FROM THE BARLIST JOURNAL
History
Across continents, distillation emerged from the same chemistry but evolved into two distinct philosophies. In Europe and the Atlantic world, spirits became an expression of time. Whiskey matured for decades in oak. Cognac developed slowly in cellar conditions governed by the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac. Rum crossed oceans, shaped by movement and storage, with […]
April 14, 2026
History
Every gin carries a geography within it. To understand gin is to understand movement, trade, and the quiet exchange of ingredients across continents. What begins as juniper distillation in the Netherlands evolves into a global spirit shaped by empire, medicine, and adaptation. From Dutch Genever to Global Gin In the seventeenth century, distillers in the […]
March 28, 2026
Community and Lifestyle
Every year on March 27, whisky is observed through a lens that is both personal and global. International Whisky Day is marked annually on this date to honour the life and legacy of Michael Jackson, born in 1942. His work from the 1980s through the early 2000s established a structured way of understanding whisky across regions, […]
March 27, 2026
History
Before the first pint is poured, before the streets fill with green, St Patrick’s Day begins in quiet observance. In Ireland, the day still carries its original meaning. It marks the death of Saint Patrick, traditionally dated to March 17, 461 CE. For centuries, it was not a celebration of excess but a moment of […]
March 17, 2026
Distilleries & Producers
Whiskey has always been a balance between tradition and innovation. Rarely has this balance been tested as rigorously as at Waterford Distillery. Founded in 2015 by Mark Reynier, former director of Bruichladdich, Waterford sought to redefine Irish whiskey by making terroir, barley provenance, and farm-level traceability central to production. Every batch of whiskey was designed […]
March 7, 2026
History
Long before it became the foundation of the Caipirinha, Cachaça was born under oppression. In sixteenth-century Brazil, enslaved Africans working on Portuguese sugar plantations observed something their captors overlooked. The foam skimmed from boiling sugarcane juice fermented naturally. Distilled quietly and shared in secrecy, it became one of the earliest forms of what we now […]
March 2, 2026
History
In the 19th century, few alcoholic drinks inspired as much fear and fascination as Absinthe. It was accused of causing hallucinations, insanity, violent crime, and moral collapse. Newspapers portrayed it as a social poison. Politicians framed it as a national threat. By the time chemistry and toxicology were capable of explaining what it actually contained, […]
February 19, 2026
History
In the landscape of French spirits, few contrasts are as revealing as the divergence between Armagnac and Cognac. Both are grape-based brandies distilled from wine. Both trace their origins back several centuries. Yet Armagnac remained rural, fragmented, and estate-driven, while Cognac evolved into a globally recognised luxury spirit. This outcome was not determined by flavour […]
February 18, 2026
History
In early 18th century London, gin was no longer an occasional indulgence. It had become an everyday presence, poured in kitchens, alleys, and unlicensed dram shops across the city. The spirit most commonly consumed was not a refined product, but a rough style later known as Old Tom Gin, such as Hayman’s Old Tom, sweetened […]
February 12, 2026
