Taster’s Tips

Yep, this post is about the comedy. Kind of. Groundhog Day is a modern classic, not just because it’s funny and sweet, but because it’s thought-provoking. What would you do if you could live the same day over and over?

The Taster’s Club team was wondering if any of you out there are loving Game Of Thrones as much as us. We’ve found that a night in, watching our favorite show pairs quite nicely with a salty Islay scotch. A must try!

When it comes to craft whiskey, few states can hold a candle to Colorado. This mountainous land in the center of the country seems to exert a special pull on distillers, not only inspiring them to start businesses (there are around 100 craft distilleries in Colorado), but prompting some of the most creative products in the nation.

In the whiskey world, it’s practically a matter of faith that making whiskey takes time—a lot of it. In Scotland, you can’t even call it “whisky” until it’s spent three years aging in an oak cask, and while the United States doesn’t specify exactly how long a spirit has to rest in oak, it does require that it spend at least some time getting acquainted with the inside of a barrel.

Most people look at Breckenridge, Colorado, and see a great place for skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and maybe a vacation home. Bryan Nolt, founder and CEO of Breckenridge Distillery, looked at this mountain village and saw a future of award-winning whiskey. Thank goodness for vision.

When you stop to think about it, the growth in craft distilleries over the past decade is truly amazing. In 2011, just seven years ago, there were fewer than 300 craft spirits producers in the United States. Today, there are more than 2,300 licensed distilled spirits producers, with nearly 1,600 active craft distillers and more in the planning stages. With those figures, “revolution” doesn’t sound like much of an exaggeration after all.

With The Doors’ lyrics in my head and thoughts about where to spend my ideal summer during my college years, Paris quickly became my number one choice. I was already, at that time, in love with whiskey and even kept a diary where, among other things, I wrote down the best restaurants, bars or night clubs the City of Lights had to offer. Whiskey bars naturally tended to top my list.

For most people, Santa Barbara is synonymous with wine. Those people must not know about Ascendant Spirits, Santa Barbara County’s very first distillery since Prohibition and one of the most exciting producers working in craft spirits today.

Money might make the world go round, but most professionals know that strong relationships can be just as valuable as greenbacks. There’s a lot that goes into making sure your business relationships are healthy and vital, but thoughtful gifts remain one of the best ways to show your clients, colleagues, and employees how much you value them.

Dorothy Parker was an American poet, short-story writer, critic, satirist and screenwriter. Although her successes include two Academy Awards nominations, her involvement in left-wing politics led her to the famous Hollywood blacklist of Senator Joe McCarthy of Wisconsin.

Don’t ever let anybody tell you Westerners aren’t persistent. When business partners Brad Mead, Kate Mead, and David DeFazio met Max Shapiro, head ...