When we talk about whisky it’s clear to almost all of us that we are referring to a grain distillate of ancient origin, whose current name comes from the Gaelic and literally means “water of life.” However, the uninitiated in this exciting world, sometimes find it difficult to differentiate between the different varieties that, for different reasons, geographic or process of elaboration, we can currently find in the market.

In the case of the so-called Scotch, or Scotch whisky, the thing is clear: it is the one made in Scotland based mainly on malted barley and following the standards of the Scottish Whiskey Order, which establishes, among others aspects, that it must be aged in oak barrels with a capacity of less than 700 liters and for at least three years, without adding substances other than water or caramel as a coloring agent. In addition, when bottled, they cannot have a graduation of less than 40 degrees of alcohol by volume.

So far all clear, but it turns out that, in addition, the barrels where the Scotch is aged must have been previously used to contain bourbon. And, what is Bourbon then? It turns out that its elaboration is also regulated by law, in this case the American.

Then, according to the Bourbon Federal Identity Rules, in order to be able to denominate an alcoholic beverage like that, its must -the mixture of grains in which its distillation is based on- have to contain at least 51% of corn. The rest can generally be malted barley, rye or wheat. The must has to be distilled in the United States and shouldn’t include any additives.

Its aging must be in oak barrels, usually white oak, in the American state of Kentucky, but this is not a necessary condition since bourbon has been produced elsewhere for a long time. It’s precisely the county of Bourbon that has given its name to this distillate, and is different from other American whiskeys in the use of corn as the main ingredient, since others are made with rye for the most part, and also in the filtration process, which in the case of Tennessee’s whiskey, is made with saccharine maple carbon, which gives a different flavor and aroma to Bourbon despite sharing almost all the same processing.

The Famous Grouse 1L

The Famous Grouse 1L

Southern Comfort 1L

Southern Comfort 1L

Afraid to catch a cold? Absolutely! With the rum cocktails that we offer today, you’ll warm up quickly. In addition, these drinks are also delicious, don’t miss them!

Ron Cremat

This is a very typical drink of the Catalan coast and, more specifically, Calella de Palafrugell, a town at the Costa Brava. You can prepare it within 20 minutes. It’s an excellent and easy choice for the weekend.

Ingredients for 8 people:

• 1 liter of black rum
• 200 grams of brown sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 lemon zest
• 50 coffee beans
• 2 cups of coffee (optional)

Elaboration:

1. Pour the rum and sugar in a clay pot. Take a tablespoon and stir until mixed on low heat.
2. Add the lemon zest, cinnamon stick and coffee beans. Let the mixture simmer on low heat for about 10 or 15 minutes.
3. Add the 2 cups of coffee to enhance flavor, remove from heat and cover the pan. Serve the drink hot.

Hot buttered rum

Hot buttered rum is consumed during the cold season. Some prepare it using other spirits such as Bourbon, but the original recipe is made with rum.

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 1 glass of rum
• 2 glasses of orange juice
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger                                                                              

Elaboration:

1. Heat the orange juice over medium heat. Add the sugar and stir vigorously over low heat until dissolved.
2. Add the spices, honey and butter, mix with orange juice, stirring continuously, add rum and beat with a hand mixer.
3. Serve hot and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Tom and Jerry

This is another hot cocktail you can enjoy to keep you warm, and it has a delicate and delicious flavor.

Ingredients:

• 22 ml dark rum
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Hot water or milk
• Nutmeg grated or powder

Elaboration:

1. Mix the egg yolk with sugar in a bowl.
2. Then add the egg white and rum.
3. Pour hot milk or water in a pot. Then pour in the mixture from the bowl.
4. Sprinkle over nutmeg before serving the drink hot.

Matusalem 10 Años

Matusalem 10 Años: a rum from Cuba with 40º of alcohol. Uvinum community values Matusalem 10 Años with 4 points on 5.

Legendario Elixir de Cuba

Legendario Elixir de Cuba:  a Dark rum produced in Cuba with an alcohol strength of 34º.

Since good things don’t go out of fashion, the cocktails drank by our grandparents are still the perfect choice to relax and enjoy at home. Some of these classic cocktails you can prepare at home are the Americano, the Old-fashioned and the Sidecar. It will not be hard to prepare them and you will enjoy them as much as your grandparents did.

Americano

This cocktail was originally called “Milano Torino”, thanks to the origins of its two main ingredients. In the era of alcohol prohibition in the United States, its inhabitants spent their vacation in Europe and enjoyed this cocktail so often that Italians changed its name to “Americano”.

