Considered the water of life, whiskey (whisky) has become one of the most popular spirits in America and worldwide. <\/p>\n
So much so that even breweries are collaborating on or distilling their own versions nowadays. <\/p>\n
We don\u2019t traditionally cover spirits a ton, but we feel breweries making spirits is an intriguing proposition. And one not covered too often. <\/p>\n
Overall, the American whiskey industry faced some headwinds last year. The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) reports<\/a> that American whiskey sales fell 1.8% last year to $5.2 billion total market.<\/p>\n A feared \u201cbourbon bubble\u201d seems to be already here, if not on the horizon. Craft distilleries or products produced at breweries must be more unique and compelling to vie with a crowded shelf space. Does this sound familiar? We\u2019ve seen the same trends happening in craft beer for years. <\/p>\n Plus, this question looms over current spirit producers: Will newly proposed American tariffs<\/a> on imported goods from Canada and Mexico threaten the second and third top U.S. spirits export markets, respectively? <\/p>\n But enough of you, Debbie Downer. We\u2019re here to celebrate St. Patrick\u2019s Day, so what better way to honor this time-tested tipple than by raising a glass of this strong, stiff spirit, especially if it\u2019s from a brewery?<\/p>\n Whether you like whiskey neat, on the rocks (ice), with a splash of water, or mixed into a cocktail, here are our favorite unique whiskeys to unwind with at the end of the day (or turn up with during this holiday\u2014the choice is yours!)<\/p>\n Photography courtesy of Adam Jaime | Unsplash<\/p>\n<\/div>\n All bourbons are whiskey, but not all whiskies are bourbon. <\/p>\n Whiskey includes grain, water, and yeast, but it\u2019s the first ingredient that genuinely differentiates the two liquors. <\/p>\n For instance, American rye whiskey must include fifty-one percent rye, while bourbon must have a mash bill of fifty-one percent corn. <\/p>\n Producers generally distill whiskey\u2014such as Irish and Canadian varieties\u2014primarily in used bourbon barrels for at least three years. <\/p>\n Conversely, bourbon ages in new, charred American white oak barrels for at least two years. <\/p>\n The process starts the same for whiskey and bourbon: adding milled grains into hot water cooked in a mash tun (similar to beer, too, right!?). From there, the sugar-rich liquid goes into a fermentation tank called a washback, where yeast is added to eat the sugar and convert it into alcohol\u2014this becomes the wash, aka distiller\u2019s beer. To distill the alcohol, the wash gets heated. Essentially, since alcohol boils at a lower temperature than water, the alcohol will become vapor, rising into the neck of the still before being cooled and morphing back into liquid. <\/p>\n Depending on how many times you distill, you\u2019ll get a higher alcohol content. After that first run, most spirits reach around 60-70% ABV. <\/p>\n The alcohol content is essential because bourbon, for example, can only go into a barrel at less than 125 proof (62% ABV). <\/p>\n On the other hand, most whiskies need to be at least 80 proof (40% ABV). Distillers achieve this by adding water to the wash before barreling. <\/p>\n According to the Distilled Spirits Council, the original history of whiskey can be traced back thousands of years to the medieval monks of Scotland and Ireland, with evidence of stills on Scottish farms since the mid-1500s. <\/p>\n In fact, the name whiskey derives from a Gaelic word uisgebaugh<\/em> (pronounced WEEZ-ga-bochh<\/em>), which means \u201cwater of life.\u201d <\/p>\n In America, whiskey origins are murkier. An influx of Scottish-Irish immigrants in the 1700s, settling in parts of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and North and South Carolina, is said to have brought their distilling traditions to the U.S. In these states, settlers and farmers brewed whiskey as a rye-based product, primarily for themselves. <\/p>\n But as whiskey became more popular, the American government levied the first-ever tax on a domestic product to try and make money to recoup debt incurred during the Revolutionary War. Met with incredible resistance, the \u201cwhiskey tax\u201d led to what became known as The Whiskey Rebellion<\/a>, a public, violent uprising in opposition to the levies. Although the protests were