Dr. Rachel Barrie is the Master Blender for Glenglassaugh, BenRiach and Glendronach. On this episode of Barrel to Bottle, Dr. Rachel meditatively guides us through the sweet side of Speyside. Then we meditatively guide her through a Scotch and flavored popcorn pairing. Glenglassaugh Sandend Highland Single Malt BenRiach Cask Edition 10-Year-Old ex-Tennessee Whiskey Barrel #6247 2009 BenRiach Cask Edition 10-Year-Old Virgin Oak Barrel #7731 2010 Garrett Popcorn Caramel Crisp Garrett Popcorn Chees...
Nov 01, 2024•1 hr 3 min
It’s never been easier to flex your mixology skills at home than it is now. The ingredients are better, the equipment is more advanced, the techniques are easy to master. This week on Barrel to Bottle we’re going to teach you how to impress your friends and family with five cocktails, along with recommendations for accessories and ingredients you can purchase or make yourself. Check out all the cocktail recipes on our blog . If you have a question for the Barrel to Bottle Crew, email us at comme...
Oct 04, 2024•49 min
If you can’t handle the tannins, get out of Montalcino. Or grab some rich, fatty foods like pecorino toscano, fennel-rich finnochiona, butter and crusty Tuscan bread. This week we’re highlighting Tuscan wines from Montalcino and the surrounding area. Altesino Rosso 2022 Caprili Rosso di Montalcino 2022 Caprili Brunello di Montalcino 2019 Tenute Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino 2019 Mastrojanni Brunello di Montalcino 2019 Casanova di Neri Brunello di Montalcino White Label 2019 If you have a q...
Sep 27, 2024•50 min
It’s Pumpkin SZN! It’s been here for a while because seasonal creep starts earlier and earlier. At the height of the pumpkin craze, our stores were packed with pumpkin and pumpkin-spiced beverages. But after a bit of a lull, pumpkin is on the rise again and the great news is all our favorites are still around. We’ve got a whole patch of pumpkin beers, wines and spirits to try this week. If you like pumpkin, you’re not basic! Drink what you like! Big Muddy Pumpkin Smasher Whole Hog Pumpkin Ale Sc...
Sep 20, 2024•58 min
There are always new items in the spirits aisles of Binny’s. While bourbon is still very much the focus, don’t forget about Scotch, Rye and even Scottish Rye. Jim Beam Sunshine Blend J. Reiger & Co. Straight Bourbon Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series Wheated Still Austin High Rye Bourbon Single Barrel #2020/008-1 Binny’s Handpicked Angel’s Envy Bourbon Sherry Barrel Select #CE055 Binny’s Handpicked SirDavis Rye RyeLaw Scottish Rye Whisky Yellowstone American Single Malt Single Barrel #S...
Sep 13, 2024•49 min
Oktoberfest is probably our most beloved seasonal beer style, so it just makes sense for Barrel to Bottle to regularly revisit Märzens and Festbiers. There are so many Oktoberfest-adjacent beers on our shelves that we can do an episode almost every year with little to no overlap. This year, we’ve got a slew of American craft takes on the styles, and only one from Germany. So lace up your dirndl and grab your liter glass, it’s time for Gemütlichkeit. Urban Chestnut O-Katz Oachkatzlschwoaf Oktober...
Sep 06, 2024•47 min
Pinot Noir can sometimes seem daunting to some wine drinkers, but it’s not. This week, Chris has five wines from the Willamette Valley 2022 vintage. Originally, experts thought 2022 was going to be a continuation of a run of bad vintages, but things turned around with high quality fruit and better yields than predicted. Maison Noir OPP Other People’s Pinot 2022 Hyland Estates Petit Pinot Noir 2022 Arterberry Maresh Pinot Noir Dundee Hills 2022 Cristom Pinot Noir Mt. Jefferson Cuvee 2022 Patricia...
Aug 30, 2024•43 min
Summer may be drawing to a close, but it’s going to stay warm for a while. That means there’s plenty of time to fire up your blender and rethink frozen cocktails. They don’t need to be sweet and overbearing, they can be balanced and still refreshing and delicious. You can check out all the cocktail recipes on our blog . If you have a question for the Barrel to Bottle Crew, email us at comments@binnys.com , or reach out to us on Facebook , Twitter or Instagram . If we answer your question during ...
