Spirits

First whiskey distilling licence

The world’s first official whiskey licence was granted to Sir Thomas Phillips for the production of aqua vitae (Gaelic for whiskey)

First calvados

There is a fabulous legend around how the name calvados first came about...

First licensed tequila brand

Despite tequila (and mezcal) being enjoyed in Mexico for 100s of years previously, it wasn’t until 1795 that José Maria de Cuervo became...

First use of the word tequila

Oh, tequila. How can such a pure spirit have such a turbulent and blood-thirsty history? Tequila claims the title of being the America’s...

First whisky to be marketed as a single malt

As with anything to do with whisky, this blog will be contentious. So let me be clear what we’re talking about from the start. This story...

First bottles of Courvoisier cognac

Courvoisier cognac is a global phenomenon, available and respected in practically every market in the world. But as with virtually all...

First ever sonic maturation

Sonic maturation is literally the act of agitating maturing whiskey using sound. The sound itself can be anything so long as it’s got a...