Blog Posts

Aug 04

A Winning Hand: Playing Poker and Sipping Bourbon

Howdy, all of you bourbon enthusiasts and poker aficionados! Today, we will discuss two timeless pleasures and combine them together.  That is bourbon and poker. poker and bourbon.  The two are like peanut butter and jelly; they always go together.  The setting is a game room, friends’ basement, garage, or a bar.  You have your best buddies with you and are about to sit down for a night of bourbon and poker.  The following blog post explores the joy of playing poker with a glass of your favorite bourbon.  So, shuffle up and deal, and enjoy a bourbon. Before diving into the game, let’s talk about the brown liquid that will elevate your poker experience – bourbon. Whether you prefer a smooth, mellow bourbon or a bold and spicy one, the choices are abundant.  Choosing your favorite bourbon is your choice.  There are so many to pick from. You can grab a rare find or a common everyday drinker.  Remember, there’s no wrong way to enjoy bourbon; the journey is half the fun! Having the right setting is key to a great, relaxed poker game.   Get the music going, prepare the cards and chips, have the tables and chairs configured, and ensure everyone has a beverage.  Then fire up the cards and get them in the air.  Ensure everyone is prepared to have a great time for the evening. Poker IS a game of strategy, but some good luck always helps.  For the times you have some bad luck, grab your bourbon, take a sip, and let the bad luck go.  You could even say you are drowning your sorrows in it.  When you have good luck, grab your glass and cheers. Bourbon has a unique taste to all the different varieties and bottles out there but comes from the same three ingredients (Generally).  51% corn or more, rye, and barley.  The sweeter bourbons have some wheat in them as well.  Every deck of cards has 52 cards, which makes for an endless opportunity for good and bad hands.  On every hand, you will have friendly banter, share stories, and let the bourbon and cards enhance the camaraderie around the table. As you play into the night, break down the bourbons everyone tries at the table, almost like a tasting in a poker game.  Discuss why each person likes the one they are having and why it is their favorite or a new one they want to try.  This will be good for those unlucky players who bust out early.  Sit back and enjoy the bourbon. Playing cards and drinking bourbon, relaxation, friendship, and enjoyment are the keys to a great evening.  Combining the two creates awesome experiences you will discuss for years to come.  The camaraderie at the table is truly what makes the evening. So, fellow bourbon enthusiasts and poker players, let’s raise our glasses to a night of laid-back fun, and may your hands be blessed with good cards and even better bourbon. Cheers!

Aug 29

Wisconsin Old Fashion

Howdy and welcome to Junior’s Bourbon Hall. I am Junior and today we will be making a Wisconsin Old Fashion.  Growing up in Wisconsin this really the only way I knew to make Old Fashion.  I also assumed everyone made them the same or at least knew what they were.  Once I started traveling, I realized asking for an old fashion outside of Wisconsin would get you a dirty look from the waitress or bartender as they had no idea what you were asking for.  If you got lucky and had a bartender from Wisconsin, you would get what you asked for.  Most of the time if the waitress or bartender didn’t ask you would get s form of a Manhattan.  Now this has changed drastically, and it seems that every state has a form of the old fashion. Here is my version of the Wisconsin Old Fashion to impress your friends.  Out for a Fish Fry or a nice dinner look for a place that muddles the Old Fashions.  Steps Cut the orange Luxardo Cherry Sugar cube Angostura bitters Add a touch of mix Muddle everything together Add 1.5 to 2 oz of Bourbon. (Can use Brandy or Scotch) Add Ice Top off with Mix (Sweet – 7-up, Sour – Mix or Squirt, or Seltzer / Club Soda) Cheers and enjoy Junior

Aug 29

3-Club Challenge

3-Club Challenge I am playing in a 3-Club challenge for 9-Holes at my golf club.  First question is what 3 Clubs do you take?  Putter counts as a club.  Putt with a wedge?  3-Iron?  We will be playing your normal tees.  Thoughts are running through my head.  The way I think I am going to choose my clubs will be taking the longest par 4 and dividing yardage by 2 so I can get home in 2 with whatever longest club I choose.  From there I am going to decide on a mid to short iron.  One that will let me hit a variety of distances.  Finally, I am going to take a wedge of some sort.  Pitching or 50 degree is my thinking now. Another thought, longest par 4 is 445 yards and the shortest is 386 yards.  Thinking taking a 200-yard club would get me home on all but, the longest par 4 if I hit it correctly.  Plus, that club should be able to take down yardage by choking down or ¾ swings.  Then take a 140-yard club for chipping and getting out of trouble.  This club could also be pitching so I could take my putter for on the greens.  With this thinking an up and down would be needed for the longest par 4 as I can get there with a 200-yard club.  Benefit is the putter on the greens.  Get there and then have an advantage. Now I am leaning for the 2nd thought. Will know more tomorrow and let everyone know how it went. Junior

