Author: Camper English
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The Surprisingly Interesting History and Production of Tabasco Pepper Sauce
This spring I went to Avery Island, Louisiana, to see how Tabasco pepper sauce is made. Avery Island isn't really an island, but more of a dry mound (a salt dome) surrounded by wetlands. It's about 165 feet high and that makes it the tallest point in the Gulf Coast. The island is owned entirely…
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I Peated in your Scotch: A Trip to Laphroaig
In June I took a short trip to Islay, Scotland to see how Laphroaig single-malt scotch whisky is made. Islay is an island off the coast of Scotland known for its smoky, peaty whiskies. What Laphroaig does differently from other scotch producers, as you'll read, is: Floor maltings Separation of malt flavoring (with peat smoke)…
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Jamaican Rums Bring the Stank on Details.com
In my second story for Details.com, I wrote about the wonderfully pungent pot-still rums and blends from Jamaica. Bring the Funk: New Jamaican Rums Embrace the Stank August 16 is National Rum Day—a virtual invitation for bloggers to post recipes for crappy blender drinks and liquid fruit salads. Not only does this celebrate dumb cocktails,…
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All About Anise
I attended a good portion of a seminar called Anise: Treasure of the Mediterranean at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans this July. Though I couldn't stay until the very end, the seminar was great. The speakers were Jared Brown and Anistatia Miller of Mixellany, Franesco LaFranconi of Southern Wine & Spirits, and Orietta…
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Filtration in Spirits: A Primer
For CLASS Magazine online at DiffordsGuide.com, I wrote an article about filtration in spirits. This was based on the research I did for my talk on the subject at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic earlier this year. Don't Forget the Filtration FactorBy Camper English Nearly every spirit undergoes some sort of filtration, yet we rarely acknowledge…
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Brown-Forman Cooperage Pics and Videos
The Brown-Forman Cooperage is located in Louisville, Kentucky. There they make the barrels for Jack Daniels and their other brands. Below are some pictures from my visit. You can read about what I saw in my story for CLASS Magazine here. Below are a couple of videos. The first is the machine that puts hoops…
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My Enthronement: The Ordre International des Anysetiers
I probably won't be part of an enthronement ceremony too many times in my life, so I thought I'd make a big deal out of this one: I was inducted into the first American Chapter of the Ordre International des Anysetiers during Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans this July. The Ordre International des Anysetiers…
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Buffalo Trace Distillery Visit
This spring I visited 8 American whiskey distilleries, including Buffalo Trace. Buffalo Trace is owned by the Sazerac company. They make Buffalo Trace, Blanton's, Elmer T. Lee, Eagle Rare, Van Winkle, and other whiskey brands, plus the make/own/import other spirits including Rain vodka, Puebla Viejo tequila, and Glenfarclass scotch. Unlike most of the other American…
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Blue Cocktails on Details.com
I attended an awesome seminar on blue drinks at Tales of the Cocktail this weekend, lead by Sebastian Reaburn, Jacob Briars, and Phil Duff. Then I wrote a piece about it for Details.com, the website of Details magazine. It's my first story for the website. I learned a lot more in the seminar than is in…
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Another Way to Make Clear Ice at Home
I am honored to have as Alcademics readers people who are just as huge cocktail nerds as I am. Many take on projects that I run out of time to do, pass along better information to me, or fill me in on the science I'm missing. Kevin Liu, who has recently started the blog Craft…