BOOZEMAKERS
A Gentleman's Lifestyle
In-depth spirit reviews, intimate maker interviews, expert guides, and stories celebrating the craft behind the world's finest drinks.
The BoozeMakers 100
The 100best spirits we've ever tasted — bourbon, whiskey, scotch, tequila, and more — ranked by our editorial scores. The list brands want to be on.
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Interviews
From an Arizona Ranch to "Bourbon of the Year": Blake Johns on Smokeye Hill, Blue Corn, and the ASCOT Upset
Blake Johns launched Smokeye Hill on the same day it won ASCOT “Bourbon of the Year” — beating bottles like George T. Stagg in a blind panel before his website was even live. He walks us through the blue-corn mashbill, the Indiana-to-Colorado “three-state question,” holding price under $100, and which bottle to hand a bourbon-curious dad first.
Saturday Neon on Building the Fan-Cave Beacon: Marc Schaer on LED vs Glass Neon, NFL Licensing, and Why a Bills Sign Outsells Everything
Saturday Neon CEO Marc Schaer started the company with a college friend from CU Boulder, propping a single Buffs sign against a truck at tailgates. Now they're licensed by the NFL, NHL, and nearly 100 NCAA programs. He explains the LED-vs-glass-neon question, what a fan cave actually needs to feel like a fan cave, and why the Bills sign is their #1 NFL seller.
How Jittery Joe's Puts Its Beans in Spent Fiddler Bourbon Barrels: Bob Googe on the ASW Collab and 23 Years of Coffee
Bob Googe bet the farm on Jittery Joe's in 2002 after 9/11 collapsed his consulting practice. Twenty-three years later, his Nicaraguan beans spend two weeks soaking up the vapors inside ASW Distillery's spent Fiddler bourbon barrels. He explains the process, the cup, and the Jittery Joe's coffee liqueur he's quietly hoping comes next.
Bourbon & Whiskey Trail Guides
Every Distillery, Every State, Every Pour.
The deepest spirits-tourism guides on the internet. Built around real itineraries, real distilleries, and the inside knowledge most official trail websites won’t tell you.
The Kentucky Bourbon Trail Guide (2026): All 68 Stops, Interactive Tools & Insider Tips
The definitive guide to Kentucky's 68-stop Bourbon Trail — from Buffalo Trace to Bardstown's distillery row. Interactive packing checklist, budget calculator, distillery directory with filters, and seasonal planning tool. 4,000 miles of firsthand experience distilled into one guide.
Read the Full Guide
Trail Guide
The Colorado Mountain Whiskey Trail: From Stranahan's Single Malt to the World's Highest Bourbon
Trail Guide
The New York Distillery Trail: From Manhattan's First Distillery in 100 Years to the Hudson Valley Solera
Trail Guide
The Pacific Northwest Whiskey Trail: Seattle, Portland, and Where American Single Malt Was Reinvented
Trail Guide
Rising American Whiskey Trails (2026): Indiana, New York, Pacific NW & More
11 regional trails · Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Louisville, the Pacific Northwest, and the rising scenes.
The Trail HubBuying Guides & Best-Of Rankings
Our pillar guides — every bottle scored and ranked, with an honest call on which famous names you're overpaying for.
Best Aged Tequila (2026): 8 Reposado, Añejo & Extra Añejo Bottles Ranked
Rested in oak, meant to be sipped neat—aged tequila is where agave drinks like fine whisky. Here are the 8 best reposado, añejo, and extra añejo bottles we've tasted, ranked, with honest calls on which famous names you're overpaying for.
Best Single Barrel Bourbon (2026): 6 One-Of-A-Kind Bottles Ranked
Single barrel bourbon bottles one exceptional barrel on its own—no blending, no two alike. Here are the 6 best single barrels we've tasted, ranked, with honest value calls.
Best Barrel-Proof Bourbon (2026): 10 Cask-Strength Bottles Ranked
Barrel-proof bourbon gives you the whole barrel, undiluted—more oak, more flavour, more everything. Here are the 10 best cask-strength bottles we've tasted, ranked.