Jun 14

Bourbon Tasting

Tasting Howdy and welcome to Junior’s Bourbon Hall.  Today we are going to be discussing Bourbon tastings.  Grab your favorite drink come on in and discuss how we will perform a tasting for your friends.  Enjoy! Items that you will need for your tasting are as follows: Tasting glasses for each person. Glencairn glasses are the preferred but, what ever you have will work.  Like shot glasses just don’t throw the whole shot back in one swig Notepad for notes the tasters may want to write down about the bourbons Water so that each person will be able to cleanse their palette after each tasting. Also be used to add a few drops to the bourbons Cards or name plaques for what each bourbon is and maybe write down what the mash bill is to explain each taste that the bourbons will come out A small plate of crackers and cheese or chocolate adds to the experience To start the tasting you will want to decide which bottles you will want to use.  You will want to decide if you will use a single distillery or choose by proof of the bourbons.  Most tastings are three or four pours of bourbon.  Once you have decided on your bourbons, you will want to pour each bourbon for each person and then describe the mash bill and flavors that will be coming from the bourbon.  The mash bill will also inform the flavor and tasting notes of the bourbon.  A higher rye percentage will have a spicy finish while a higher wheated bourbon will be smoother and sweeter on the tongue and finish.  This gives the person tasting an idea of what they will be drinking on each sip.  Go through each of the bourbons this way.  After the first taste of each bourbon, have the person add some water to the bourbon to see how the flavors open and or change with just a touch of water.  Enjoy each of the bourbons and have the people tasting explain what they taste or what flavors they have with each of the bourbon.  There are no wrong answers and fun to see what each person tastes in each of the bourbons.  After each pour (1 oz) of bourbon is complete have the people sip some water and eat a cracker to cleanse the palette before the next tasting. With the tasting defined you will need to decide on which bourbons you will want to sample.  Compare same distilleries or go across distilleries and go by proof. Many of the distilleries have multiple choices of bourbon to choose from.  Benefits of going with a single distillery Ability to have the bottles from the distillery Mash bills across the bottles will be very similar Favorite distillery and trying to share why you have a favorite Choosing between proofs of the bourbon gives you a chance to go across distilleries to choose a favorite bourbon from a distillery.  Benefits to going proof for your tasting: Choose from Cask Strength, Barrel Proof, or pick a proof and find bottles that meet your need. Look in your collection and pick the bottles that meet your needs Choose high rye, wheated, or common Easier to get the bottles you will need. Now go get the bottles, get the snack platter, the glasses, water, date picked, friends invited, and have a great night of bourbon and laughter. Cheers, Junior

Jun 14

US Open 2022

US Open 2022 Howdy and welcome to Junior’s Bourbon Hall.  Today we are going to discuss the US Open 2022. The PGA tour does not run the event and has very little say in who will or is allowed to play in the event.  Shoe it up make qualifying and you are in the US Open.  The best golfers in the world will be teeing it up at a historic golf course for four days.  The rough will be long the greens will be lightning fast and there will be a few people blowing up due to the pain the setup will cause.  As a passionate golf fan, I will be glued to the TV for hours everyday watching and waiting and enjoying.  I will not care if they are part of the LIV Tour or the PGA or just the guy that got lucky in qualifying and made the event.  It will be thrilling to watch the final holes on Sunday as the US Open winner is crowned.  This is what a golf event is about.  Guys teeing shoeing it up and playing their hearts out for the victory. LIV Tour players.  Some would say that they should not be playing in the event that they broke away just for the cash.  Who hasn’t taken a new job or something for more money?   Another tour will bring change to the game.  Good and bad but, change none the less.  PGA was created by people who broke away from the PGA Of America.  Now we have a break away again.  Question I have is why is the PGA cracking down on the players on the LIV Tour so hard?  Many times the top guys only show up for 15 – 20 events a year.  So if the LIV Events clash and they still play the LIV events does it really matter if they still play the required PGA Events.  Hell Tiger will only play 5 events this year but, they are not penalizing him.  Yes, he is Tiger and the rules are different but, the PGA should have the rule book they are holding the players to.  My opinion is let them play where they want and maybe improve the PGA on TV and online.   Good luck to all of the players this week at the US Open.  Play your best and may you come out of top.  Or if you are one of the qualifiers soak it all in and enjoy the time on the course. Cheers and enjoy your favorite beverage over the next four days. Junior

