Wicked Weed Co-Founder Walt Dickinson on the Backlash Following His Sale to AB-InBev

Courtesy Wicked Weed Brewing This week’s Anheuser-Busch acquisition of Asheville’s Wicked Weed Brewing has sent shockwaves through the craft beer industry. It’s hardly the first acquisition that has caused outcry, but this one was felt a little harder than most due to Wicked Weed’s ardent fan base and the company’s intimate connections within the niche beer community. Many one-time friends and collaborators have publicly distanced themselves from Wicked Weed as a result of the acquisition, saying their values and morals simply don’t align with those of AB-InBev and its craft division The High End, which now includes a collection of…

The Much-Hyped Michter’s 10-Year Rye Whiskey Is That Good

We've got to level with you: Michter’s 10-Year Single Barrel Straight Rye is seriously hard to find. But the 2017 release is worth any amount of time spent finding it. This is yet another damn good rye whiskey, though it is built a little differently. This whiskey is floral and sweet upfront, and cinnamon-spicy on the finish. You can also taste the barrel char like you’re standing a few feet away from the fire. At 92.8 proof, you'll want to drink it neat.There are a few reasons aside from taste that this whiskey might be hard to get your hands…

The 3 Best Margaritas You Should Make From Santa Fe's Margarita Trail

Kentucky gets the Bourbon Trail, and the rum trails belong to the Caribbean. Now, Santa Fe is staking its claim on tequila, with a new margarita trail.MORE: 30-Second Cocktails: A Better Margarita This arty New Mexico city isn’t going so far to say they invented margaritas because that history is murky. But, it was the first to import tequila, with the Spaniards bringing the “Mexican Brandy” up the Camino Real and into Santa Fe in the 1600s. We’ll drink to that. In all, Santa Fe’s Margarita Trail has 31 bars and restaurants offering up their signature margaritas. If you’re in…

Macallan’s Last “Masters of Photography" Whisky is a Peated Masterpiece

We’ll admit we’ve seen our fair share of special release whiskies, featuring average liquids in new packaging at exorbitant prices, but Macallan’s final entry in a limited series called “Masters of Photography” deserves attention whether you’re a friend of the arts or not. The Masters of Photography Series started in 2008, and over the course of its six releases has featured Annie Leibovitz, Rankin, and Mario Testino. Each release has focused on one of Macallan’s identifying concepts or qualities. This sixth and final release sees Steven Klein focus on “an ingredient fundamental in the making of The Macallan: time.”MORE: The…

Macallan’s Last “Masters of Photography" Whisky is a Peated Masterpiece

We’ll admit we’ve seen our fair share of special release whiskies, featuring average liquids in new packaging at exorbitant prices, but Macallan’s final entry in a limited series called “Masters of Photography” deserves attention whether you’re a friend of the arts or not. The Masters of Photography Series started in 2008, and over the course of its six releases has featured Annie Leibovitz, Rankin, and Mario Testino. Each release has focused on one of Macallan’s identifying concepts or qualities. This sixth and final release sees Steven Klein focus on “an ingredient fundamental in the making of The Macallan: time.”MORE: The…

Group of Female Brewers Create an Anti-Trump Beer

Head brewer Kelissa Heiber pours a beer at Goldspot Brewing. Credit: Dustin Hall / The Brewtography Project Sometimes brewers are fighting more than macro brands when they brew their beer. In one particular case, beer is making a political statement. In Denver a handful of women brewers joined forces to create a feminist brew in preparation for the impending inauguration of one Donald J. Trump. ALSO: The 101 Best Beers in America The beer is called “Makin’ Noise: A Pussy Riot Beer,” named after Russian punk rock activists Pussy Riot, and it is being brewed by six female brewers based…

Who Invented the Tiki Bar? A Brief (and Controversial) History

Credit: Getty Images Tiki bars are about as authentic to the South Pacific as fortune cookies are to China. But whether they appear as high-brow clubs or divey haunts, they represent the same thing: Escape — both from city life and, almost unavoidably, sobriety. At a tiki bar you can get an Easter Island head full of juice and high-proof rum from a bartender in a Hawaiian shirt. It's nonsense, albeit the fun kind. And just like its interior, the tiki bar's history is a hodgepodge: barstool stories and drunk history, making its true origins difficult to pin down. But…

Beastlier: Milwaukee’s Best Ups its Alcohol By Volume From 5.9 to 6.9%

MillerCoors is making sure that whether it’s a quicker buzz at the bar or a zip down the freeway that you’re in on the latest addition to their beer business: a 1 percent increase in the ABV of Milwaukee’s Best Ice brews. Almost all cheap, commercial beers (including Natural Ice and Keystone Ice) rest at a Goldilocks ABV of 5.9 percent. Other domestic beers such as Budweiser, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Michelob, and Miller hover between 4.1 and 5 percent. At 6.9 percent, Milwaukee’s Best Ice is clearly upping the ante — and they are letting everyone know. ALSO: The 101…

Here’s What’s In That $4,000 Bottle of Rolling Stones José Cuervo

Credit: Jose Cuervo The huge price tag is probably the first thing you’ll notice about José Cuervo’s 250 Aniversario Rolling Stones Special Edition. At $4,000 it’s one of the most expensive tequila releases in recent memory. And by all estimation, it’s worth every penny. MORE: The 18 Best Tequilas in the World José Cuervo has a long, complex history in the tequila world, and they produce some of the world’s best tequilas — despite what bad memories a few of us might have from frat houses and house parties.This isn’t the stuff you poured into the blender over the summer.…

The 5 Best Mezcals Under $50

With region-specific agaves and a range of ages, a good mezcal collection can be as varied and diverse as a good scotch collection. But like a good scotch collection, it won't come cheap — and it's important to know what you like."When I look for good mezcal, I want to look for mezcals that have varying levels of smoke and flavor and, ideally, different types of agave," says Ivy Mix, head bartender and owner of Leyenda Brooklyn Coctelería in New York. "Just like you probably don't want to drink the smokiest of all Islay scotches every night, you probably don't…
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