Ingredients:

• Ice
• 1 ½ ounces Campari
• 1 ½ ounce sweet vermouth
• 3 ounces of ice cold soda
• 1 slice orange or lemon

Preparation:

1. Mix the Campari and sweet vermouth in a shaker and serve.
2. Fill with soda and ice.
3. Garnish with a slice of orange or lemon. 

Old-Fashioned

There are records of its invention in the Waldorf-Astoria bar book, in 1931. On it appears the name of Colonel James Pepper, owner of Old 1776 whiskey and member of the club where the mix was prepared for the first time.

Ingredients:

• 1 sugar cube
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters
• 2 ounces bourbon
• 1 tablespoon soda
• One thin strip of lemon peel

Preparation:

1. Mix the ingredients in a shaker, pour into a cocktail glass, garnish with lemon peel on the rim and serve. 

Sidecar

This cocktail of golden appearance was created in 1931 by Harry MacElhone, founder of Harry’s Bar in Paris thanks to a frequent customer of the bar who fought the cold generated by riding on a motorcycle with an aperitif. After his visit and several drinks he could not keep his balance and they brought him home in a sidecar (a vehicle hooked to the side of a bike).

Ingredients:

• 3/4 ounce triple sec
• 1/2 ounce brandy
• 3/4 ounce lemon juice
• Ice
• 1 strip lemon peel

Preparation:

1. Put all the ingredients into the shaker, shake and pour into the glass.
2. Add ice to your liking.
3. Garnish with lemon peel on the rim of the glass.

Campari 1L

Campari 1L: a vermouth native of Italy with an alcohol content of 25º. 

Triple Sec Porthos 1L

Triple Sec Porthos 1L:  a triple sec from Spain and with an alcohol strength of 36º.

* Images: Uvinum and Señor Hans (Flickr).

The president of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association has stated that Bourbon boom has reached a new peak after the end of prohibition.

Kentucky distilleries produce 95% of bourbon and filled 1.2 million whiskey barrels compared with last year. These figures are the highest achieved in 40 years and were announced in a statement from the association.

Eric Gregory, president of the association said: ?We are in the greatest time of expansion since the end of Prohibition?.

Bourbon is distilled from corn, it’s delicious thanks to its caramel flavor, and many of us find it attractive because of its golden color, since as a rule it must be stored for 5 years in oak barrels. The increased production to meet demand is an action that must be taken by Kentucky producers immediately. In fact, Diageo, owner of Bulleit Distillers, has announced it will spend $ 115 million to create a new larger distillery.

According to Gregory, the group members have spent $ 500 million (which translates to 386 million Euro) to add more bottling lines, warehouses and jobs in the last years to meet growing demand.

The Association expects the number of Kentucky bourbon makers to continue rising until growing up to 40 operational and licensed distillers.

Illinois is the place that has come to produce greater amounts of bourbon and it would be interesting to know in a short time the production figures for areas to better understand this boom in demand and sales.

This increase in sales and demand result in profits and new challenges for bourbon distillers, and shows us the rise of this wonderful distillate, which becomes fashionable to delight palates worldwide.

Do you like bourbon? Then we suggest:

Bulleit Bourbon

Bulleit Bourbon

Bourbon Old Virginia 1L

Bourbon Old Virginia 1L

Whisky Mcafee’s Benchmark No 8 Straight Bourbon

Whisky Mcafee’s Benchmark No 8 Straight Bourbon

It seems that pressure from Asian investors in the wine world has discouraged traditional investors. Due to skyrocketing prices of top wines, investors are increasingly turning to Scotch and Japanese whiskies as an alternative investment.

Wine lovers will always be loyal, but trends always influence, like it or not, our decision making when buying and maybe more people could want to give a chance to whisky with these trends, which after occurring among investors will reflect also in the market and consumers.

In reaction to the growing number of fine wine investors setting their sights on whisky, Rickesh Kishnani, CEO of a wine investment company based in Hong Kong, created the first worldwide whisky fund in June.

Investors are looking for malt Scotch whisky brands such as Macallan, Bowmore and Dalmore, along with Karuizawa and Yamazaki, Japanese whiskies.

Recently a bottle of Hanyu Ichiro Malt Ace of Spades (Japanese whisky) sold for HK $ 85,750 (equivalent to 8,400 Euros) at a Bonhams auction in Hong Kong, exceeding the price of a case of Chateau Margaux 1982 sold at Sotheby’s New York in June.

The bottle of this Japanese whisky was number 5 of 122 distillations in 1985, aged in old sherry casks and bottled in 2005.

As a result of this boom, tender prices of old and rare whiskeys are soaring. A sign of it: Sotheby’s sold a Macallan “M” single malt 6 litres in January at $ 4.9 million (over 3,750,000 Euros).

