Thomas Fondano

I've been with Bourbon & Banter since 2013. I like my bourbon 100 proof and up, but 107-115 is my sweet spot.

Drinking Accessory Reviews

The Bar & Craft Ice Ball Press Kit Review

The Bar & Craft Ice Ball Press is $269.99 and comes in a lovely wooden presentation box and includes the press, an ice tray, a draining mat, and tongs. The ice tray yields four 2½-inch cubes.

Blended Whiskey Reviews

Old Wm. Tarr Manchester Reserve Review

The nose says, “Whiskey;” the palate says, “Bourbon;” the finish says, “Rye.” I like whiskeys that take you on a journey from the nose to the finish. As a blend, Manchester Reserve takes you on less of a journey and more around some sharp turns.

American Whiskey Reviews

Little Book Chapter 4: “Lessons Honored” Review

Every Little Book release is, to my palate, unique and extraordinary. Fans will recognize they’re Beam whiskeys, but no standard Beam whiskeys.

Rye Whiskey Reviews

Riptide Cask Strength Rye Whiskey Review

There isn’t a glut of cask strength ryes out there and Riptide is an interesting addition to the category. You aren’t going to confuse it with Thomas H. Handy or Kentucky Owl. It tastes young, because it is. The intent was to showcase the rye flavor, not overwhelm it with oak.

Flavored Whiskey Reviews

George Dickel Tabasco Brand Barrel Finish Whisky* Review

If you’re looking for a rich, complex whiskey to sip from your Glencairn, this is not it. If you approach this as the novelty product it is, you’ll be less disappointed.

Cocktails

Barrel Strength Boulevardier Sour Cocktail Recipe

Recently while having dinner with my lovely wife at Ava Gene’s in Portland, OR, I encountered a cocktail that actually made me rethink my approach to cocktail creation. It was a Navy Strength Negroni Sour and it was fantastic.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2017 Review

While I don’t find this to be a bourbon that holds a lot of surprises, it delivers on all that it promises. The sugar on the nose sets you up nicely for the taste, and the sweetness on the finish that reminds me Bazooka bubble gum.

Distilleries

Buying Barrels with the NHLC Part 3: The Decline and Fall of My Liver

In case you missed Part I & Part II of my Barrel Buying Trip with the New Hampshire Liquor Commission, we’ve thus far selected 30 barrels from three distilleries. Would we achieve the promised “up to 40 barrels of the world’s finest liquid”? One day of the trip remains.

Distilleries

Buying Barrels with the NHLC Part 2: The Best Bourbon Experience of My Life

Master Distiller Eddie Russell met our group at the Wild Turkey Visitor Center. After introductions, he said, “You want a tour, or you wanna drink some whiskey?” We did not take a tour. We drove up to Bonded Warehouse A where we were greeted by some barrels that had been pulled for us.

Distilleries

Buying Barrels with the NHLC Part 1: Trial by Firewater

There are many steps on the bourbon lover’s journey. After you decide you like it, you start trying different brands to see what you like. You seek out books, websites and other enthusiasts to further your education. You visit the big Kentucky distilleries and your local craft distillery.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Hunter’s Select Barrel Tennessee Bourbon Whiskey

While the name Hunter’s Select Barrel Tennessee Bourbon Whiskey may be confusing, this is a bourbon made in Tennessee and NOT a Tennessee whiskey. It has not gone through the Lincoln County Process of charcoal filtering before aging.

Cocktails

Aged & Infused Review

Ever get tired of plain old delicious whiskey? Me neither. But around here the motto is “Drink Curious” or as I like to say, “Try all the drinks.” Aged & Infused makes whiskey infusion kits.

Flavored Whiskey Reviews

CALI Sipping Whiskey Review

CALI is a unique California twist on a classic sipping whiskey. We are shooting for a spirit smoother than a frontier rye, but more complex and flavorful than a traditional Kentucky bourbon.

Cocktails

Reverse Manhattan – The Perfect Second & Third Drink

I love cocktails. Happy hour is 5 pm daily at our house, usually two rounds. I love Old Fashioneds and Manhattans, but two high-proof cocktails before dinner can be a bit much. As I get older happy hour seems to get shorter.

Cocktails

Big O Ginger Liqueur Review & Cocktails

Big O is a premium ginger liqueur handcrafted from high-quality, all-natural ingredients and artisan-crafted spirits. Prepared with hand-chopped fresh ginger, whole spices, citrus, wine-based vodka, and brandy. Big O is a smooth, warming drink that’s both flavorful and pleasing to the palate.

Events

Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon and the New Hampshire Liquor Commission

Spend enough time as a booze aficionado, and you realize everything bad can be blamed on Prohibition. Okay, maybe not everything, but certainly the patchwork liquor laws across the United States.

Book Reviews

Amaro: The Spirited World Bittersweet, Herbal Liqueurs with Cocktails, Recipes and Formulas Book Review

If you read articles on cocktails and drinking trends, the word “bitter” will inevitably come up. If you get serious about cocktails, you will inevitably go through a “bitter, brown, and stirred” phase. The Italian word for bittersweet is amaro.

Flavored Whiskey Reviews

Camp Robber Whiskeyjack Review

If you’re going to make decent whiskey, you need a lot of time. But time is money, and your whiskey is going to need years. So how does a distillery make money in the meantime? The answer is usually vodka and its juniper cousin gin.

Book Reviews

The Manhattan: The Story of the First Modern Cocktail Book Review

The Manhattan: The Story of the First Modern Cocktail by Philip Greene offers a richly detailed history of the ingredients and the evolution of the cocktail itself.

Distilleries

Visiting Jack Daniel’s with Fairmont Hotels

In November 2015 Fairmont Hotels did a global relaunch of their cocktail program called Classics. Perfected. The menus were curated by 5 of Fairmont’s top talents or “Tastemakers.”

Banter

Marriott Bourbon Battles – The Fight Goes On

On May 12, 2016, the second of five Bourbon Battles was waged Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront. While the first battle in Lexington was centered around Maker’s Mark, the Portland battle featured Brown-Forman’s higher end products.

Cocktails

Whiskey: A Spirited Story with 75 Classic and Original Cocktails

Whiskey: A Spirited Story with 75 Classic and Original Cocktails by Michael Dietsch is, for me, that great book. It begins by defining whiskey in its myriad forms and includes the requisite “whiskey vs. whisky“ explanation.

Cocktails

Creative Juleps For Your Kentucky Derby Party

The julep is an old mixture, which like many began as medicine. Not old like early 20th century. Old like over a thousand years old. And not “medicine” like a morning pick-me-up, anti-fogmatic, corpse reviver, etc. Actual medicine made from macerated flowers.

Cocktails

Bonded Buck Cocktail Recipe

Do you know what the difference between ginger beer and ginger ale is? I didn’t, but I did a search and now I do. Ginger beer is brewed and fermented. Ginger ale is carbonated water with ginger flavoring added. Knowledge is power.

Bourbon Whiskey Reviews

Evan Williams Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon Review

Evan Williams Black Label is a benchmark bourbon, not be confused with Benchmark Old No. 8 which I’ve previously reviewed. It’s one of those bourbons by which others are judged. I get that, but if you’ve read any of my reviews, you’ll know 86 proof is not my preferred ABV.