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 20…

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 th…

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, em…

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 ar…

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 N…

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 collaborati…

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 S…

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…

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 Fi…

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 S…

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 o…

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 kn…

Ivo Jeramaz is the winemaker at Grgich Hills Estate. His uncle, Mike, started the winery shortly after his Chardonnay won the 1976 Paris Tasting for Chateau Montelena. Ivo passionately believes in regenerative farming of grapes, without the use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. This week on Barrel to Bottle, Ivo explains the pro…

Pat, our resident Crispy Boi, has spent the last half decade extolling the virtues of Hamm’s. When he’s not drinking Hamm’s, he’s still drinking crispy lagers both macro and micro. Now he’s getting the chance to redeem himself after his Hamm’s-related failure in our Macro Lager Blind Tasting. This week on Barrel to Bottle we’re blind tasting thirte…

Provence might be the epicenter of Rosé but you can find the style all over the world. If you can grow grapes, you’re probably making Rosé. This week on Barrel to Bottle, with warm weather approaching, we are checking out Rosés from around the world. The grapes and methods are different everywhere but they’re all great in spring, summer and really …

Binny’s has a vast resource of knowledgeable wine associates, probably the best in the business with arguably the biggest selection. While it is possible to stumble onto a hidden gem, Pat and Rog wanted to tap into our vast resources by engaging with our passionate staff members. Join us for Pat & Rog’s Excellent Wine Adventure. Be excellent to eac…

What’s New in Beer? As always, the beer shelves are constantly changing and we’re here to help you make sense of the new brands, styles, returning favorites in new packaging and special releases. Firestone Walker XPA Weihenstephaner Braupakt collaboration w/St. Bernardus Maplewood Belle La Vie Stormalong Cider Unfiltered Southern Tier Orange Twist …

Take a trip to Northern Italy with Barrel to Bottle this week. Chris brought wines from the broader Langhe Hills, along with some everyday drinking wines from the region, and wines from the much-hyped 2019 vintage. As with much of what we feature on the podcast, these wines pair great with a wide variety of food. Ca del Sarto Barbera d’Alba 2021 Vi…

Celebrities, they’re just like you: they love wine. In some cases they like wine so much they create their own brand or buy an existing brand. Taking us down this Hollywood Walk of Fame of celebrity wines is Ray Denton, from our Elmwood Park store. Viarae Prosecco Invivo X SJP Sauvignon Blanc Sarah Jessica Parker 2023 Plumpjack Chardonnay Reserve 2…

We’ve covered bocks before on Barrel to Bottle, but as interest in lagers continues to grow at a rapid pace, Roger thought this was the best time to revisit the style. Ayinger Maibock Roaring Table Maibock Weihenstephaner Korbinian Goldfinger Złotonator Doppelbock Maplewood Dark Trees Sketchbook Illustrator Doppelbock Boulevard Dark Crator Pollyann…

The Whiskey Hotline is constantly bringing in new and interesting single barrels from your favorite distilleries. Some even Whiskey Hotline Handpicks are the best value in spirits. This week we’re sampling Tequila, Irish Whiskey and Bourbon. Also this week, a question from a listener about adding water to your bourbon or whiskey. El Tesoro Reposado…

Even the Barrel to Bottle crew can walk the aisles of Binny’s, with our thousands of bottles and cans, and wonder “What the Hell Does That Taste Like?” Occasionally it behooves us then, to do an episode dedicated to answering this question. Roger, Chris and Pat have assembled a line-up of beer, wine and spirits that are a little esoteric, a little …

This week, we head to Germany for the second in our series of dark larger podcasts. Get ready for Dunkels and Schwarzbierss and Emmenthalers and Thuringers. Roger brought the goods with a Brophy’s worth of beer and the finest meats and cheeses to pair with them. Prost! Hofbräu Munchen Dunkel Hofbräuhaus-Freising Dunkel Weltenburger Barock Dunkel Do…

Bill Foley has irons in a lot of fires. He owns the Las Vegas Golden Knights and AFC Bournemouth in the English Premiere League. More relevant to Barrel to Bottle, he also owns Foley Family Wines, Charles Goodnight Bourbon in Texas, and Lighthouse Gin in New Zealand. This week on Barrel to Bottle we’ll cover the ins and outs of the wine and spirits…

We like to get esoteric on Barrel to Bottle, but this might be our most esoteric topic yet: Shochu (not to be confused with Soju). What is it, how is it made, what does it taste like and what do you do with it? This week we welcome Jay, Binny's resident Shochu expert/enthusiast, to answer these questions. He’s here to guide us through Shochu 101, s…