Carbon & Oak

A sticky red sauce born on Chicago's South Side became the unofficial taste of Washington, DC. The carryout password, the light-vs-dark debate, and the trademark war over BBQ sauce's best-traveled cousin.

The single most useful thing on a bourbon label isn't the age or the proof — it's the mash bill. Here's how to read it.

The 15 best American whiskeys of 2026 actually worth your money — bourbon and rye you can find and afford, from bottled-in-bond bargains to high-rye pours.

I wrote bourbon off at seventeen. Years later it clicked. Here's what bourbon actually tastes like — caramel, vanilla, oak, and spice — where those flavors come from, and how to taste every layer in the glass.

In 1984 Elmer T. Lee bottled one barrel by itself and accidentally invented modern bourbon hunting. The history behind Blanton's, Warehouse H, and the stoppers.

Wrap your brisket at 160–170°F — when the bark sets, not when the clock says. The stall temp, butcher paper vs. foil, and the 3 a.m. mistake that cost me my bark.

Brisket, corned beef, and pastrami aren't three different cuts pretending to be related. They're often the exact same cut, sent down three completely different cultural paths.

Most people assume "straight" means no coloring or flavoring added. That's not it — no bourbon can have additives. Here's what the word is actually doing on the label.

The Old Fashioned isn't just a cocktail — it's the cocktail. Every other mixed drink is, in some sense, a variation on it. Understanding why means going back further than most people expect: not to a fancy private club in the 1880s, but to a barroom definition from 1806.

Bourbon gets its flavor from charred oak. Barbecue gets its bark from carbon and smoke. They're closer cousins than most pairing guides give them credit for.

Four Roses uncorked the oldest bourbon in its history this week — a 21-year-old at $500 a bottle — while Brown-Forman went hunting for a new CEO. The numbers still say the top shelf is the only shelf growing, and down at the pit, beef keeps climbing as a new Food Network showdown lights the burners.

The whiskey distilleries worth planning a trip around across the Midwest, Kentucky excluded on purpose. Second installment of an annual series — including which states didn't make the cut.

I haven't had a full pour of Pappy Van Winkle. Almost nobody has, and that hasn't stopped it from becoming the bourbon everyone has an opinion about.

Uncle Nearest finally finds a buyer, Sazerac sweeps the International Whisky Competition, new distilleries open their doors, and the James Beard Awards crown a new class of restaurants. Plus: BBQ festivals and bourbon events on the calendar this weekend.

Ask most people what makes Tennessee whiskey different from bourbon, and you'll get a shrug or a guess about geography. The real answer is more specific, and it's written into state law: the Lincoln County Process.

A busy week for bourbon watchers — Sazerac closed a $20 million deal to acquire the former Garrard County Distilling property in Kentucky, Buffalo Trace dug into Prohibition-era history, and the industry handed out its mid-year awards. Here's everything worth knowing.

Sometimes the best bourbon trips aren't about chasing an allocated bottle. They're about pulling whiskey straight from the barrel, asking questions to the person who made it, and leaving with a greater appreciation for the craft than when you arrived.

Many new bourbon drinkers assume one must be better than the other. The truth is they're simply describing two different ways bourbon gets bottled. Understanding the difference can help you make a more informed purchase—and maybe save you from chasing a bottle based on marketing alone

Walk into any liquor store and you'll eventually spot the phrase "Barrel Proof" on a label. For many bourbon drinkers, it's become a sign of quality. In some circles, it's even treated as the highest expression a distillery can offer. But what does barrel proof actually mean? More importantly, does it automatically make a bourbon better? The short answer is no. The longer answer is a little more interesting. First, Let's Talk About Proof Proof is simply a measurement of alcoh

Bourbon A whiskey made in the United States from a mash bill containing at least 51% corn, aged in new charred oak containers, distilled at no more than 160 proof, entered into the barrel at no more than 125 proof, and bottled at a minimum of 80 proof. No flavoring or coloring may be added. Straight Bourbon Bourbon that has been aged for at least two years and contains no added flavors or colors. If it is less than four years old, an age statement is required. Age Statement T