According to the Scotch grade index of investment, top 100 single malt whiskies gave an average yield of 440% since the beginning of 2008 until the end of July this year.

?It’s crazy, demand has skyrocketed?, said David Wainwright, managing director of the auction house Zachys Asia.

In addition to the rising value of old and rare whiskeys, the recent increase in demand has fuelled fears about speculators flooding the market.

With about 100 distilleries in Scotland for malt production, many are unable to keep pace with the recent surge in demand, due to the long ageing process of whiskey.

It is expected that auction market of whiskey will continue increasing its numbers this year, and on the other hand, the decline in value of fine wines can be great news for many who seek to enrich their personal cellars.

Today we recommend two whiskeys to invest… If you can avoid the temptation to open them!

Hibiki 21 Years

Hibiki 21 Years

The Macallan 15 Fine Oak

The Macallan 15 Fine Oak

It’s a popular cocktail worldwide and also bears the name of the glass where whisky is served. It’s the Old Fashioned, which is elaborated in different ways, mixing several ingredients for the perfect combination.

Origin

There are many different origins attributed to the birth of this cocktail. On the one hand, some sources suggest it was created in 1880, at the Pendennis Club bar, a gentlemen’s club in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. Other sources attribute it to Colonel James Pepper, owner of the old 1776 whiskey, a famous bourbon distillery at the time. Pepper took it to the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York, where it gained strong popularity. It’s also said that the Old Fashioned cocktail was a favorite of U.S. presidents Roosevelt and Truman.

Elaboration

Anyway, its taste is powerful on the palate and the typical bourbon can always be replaced for whiskey if you prefer, although it is better to be true to tradition.

For its elaboration we will use:

• Bourbon or whiskey
• A splash of angostura
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Orange slices
• Some cherries
• Some water

We try to counter the strong flavor of bourbon with different fruits, but it’s a drink suitable for those who want something daring after a good dinner.

In a whiskey glass, named like the cocktail, old fashioned, mix the sugar, orange slices, cherries, angostura and water. You can crush such ingredients or not, with the aid of a mortar or a large spoon so that the sugar is completely dissolved. This depends on your personal taste. It is said that when the ingredients are crushed the cocktail comes much better. Subsequently, remove the fruits, add bourbon or whisky and ice. Decorate with a cherry and an orange slice.

Regarding sugar, some prefer to add regular sugar to the mix, and others sugar with water, also called simple syrup.

Jameson 1L

Jameson 1L

Jim Beam 1L

Jim Beam 1L

A punch can actually be hot or cold and the Hot Toddy is the perfect punch for winter as it is usually taken hot. In fact, in areas with a long tradition in whiskey, such as Ireland and Scotland, it is usually taken as a last drink before going to bed, in order to fight the cold and flu.

Some say that the name may also have Indian origin, as there is a drink called Toddy in India, made from fermented palm sap. But both the tradition in the UK (and therefore across the Commonwealth, of which India was a part), and the use of whiskey as most typical ingredient seems that the most reliable source is the British.

The Hot Toddies are usually made of a distilled beverage, water, sugar and spices infused. But for the Hot Toddy there are different variants to suit different tastes and can be made according to ingredients available at home. Here are different types:

Original Hot Toddy:
This is the classic Hot Toddy; many people associate it with whiskey, bourbon or brandy. As the distillate varies by country where it is made, we will show regional variations:

Ingredients for a Scottish Hot Toddy:

Scottish Whisky
Boiling water
Sugar or honey
As spice is often used to infuse, lemon peel and cinnamon stick

Ingredients for an Irish Hot Toddy:

Irish Whisky
Boiling water
Brown Sugar
As spice is often used clove, lemon peel and cinnamon stick

Ingredients for an American Hot Toddy:

Bourbon
Ginger Ale
Lemon
Honey
Preparation:

In all cases the drinkis added to boiling water, along with the botanical, and cover for a couple of minutes for the aromas to infuse. It?s usually taken warm or hot. Here are other variants of the original Hot Toddy

Hot Toddy Alcohol-free:
Ideal for non- drinkers or to serve the children of the house while we took our Hot Toddy. Substitutes distilled drink by tea, either Earl Grey, Green Tea, Oolong or Black.

Hot Gin Toddy:
As the name indicates the Gin is essential part of your preparation, as it is one of the best drink to prepare punches.

Great Ron Toddy
Done by combining the taste of rum with orange liqueur and a touch of lemon in hot water.

Ginger Hot Toddy
Ginger is used by many in the preparation of hot punch, and Hot Toddy ginger is combined with bourbon to create an excellent result.