Best Blanco Tequila (2026): 12 Additive-Free Bottles, Ranked
The twelve best blanco tequilas we've tasted—additive-free, ranked from our own reviews, spanning the fruity Highlands, the earthy Valley, and the overproof holy trinity.
Best Islay Scotch Whisky (2026): 10 Single Malts Ranked
The definitive guide to Islay single malt—ten whiskies from Scotland's smoky island, ranked by our own reviews, from face-first peat bombs to a gentle gateway dram.
Best Cigar Lighters (2026): Torch Lighters Tested & Ranked
Butane torch, never fluid. The best cigar lighters for 2026 — from a $10 everyday pocket torch to a buy-it-for-life Xikar, chosen for flame quality and reliability.
The Definitive Ranking
Best Bourbons of 2026
Over 100 bottles blind-tasted and scored. These three earned the podium.
Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style
Old Forester Distillery (Brown-Forman)
Named for an era when bourbon went underground, Old Forester 1920 has emerged as one of the best kept non-allocated secrets in Kentucky. Rich, bold, and revelatory.
The Definitive Ranking
Best Whiskeys of 2026
Scotch, rye, and world whiskeys — blind-tasted and ranked.
Nikka Whisky From The Barrel
Nikka (Yoichi & Miyagikyo Distilleries)
At 51.4% ABV in a bottle that fits in your pocket, Nikka From The Barrel punches harder than whiskies twice its size and three times its price.
The Definitive Ranking
Best Tequilas of 2026
From blanco to extra añejo — the finest agave spirits ranked.
Fósforo Blanco
Tequilera Miriam López, Los Altos, Jalisco (NOM not publicly disclosed at launch)
Fósforo Blanco is the $39.99 women-led launch from Los Altos that took the Tasting Panel by surprise (93pts) and the BoozeMakers panel by ambush. We blind-tasted it against LALO Blanco ($45) and G4 Blanco 108 ($55). The newcomer outscored both. Here's our 92/100 verdict.
The Definitive Ranking
Best Cigars of 2026
Premium cigars rated by construction, flavor, and value.
My Father Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo Box Pressed
My Father Cigars (Garcia Family)
Full-bodied, relentlessly complex, and built with the craftsmanship of a family that has been rolling cigars since before most of us were born. Le Bijou 1922 is the Garcia family at their most uncompromising.
Latest Booze News
Best Bourbon Under $30: 10 Bottles That Punch Above Their Price
The sub-$30 bourbon tier is where you'll find the best value in American whiskey—bottles that deliver complexity, character, and quality without the premium markup. After tasting 35 bourbons in this price range, these 10 stand out as exceptional daily pours.
Best Bourbon Under $50: 10 Bottles Worth Every Penny
The $30-50 bracket is bourbon's sweet spot—where craft meets value without the hype tax. We blind-tasted 42 bottles to find the 10 that prove you don't need a second mortgage to drink exceptionally well.
Best Premium Bourbon Over $100: 10 Bottles Worth the Splurge
The $100+ bourbon tier separates casual drinkers from serious enthusiasts. It's where extended aging, limited releases, and exceptional craftsmanship meet allocation games and hype-driven pricing. We tested dozens of luxury bottles to find which ones justify the expense.
The Paloma Recipe: Mexico's Real Favorite Tequila Cocktail
Mexico's most popular tequila cocktail isn't the Margarita — it's the Paloma, a refreshing mix of tequila, grapefruit, and lime. Here's how to make both the fresh-squeezed version and the traditional soda-based classic.
Best Bourbon Under $100: 10 Premium Bottles That Deliver
The $50-100 bourbon tier is where craft meets value. We tested 38 premium bottles to find the 10 that actually justify their price tags—from cask strength bruisers to port-finished smoothness.
The Old Fashioned Cocktail Recipe: How to Make It Right
The Old Fashioned is bourbon's greatest stage — a cocktail so simple it has nowhere to hide mediocrity. Here's how to make it right, with the techniques and bourbon picks that actually matter.
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Gentleman's Lifestyle
Style, travel, culture, and the good life — curated for the modern gentleman.
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