanilla sweetness along with notes of almonds and toasted coconut. The finish is accented by a subtle oakiness and more hints of cherries, dark chocolate, whipped cream and baking spices. Parce 8 Year Old Straight Colombian Rum won a Gold Medal at the 2012 Ministry of Rum Tasting Competition.

In the early 1930s in the French port city of Marseille, locals ordered anise-based liqueurs from cafes around town while these cafes sold any number of varieties, most of the liqueurs were actually illicit. Perhaps more importantly, many of these same liqueurs were also too sweet for consumers tastes, and so Paul Ricard, son of a wine merchant, diligently began working on a recipe that would more adequately suit the French people's tastes. Ricard set up an improvised laboratory in the small commune of Sainte-Marthe to experiment with new recipes, macerating Provenal plants, fennel seeds, aniseed essence and other herbs in search of the perfect recipe. In 1932, at the age of only 23, Ricard successfully found that recipe, and along with it created the first French long drink one part pastis with five parts water, finished off with ice. So confident was the young man in his product that he named the pastis Ricard, using his education in fine arts to design the product's first label himself. Ricard pastis is still made using Paul Ricard's original recipe, which has remained a secret since 1932. The main ingredient in Ricard is star anise harvested in southern China here, only the best fruits are hand-picked, sundried and distilled onsite to produce anise essential oil. Meanwhile, across the world, liquorice root is sourced from the Middle East (this ingredient is what gives Ricard pastis its legendary yellow hue) to be used in Ricard, along with the final secret ingredients which are said to come from Provenal plants. In Bessa, a small village near Bziers, all of these ingredients are purified, macerated and blended before being filtered three times before bottling. As a result, Ricard pastis offers a refreshing aroma of star anise and licorice, which leads to a medium-bodied palate filled with flavors of fresh fruits, wood and Eastern spices. The finish is long, light and pleasant. Ricard pastis remains one of France's most popular beverages today, and in 2014 earned a score of 93 points (exceptional) at the International Review of Spirits.

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.