May 31

Drink the Bourbon

Howdy and welcome to Junior’s Bourbon Hall.  Going to talk about how you can order your bourbon and when or why you might like them. How do you like your Bourbon Neat Rocks Mix Drinks Up First you can order your bourbon neat.  This is straight bourbon generally in 1 oz or 2 oz pours.  The drink will come in a snifter or a Glencairn glass.  Don’t worry if you don’t have either of these glasses you can still pour your bourbon into a rocks or cocktail glass.   With a neat bourbon you will get the full flavor of the bourbon.  Max proof and taste of the bourbon.  You will also be able to smell the bourbon which will bring out many of the flavors within the bourbon. The next way you can drink your bourbon is on the rocks.  This is your 1oz or 2oz pour on top of a large sphere or square of Ice.  You can also use 3 or 4 regular cubes if you don’t have the sphere or square of ice.  You will still get the full nose of the bourbon but, the proof will lower, and the flavors can and will be a bit different with the ice.  If you think a straight bourbon is to strong or spicy add an ice cube and try again to see if the flavor and spice change enough for you to enjoy.  The body of the bourbon will also lighten up. You would like to drink a bourbon neat while sitting around a fire with your friends and slowly sipping it.  Another way you would have this is with a nice dinner to bring out the flavor in your food as well as the bourbon.  Of course, just having a bourbon is always a great way to relax. Next you can have your bourbon mixed with a “mixer”.  Soda, Ginger Ale, water, and juices are all “mixers” you can use to change the bourbon into a mix drink.  Some of my favorites are Bourbon Sour made with fresh Sour mix.  A sour soda will work in a pinch.  You can also mix bourbon with lemonade and a splash of cranberry for a nice summer cocktail.  I do like to use a bit higher proof bourbon for the mix drinks to still have the bourbon flavor in the front of the drink.  Many bourbons are good in mixing and chose one that you would like to sip on occasion and mix in drinks so you can have one bottle serve multiple purposes.  For this drink you would take a cocktail glass add ice and 1.5oz of bourbon and top off with the mix of your choice.  Give it a stir and enjoy.  Here you can use almost any type of glass you have and mix to your personally taste. Mixing your bourbon is a goes great with a casual dinner, sitting around a campfire, on a boat ride with good friends or to refreshing yourself after a yard work or a round of golf.  Thanks for stopping by and learning how to order your bourbon for the tastes that you want.  Until next Cheers this is Junior for Juniors Bourbon Hall.

Aug 06

PGA Championship

Howdy, welcome to Junior’s Bourbon Hall.  We will step aside from Bourbon for a bit as we are in Major Golf Week.  Well not totally we are sipping on one as we write this.  First major in 13 months and feels good to see big boys all together playing out in CA.  TPC Harding Park looks to be a great challenge for the players this week.  Watching could be a challenge as you must have ESPN+ for the daytime coverage. This is a bit late but, here is what I have place a wager on for this Major: First Round Leader Vic Hoveland, Cam Champ, Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele Outright Winner Gary Woodland and Dustin Johnson Top 5 Tiger Woods and Adam Scott Top 10 Paul Casey Tommy Fleetwood Sergio Garcia Phil Mickelson Good luck to others who may have placed a small wager on the PGA Championship. Now sit back enjoy that Bourbon and watch some fantastic golf. Junior

