Friday night hundreds, perhaps thousands of whiskey, bourbon and scotch lovers will converge on downtown St. Louis to sample, sniff and swallow from 300 of the world’s best spirits.
David Weglarz, owner/operator of StilL 630 not only knows how to distill a fantastic product, he know and respects the work of his peers. We asked David for this list of the 10 whiskies you can’t miss at this year’s “Whiskey In The Winter,” and if you’re not attending, consider this a list to knock off on your own.
“Personally, I’m drawn to the craft distillers, the small guys like myself who are making all their own spirits from scratch,” said Weglarz. “Yes, I’ll stop by some of the big U.S. and Scotch distilleries to sample some of their higher end products (without having to fork over the money to buy a bottle myself), because they do make some great spirits. However, the most interesting and innovative spirits are being created by the small artisans and that’s where I’d spend my time. Some of the ones that I think everyone should check out listed here.”
Big O — while not a whiskey, their ginger liquor is fantastic and pairs incredibly well with other whiskies (my RallyPoint especially!) Just great, real, people, I generally love their products and their 2015 barrel reserve was aged in one of my used barrels. People need to know about this local gem! And it’s a nice reprieve from the stiffer whiskies. (Got to plan your attack at an event like this.)
Corsair Distillery — These guys are THE premier innovators of the craft movement. I love their Triple Smoke and everything they do is spot on to a particular flavor profile. They are the current cream of the craft crop and a distillery that I very much respect.
Hakushu 12yr Japanese Whisky, Hibiki, & Yamazaki are distilleries I’ll be sure to try because Japanese whisky (akin to scotch) is really well done and interesting.
High West — I know they don’t/didn’t distill all their spirits, but they are an example of using stock to make some spectacular spirits. My hands-down favorite is their Campfire whiskey.
New Holland — another great craft distillery making some traditional and unusual spirits.
Pinckney Bend/Spirits of St. Louis/Wood Hat– I highly recommend checking out these other local distilleries that are making all their stuff right here in Missouri! The guys who actually run the still/company will be there, not just some company sales reps. They make some really great spirits and unfortunately not everyone is aware of them…yet!
