A GMO Argument
I’ve been seeing a lot of articles lately about the use of GMO and non-GMO corn a lot lately. I believe the conversation is usually a bit off the mark. (one example- https://daily.sevenfifty.com/bourbon-producers-consider-the-pros-and-cons-of-non-gmo-corn/) The vast majority of corn and soybeans grown in the US are genetically modified organisms, or GMO’s. This means that the genes/traits of another organism (in most cases, genes from bacteria) have been inserted into that of the corn or soybeans to improve the plant’s ability to survive and prosper. This, in itself, is a great leap forward for science and its ability to improve sustainability of corn and soy crops. When you admire those corn and soy fields that are weed free, identically green, very close...
MGP Ingredients- The Distillery Prohibition Did Not Destroy
If you’re tasting a lot of whiskeys and considering where they come from, you’ll have already become familiar with MGP (Midwest Grain Products) Ingredients. In most cases, you’ll have read an article about how hundreds of whiskeys on the market today are, in fact, distilled at MGP and that many of those companies are not honest about their whiskeys’ provenance. In some cases, people cannot believe that a company that sells extracted starches, textured plant proteins and cleaning products could also make such great whiskey. I’m here to tell you, this is as American as apple pie. (Apple pie is originally European, too, by the way…We imported its recipe the same way we imported our distilling traditions.) To be clear, MGP Ingredients (also referred to by...
Let’s Talk Bourbon and Tulips…
Let’s talk bourbon and tulips. I popped into the Philadelphia Art Museum recently to browse an exhibition and found myself wandering the European Art wing. One of the historically reconstructed rooms is originally from the Netherlands (built in the early 17th century), a part of a brewery compound on the River Spaarne in Haarlem. On the antique table in the middle of the room was a strange looking white, porcelain vase with blue, painted decorations. At the bottom of the vase, in script, it says “Irrational Exuberance.” It took me a minute to realize that this was a tulip vase and the reference was to the Netherlands’ tulip mania in the 1630s. This vase is a perfect addition to this reconstructed room because Haarlem (the town where this room is from) was the...
Dear Whiskey Advertisers,
Women like whiskey too, advertisers. I have been unable to avoid web articles on “women and whiskey”, women in the whiskey industry, or the all too common “10 reasons why you should date women that drink whiskey”. I get it. It seems odd to most people that half the population of the world as we know it should like a drink once in a while. But let’s be clear. This is not a reflection of reality. This is advertising. As an American woman born into a modern era where women can vote (1920), are no longer condemned for wearing pants (that ended sometime in the 60’s, I think, though my mother was expelled from her church in 1985 for considering the option), and now hold 19.4% of seats in the U.S. Congress (Who’d’ve thunk it?), I find the lack of whiskey advertising...
Potential in Pennsylvania
Picture a seed in your mind. It’s small. Even sitting in the palm of your hand, it doesn’t seem like much. But for all its unassuming nature, make no mistake, that seed holds powerful potential. Grind it, smash it, plant it, grow it, soak it. The seed is a food. It can multiply itself when planted and grown. A seed can be ground into flour. Its versatility has literally changed mankind from hunter-gatherer to farmer through its cultivation. In our modern times, its importance gets lost amongst high tech gadgets, ultra-capacity food distribution and light speed communication. Just for a moment, I want to reset and refocus our attention back on the humble seed and its unlimited potential. It is not just a food stuff, it is an economic powerhouse. The creation of...
Rare Bottle of OFC Bourbon Raffle in the Philadelphia,PA Area
BOURBON + BBQ + DVFF FUNDRAISER + WIN A VERY RARE BOURBON BOTTLE By Joe Canals West Deptford THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23 2017 7:00 PM — 8:30 PM An Evening of Discovery: From Grain to Glass. Crafting Fine Bourbons Join us on Thursday, February 23 from 7pm-8:30pm at Joe Canal’s of West Deptford as we host a very special bourbon event and raffle to benefit the Delaware Valley Fields Foundation (DVFF). The DVFF is a non-profit foundation that works to help sustain and defend regional small agriculture including farmers who grow grains for use in spirits like whiskey. This year the DVFF will focus on the SeedSpark program which is helping fund a project at Penn State University to bring back an heirloom rye grain that hasn’t been in production since Prohibition. To...
The 2nd Annual American Whiskey Convention!
“By Whiskey Lovers, For Whiskey Lovers” The 2nd Annual American Whiskey Convention is a Grand Tasting at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA on March 24th Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Feb 7, 2017 — Pennsylvania is the birthplace of American Whiskey. As the first days of spring arrive, Philadelphia will host the largest all-American whiskey event in the country! Philadelphia’s whiskey aficionados will have access to a grand tasting with over 150 bourbons, ryes, wheat and malt whiskeys from some of the finest distilleries in the country. The 2nd Annual American Whiskey Convention takes place on Friday, March 24th in the Hall of Fame Club of Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa. “We’ve created an event to highlight America’s whiskey renaissance and...