The Practical Still

Mark Still & Dan Cavallari
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The Practical Still

Whiskey hunting and collecting has gotten crazy but there are still wonderful bottles of bourbon, rye, and single malt whiskeys waiting for you on store shelves if you just know a little bit about what to shop for. The Practical Still is about finding value in whisky to drink and share. Whiskey was never meant to sit on a shelf. Open the Bottle and enjoy it. We don't do detailed reviews, we just help you understand and enjoy the whiskey you can drink today.

  1. Aaron Gooding of Last Cut Crystal - hand cut crystal whiskey glasses

    01/04/2023

    Aaron Gooding of Last Cut Crystal - hand cut crystal whiskey glasses

    If you've paid any attention at all over the last couple of years, you know that I'm a sucker for nice glassware. Wine glasses, coffee cups, and in particular, whiskey glasses are as much a part of my drinking experience as the liquid that is sipped from them. So, when I ran across Aaron Gooding's work on Instagram @lastcutcrystal, I was intrigued. I've got quite a variety of nosing glasses but the most visceral whiskey-drinking experience comes from my heavy, Waterford crystal old fashione...

    29 min
  2. Double Oaked and Toasted Whiskey - It won't save bad bourbon but it can sometimes make for interesting whiskeys

    12/18/2022

    Double Oaked and Toasted Whiskey - It won't save bad bourbon but it can sometimes make for interesting whiskeys

    Double oaked and toasted barrel-finished bourbons are quite popular lately. It seems like a similar process to finishing in barrels that previously held other liquids but also different and more like a second maturation than a typical finish. New barrels are expensive so these second-barrel products seem to spend more time in the second barrels than many wine or rum-finished whiskeys. For some, like Old Forester 1910, the second barrel is charred to within an inch of oblivion while oth...

    19 min
  3. What did we learn about whiskey and ourselves in 2022?

    12/03/2022

    What did we learn about whiskey and ourselves in 2022?

    Every year around this time, we look back and ask ourselves what we learned about whiskey. In 2022, the big takeaway is that we should really focus on bourbon, rye, and scotch whisk(e)y that we really like. Saving $5 on a bottle on Elijah Craig Small Batch is no reason to stock up. It isn't going anywhere. I'd made a pledge not to buy any more pedestrian whiskey until I drank all of the pedestrian whiskey I already had in the house. I'm still drinking but that pledge means I'll end the year ...

    25 min
  4. It's allocated bourbon release season, who cares? Allohatred season is more like it.

    11/27/2022

    It's allocated bourbon release season, who cares? Allohatred season is more like it.

    Every year in the fall, whiskey geeks decent upon every store hunting for bottles from Buffalo Trace's Antique Collection (BTAC), Pappy van Winkle, Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, and others. It's like a zombie apocalypse. Many, if not most, of those bottles will never be opened by the original purchaser. Rather, they'll be sold on the secondary market for many times their suggested retail price. Even more folks will work every store lottery, charity auctions, or other program meant to at leas...

    39 min
  5. TINCUP Whiskey founder, Jess Graber

    11/18/2022

    TINCUP Whiskey founder, Jess Graber

    Jess Graber started distilling in the early 1970s as a hobby. A chance encounter with a neighbor named George Stranahan opened the door to take his moonshine hobby and eventually turn it into Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey. As the co-founder of Stranahan's, Jess was at the start of what is now one of the fasted growing segments in American whiskey, single malt. It was folks asking about whiskey more like a bourbon that got him thinking of what ultimately became TINCUP, a bourbon recipe 'spiced'...

    35 min
  6. What are we drinking? Where have we been?

    11/09/2022

    What are we drinking? Where have we been?

    We started The Practical Still as a podcast and then quickly added a video component that began to monopolize our time and then we even decided to produce a weekly live stream of us drinking and discussing whiskey. That stream has turned out to be the most rewarding part of The Practical Still for us, but we miss having a consistent podcast. So, here we are again, drinking some Deerhammer whiskey on an audio podcast while we relax in comfortable chairs without the pressures of lighting a vide...

    27 min
  7. Other whiskey options if you like Jameson Irish whiskey

    05/01/2022

    Other whiskey options if you like Jameson Irish whiskey

    Stacey Moses joins me again and we talk about options for her longtime go-to whiskey, Jameson Irish Whiskey. Other Irish whiskey such as Redbreast 12 is certainly an option but there are Scotch, Japanese, and American whiskeys that would make nice choices too. We also debunk Stacey's belief that all Scotch is peaty in an effort to help her broaden her whiskey horizons. Cheers! Podcast episodes, videos, and livesteams are available at thepracticalstill.com. Join us for Friday S...

    48 min
  8. My friend Stacey has some whiskey questions.

    03/27/2022

    My friend Stacey has some whiskey questions.

    My friend Stacey Moses has some whiskey questions. Until just a few months ago, we'd worked together in various capacities for many years, and during that time, we also became friends. On balance, I feel as if I've learned far more from Stacey in our professional relationship than she ever learned from me so I always relish an opportunity to share any knowledge I have with her. In the before COVID times, Stacey would visit town to work in our offices (she lives outside of Washington DC while ...

    38 min
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    Ratings & Reviews

    5
    out of 5
    3 Ratings

    About

    Whiskey hunting and collecting has gotten crazy but there are still wonderful bottles of bourbon, rye, and single malt whiskeys waiting for you on store shelves if you just know a little bit about what to shop for. The Practical Still is about finding value in whisky to drink and share. Whiskey was never meant to sit on a shelf. Open the Bottle and enjoy it. We don't do detailed reviews, we just help you understand and enjoy the whiskey you can drink today.

    Information

    • Creator
      Mark Still & Dan Cavallari
    • Years Active
      2020 - 2023
    • Episodes
      43
    • Rating
      Explicit
    • Copyright
      © 2023 The Practical Still
    • Show Website
      The Practical Still

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