We just love the trend of turning craft beer into craft whiskey and are thrilled to see that it’s really starting to take off! It creates super complex and deliciously different whiskies that you should definitely be keeping an eye out for when shopping and...
Whiskey. Just the idea of it lends to feelings of sophistication, perhaps in a silk robe beside a roaring fire. But what sets silk robe flavor apart from sweatpants swill? The answer is in the craft. Seven Stills Distillery and Brewery of San Francisco chooses to...
From innovative artists to scientific explorers – BigFish Spirits celebrates the stories of women in craft distilling. Our friends over at BigFish Spirits, a distribution company focused on craft spirits and currently serving all of IL with plans to expand, recently...
Part 6 of a 6 part series on Mendoza, Argentina Picking one producer to highlight for a series like this 6-part series on Mendoza is often very hard to do. So much so, that I’ll usually end up abandoning the thought and will instead write multiple articles or a...
Part 5 of a 6 part series on Mendoza, Argentina I became slightly obsessed…okay REALLY obsessed with Fernet & Coke on my recent trip to Argentina. And it’s continued now that I’m back in the States, so I thought I’d share that little...
Part 4 of a 6 part series on Mendoza, Argentina Concrete eggs are all the rage in winemaking these days…particularly in the United States where it’s a newer phenomenon and still not widely seen. While that may lead many of us to believe it’s a newer innovation in...
Part 3 of a 6 part series on Mendoza, Argentina In a land far, far away and hundreds of years ago. Ha ha. Ok, we’re not quite going for THAT kind of story. But we are talking about Argentinean wine, back in the late 1500s. Yep. They’ve been making wine...
? Part 2 of a 6 part series on Mendoza, Argentina Today we’re talking all about Torrontés wine! Never heard of it? Honestly, when I first arrived in Argentina I didn’t know a ton about it either but I’ve found that this little “liar wine”...
Part 1 of a 6 part series on the Mendoza Wine Region, Argentina I’ve been to a lot of wine regions over the years…so many in fact that I can easily say that my home wine region of Northern California is barely in my top 3. Who’s firmly in first place...
Our poor, old friend Gin. We’ve been drinking it since the 1500s but throughout it’s history it’s battled a major perception issue. Namely that it tastes bad. Are you one of those people who think this? If so, join us as we take a little jaunt through the origin of...
All right, you’ve read our article on the poor, sad history of Craft Gin and you now understand why it has lost the popularity contest among spirits for so long, at least here in the states. You’ve also gotten yourself a nice little primer on how gin is made and...
Welcome to Part 2 of What is The Best American Whiskey. In the first article in this series we poked a little fun at the idea of anyone being able to tell you what the best of anything is unless they have your palette. In that article, we taught you how to properly...
What is the best American whiskey? It's fascinating that so many people ask me, friends or their trusty "siri" or "ok google" for the best American Whiskey everyday. That, and "best bourbon," "best rye," and so many other...
Whiskey 101: We sip it slowly, we mix it into cocktails, some of us toss it back, and some of us don’t go near the stuff. But if you’re down with that cold hard brown, then you may not realize the scientific miracle that resides in your glass. The Crafty...
Today we’re having a little extra fun and trying to answered all the off the wall questions a beer fan could have. One of which being, how many bottles in a case of beer? So, between an evening at the pub, a serious beer pong tournament or those all important...
Guest Post by Rebecca Caroli of Town Under Black Distillery It may seem unusual now to conceive of the bearded and mustachioed world of craft alcohol as something inherently feminine. In part, this is because general western knowledge of beer, wine and spirits extends...
We’re finishing up our sour beer series with this week’s video as we dive into American Sour Beers. American sours, like many things we do here in the states, tend to break a lot of the classic rules and approaches. We’re innovators here and...
Oooooh, do I have a sour beer treat for you, Tippler Nation! I just got to Denver and I think I may have already hit one of my highlights of this two week trip. The very first stop I made on my very first day here, in fact. Welcome to the tasting room of Crooked Stave...
We’re continuing on in our sour beer series with this week’s video as we dive into 3 of the most classic styles. Why? To help you figure out where to start, of course! New to sours? Check out the rest of our sour beer series here to get you ready to dive...
Do you like video games? How about craft beer? Spending your day playing games and drinking a variety of incredible beers? Springdale Brewery Barrel Room in Framingham, Massachusetts is the place for you. Springdale is the sister brewery of Jack’s Abby Brewing, which...
A World of Mulled Wine Awaits Mulled wine is a truly international drink and every wine drinking nation across the globe has a version of its own. This winter warmer has been served for centuries and although the bases are similar, the finished products are not. We’ve...
If I were a magical beer fairy, OEC is the craft brewery that I would create for myself. The delicious and unique craft beers they make are only the start. The stories and processes behind these unique craft beers are what set them apart. Hold onto your fairy wings,...
Sour skeptics rejoice! In this video we’re here to convince you that there IS a sour beer for everyone given the incredible range of options that now exist from craft brewers around the world. This is the first video in a 3-part series to help turn sour skeptics...
Are you in the mood for something that’s both sour and refreshing? Did you read our lip puckering intro to Sour Beers and become inspired to take the plunge? There are so many different sour beer styles that finding that perfect pint of tart deliciousness is possible...
Sour Beers: they’re sour. Just reading this post will make your mouth water. (You’re welcome!) For those who haven’t tried a sour beer, it’s quite the experience. Your first sip will be a shock to your palate, and for some it may taste like a bad batch of beer. Give...