Aug 23, 2024•53 min
Rum: underappreciated and misunderstood. That’s why we keep doing rum episodes, because it deserves the attention, Plus, it’s the Summer of Rum. Pat has brought in a treasure trove of new and new-to-Binny’s rums that run the gamut from lighter to funky, blended to single barrel, flavored to full-proof, sweet to estery. Virago Four Port Rum Virago Ruby Port Cask Rum DeHart Grander Trophy Release Small Batch Single Origin Panama Rum Diplomatico Selección de la Familia Rum Planteray Mr. Fogg Sail N...
Aug 16, 2024•54 min
Like the Quadrennial Summer Sports Competition, Binny’s shelves have representation from all over the world. Pat didn’t bring a bottle from every country, luckily, but he, Roger and Chris brought spirits, beer and wine from around the world. Let the games begin! South Korea: SoonHari Apple Mango Switzerland: Chateau de Trevelin Chasselas Aubonne 2022 Canada: Unibroue Don de Dieu China: Kweichow Moutai (coming soon) Serbia: Vinarija Deurić Severna Morava 2020 Germany: Flensburger Pilsner Turkey: ...
Aug 09, 2024•1 hr 12 min
America’s Founding Fathers loved Madeira, and so does our own Roger Adamson. Regular listeners will know how much he brings it up and how much he’s been wanting to do a Madeira episode. Who better to talk Madeira with than Chris Blandy? His family has been involved in making Madeira on the island for seven generations. If you have a question for the Barrel to Bottle Crew, email us at comments@binnys.com , or reach out to us on Facebook , Twitter or Instagram . If we answer your question during a...
Aug 02, 2024•56 min
Viral cocktails have been on Pat’s radar for years now, and we finally have a Gen Z co-host in touch with what the kids (21+) are drinking these days. This week Lexi does all the work for Pat and mixes Tik-Tok worthy cocktails for her unenthusiastic co-hosts. Grab all the recipes on our blog . If you have a question for the Barrel to Bottle Crew, email us at comments@binnys.com , or reach out to us on Facebook , Twitter or Instagram . If we answer your question during a podcast, you’ll get a $20...
Jul 26, 2024•51 min
Every winter, Binny’s spirits buyers gather all the new ready-to-drink canned cocktails for a massive tasting. This event, known as Canapalooza, is where they narrow down hundreds of products to the ones that are worth drinking. For every can you find on the shelf, there are probably 10 or more that were rejected. Are you stilly, or bubby? These are this year’s standouts. Good Boy Vodka John Daly Cocktail Surfside 8 Pack Cans Vosa Vodka Water Vosa High Line Minus 196 Vodka Seltzer Variety Carbli...
Jul 19, 2024•1 hr 3 min
We’re back with the second part of our two-parter highlighting some of the many new arrivals to our stores. Last week we covered beer, cider, and wine. This week, we’re on to spirits. Dewar’s Double Double 21-Year-Old Ruby Marsala Cask Finished Binny’s Handpicked Santa Teresa 1796 Limited Edition Arabica Coffee Cask Finished Rum Mount Gay Eclipse Navy Strength Rum Patron Cristalino Tequila WhistlePig CampStock Wheat Whiskey 2024 Ardnamurchan First Fill ex-PX Sherry Hogshead #1322 Binny’s Handpic...
Jul 12, 2024•48 min
Things are never quiet at the receiving dock of your local Binny’s. New items are coming in constantly and it’s hard to keep track of everything. As usual, Barrel to Bottle is here with some helpful recommendations. We have so many new arrivals that we had to do a two-parter. First up is beer, cider, and wine. Urban Chestnut Old Maibock collaboration with Old Nation Roaring Table Holiday Romance Hopewell Noble Device collaboration with Binny’s JK’s Farmhouse Ciders Patriotic Paw Paw Three Floyds...
