Patrick "Pops" Garrett - BOURBON & BANTER

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Patrick "Pops" Garrett

Founder and Chief Drinking Officer of Bourbon & Banter and DrinkCurious.

Proof of Life: Full Circle

Proof of Life: Full Circle

Irregular Dispatches for the Drinking Class from Your Chief Drinking Officer

Proof of Life: The NOM Father Always Wins

Proof of Life: The NOM Father Always Wins

This edition? It's loaded. We’re floating ideas for a bourbon-fueled Colorado getaway, unpacking industry drama (spoiler: distributors are still the worst), and spotlighting everything from a tequila truth-teller getting raided to a bottle auction honoring a bear more beloved than most politicians.

Proof of Life: Washed Away, Wound Up, and Wide Open

Proof of Life: Washed Away, Wound Up, and Wide Open

For a limited time, we’re unlocking this and a few past editions for all members to read. So if you like what you see, share it with a friend who knows good whiskey—and even better BS—when they read it.

New Brand Releases

Maker’s Mark Breaks Tradition with First Wheat Whisky

Star Hill Farm Whisky will be the first to carry an Estate Whiskey certification — a new designation by The Estate Whiskey Alliance™ group established by the University of Kentucky to highlight the advantages of local sourcing and sustainable production in the whiskey industry.

Proof of Life: Fourteen Years of Pour Decisions

Proof of Life: Fourteen Years of Pour Decisions

Welcome to another edition of Proof of Life—brought to you this week by bourbon, honey, lemon, and whatever miracle is hiding in a hot toddy. I’ve been a bit under the weather, but I still managed to pull this one together with more punch than your Aunt Edna’

Proof of Life: Clickbait Sucks

Proof of Life: Clickbait Sucks

Irregular Dispatches for the Drinking Class from Your Chief Drinking Officer

Proof of Life: Hold My Barrels

Proof of Life: Hold My Barrels

Irregular Dispatches for the Drinking Class from Your Chief Drinking Officer

New Brand Releases

Yellowstone Bourbon introduces Small Batch 107

“The higher proof brings out more flavors, and by non-chill filtering Small Batch we created a much more full-bodied product than a lower-proof chill filtered bourbon...

New Brand Releases

Whiskey JYPSI introduces Tribute Double Barreled Bourbon

This is a whiskey with a price point and a flavor profile everybody can enjoy, but with the same high-quality approach we’ve taken with our other whiskeys. And that’s what we were looking for with Tribute.

The Secret Stash: What's Under the Table at Whiskey Festivals?

The Secret Stash: What's Under the Table at Whiskey Festivals?

It’s a well-known secret at whiskey festivals—some brands stash away something special for those who are in the know. Maybe it’s a rare single barrel, a high-proof experimental batch, or even a unicorn bottle that never sees a retail shelf. But you won’t find it on display—you have to ask.

New Brand Releases

Blue Note Bourbon Unveils Limited-Edition Special Reserve

Crafted in Memphis, the limited-release is a blend of 10 casks from Kentucky and Tennessee – cognac, madeira, sherry, port, triple sec, madeira, apricot brandy, amontillado, vanilla cognac and vino de Naranja – ranging in age from four to 19 years with varying mashbills.

New Brand Releases

Discover Kentucky Peerless's New Toasted Rye Whiskey Release

Peerless Toasted Rye is aged in two separate oak barrels. The small batch rye is initially aged in the distillery's standard, char level 3 barrel. This process develops the desired flavor profiles of caramel, brown sugar, and toffee.

Replay: BITB Live Tasting #12

Paid-members only

Replay: BITB Live Tasting #12

Our twelfth Bourbon in the Blind (BITB) Live Tasting of the Year was held this past Monday. This month's lineup included five samples that provided a fantastic range of expressions, including several from a single distillery.

