Ypióca Cachaça a Brazilian Delight

The story of Cachaça (Ka-sha-sa) stretches from the early days when Brazil was colonized by the Portuguese. Dario Telles, a Portuguese emigrant, arrived in Brazil in 1846 and wanted to replicate the success of European distillers by making Cachaça. With a small ceramic still and a vision, Ypióca (Ip-E-okwa) ....

Party Source Private Casks!

Introducing The Party Source Private Cask Program
We wanted something to commemorate our trip to Scotland in May 2005. Naturally, we did what most visitors to Scotland do—we brought back some whisky casks! While tasting through earthen-floored whisky warehouses at some of the best malt distilleries and indep ....

Hangar One: The World's Best Vodka

In the last fifteen years, American drinkers have seen the smashing success of such high-end spirits as single malt Scotch and single-barrel Bourbon. In the boozy wake of these trends there is now an emergent new horizon in fine drinks, like a trickle of smooth spirit from a distiller’s apparatus. Artisanal “microdis ....

What's the Best Cognac?

Cognac’s Petite Champions
I wish I had a nickel for every time a customer asked “What’s the best Cognac?” “Is Hennessy better than Courvoisier? What about Rémy?” “Is older cognac better?” The truth is, a lot of Cognac brought to market is influenced by several ....

Buffalo Trace's Fine Family of Bourbon

Buffalo Trace ranks as one of the world’s best distilleries, and surely among the top echelon of Bourbon distillers. Formerly known as the Ancient Age distillery, the distillery was renamed in 1999 in honor of the buffalo trail, or trace, which guided early explorers and settlers to the banks of the Kentucky River. One of ....

Edmond Briottet Liquers, Versatility In Every Bottle

Edmond Briottet, founded in 1836, in Dijon, France has been making some of the world's finest liqueurs for over 170 years. Briottet is still overseen by family members, who are involved in every aspect of the distillery from hand selecting the fruit that becomes the base of their distinct liqueurs to the ten week maceration proc ....

Poli - The Fine Art of Grappa

While touring Northern Italy this past May, I came face to face with the heart and soul of Grappa. Although Grappa is considered the Italian spirit, many folks who are not native, myself included, either are not familiar with the drink or think of it as a rustic, biting clear liquor. All this was put to rest with a visit ....

Grappa - The Italian Spirit

Grappa is a traditional Italian spirit made from the pomace of grapes. Once a winemaker crushes and ferments the grapes, the leftover smashed skins, seeds and stems are typically discarded. Finding a way to utilize the leftovers, they were distilled into a clear spirit and grappa was born. In the early years of grappa production ....