squashed in 1794, political opposition continued until Congress repealed the whiskey tax in 1802. <\/p>\n By then, whiskey production had suffered, leading to lower-quality products. The Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897 enacted a set of standards for the composition and age of whiskey. <\/p>\n And while Prohibition obviously put a massive dent in whiskey production in the early 1900s, post-Prohibition saw a resurgence of American whiskey brands. And today, we\u2019re seeing breweries get in on the game, too. <\/p>\n Chicago, IL<\/em><\/p>\n Photography courtesy of Maplewood Brewing & Distilling<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Proof\/ABV:<\/strong> 90 (44.5% ABV)<\/p>\n The Story:<\/strong> Maplewood uniquely opened as both a brewery and a distillery in 2014. Since the beginning, the one-of-a-kind operation in Chicago, IL, has been making not only award-winning beer, but spirits too\u2014often playing off each other. Taking notes from the brewery\u2019s signature Fat Pug Oatmeal Stout, the Fat Pug American Malt Whiskey intriguingly carries these audacious cocoa-like notes courtesy of the grain bill, which has dark crystal, dark Munich, chocolate malt, and roasted malt. Aged in New American white oak, this whiskey gets some nice light char and buttery notes from the barrel. The list of awards this whiskey has won is almost too long to list here, but a few that stand out include the 2024 ADI International Spirits Competition Double Gold Medal, 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition Gold Medal, and 2021 US Open Whiskey & Spirits Competition Gold Medal. <\/p>\n Tasting Notes:<\/strong> Cocoa, chocolate, light char <\/p>\n Learn More<\/a><\/p>\n Canton, MA<\/em><\/p>\n Proof\/ABV:<\/strong> 92 (46% ABV)<\/p>\n The Story:<\/strong> Last year, the iconic, hype-hazy brewery Trillium made a bold move, releasing its line of spirits. The move from the New England-based brewery seemed like a telling trend. If Trillium moves into spirits, would other breweries follow suit soon? A little more time will probably tell, but it\u2019s hard for us to not<\/em> try a small-batch bourbon from one of the most iconic breweries in the country, right? Wake Robin Small Batch Bourbon features a blend of straight bourbon whiskey ranging in age from a minimum of four to up to seven years. The award-winning mash bill consists of three grists with varying percentages of corn, rye, and malted barley. Considered Trillium\u2019s cornerstone of New England whiskey, this bourbon is hard to pass up. <\/p>\n Tasting Notes:<\/strong> Honey, stone fruit, baking spices, molasses, raspberry, brown sugar, toffee drizzled chocolate bundt cake, clove<\/p>\n Learn More<\/a><\/p>\n Munster, IN<\/em><\/p>\n Photography courtesy of 3 Floyds Brewing<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Proof\/ABV:<\/strong> 100 (50% ABV)<\/p>\n The Story:<\/strong> At 100 proof, this one might blow your head (or at least pop your bubble), so drinkers beware. Almost like a big\u2026much bigger brother to 3 Floyds\u2019 iconic American wheat ale, Gumballhead, Bubblegumhead distills from the same wheat for a high-octane whiskey that\u2019s an explosion of flavor. The brewery suggests that you\u2019ll find notes of vanilla, marshmallow, honey, toffee caramel, and warming spices all through one luxuriously smooth sip. A testament to Gumballhead\u2019s legacy, Bubblegumhead will surely make the same stamp on spirits. <\/p>\n Tasting Notes:<\/strong> Vanilla, marshmallow, honey, toffee, caramel, warming spices<\/p>\n Learn More<\/a><\/p>\n Milton, DE<\/em><\/p>\n Photography courtesy of Dogfish Head Craft Ales<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Proof\/ABV:<\/strong> 83 (43% ABV)<\/p>\n The Story:<\/strong> Dogfish Head Founder Sam Calagione started getting into spirits and distilling after visiting a scrap metal yard. He found a stainless steel piece of equipment that he bought and MacGyver-ed into a 150-gallon pot still. <\/p>\n The brewery takes the same innovative, culinary-based approach to distilling as it does to brewing. Alternate Takes: Volume 4, part of a series exploring the possibilities of whiskey, starts with Dogfish Head\u2019s American Single Malt Whiskey and finishes in seventy-four percent Samuel Adams Utopias barrels and twenty-six percent Oloroso Sherry barrels.