Partial reprint as featured in the Winter 2018 edition of Distiller Magazine… As small business owners and distillers, I’m willing to bet that many of you are on Instagram. And if you’re not, I’m willing to bet that you’re considering it. Smart move. Social...
Reprinted as originally published in the Winter 2018 Edition of Distiller Magazine Whether you love it or hate it, I think we can all admit that social media is here to stay. Selfies, never-ending foodstagrams, motivational quotes, awkward personal shares, duck faces,...
There are never-ending rivalries such as Boston Red Sox versus the New York Yankees, Dunkin’ Donuts versus Starbucks, and Star Trek versus Star Wars. However, there is a rivalry that predates all these examples: Peruvian Pisco versus Chilean Pisco. This feud is...
Pisco is a spirit you’ve likely heard of, especially as a Pisco Sour, but maybe don’t know much about otherwise. Believe it or not, the U.S. is the second biggest importer of Pisco in the world, and its popularity is only growing as mixologists and...
National Hot Buttered Rum Day is almost upon us. This year it is being celebrated on the 17th of January…who says we have to stop drinking festive drinks just because the holidays are over?! Now, we hardly need an excuse to sip on this delicious tipple,...
With the news of our beloved, hometown craft brewers, Anchor Steam Brewing, being sold to Sapporo Holdings a while back and the continuation of more and more producers selling out to big booze we felt it was time to revisit our thoughts on this ongoing craft alcohol...
Happy New Year Tippler Nation! As we kick off another year of fun tippling travels, craft producer stories and engaging content to expand your sipping spectrum I thought it might be nice to get to know each other a bit. So first things first – this is a two-way...
Admittedly, today there are more spicy Bloody Mary recipes and easy Bloody Mary recipes and best Bloody Mary recipes and Bloody Mary ingredients than a normal tippler can keep up with. For us here at The Crafty Cask, we’re often purists and know how to make a...
With the holidays in full swing, some of you may have a few ‘accidental’ heavy evenings under the belt (we won’t judge) or maybe you are searching for a low alcohol drink that you can enjoy without wilting in the corner halfway through your night of party...
We love to explore the crafty wonders of the world and what better time to do that than the holidays? We’re exploring holiday traditions around the world…through booze, of course! Let’s jump into these delicious and traditional Christmas drinks that...
When many people think of vermouth, fabulous vermouth drinks (hello martini!) or dusty neglected looking bottles relegated to the back shelf are images that often come to mind. Happily, vermouth is experiencing a rebirth and there is much more to this versatile...
I swear it was just summer yesterday, wasn’t it? Yet all of a sudden it’s time to figure out what I’m getting everyone (and asking for, let’s be honest!) for the holidays this year. I mean Thanksgiving is next week people…next week! And...
Guest Post by Jenna Littlejohn The world of alcohol can be one of fruitful exploration or, it can be a simple ‘glug glug’ of your dad’s favorite beer. Mainstays and staples are important but so are new experiences! As I learned this past Thursday, that’s exactly what...
Our tires crunch on dried leaves as we pull up in front of a beautiful, rustic red barn. Out my window I see a field with a wide, low medieval looking stone wall and gnarly old apple trees spreading behind as far as the eye can see. As I step out of the car and into...
Keeping this a secret for the past few months has been KILLING US, Tippler Nation! Today, we’re excited to announce our partnership with a new company that will help us get all of these amazing craft spirits we’re always talking about in your hands! Let us...
Whiskey, check, vodka, sure, beer, you bet! But when it comes to venturing into the subculture of alcohol that steps past these norms one may meet the drink of times past (and hopefully times present!) – mead. Right now, we’d like to get you sweet on this...
I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit of a nut job when it comes to Thanksgiving. I’m talking planning and cooking the perfect menu for days, joyfully! In the past Thanksgiving has been all about beer (both for my amaze-balls turkey brine* and the football) and...
If you’ve read our Simple History of Gin and Kick Off Your Gin Love Affair you likely already have a fairly decent grasp of what gin is and a few of our favorite bottles to get you started. But, before we get into the grit of how this fabulous botanical-infused staple...
We’ve been teasing and tantilizing you with all of this content about Asturian Sidra, haven’t we? #sorrynotsorry In all honesty though, that’s often the hardest part of our job…discovering all of these great craft drinks and then not being able...
Natural wine is hot these days, but they can also be confusing and hard to find. In today’s video we’re sitting down with Jenny Eagleton of The Punchdown Natural Wine Bar & Kitchen to get informed! What does natural wine really mean? Do they all taste...
You’ve made it! We’re finishing up our journey into the Japanese tradition of sake making with this third piece in our series. In our first piece we talked about the four critical components of premium sake…rice, water, koji and yeast. Then we dove...
In our previous romp with Sake, we explored what sake is. Now let’s move on to the how. While sake’s ingredients are simple and pure the process tends to be a bit more, shall we say, involved. If you are drinking sake, you are drinking something that has...
Like many Americans, we have to admit we’ve taken part in the cheap thrill of “sake bombing.” For a lot of people it’s the first, and sometimes only, introduction they have to sake. You know, yelling the only Japanese word one may know, while...
This week we’re kicking off our brand spankin’ new event series in partnership with the Palace Hotel here in San Francisco. For the rest of this year The Crafty Cask will be hosting a monthly Meet The Maker event in the fabulous and historical Pied Piper...
This time last year we had just discovered the amazing Sweet Potato Liqueur from Corbin Cash Spirits in Atwater, California. And what a discovery it was! Literally every person we’ve had try it since then has fallen in love with it. Given fall is upon us and...
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