Barrel to Bottle, The Binny's Podcast

Every year, the Barrel to Bottle crew is lucky enough to get an early preview of Goose Island's Bourbon County Brand Stout. This year's line-up is focused on the importance of barrels, and revisits some favorite recipes from the past with new twists.   If you have a question for the Barrel to Bottle Crew, email us at  comments@binnys.com , or reach out to us on  Facebook ,  Twitter  or  Instagram...

The third Thursday of November is Beaujolais Nouveau Day. It also happens to be a week before Thanksgiving, which is convenient because this wine is easy to pair with the vast array of flavors on your holiday table. Take a quick sip of Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2024 with Barrel to Bottle.  If you have a question for the Barrel to Bottle Crew, email us at  comments@binnys.com , or reach ou...

For the second year, Binny's presents its list of the Top 50 Wines Under $50 . Wine consultants from every Binny's location conducted their own tasting of their top wines of 2024; from favorites in crowded categories to esoteric, off-the-beaten path offerings, this list has something for everyone. This week on Barrel to Bottle, we're highlighting ten to try from this year's list, in no particular...

Master Blender Ashley Barnes is a super taster with an analytical mind. With a background in molecular biology, she consults with distilleries on quality control and other aspects of their business. This week we're sampling some of her favorite releases. E.J. Curley & Company Small Batch Bourbon Lucky Seven 'The Frenchman' French Oak Finishing Barrel #20 Binny's Handpicked Lucky Seven 'The Holiday...

Dr. Rachel Barrie is the Master Blender for Glenglassaugh, BenRiach and Glendronach. On this episode of Barrel to Bottle, Dr. Rachel meditatively guides us through the sweet side of Speyside. Then we meditatively guide her through a Scotch and flavored popcorn pairing.  Glenglassaugh Sandend Highland Single Malt BenRiach Cask Edition 10-Year-Old ex-Tennessee Whiskey Barrel #6247 2009 BenRiach Cask...

It's never been easier to flex your mixology skills at home than it is now. The ingredients are better, the equipment is more advanced, the techniques are easy to master. This week on Barrel to Bottle we're going to teach you how to impress your friends and family with five cocktails, along with recommendations for accessories and ingredients you can purchase or make yourself. Check out all the co...

If you can't handle the tannins, get out of Montalcino. Or grab some rich, fatty foods like pecorino toscano, fennel-rich finnochiona, butter and crusty Tuscan bread. This week we're highlighting Tuscan wines from Montalcino and the surrounding area.   Altesino Rosso 2022 Caprili Rosso di Montalcino 2022 Caprili Brunello di Montalcino 2019 Tenute Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino 2019 Mastrojann...

It's Pumpkin SZN! It's been here for a while because seasonal creep starts earlier and earlier. At the height of the pumpkin craze, our stores were packed with pumpkin and pumpkin-spiced beverages. But after a bit of a lull, pumpkin is on the rise again and the great news is all our favorites are still around.           We've got a whole patch of pumpkin beers, wines and spirits to try this week....

There are always new items in the spirits aisles of Binny's. While bourbon is still very much the focus, don't forget about Scotch, Rye and even Scottish Rye. Jim Beam Sunshine Blend J. Reiger & Co. Straight Bourbon Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series Wheated Still Austin High Rye Bourbon Single Barrel #2020/008-1 Binny's Handpicked Angel's Envy Bourbon Sherry Barrel Select #CE055 Binny's Hand...

Oktoberfest is probably our most beloved seasonal beer style, so it just makes sense for Barrel to Bottle to regularly revisit Märzens and Festbiers. There are so many Oktoberfest-adjacent beers on our shelves that we can do an episode almost every year with little to no overlap. This year, we've got a slew of American craft takes on the styles, and only one from Germany. So lace up your dirndl an...

Pinot Noir can sometimes seem daunting to some wine drinkers, but it's not. This week, Chris has five wines from the Willamette Valley 2022 vintage. Originally, experts thought 2022 was going to be a continuation of a run of bad vintages, but things turned around with high quality fruit and better yields than predicted. Maison Noir OPP Other People's Pinot 2022 Hyland Estates Petit Pinot Noir 2022...

Summer may be drawing to a close, but it's going to stay warm for a while. That means there's plenty of time to fire up your blender and rethink frozen cocktails.  They don't need to be sweet and overbearing, they can be balanced and still refreshing and delicious. You can check out all the cocktail recipes on our blog .  If you have a question for the Barrel to Bottle Crew, email us at  comments@...

Rum: underappreciated and misunderstood. That's why we keep doing rum episodes, because it deserves the attention, Plus, it's the Summer of Rum. Pat has brought in a treasure trove of new and new-to-Binny's rums that run the gamut from lighter to funky, blended to single barrel, flavored to full-proof, sweet to estery.  Virago Four Port Rum Virago Ruby Port Cask Rum DeHart Grander Trophy Release S...

