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We're excited to see some new options from one of our favorite vodka company - CIROC when it comes to canned cocktails. Don't worry though... they haven't abandoned the "pour it yourself" variety of cocktails either. Which of these is going to be on your table for Memorial Day weekend parties?

August 3^rd marks National Watermelon Day and CÎROC wants you to celebrate summer the right way. Bring a touch of fun to any Summer celebration with limited-time only CÎROC Summer Watermelon vodka, five times distilled and made from fine French grapes with a distinct blend of fresh watermelon and other natural flavors.

One of the East Coast's top wine tasting destinations is nestled in the piedmont area of central Virginia. Here you will find a fantastic blend of rich history, music, restaurants, and wineries surrounding Charlottesville, VA. What most people don't realize is that this region - known to oenophiles as the Monticello AVA - is perhaps one of the most historically significant wine regions anywhere in North America. This makes a visit to Charlottesville, Virginia the perfect place to explore how old world wines and winemaking tradition have blended with new world innovation to produce very high-quality wine on local farms in this fantastic part of Virginia Wine Country.

With the Kentucky Derby almost upon us, it's time to break out our julep cups, crush some ice and mix up some awesome cocktails so we forget how silly those women look wearing their derby hats!

For more than a year know, the world has been forced to adapt to an ever-changing series of lockdowns, guidelines, and disruptions to our daily life in the name of public safety. This article isn't to say what's right or wrong, only to support an industry that has given me so much personal enjoyment and an opportunity to learn, explore, and travel over the past decade. In California, wineries were lucky to have been able to re-open even while bars, breweries, and distilleries weren't - unless they were serving food. For the most part, California wineries were able to escape the worst restrictions by offering outdoor tastings with a few modifications. Unfortunately, with the most recent lockdown orders, wineries were as lucky. Thankfully, winemakers and vineyard owners are among some of the most innovative and creative people that I know and have already begun to introduce innovative ways to maintain their businesses through virtual tastings, interactive video streams, engaging with influencers, and leveraging the support of their wine club members. To help support them further, we've compiled a list of 50 wineries in California and what they are doing to adapt and what you can do individually to help them during this challenging time.

One of the things I absolutely love about wine today is that it is no longer a domain of snobby rich folks that think it should only be one way. Today's wine industry is incredibly vibrant with product at virtually all price points and styles that are perfect for almost every guy out there. While I can enjoy a technically excellent vintage and I know enough fundamentals to hold my own at a professional wine tasting, I'm a firm believer that above all else - wine is meant to be enjoyed. 

There are times when celebrities just slap their name on a bottle or buy a distillery and there are others when it is obvious that the celebrity is actually a partner with the distillery to create something new and unique. That's the case with Matthew McConaughey and Wild Turkey Bourbon. 

Wolf Spirit distillery based in Eugene, Oregon is quickly becoming one of my favorite spirits producers due to their innovative assortment of fine spirits brands that connect deeply with a sense of heritage, history, and culture that allow them to integrate easily into any man's collection. For me anyhow, there are spirits I have and need to blend different drinks... and then there are ones like Puncher's Chance Bourbon and indeed Bosscal Mezcal (also by Wolf Spirits) that exist to create conversations around and will be featured on the shelf of my bar for people to see, while others will be stored in my liquor cabinet hidden from sight.

Bourbon's historical home is the wooded hills and hollers of backwoods Kentucky. The cool mountain streams and springs matched with the fertile cornfields and Scots-Irish immigrants looking to do something with their extra corn beyond just another round of cornbread and Johnny Cakes. However, they weren't the only farmers that enjoyed the smooth, slightly sweet tasting corn liquor we know today as bourbon. As settlers expanded westward, they brought whiskey with them and the most ingenious of them brought stills and set up production wherever they landed on the western frontier.

As a connoisseur of spirits, I'm thrilled to introduce you to the Woodford Reserve's Sonoma Triple Finish, a remarkable fusion of California and Kentucky's finest. This limited-edition bourbon is my latest discovery, one that truly pushes the envelope of fine whiskeys. Its uniqueness lies in the distinct influence of three casks - Pinot Noir wine, brandy, and bourbon.

The Humboldt Distillery is located in Humboldt County, California and makes several spirits, including vodka and rum, that appeal to those with a more humble(dt) preference. We tried Humboldt’s Finest vodka as well as the organic small batch vodka they make. Both are excellent. Our preference in sipping is perhaps with the organic small batch, but it’s a close race. For mixers, Humbdoldt’s Finest is a great one.

I first enjoyed Murphy Goode a few months ago at a steakhouse in San Diego and was curious to learn more. The wine I had, 2015 Red Blend, paired well well the steak and I appreciated the simple confidence of the bottle and label design. It brings back a feeling that this is ultimately wine made to be enjoyed and not a pretentious expression of wealth and sophistication. The product speaks for itself and since then I've enjoyed several different bottles and appreciate that they are able to deliver an excellent product at a variety of price points from $15 to $45 so you don't have to worry about "picking the wrong one".

Recently I was hosted by Crown Royal to attend a weekend of fun at the Jeff Kyle Brickyard 400.  During the weekend we were educated by Master of Whiskey (MOW) Stephen Wilson on the Crown Royal distilling process and how they come up with the blends they use in their whiskeys. 

You may think you've got time since Valentine's Day is still a couple months away but Christmas can be romantic occasion too, as can New Years Eve! One thing that I'm always a fan of us doing a plate with assorted cheeses and other items along with a favorite bottle of wine. The folks over at Whole Foods Market agreed to share some of their knowledge and hooked us up with three amazing cheese and three bottles of wine.

Paso Robles is an interesting example of the secret side of California. To many folks who have never visited the state, they think only of LA and San Francisco as well as possibly places like Yosemite and Tahoe. When it comes to "wine country" Napa and Sonoma are the go-to places that everyone thinks about. California's Central Coast region however is a completely unique area with wines that are just as good - and depending on your preferred varietal - maybe even better than those areas. However, what makes it truly unique is the backdrop of ranches and a feeling that you are in a completely different world than the rest of the state. That translates into wine tasting for sure... but also other great guys weekend activities such as hiking, off-road driving, and hunting too.

Everyone should have a neighborhood bar. It's one of those places that can be a home away from home where the bartenders welcome you warmly when you enter the door and you feel comfortable before you even have a chance to order a drink. That's what San Diego's The Whiskey House is to me, so when I got the opportunity to join them for a Glenfiddich tasting a few weeks ago I jumped at the opportunity. Then I discovered that they were opening a $4,000 bottle of Glenfiddich 40 year and I cleared my schedule for the rest of the evening!

With the Passover starting on April 19th, many of you may be getting ready for the holidays and others, like myself simply enjoy exploring other cultures and traditions. So I thought this was a great opportunity to take a look at what Kosher Wine is and why it is an important part of Jewish holiday traditions.

It is unfortunate that many wine drinkers don't have an opportunity to explore beyond the typical varietals that you see commonly on wine lists and American tasting rooms. Personally, that's a challenge for myself as well even though I absolutely love trying new things and exploring different perspectives on wine varietals from around the world. That's why I was excited to try three wines sent to me by Feudi di San Gregorio that showcase their white white portfolio.

Garrison Brothers was the first legal Texas bourbon but they've come a long way since those early days. While there are a lot of bourbon brands that ride on a cliche concept and good marketing without the soul that makes bourbon something special... Garrison Brothers Distillery is something special and to their credit they've come a long way from the early days when I first tried them many years ago. So, when they sent over some new cocktails to share... well... it just seemed like the right thing to do to salute a whiskey brand that everyone should have in their bar at home.