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Should beers at a brewery be cheaper than they are at bars?
Perchance to dream, my friend, perchance to dream. It would be logical for a beer to be cheaper at the brewery than at the bar, because the brewery doesn’t have the added distribution costs; unfortunately, that is not the case. And while it might be disappointing that you aren’t saving a few bucks, it’s actually a positive thing for the brewery, especially if it’s small. Paying the same price you’d pay at the bar for the beer allows the brewery to make a higher profit margin. That higher margin is probably one of the primary sources, if not the primary source, of its profits. Small breweries make most money in their taprooms. By paying the same price you’d pay at the bar, you’re supporting the brewery and allowing it to continue to make all those delicious beers you love.
What does single barrel actually mean?
Single barrel means the whiskey in your bottle came from exactly one barrel in the rickhouse. This designation — and practice — entered bourbon-related conversations in 1984. Until that point, the bourbon in your bottle was a blend of several different barrels from the distillery.
The bourbon industry had started to tank in the 1970s and, to help solve the crisis, one man, Elmer T. Lee, came up with the idea of creating single-barrel bourbon. Lee had been in the business all his life and he had always felt the most flavorful bourbon came directly from the barrel. The brand he created was Blanton’s. His concept not only saved the bourbon industry, but also created a whole new category.
I have a white wine that tastes really cheap. Is there any trick to making it drinkable?
I’ve had this problem before, too. Someone brings a few bottles of cheap white wine to a party and you want to serve it so as to avoid being rude, but it’s not the greatest-tasting wine you’ve ever had. The trick here is to get the bottle extremely cold. The low temperature shuts down our ability to taste off-putting characteristics in the wine. What we’re left with is an insanely refreshing and drinkable wine. Problem solved.
