Distilled: Fred Minnick and the Bourbon That Changed Everything

Plus: Bourbon-glazed wings for game day…and bourbon cologne(!)

Last weekend, I was fortunate to get an invite to a duck hunt in the Santee Delta, north of Charleston, South Carolina. Naturally, there was bourbon on hand as we gathered at hunt camp the night before. I zeroed in on a bottle of Jefferson’s Reserve, which I had yet to try, and while I won’t bore you by attempting a laundry list of tasting notes, I wound up sticking with it for most of the evening. Sometimes a bourbon just tastes right. When it comes to bourbon tasting, Fred Minnick has one of the most respected palates in the industry. You probably know Minnick’s name—he’s a prolific author, podcaster, the cofounder of Bourbon & Beyond in Louisville, and more. This week, we caught up with him to talk about his new book, Bottom Shelf, which details his truly remarkable path from the depths of despair after serving in Iraq to whiskey stardom. Also, don’t miss our bourbon timeline, which distills a couple of centuries of history and lore (anyone remember Jack Nicholson’s morning tipple in Easy Rider?). And if you’re planning a little couch—and maybe some grill—time for this Sunday’s Super Bowl, this recipe for bourbon-glazed sticky wings is your ticket to game-day glory.

Author and whiskey savant Fred Minnick on his new book, Bottom Shelf; mindful tasting; and the healing power of savoring what you love.

A timeline of the spirit’s storied rise, from the start of “brand names” to Pappygate.

Micah LeMon has been the bar manager at the Alley Light in Charlottesville, Virginia, since helping it earn a James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant in 2015. Named one of the country’s top 100 mixologists by the U.S. Bartenders’ Guild in 2022, he’s also the author of the cocktail guide Ounces, Drops, & Dashes.

What’s the most popular bourbon you’re pouring?
We get a lot of requests for Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, and Blanton’s.

What’s the bourbon you’re drinking after-hours?
After a long shift, nothing slaps more than a cold beer and a thimble of whiskey—more often than not Bud and Old Grand-Dad Bonded. OGD Bonded is delicious and a good bang for your buck.

If a customer asks, what do you recommend?
Stagg and Jack Daniel’s 12-Year-Old. We were quite surprised by Jack 12—they make their money with lower-proof and flavored whiskeys but clearly have older, exceptionally delicious barrels. Stagg is a perfect intersection of rich oak and age overlaid on a potent underlying distillate. In my opinion, it’s better than George T. Stagg.

Your most popular bourbon cocktail?
The Sunday Sermon, a house spin on an old-fashioned with Elijah Craig bourbon, sassafras vermouth, Amer Picon, and absinthe. In winter, I forage for sassafras root to make vermouth—as much a labor of love as it is yummy.

And your favorite bourbon cocktail?
Probably my bourbon peach sour. Bourbon is made for stone fruit. If you’re at the Alley Light in late June, I’ll be using peak local peaches to make this whiskey sour riff. It’s stupid delicious.

Is there a new brand or bourbon you’re excited about?
I’ve been impressed by some cool bottlings from New Riff that explore unique grains, blends, and malting practices. I also like some whiskeys from Ragged Branch, just down the road in Charlottesville.

Other than your own bar, where’s the best spot to drink bourbon?
On my porch! Just kidding, but not really. Here, I might pop into our sister restaurant the Whiskey Jar and get some fried chicken while I’m at it.

Neat? One cube? Crushed?
The longer I bartend, the more I find myself drinking spirits neat. I want to know what they taste like!

—Steve Russell, G&G contributing editor

A sweet-hot bourbon-spiked glaze makes for championship-worthy bites.

The King returns with a new look! The coveted King of Kentucky bourbon ($299) is rolling out for the first time in three small-batch editions, blended from barrels aged twelve to eighteen years and each varying in proof. A traditional single-barrel edition is slated for a fall release.

Speaking of Fred Minnick (see above), the king of reviewers recently undertook marathon tasting sessions to rank blind-tasted picks for his Top 100 bourbons of 2025. See how your favorites stacked up here.

North Carolina’s Old Hillside Bourbon Company debuted a limited-edition bourbon honoring the Harlem Hellfighters, a legendary African American infantry unit in World War I and the longest-serving unit in the war. The bourbon, available in three commemorative bottles, is finished in French oak wine barrels for 191 days—how long the regiment spent on the front lines in France. A portion of proceeds benefits the Whiskey Valor Foundation.

Jackson Purchase bourbon, from master distiller Craig Beam (a 2025 Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame inductee) and head distiller Terry Ballard (formerly of Willett), made quite the impression when Batch No. 1 dropped last fall. The previously only-in-Kentucky release is now available online ($75) for delivery to most states.

Even if you can’t attend the inaugural Kentucky Bourbon Country Auction and Celebration (February 13–15) in Louisville, you can still preview items from the impressively stocked auction and register to participate virtually, with bidding opening at 7:30 p.m. on February 14. Proceeds benefit the Bob Woodruff Foundation.

Eau de…bourbon? Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Elijah Craig has restocked its Char No. 3 Cologne, which promises to capture the “warm, sweet, and woody notes that whiskey lovers know and love.”

—Tom Wilmes, G&G contributor

UPCOMING SPIRITED EVENTS WITH G&G