When Whisked Foodie offered me a spot on their new site, I jumped at the opportunity. I do a lot of spirits writing, including at my site DrinkSpirits.com and for magazines like The Tasting Panel and Black Book Magazine, but a lot of that writing is targeted at people who are already interested in spirits. The opportunity to write about spirits for people who are possibly just discovering them is exciting to me.

Spirits have led me to some amazing places and to some fascinating people.  I’ve seen small, handmade stills used to produce very small quantities of craft spirits, some of them so unbelievably good it’s hard to believe that someone could produce them. I’ve also spent time with the heads of some of the major spirit brands who produce millions of cases of spirits a year, and seen the love and craftsmanship they have for their products.  This isn’t a space where the big guys are always the bad guys. Some of the larger spirit companies in the world also produce some of the best spirits.

Spirits also encompass an entire universe of taste that absolutely appeals to the same sensibilities that draw people to food. If you are a foodie, and I am, you’ll find that spirits can have a symphony of flavors that are amazingly alluring, and we’re not even talking about cocktails, which are a universe unto themselves.

Alcohol is often considered a social lubricant, and in excess it can turn you truly stupid. But when consumed right, spirits can be a key element in some of the best of life’s moments. I can remember exactly what was in my glass as I’ve toasted some of life’s triumphs, and the spirits I’ve turned to in comfort for its tragedies.

Some of my most memorable moments of the last few years have happened across the bar, extremely late at night, where people let down the guard that they maintain in modern society and actually really talk. Spirits are also something that can really unite us.  I’ve often found myself ordering an “Ardbeg” (which is a brand of Scotch Whiskey from the Islay region of Scotland) only to find a compatriot at the bar who shares my affection for the spirit.  It’s an instantly unifying factor.

While I love cocktails, I think it’s important to empower people to mix with spirits at home. I’m all for simplicity and approachability, so I’ll focus on some of the basics you need to put together a home bar to make quick and easy, “frustration free” drinks.

I can’t stand pretentiousness in wine or spirits. My philosophy is that you don’t have to know a single thing about a wine or spirit to enjoy it.  Often people make things in this space unapproachable or surround it with a sense of elitism which is simply shameful. Some of the great spirits of the world, including Scotch Whiskey and Cognac, often get skipped because people get turned off by the perceived elitism or snobbery. I hope to help demystify this and expose you to some of the great things out there that you may be missing.

Let me be your humble guide through this incredible world of wine and spirits, and I’m sure we’ll discover some fascinating and amazing things and people together.