Touring Ancram, New York’s Hillrock Estate Distillery

The home of authentic, delicious "field-to-glass" whiskies from the Hudson Valley

Stretching along 100 acres of sloping farmland, Hillrock Estate Distillery produces some of the finest whiskies to come from the Hudson Valley, the entire state of New York, and arguably the country. Beyond this plot in the town of Ancram (which houses the distillery, barrel house, visitor center and an elegant Georgian home dating back to 1806), Hillrock owns and leases another 850 acres nearby—a …

Interview: Royal Salute’s Director of Blending, Sandy Hylsop

Finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks, the new expression is extra special to the brand

Many booze brands subscribe to the idea that if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it. When you have a delicious elixir that the public clamors over, it seems mad to change it. But, the most interesting brands are curious, inventive and experimental. And Royal Salute, the storied, Speyside-based whiskey company, continues to innovate for those reasons, but also to set the bar within the industry. …

Amalgam’s Experimental Cherry Reduction Beer

The Denver brewery uses a centuries-old technique to extract deep, complex notes from sour beer, barrels, and fruit

To produce in the traditional ice wine style requires patience. Grapes—while still on the vine—are frozen and subsequently concentrated, as the water within freezes but the sugars do not. When pressed, their juice proves far richer, deeper, and sweeter. Using this centuries-old concept as a starting point, Amalgam Brewing co-owners Eric Schmidt and Phil Joyce sought to replicate a similarly complex and concentrated beer. Beginning with …