Top Bourbon Resolutions for 2025

With the advent of each new year comes a slew of resolutions, many of which will be abandoned come February. But we at Bourbon & Banter want you to keep your resolutions! So we asked our community about their bourbon-related resolutions for 2025, and a few clear themes emerged. Read along, and be sure to share your resolutions in the comments.

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I am declaring 2025 the year of the Big Bottle Share. Bottle shares are a cornerstone of the whiskey community, but with so many folks stocked to the gills with bottles hoarded from the pandemic and subsequent bourbon boom, many of us are feeling squeezed out by our collections but, more importantly, want to lean more into what makes bourbon fun in the first place: sharing it.

Scott L.: Attend an in-person Bourbon & Banter event this year! I won't let work or medical procedures stop me - I will prioritize making a barrel pick or the annual Bourbon & Banter Summit.

Sean: The most important thing is sharing bourbon with friends. 

Caleb: Get rid of some stuff. I went crazy during the pandemic, and now it is too much. I want to find new friends to share with and get rid of what I have to get my collection down to a manageable level.

Matt S.: Host a bottle kill party to clear out all the bottles with 6-8 ounces left. Creates more space in my home bar and lets my friends try a bunch of cool stuff at the same time. And gift more to charity auctions - a win for everyone.

Erin: Restart my bourbon open houses - both at home and at work. In 2024, I hosted two bourbon open houses where folks were invited to come to my place and, well, drink my bourbon! I asked them not to bring any bottles and come ready to drink curiously. I did this to bottle whittle down my collection and connect more with others in the DC bourbon community. I also started a monthly Whiskey Wednesday bottle share at work last year, which has quickly grown. I'm consistently the one who bring 6 or more bottles dto share and it's been a great way to meet folks from across my company.

Brent: Reduce the number of bottles I don’t care for on my home bar. I have well over 100 opened bottles on my home bar. Needless to say, some of them haven’t been touched in years. I’ve been trying to work through the stuff that is less than rare to reduce the clutter but it’s not easy. I may need to host more bottle shares.

Steve: Give away more press samples. My condo, where space is always a little tight, has arguably become a fire hazard given all the alcohol samples within it. I resolve to create an ersatz reference library of 100-200ml bottles I like, pour some to reserve, then give the half-full bottles to friends and neighbors.

Pops: Build a Bourbon “Third Place." I’m lucky to have a bourbon collection most would envy, but let’s be real—I’ll never drink it all. While I love hosting friends to help me make a dent, the bottles multiply like rabbits. This year, I’m working on something bigger: a standalone HQ for Bourbon & Banter and DrinkCurious. Think of it as a bourbon lover’s “third place.” Not a bar. Not a home. But a space where folks can gather, enjoy great pours, and share stories without the pretense. A space built for bourbon, banter, and building community—exactly how I think whiskey was meant to be enjoyed. Here’s to a bourbon-filled 2025. Let’s make it count, one sip (and one story) at a time.

Drink More, Buy Less, Dump Duds

Let's be honest: some of us have overdone it on our bourbon stocks. Between honest love for the whiskey and the mind-blowing proliferation of jerk-off shelves (lined with allocated bottles some folks never open and just, well, like to look at and show off), we have amassed too many bottles. Consumers will be choosier with what and where they buy bottles. We are also going to be more ruthless with offloading - and even drain pouring - bottles we don't like. Brands will really have to earn our dollars in 2025, and we will likely see the already started market correction expand due to this dip in consumer spending.

Jim: Drink more, buy less (however that happens). When I do buy, buy based on reliable information: no more speculation, funny names, or pretty bottles.

Fred: Be a little more selective. Every time I see a good bottle, I have to buy it, and I already have a good amount.

Tim D.: Quit buying as much. There are certain things that I will always buy when they come out, but now I will be more selective when they are available.

The Wellers: Buy less whiskey because we are about out of room in our (1,000+ bottle) whiskey library. We also want to get rid of some bottles we really don't want.