Aug 02

Morning / Afternoon Golf

Howdy, welcome to the Sunday golf discussion.  Watching the Sunday round of the WGC – FedEx St. Jude Invitational (Go Phil) and started thinking about playing golf.  Do you prefer to play morning or afternoon golf? Morning: Light dew on the greens and fairways Playing quickly. All morning players love the 3 hour or under 18-hole rounds No beverage cart Early to rise to get to the course Limited practice session before heading out Greens change as the dew and sun come out Lunch at the course. Do you drink at 10:30 AM? Chores around the house get done Afternoon: Sun baked fairways and greens. (Faster) Generally slower unless you catch the perfect time Beverage cart for that aiming fluid Head to the course at a chosen time Plenty of practice time to get ready for the round Dinner at the course afterwards or cocktails or both. (I chose both) Once you hit the course nothing else matters and chores better be done, or they will be tomorrow Now that you have seen the positives and negatives here is my take.  Morning golf is for the guys you like to play with.  Get the gamble on and go win the match.  You are there to golf and talk trash to each other.  Play quickly and can still get back home to get other items done around the house. Afternoon golf is the time to work on a few things and play with the family or friends as couples.  You are there to socialize plod along and enjoy the gorgeous weather while playing some golf.  While you may have a game, you will just be out for a great afternoon of fun and beverages. Either way get out play and enjoy the limited weather in the Midwest. Now sit back relax and watch the finish. Junior

Jul 30

What is Bourbon?

Howdy, sit back relax grab a beverage and learn a bit. What is Bourbon?  All Bourbon is Whiskey but, not all Whiskey is Bourbon.  There are key differences and here are what makes Bourbon well Bourbon. Taken from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bourbon_whiskey#Legal_requirements Produced in the United States Made from a grain mixture that is at least 51% corn Aged in new, charred oak containers Distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof (80% alcohol by volume) Entered into a new white oak charred container for aging at no more than 125 proof (62.5% alcohol by volume) Bottled (like other whiskeys) at 80 proof or more (40% alcohol by volume) So, first myth busted that Bourbon must be made in Kentucky.  While some of the best Bourbon comes from Kentucky it can be produced anywhere in the United States.  This also mean no other country may product Bourbon just like no other country can produce Scotch. To be considered a straight bourbon the liquid must be aged for two years has nothing added to it can be called Straight Bourbon.  One Caveat is that if aged under 4 years an age statement must be placed onto the bottle. Age statements on any bottle means that is the youngest Bourbon in the bottle and are optional for anything older then 4 years.  For awhile age statements have been removed from all Bourbons with the success and popularity of the brown elixir.  Many distilleries are now bringing the age statements back which in my humble opinion is a great thing.  You know what you are drinking for some of the Bourbons. Now you know what the definition of Bourbon is.  Now finish your beverage and what the hell grab another and enjoy. Junior

Jul 26

Hot Days Cool Bourbon

Howdy, and welcome to Junior’s Bourbon Hall Over the last couple of days it has been humid and hot here in the Midwest.  When it gets steamy hot outside what do you go to for your cocktail of choice?  One that jumps to my mind is the Woodford Spire.  Granted you can use any of your favorite bourbon this one is just from Woodford Reserve 1.5 oz Woodford Reserve 2 oz Lemonade 1 oz Cranberry Juice Crushed ice with a lemon twist for a garnish. Place everything in your favorite rocks glass stir and enjoy.  Nothing better on a hot summer day then lemonade and cranberry mixed with your favorite bourbon. The other option that I love to go to has a little more work and some ingredients that you will need to pick up.  This would be the Blackberry Bourbon Smash.  Another great cocktail to beat the heat.  You will need a shaker to make this one and then another rocks glass. 2 oz favorite bourbon 2 lime wedges 6 mint leaves 3 blackberries 3/4 oz simple syrup club soda In the shaker start with the lime wedges, mint, and blackberries.  Muddle for a bit until things are smashed up.  Once you like the way this looks add your bourbon, simple syrup, and ice.  Time to get your exercise on and shake vigorously until the shaker is ice cold or you are tired of shaking.  Who stated cocktails are not exercise.  Pour everything into the rocks glass and top off with the club soda.  No need to strain anything. Sit back and enjoy while outside watching the kids, wildlife, neighbors, or whatever you enjoy.  For me it is the back patio on a wonderful Sunday afternoon watching the birds feed and the squirrels trying to feed and every now and then watching a little bird attacking the squirrel for climbing up by the nest.  All the while listening to southern rock or classic rock on the patio speakers. Sit back relax and enjoy the evening. Junior PS – If you are inclined a great cigar would make the night that much more enjoyable.