The Famous Grouse 1L

The Famous Grouse 1L

Jameson 1L

Jameson 1L

As we all know, the whisky is a cereals distilled beverage of Irish and Scottish origins, which dates back to the time of the Celts. The first written documents do not appear before the XV century. This is one of the most consumed alcoholic beverages in the world, and a culture around its production and tasting has developed, comparable, in some countries, with the wine culture of the Mediterranean area of Europe.

If we classify the different types of whisky, its place of origin is key, since according to where the raw materials used are produced, the beverage can vary greatly, and its development process, which may involve different techniques that influence taste and nose, aging and conservation.

Thus, we can distinguish between the following categories:

• Scotch (Scotland whisky)
• Irish Whisky
• American whisky

Among the Scotch there are different varieties: The grain whiskey, non- malted barley and corn, and aged for a minimum of 4 years. The Malt whiskey, which is usually the most appreciated, elaborated entirely from malted barley and aged in oak that previously contained Sherry or Bourbon. The Blended, which comes from the mixture of the above, so that a variety of aromas and flavors with different characteristics are created.

The Irish one is similar to the malt whisky in its preparation, but is distilled three times and uses a portion of unmalted barley and dried malt coal instead of peat, such as Scotch whiskey. The result is a drink with a more pronounced flavor and great personality..

As for the Americans, the best known is the bourbon, made from corn, malted barley and rye, but we must also highlight the rye varieties , corn (maize), tennessee (similar to bourbon but greater presence of com corn) and Canadian, developed on rye and malted barley and corn presence in smaller proportions.

Today we recommend :

The Famous Grouse 1L

The Famous Grouse 1L

Jameson 1L

Jameson 1L

The Whisky Sour is a cocktail from Chile, and more specifically from the area of Iquique, which means “place of rest.” While Sour means sour, obviously, and is used to identify the beverage containing lemon. It is one of the most popular whiskey cocktails.

Elliot Stubb is the inventor of the Whisky Sour, and reportedly had a dream to start his own bar but worked on a boat, one day the ship arrived at the port of Iquique in Chile and Elliot, after admiring the place, decided that it would be the site for his dream, founded his bar and invented different cocktails, until one day he blended whiskey with lemon juice, then to soften the bitter taste he decided to add sugar to the mix, finally getting what we all know as Whisky sour.

The Whiskey Sour is usually served as an appetizer before meals and should be served in Old-fashioned cup or rocks glass, garnished with a lemon peel on the edge.

Whisky Sour

Ingredients:

• Ice
• 45 ml of Whisky
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 30 ml lemon juice
• Lemon rind.

Step 1:

Mix in shaker ice, whiskey, lemon juice and sugar.

Step 2:

Then serve the cup with ice.

Step 3:

Garnish with a spiral of lemon before serving.

Instead of whiskey, some people use Bourbon for this cocktail, but most follow the original recipe.

We recommend you try these whiskies on Uvinum:

The Famous Grouse 1L

The Famous Grouse 1L

Jameson 1L

Jameson 1L

The Jack Daniel’s Distillery is one of the most famous (and controversial) distilleries in the world. Its flagship product, the Jack Daniel’s is still at the center of discussions as to whether it is a whiskey or bourbon. This controversy helped the famous brand of Tennessee to achieve its world-renowned. In your opinion, what are the Jack Daniel’s best sellers? products on Uvinum? Keep reading, you’ll be surprised…

The answer is simple: the bourbon must be made in Bourbon County, Kentucky, while Jack Daniel’s is made in Lynchburg, Tennessee. In addition, the bourbon is distilled once while Jacky is distilled two times.

So Jack Daniel’s is not bourbon but a Tennessee whisky. This confusion, which is powered by the distillery (which clearly indicates that it is a Tennessee whisky), comes from our habit of calling all American Bourbon whiskey, even if they don?t come from Bourbon County. In fact, we should call it “whiskey” and not whisky, as indicated on the label. This is the name of American and Irish whiskeys, unlike Scottish, Canadian and Japanese (whiskey).

And now that we have clarified the question, what do you think are the five best-selling products of Jack Daniel’s? Uvinum ‘s  users are extremely knowledgeable, and like these five products, more than Jack Daniel’s classic itself:

5. The gentleman

Jack Daniel’s Gentleman Jack

Jack Daniel’s Gentleman Jack

 4. The Gold Medal

Jack Daniel’s Gold Medal 1L 1954

Jack Daniel’s Gold Medal 1L 1954

3. The old one

Jack Daniel’s Jeroboam Old Nº 7 3L

Jack Daniel’s Jeroboam Old Nº 7 3L

2. The silver select

Jack Daniel’s Silver Select

Jack Daniel’s Silver Select

1. The classic Best seller

Jack Daniel’s 1L

Jack Daniel’s 1L