Jul 05, 2024•50 min
Have you ever had Danish whisky? Neither have we! Lasse Vesterby is one of nine co-founders of Stauning Whisky. At Stauning, they distill Danish-grown rye and barely and floor malt everything at their facility. Stauning Rye Whisky Stauning Bastard Rye Whisky Finished in ex-Mezcal Barrels Stauning El Clasico Rye Whisky Finished in Vermouth Barrels Stauning Kaos Blended Malt Whisky Stauning Smoke Single Malt Danish Whisky If you have a question for the Barrel to Bottle Crew, email us at comments@b...
Jun 28, 2024•52 min
Half Acre’s Matt Young has been with the brewery for almost as long as Daisy Cutter has been around, which happens to be 15 years this summer. Daisy Cutter put Half Acre on the map, but they have never been only about big hoppy beers. They’ve always been just as committed to brewing delicious lagers. Half Acre Hollywood Beach Half Acre Kernza Lager Half Acre Italian Pilsner Half Acre Daisy Cutter Fifteen Half Acre Daisy Cutter Select collaboration w/Sierra Nevada Half Acre Reef Knot Half Acre Po...
Jun 21, 2024•59 min
The World Beer Cup calls itself the “Olympics of Beer”. As the name implies, the World Beer Cup is open to breweries all over the world. This week on Barrel to Bottle, Roger tracked down WBC 2024 winners that we carry from local and global breweries. Horse Thief Hollow Little Wing Noon Whistle Bruski Traditional Lager Allagash Tripel Unibroue La Fin du Monde Weihenstephaner Vitus Old Irving Beezer Roaring Table Easy Hour Deschutes Black Butte Non-Alcoholic Hamm’s Beer 21st Amendment Brewery Amen...
Jun 14, 2024•1 hr 4 min
Porch Pounders, Gazebo Guzzlers, Barbecue Bangers…call them whatever you want, but make sure your patio is stocked for the summer months. Chris has assembled 18 wines that are perfect for relaxing in your Adirondack chair or pairing with your favorite summer meal. Biohof Pratsch Grüner Veltliner 2022 Domaine Labbe Abymes Vin de Savoie 2021 Suavia Soave Classico 2022 Nortico Alvarinho 2022 Champalou Vouvray 2022 August Kessler R Riesling QbA 2022 Domaine Meyer Fonné Edelzwicker 2022 Nautilus Sauv...
Jun 07, 2024•1 hr 26 min
We love cocktails on Barrel to Bottle. We love classics, and we love riffs. We might love riffs more. This week, we’ve got three mixologists riffing on three classic cocktails for Greg and Jim to judge. Check out our blog for all the recipes . If you have a question for the Barrel to Bottle Crew, email us at comments@binnys.com , or reach out to us on Facebook , Twitter or Instagram . If we answer your question during a podcast, you’ll get a $20 Binny’s Gift Card! If you like our podcast, subscr...
May 31, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Firestone Walker’s Matt Brynildson returns to Barrel to Bottle. He’s in Chicago to launch a collab with our friends at Half Acre for the annual Firestone Walker Invitational. You can hear all about that event on our previous episode with Matt Brynildson . Matt loves returning to Chicago and we love having him on the podcast to share his extensive knowledge of brewing, particularly hops. There’s always something new to enjoy from Firestone Walker, but we appreciate revisiting some of their classi...
May 24, 2024•1 hr 14 min
Ivo Jeramaz is the winemaker at Grgich Hills Estate. His uncle, Mike, started the winery shortly after his Chardonnay won the 1976 Paris Tasting for Chateau Montelena. Ivo passionately believes in regenerative farming of grapes, without the use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. This week on Barrel to Bottle, Ivo explains the process of regenerative farming and why he believes it makes the best wine. Grgich Hills Sauvignon Blanc Fume Blanc 2021 Grgich Hills Chardonnay 2021 Grg...
May 17, 2024•57 min
Pat, our resident Crispy Boi, has spent the last half decade extolling the virtues of Hamm’s. When he’s not drinking Hamm’s, he’s still drinking crispy lagers both macro and micro. Now he’s getting the chance to redeem himself after his Hamm’s-related failure in our Macro Lager Blind Tasting . This week on Barrel to Bottle we’re blind tasting thirteen crispy bois, from big brewery lager classics to the new wave of craft crispies. And what better to pair with these crisp, refreshing beers than sa...
