Pete O'Connell

2 days ago | vinepair.com | Pete O'Connell

Every town in the country, regardless of size, has some entity in place to handle political affairs. Most have a mayor, while others rely on a city council. But when a town is so small that it doesn’t technically qualify as a “town,” who runs the show? Well, it depends. These places, formally known as unincorporated communities, often exist in rural areas or on the fringes of larger, established cities.

4 days ago | vinepair.com | Pete O'Connell

On Tuesday, Heaven Hill Distillery announced a new signature offering in the Old Fitzgerald Bourbon portfolio: Old Fitzgerald 7-Year-Old Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The bourbon is crafted using the brand’s standard mash bill of 68 percent corn, 20 percent wheat, and 12 percent malted barley.

6 days ago | vinepair.com | Pete O'Connell

Some beers are emblematic of American culture as a whole, while others are regional gems that drinkers in their respective pockets of the nation can enjoy with pride. Sure, anyone can sample their slice of American pie by cracking an ice cold Miller High Life at a backyard barbecue, but posting up on a beach in Rhode Island with a tallboy of Narragansett Lager just hits a little harder.

1 week ago | vinepair.com | Pete O'Connell

When the weather starts to heat up, many drinkers cast aside Old Fashioneds, Negronis, and other boozy, stirred cocktails for spritzes, highballs, and tropical drinks. Arguably, one of the easiest ways to usher in the summer season is with a round of Daiquiris. At its core, the Daiquiri is a simple mix of rum, lime, and sugar, but it’s also a litmus test for how well a bartender knows how to balance cocktails.

1 week ago | vinepair.com | Pete O'Connell

In order for a liquid to qualify as a “spirit” in the U.S., it must contain at least 40 percent ABV, and most brands hit that target proof without going over. Even though spirits tend to come off of their respective stills at a much higher strength, distillers will proof them down to achieve a consistent flavor profile between batches and stretch their stocks. In some ways, the phenomenon is a win-win-win for producers and consumers alike.