Kevin: Drink more than I buy and be more selective.

Matt S.: Only buy Bourbon & Banter barrel picks in 2025. (Shameless plug, but community members get first access to our picks and they are consistently exceptional.)

Erin: Institute a 2 out, 1 in rule. I can only buy a new bottle if I either finish, giveaway, or dump at least 2 bottles. I have no more space left and I've already done a decent job of whittling down my collection. Bourbon is made to be drunk, after all; no use in it sitting there collecting dust.

Brent: Find a new local retail store. I live in Indianapolis and my favorite local chain (Crown Liquors) got purchased by Big Red Liquors. They’re now the largest retail chain in the state and their pricing is egregious. 15%-20% over MSRP is their standard. Good luck getting anything allocated unless you win their monthly “Right to Buy” which is also marked up higher than Charlie Sheen in his prime. I walked into my local store 2 weeks ago and they had the most recent Booker’s release. I asked the manager, who I know well, “How much for the Booker’s?” It was priced at $140. That’s $40 OVER MSRP! I refuse to shop at Big Red Liquors.

Steve: Quickly dump out awful press samples I know I won't ever review. Why do I hold onto any of them? Perhaps I'm hoping they'll "come around with a little air"? I always feel a little guilty when someone spends the money to send me a sample that won't make the cut. But it's not my fault that those spirits aren't good. And no distiller's ever coming to my house and saying, "Where's that bottle I sent you?"

Pops: Bring the Banter Back. When I launched Bourbon & Banter in 2011, bourbon fans were few and far between, and I wanted to build a space for spirited conversation. Fast forward to today, and bourbon’s gone mainstream—unfortunately, the banter hasn’t kept up. Too many folks are focused on collecting bottles instead of cracking them open and sharing with friends. This year, I’m doubling down on the “banter” in Bourbon & Banter. That means more social outings, more stories worth sharing, and a stronger focus on virtual and in-person events for our growing community. Because good bourbon deserves great company—and a bit of irreverent conversation.

Get More Curious

As we become more selective about the bottles we buy, we are also going to be doing more research, exploring new producers doing unique things, and expanding our abilities to appreciate good whiskey. 2025 will be about digging more deeply into what makes a bourbon great, honing our abilities to taste and discern what is deserving of our dollars, and expanding our knowledge instead of our collections.

Cesar: Stop following the hype. It is too easy to get caught up in the hype. I want to pick up more on nosing this year and get a good nosing kit to expand my knowledge.

Sean: Focus more on distilleries and trying new things. I really like what Heaven Hill is doing and I love Jim Beam: whatever they do I will buy.

Erin: Read my bourbon books. I have a whole shelf of books that I need to read. I love to read but have been so caught up in my work, travel, and, well, life over the past few years, I haven't had the chance to read as much as I want. I already have a good knowledge of bourbon history but there is so much I don't know and can't wait to learn.

Brent: Try new bourbons. This one shouldn’t need an explanation.

Steve: Feature craft distillers more regularly in my reviews. I do roughly 120 reviews a year. While that sounds like a lot, it's not when I survey what's been sent to me and when it gets reviewed. I'll admit that when releases like Russell's Single Rickhouse or Michter's 10-year (rye or bourbon) come in, they move closer to the front of the line because people are itching to read those. Inevitably, something gets bumped backward in the queue. Perhaps in my thrice-weekly reviews I'll aim to include one from a large distillery, one from a midsize distillery and another from a craft distillery.    

Pops: Back to Basics (with a Twist). Last year, I found myself swimming in the whirlwind of DrinkCurious, which left precious little time for writing reviews. So in 2025, I’m shaking things up with a renewed focus on sharing my thoughts—but this time, more on camera. Yep, video reviews are on the horizon. Now, I’ll admit my face was made for radio, but video is king these days, and the kids seem to love it. Fingers crossed this experiment doesn’t tank like a corked bottle. Either way, expect more candid takes and a lot of honest opinions heading your way to help you make more informed bottle purchases.