Like the Quadrennial Summer Sports Competition, Binny's shelves have representation from all over the world. Pat didn't bring a bottle from every country, luckily, but he, Roger and Chris brought spirits, beer and wine from around the world. Let the games begin! South Korea: SoonHari Apple Mango Switzerland: Chateau de Trevelin Chasselas Aubonne 2022 Canada: Unibroue Don de Dieu China: Kweichow Mo...

America's Founding Fathers loved Madeira, and so does our own Roger Adamson. Regular listeners will know how much he brings it up and how much he's been wanting to do a Madeira episode. Who better to talk Madeira with than Chris Blandy? His family has been involved in making Madeira on the island for seven generations.   If you have a question for the Barrel to Bottle Crew, email us at  comments@b...

Viral cocktails have been on Pat's radar for years now, and we finally have a Gen Z co-host in touch with what the kids (21+) are drinking these days. This week Lexi does all the work for Pat and mixes Tik-Tok worthy cocktails for her unenthusiastic co-hosts.  Grab all the recipes on our blog .  If you have a question for the Barrel to Bottle Crew, email us at comments@binnys.com , or reach out to...

Every winter, Binny's spirits buyers gather all the new ready-to-drink canned cocktails for a massive tasting. This event, known as Canapalooza, is where they narrow down hundreds of products to the ones that are worth drinking. For every can you find on the shelf, there are probably 10 or more that were rejected. Are you stilly, or bubby? These are this year's standouts. Good Boy Vodka John Daly...

We're back with the second part of our two-parter highlighting some of the many new arrivals to our stores. Last week we covered beer, cider, and wine. This week, we're on to spirits. Dewar's Double Double 21-Year-Old Ruby Marsala Cask Finished Binny's Handpicked Santa Teresa 1796 Limited Edition Arabica Coffee Cask Finished Rum Mount Gay Eclipse Navy Strength Rum Patron Cristalino Tequila Whistle...

Things are never quiet at the receiving dock of your local Binny's. New items are coming in constantly and it's hard to keep track of everything. As usual, Barrel to Bottle is here with some helpful recommendations. We have so many new arrivals that we had to do a two-parter. First up is beer, cider, and wine. Urban Chestnut Old Maibock collaboration with Old Nation Roaring Table Holiday Romance H...

Have you ever had Danish whisky? Neither have we! Lasse Vesterby is one of nine co-founders of Stauning Whisky. At Stauning, they distill Danish-grown rye and barely and floor malt everything at their facility. Stauning Rye Whisky Stauning Bastard Rye Whisky Finished in ex-Mezcal Barrels Stauning El Clasico Rye Whisky Finished in Vermouth Barrels Stauning Kaos Blended Malt Whisky Stauning Smoke Si...

Half Acre's Matt Young has been with the brewery for almost as long as Daisy Cutter has been around, which happens to be 15 years this summer. Daisy Cutter put Half Acre on the map, but they have never been only about big hoppy beers. They've always been just as committed to brewing delicious lagers.   Half Acre Hollywood Beach Half Acre  Kernza Lager Half Acre Italian Pilsner Half Acre Daisy Cutt...

The World Beer Cup calls itself the "Olympics of Beer". As the name implies, the World Beer Cup is open to breweries all over the world. This week on Barrel to Bottle, Roger tracked down  WBC 2024 winners that we carry from local and global breweries.  Horse Thief Hollow Little Wing Noon Whistle Bruski Traditional Lager Allagash Tripel Unibroue La Fin du Monde Weihenstephaner Vitus Old Irving Beez...

Porch Pounders, Gazebo Guzzlers, Barbecue Bangers…call them whatever you want, but make sure your patio is stocked for the summer months. Chris has assembled 18 wines that are perfect for relaxing in your Adirondack chair or pairing with your favorite summer meal. Biohof Pratsch Grüner Veltliner 2022 Domaine Labbe Abymes Vin de Savoie 2021 Suavia Soave Classico 2022 Nortico Alvarinho 2022 Champalo...

We love cocktails on Barrel to Bottle. We love classics, and we love riffs. We might love riffs more. This week, we've got three mixologists riffing on three classic cocktails for Greg and Jim to judge. Check out our blog for all the recipes .  If you have a question for the Barrel to Bottle Crew, email us at  comments@binnys.com , or reach out to us on  Facebook ,  Twitter  or  Instagram . If we...

Firestone Walker's Matt Brynildson returns to Barrel to Bottle. He's in Chicago to launch a collab with our friends at Half Acre for the annual Firestone Walker Invitational. You can hear all about that event on our previous episode with Matt Brynildson .   Matt loves returning to Chicago and we love having him on the podcast to share his extensive knowledge of brewing, particularly hops. There's...