Shauna McKnight

CEO of Heritage Distilling Co.Justin Stiefel distilled his first batch of whiskey when he was just seven years old. Since then, he’s gotten a degree in chemical engineering, went to law school, and opened a pretty unique distillery. Heritage offers whiskey lovers a chance to distill their own small batch of whiskey, gin, or vodka. The program is particularly cool because while it’s legal...

John Dewar Sr. started his company in London in 1846, but it was his son, Tommy Dewar, who garnered attention for the Scotch whisky brand in the late 1880s. Their White Label whisky quickly became and is still a best-seller, based on Dewar’s pervasive advertising. Tommy Dewar even commissioned one of the...

When I worked at a brewery, our restaurant had 18 different kinds of unique, fresh beer on tap. Despite having so many options, I still got bored of drinking the same thing over and over again. So, I started making my own concoctions, mixing ciders with IPAs or stouts and blending a Saison with a splash of pale ale and a porter float. Sometimes they were really great, but other times I missed the mark. The creativity and freedom I felt mixing and matching flavors is how the producers at Barre...

Deep in the heart of California wine country sits the quiet town of Buellton. Known for being the filming location of the movie Sideways and for being the “Home of Split Pea Soup,” the town has also recently become known for its alcohol production. In fact, Santa Barbara County’s first whiskey distillery...

Jim Beam has been around pretty much since the beginning of whiskey production in the United States. Their limited-edition Jim Beam Distiller’s Cut acts as the brand’s take on a bold yet budget-friendly bourbon. Master Distiller Fred Noe hand-selected the barrels, and decided to cut out the chill-filtration process, which some say has a huge impact on the flavor of whiskey. During chill filtration...

At its inception light whiskey was expected to take over 10% of the distilled spirits market in the United States. Before now I’d never even heard of light whiskey, and it occupies only a small, niche space in the market. So what happened?

Located in the heart of the famed Whiskey Rebellion territory in Western Pennsylvania, Wigle Whiskey is the first distillery to open its doors in Pittsburgh since Prohibition. The distillery prides itself on producing 100% of their...

Amador Distillery (not to be confused with Amador Whiskey Company) is a California-based distillery headquartered in Jackson, California. In addition to contract production of several other brands, including Corti Brothers and Rocket Vodka, they also produce a wide range of their own spirits, mostly bottled...

Ah, sweet bourbon. The most ubiquitous of all the American whiskey varieties. Despite its many distinct variances in flavor and color, every bourbon has a few things in common. Every bourbon must be made in the United States; it must be aged in new, charred American oak barrels for a minimum of...

Litchfield Distillery opened its doors in 2014 in Litchfield, Connecticut, a town of around 1,200. Brothers David, Peter, and Jack Baker originally started out in the water bottling business at their third-generation family-owned company Crystal Rock, which has been in their family since 1914. The brothers, with their existing knowledge of the beverage industry and love for whiskey, decided to try their hand at producing craft spirits.
In addition to bourbon, they also produce gin, flavored a...

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I popped open this bottle of Breckenridge Whiskey Port Cask Finish, simply because...

Maybe it’s because I’ve been watching too much of HBO’s Westworld, but everything about this whiskey makes me feel like a cowboy. Woodinville Whiskey Co.’s One Hundred Percent Rye is...

IC drag aficionados, start your engines: Iowa City drag queen Sasha Belle will be featured in season seven of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Belle auditioned for...

This Friday at the Englert, Working Group Theatre presents Dogs of Rwanda, an intimate production written, directed and performed by Sean Christopher Lewis, the theatre company’s...

Jack Lion will release their latest EP, K L this Saturday at The Mill at 9 p.m. Christopher the Conquered and Bull Black Nova will join them for a diverse set of music, ranging from...