New Brand Releases

Green River Unleashes a Bold New Wheated Single Barrel Bourbon

Presented at barrel strength, ranging from 110 to 130 proof (55 – 65 percent alc. by vol.), and aged a minimum of five years, each Green River Kentucky Straight Wheated Single Barrel selections burst with ripe apricot and tangerine over luscious barrel notes of oak, cinnamon, and vanilla creme.

New Brand Releases

Buffalo Trace's Experimental Release: Grain and Hops Spirit

“Hoppy beers are a playground for brewers; there are many techniques used to capture different flavors. It inspired us to play around with this essential beer ingredient as well,” Buffalo Trace Distillery Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley

New Brand Releases

Penelope Wheated Bourbon Joins Core Lineup at 95 Proof

“Wheated bourbons are more popular than ever, and we think we hit the mark with this one, from flavor to proof to price,” said Michael Paladini, Penelope founder and vice president of strategy for MGP. “It'll be a welcomed addition to our core line up."

New Brand Releases

Lux Row's PX Sherry Cask Bourbon: Nationwide Release at 112 Proof

“We wanted to meld the intensely sweet flavors of PX Sherry with the spicy, peppery flavor notes of our ryed bourbon,” said Lux Row Master Distiller John Rempe. “The outcome is a delicious combination of two opposing yet complementary flavors that results in a truly unique expression.”

New Brand Releases

Discover Laws Whiskey House's New Super Wheater Bourbon

“SUPER WHEATER is a whiskey made for those who honor tradition but live in the moment – pour a glass, slow down, and enjoy the rich character of this remarkable grain,” says Al Laws, founder and president of Laws Whiskey House.

New Brand Releases

WhistlePig Snout-to-Tail Bourbon: Bold Innovation in Bourbon Craft

The only Bourbon aged Snout-to-Tail, WhistlePig flips its barrels 180 degrees in the warehouse to capture each barrel head’s unique toasted flavors and bring out the big, bold character in this palate-pleasing Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

The Bourbon Drinker's Guide to Coping with February

Paid-members only

The Bourbon Drinker's Guide to Coping with February

I’m here for the party so I’m not leaving. Unlike Steve, I don’t have a curfew or a standing bedtime. Halftime is for bathroom breaks, bourbon refills, and another trip to the food spread to see if anything new hit the table while I was watching the game.

Whiskey in the Winter 2024: Exploring the Future of Bourbon

Whiskey in the Winter 2024: Exploring the Future of Bourbon

Last December, Pops (@chief.drinking.officer) and Patrick Pho (@districtofbourbon)hit the Whiskey in the Winter Festival in St. Louis to dive deep into the hottest topic in bourbon: Is the bubble about to burst? Armed with cameras and questions, we connected with industry insiders to get their take on

New Brand Releases

Woodford Reserve’s Beloved Double Double Oaked Makes National Debut

Double Double Oaked is handcrafted by finishing fully-mature Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon for an additional two years in a second, heavily toasted, lightly charred, new oak barrel (hence the name Double Double Oaked).

Replay: BITB Live Tasting #11

Paid-members only

Replay: BITB Live Tasting #11

Our final Bourbon in the Blind (BITB) Live Tasting of 2024 was held on December 30th. We capped off a fantastic year of blind tastings with a monster sample kit featuring a total of nine (9) whiskies. It was a high-spirited tasting if you know what I mean.

8 Bourbon Trends We Want Gone (or to Stay) in 2025

This Round's Mine

8 Bourbon Trends We Want Gone (or to Stay) in 2025

If you've never visited Punch.com, it's a great booze-centric website with great info, stories and cocktail recipes. The site's crew did a running commentary of which drink trends should disappear next year, and we thought it so good that we decided to do

Behind the scenes of a Four Roses barrel pick

Behind the scenes of a Four Roses barrel pick

Not everyone can snag a spot on a Four Roses barrel pick, but we’ve got you covered. We documented the whole experience to give our entire community a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to be part of a Bourbon & Banter Four Roses barrel pick