<\/p>\n This whiskey beautifully combines the confluence of beer and whiskey into one bottle. <\/p>\n It\u2019s also worth trying the third version of this series\u2014Alternate Takes: Volume 3\u2014an award-winning whiskey finished in apple brandy and apple cider barrels. <\/p>\n Tasting Notes:<\/strong> Dried fruit, cedar wood, nuts, dark cherry, fine port <\/p>\n Learn More<\/a><\/p>\n Portland, OR<\/em><\/p>\n Photography courtesy of Rogue Ales and Spirits<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Proof\/ABV:<\/strong> 97 (48.5% ABV)<\/p>\n The Story:<\/strong> Here\u2019s a fun fact: When Rogue started distilling in 2003, it was one of America\u2019s first independent craft distilleries. Spending one year in one-hundred percent coopered in-house barrels and two years in stout-saturated American oak barrels, Dead Guy Whiskey Stout Cask Finish is a three-year-old American single-malt whiskey. The aging in stout barrels gives this whiskey its perplexing character with flavors you\u2019d often find in a stout\u2014roasty, toasty, chocolatey coffee. This audacious whiskey perfectly encapsulates what can happen when brewers start making spirits. <\/p>\n Tasting Notes:<\/strong> Spice, citrus, coffee, roast, chocolate<\/p>\n Learn More<\/a><\/p>\n Holland, MI<\/em><\/p>\n Photography courtesy of @dragonsmilkofficial<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Proof\/ABV:<\/strong> 95 (47.5% ABV)<\/p>\n The Story:<\/strong> A branch of New Holland Brewing, New Holland Spirits launched in 2005. The brewery\/distillery\u2019s small-batch bourbon whiskey is distilled on a Prohibition-era pot still and aged in charred American white oak barrels. The process creates an exceptionally uniquely flavored whiskey that has won awards nationwide, including a double gold from the New York International Spirits Competition, a gold from The American Distilling Institute, and a silver from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.<\/p>\nWhat Exactly Is Whiskey? And How Is It Different From Bourbon?<\/h2>\n
![\"glass](\"http:\/\/www.hopculture.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/whiskey-beer-LEAD-1024x686.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe History of Whiskey<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.hopculture.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/best-budget-whiskey-hop-culture-LEAD-1024x686.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHop Culture\u2019s 8 Best Whiskies From Breweries to Celebrate St. Patrick\u2019s Day<\/h2>\n
Fat Pug American Malt Whiskey \u2013 Maplewood Brewery and Distillery<\/h3>\n
![\"maplewood](\"http:\/\/www.hopculture.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/maplewood-brewing-and-distilling-fat-pug-single-malt-whiskey-credit-maplewood-brewing-and-distilling-1000x1250-1-819x1024.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWake Robin Small Batch Bourbon \u2013 Trillium<\/h3>\n
Bubblegumhead Bottled in Bond Straight Malt Whiskey \u2013 3 Floyds<\/h3>\n
![\"three](\"http:\/\/www.hopculture.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/three-floyds-bubblegumhead-whiskey-credit-three-floyds-brewing-1000x750-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nAlternate Takes: Volume 4 \u2013 Dogfish Head Craft Brewery<\/h3>\n
![\"dogfish](\"https:\/\/www.hopculture.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/dogfish-head-craft-ales-alternate-takes-volume-4-1000x667-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\nDead Guy Whiskey Stout Cask Finish \u2013 Rogue Ales and Spirits<\/h3>\n
![\"rogue](\"http:\/\/www.hopculture.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/rogue-dead-guy-whiskey-stout-cask-finished-credit-rogue-LEAD-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nOriginal Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey \u2013 New Holland Spirits<\/h3>\n
![\"new](\"https:\/\/www.hopculture.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/new-holland-spirits-original-small-batch-bourbon-whiskey-1000x1250-1-819x1024.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"griffin](\"https:\/\/www.hopculture.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/griffin-brewing-co-mr.-bluesky-1000x1000-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"town](\"https:\/\/www.hopculture.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/town-branch-kentucky-single-malt-whiskey-1000x667-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n