May 10, 2024•1 hr 18 min
Provence might be the epicenter of Rosé but you can find the style all over the world. If you can grow grapes, you’re probably making Rosé. This week on Barrel to Bottle, with warm weather approaching, we are checking out Rosés from around the world. The grapes and methods are different everywhere but they’re all great in spring, summer and really all year round. Txomin Etxaniz Txakoli Rosé 2023 Day Wines Pinot Noir Rosé Lemonade 2022 Charles Gonnet Rosé Vin de Savoie 2023 The Pale Rosé 2023 Dom...
May 03, 2024•56 min
Binny’s has a vast resource of knowledgeable wine associates, probably the best in the business with arguably the biggest selection. While it is possible to stumble onto a hidden gem, Pat and Rog wanted to tap into our vast resources by engaging with our passionate staff members. Join us for Pat & Rog’s Excellent Wine Adventure. Be excellent to each other, this will not be a bogus journey. Also, a listener question about the difference between white, red and dry vermouths. Paul Prieur Sancer...
Apr 26, 2024•57 min
What’s New in Beer? As always, the beer shelves are constantly changing and we’re here to help you make sense of the new brands, styles, returning favorites in new packaging and special releases. Firestone Walker XPA Weihenstephaner Braupakt collaboration w/St. Bernardus Maplewood Belle La Vie Stormalong Cider Unfiltered Southern Tier Orange Twist collaboration w/Perry’s Ice Cream Deschutes Black Butte NA Porter Maplewood In Dark Trees AleSmith Speedway Stout New Orleans Café If you have a quest...
Apr 19, 2024•54 min
Take a trip to Northern Italy with Barrel to Bottle this week. Chris brought wines from the broader Langhe Hills, along with some everyday drinking wines from the region, and wines from the much-hyped 2019 vintage. As with much of what we feature on the podcast, these wines pair great with a wide variety of food. Ca del Sarto Barbera d’Alba 2021 Vietti Dolcetto d’Alba 2022 Paolo Scavino Langhe Nebbiolo 2022 Bruno Giacosa Nebbiola d’Alba 2020 Silvio Grasso Barolo 2019 GD Vajra Barolo Albe 2019 Br...
Apr 12, 2024•56 min
Celebrities, they’re just like you: they love wine. In some cases they like wine so much they create their own brand or buy an existing brand. Taking us down this Hollywood Walk of Fame of celebrity wines is Ray Denton, from our Elmwood Park store. Viarae Prosecco Invivo X SJP Sauvignon Blanc Sarah Jessica Parker 2023 Plumpjack Chardonnay Reserve 2020 Sun Goddess Pinot Grigio Ramato 2021 Avaline Rosé Gnarly Head Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2020 Z Alexander Brown Ole Smoky Whiskey Barrel ...
Apr 05, 2024•51 min
We’ve covered bocks before on Barrel to Bottle, but as interest in lagers continues to grow at a rapid pace, Roger thought this was the best time to revisit the style. Ayinger Maibock Roaring Table Maibock Weihenstephaner Korbinian Goldfinger Złotonator Doppelbock Maplewood Dark Trees Sketchbook Illustrator Doppelbock Boulevard Dark Crator Pollyanna Jötunheimr Pollyanna Double Frozen Bourbon Barrel Aged Jötunheimr If you have a question for the Barrel to Bottle Crew, email us at comments@binnys....
Mar 29, 2024•1 hr 4 min
The Whiskey Hotline is constantly bringing in new and interesting single barrels from your favorite distilleries. Some even Whiskey Hotline Handpicks are the best value in spirits. This week we’re sampling Tequila, Irish Whiskey and Bourbon. Also this week, a question from a listener about adding water to your bourbon or whiskey. El Tesoro Reposado Single Barrel #B024L323 Binny's Handpicked El Tesoro Reposado Single Barrel #B077L315 Binny's Handpicked Teeling Irish Single Malt finished in Virgin...
Mar 22, 2024•47 min
