Taster’s Tips

No other sound signals the start of a good time quite like the soft pop of a sparkling wine cork. From Champagne to Cava, sparkling wines are unique in their ability to kick off a party by simply being there, kind of like the wine world’s equivalent of Andrew W.K.

When Mack McConnell founded Taster’s Club in 2012, he was on a mission to share the thrill of discovering a brand-new spirit. Over the past five years, he’s learned a thing or two about how to tell a good story, the power of collaboration, and the way spirits are kind of like cultural ambassadors for the places they come from. We caught up with Mack to learn a little bit more about Taster’s Club’s origin story and what goes on behind the scenes.

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.

Some look at sweet potatoes and see pie, fries, or Thanksgiving side dishes. In the late 2000s, David Souza gazed out at his family’s 2,000-acre sweet potato farm in California’s San Joaquin Valley and saw vodka.

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.

Allison Parc, founder and president of Brenne French Single Malt Whisky, knows that creativity comes in many guises. After a first career as a professional ballerina, Allison knew she wanted a project that would allow her to connect with people beyond the dance world while still pursuing new ideas, but she wasn’t totally sure what that project would be.

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.

One of the best known Scottish exports is scotch and the government is now working to make sure you’re getting the real thing. Generating over 6.6 billion a year and employing over 10,000 people, it’s a very important aspect of the Scottish economy. The British government realizes how important this is and is looking to protect this valuable industry. They are working to create a public registry of firms that are authorized to produce Scotch, from fermentation through bottling. This move would bring more protection to other countries looking to use the products name and would make sure all Scotch claiming to be from Scotland was authentic.

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.