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All You Need to Know About Whiskey
Mar 06, 2020
March 3rd is Irish Whiskey Day, March 17th is St. Patrick's Day, March 24th is National Cocktail Day, and March 27th is International Whisk(e)y day. What better way to celebrate than talking about everything Whiskey!
We are going to provide you with nearly everything you need to know about whiskey terms and what they mean. As this spirit has become more popular, the category has expanded. You'll find new age statements, non-traditional barrel aging, and flavored options on the market as well as the classics you already know and love. We're hoping you can use this as a 101 Guide, as well as find out what is new on store shelves this year. Even the expert mixologist may expand their knowledge, and since Hart Agency is the premier marketing agency of New York State we're the first to know about new products and trends!
Step One:
Knowing the difference of Whisky vs. Whiskey spellings -
Step Two: Knowing the types
of whiskeys. Some countries have regulations for their productions. This is where it gets more complicated so we'll keep it simple, starting with American:
Bourbon:
- Made from at least 51% corn. Typically the remainder is a combination of rye, malted barley, and wheat.
- Minimum 40% ABV/80 Proof
- Must be aged in new charred oak barrels
- Made in the USA
Sour Mash:
A portion of whiskey from each production is held back and added to the next batch, which keeps consistency from batch to batch. A well known example is Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey.
American Whiskey:
Whiskey that does not qualify as a bourbon for one reason or another would be called this. Rye Whiskeys
can fall under this category because they are made with 51% rye instead of corn. Rye Whiskeys have been growing in popularity lately, one new brand from Maryland is Sagamore Spirit.
Flavored Whiskeys: Flavored whiskeys have been around for a while; one of the first and arguably most well known is Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey. More have been released in the last few years including new takes on the old staples - Jack Daniel's
(Honey, Fire, and the new Tennessee Apple), and Jim Beam
(Red Stag Black Cherry, Maple, Peach, & Vanilla to name a few...) - as well as some newer brands being introduced such as Cask & Crew
(try their Walnut Toffee, Ginger Spice, or Orange Roasted flavors) and Bird Dog
(too many flavors to list but some unique ones are Praline, Chocolate, and Jalapeno Honey), and Brown Sugar Bourbon. And of course we have to mention the newest craze! Peanut butter whiskey:
Skrewball, Sheepdog, &
PB&W.
Taste Profiles: Corn generally has a sweet finish, and while bourbons & whiskeys are strong, they are often complex. The barrel aging contributes to the taste, smoothness, and color.
Popular Brands:
Outside of what we've already listed, we do many events for Woodford Reserve, Old Forester, Maker's Mark, Basil Hayden, Bookers, Redemption, Bib & Tucker, Clyde Mays, Whistle Pig, and many others!
Irish Whiskey
Irish Whiskey must be distilled and aged in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland, and aged for a minimum of 3 years in wooden casks.
There are 3 main styles
of Irish Whiskey:
- Single Malt - comes from malted barley from a single distillery
- Blended - comprised of a blend of two or more distillates
- Single Grain - comes from grains of a single distillery
New trends:
Brands are recently modifying the flavors by getting creative with aging. For example, Jameson released their Caskmates
line, which takes their classic brand and ages in post- Stout and IPA barrels, which contributes to the smoothness and complexity of the taste. Their newest addition is the Cold Brew, which is Jameson infused with Cold Brew Coffee. Just in time for Kegs & Eggs on St. Paddy's day.
Taste profiles: Typically, blended whiskeys are smoother and softer on the palate. Irish Whiskeys are generally incredibly smooth yet less sweet than bourbons. Great for sipping or creating a cocktail.
Popular Brands: Jameson, Bushmill's, Knappogue Castle, Power's, Slane, Teeling, Redbreast, Green Spot, The Irishman, Middleton, Tullamore Dew
Scotch Whisky:
To be classified as a Scotch Whisky, it must be distilled & matured in Scotland, and be matured in oak barrels for at least 3 years.
Labeling Terms:
- Malt Whisky - made from malted barley.
- Single Malt Whisky - the product of ONE distillation process. This is made by taking whiskies of varying ages from ONE distillery and mixing them together.
- Blended Whisky - the product of TWO of more distillations.
Regions & Taste Profiles: The regions where the Scotch is sourced contributes greatly to the taste and body.
- Highlands - Peat balances fruit. Lots of variety in Highland Scotches because it is the largest region. It's a bit difficult to describe because there is so much variety.
- Islay - Pronounced "Eye-Luh". Smokey, rich, bold & full on peat. Some examples are Laphroaig & Ardbeg.
- Speyside - less peat, more nutty/fruit notes, light/not super heavy. Great for beginners looking for an introduction to Scotch. A few well known examples are The Glenlivet & The Glenfiddich.
- Lowlands - soft, medium bodied.
When sampling Scotch, it's important to hold the scotch in your mouth for a moment to appreciate the developing flavors rather than take the sample like a shot. However, that can probably be said for sampling most wines & spirits!
Step Three: How to enjoy them!
- Neat: No ice. Served room temperature.
- On the rocks: Served with ice.
- Up: Shaken or stirred with ice and strained into a martini glass.
Building a cocktail:
STIR COCKTAILS THAT ONLY HAVE SPIRITS
Shaking your beverage adds air molecules between the liquid molecules it is also known as “bruising the liquor.” Stirring allows you to quickly cool the liquid while adding minimal air to the drink.
- Old Fashioned
- Martini
- Manhattan
SHAKE ANYTHING WITH FRUIT JUICE
Anything with fruit juice gets shaken. Shaking vigorously whips the cocktail together creating more volume.
Note: Add soda and carbonated ingredients ONLY after shaking or it will explode!
- Margarita
- Rum Punch
- Whiskey Sour
Feel free to get creative with new cocktails. There's no reason you can't make a cocktail with a nice Scotch, just because it's typically enjoyed neat or on the rocks. The beauty is, as long as you like it there's no wrong answer!
That's all from us for now. Hope this helps you get ready for March's Whiskey Holidays! Hart Agency will be doing promotions for these products in the coming weeks, so look out for live updates on our social media pages. @hartagency
Thank you for reading & happy crafting!
Cheers for now,
The Hart Team
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What is Tequila? Tequila is a distilled spirit and a type of mezcal. The liquor is made from agave plants and produced only in specific parts of Mexico. Depending on where the agave is grown, the taste of tequila can vary by the bottle. Similar to the way whiskey can be broken down into more specific categories like bourbon and scotch, tequila can be broken down as well. There are three main types of tequila—blanco (silver, unaged), reposado (aged for 2 to 9 months in wood barrels), and añejo (aged for a minimum of 1 year in wood barrels).
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With the beginning of March, we're feeling slightly warmer weather which has us yearning for spring. St. Patrick's Day is March 17th, so we're going to look at the differences in Irish Whiskeys and your best cocktails to go along with them.