Decades Distilled // A History of Whisky

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Decades Distilled: Deeper Dives, a new bonus series where we revisit some of the decades we’ve explored and take a closer look at the stories, trends and ideas we didn’t have time to fully unpack the first time around. For our first Deeper Dive, Kurt is joined by historian, writer and broadcaster Colin Hampden White to revisit the whisky world of the 1990s. It was a fascinating turning point for whisky. Blended Scotch still ruled the shelves, but single malts were ...

Send us Fan Mail We’ve been quiet, but we definitely haven’t been sitting still. Sarah and Kurt are back with a quick update on everything happening behind the scenes at Decades Distilled and a first taste of what’s coming next. Starting this week, we’re introducing Decades Distilled Deeper Dives, a new series of bonus episodes that goes beyond the original seasons with historians, writers, industry experts and people who lived through the decades themselves. First up: conversations exploring...

Send us Fan Mail Single malts rise. Bourbon rebounds. Rye disappears, and then roars back. Japan prepares its quiet takeover. Ireland and Canada fight uphill battles. Bartenders rediscover technique. Writers give whiskey a new language. In our season finale, Sarah and Kurt unpack how the chaos of the 1990s laid the groundwork for everything we drink today. The decade didn’t just change what was in the bottle....it changed who told the story.

Send us Fan Mail Cocktails in the 1990's were messy. Neon cocktails. Sour mix. Vodka everything. Appletinis in up glasses pretending to be martinis. But then, that chaos gave birth to the modern craft cocktail movement. This week, join Kurt and Sarah as they dive into the quiet moment when bartenders quietly started caring again. Fresh citrus came back. Forgotten recipes resurfaced. Rye whiskey clawed its way into relevance. And was bars like Rainbow Room to Milk & Honey that help change ...

Send us Fan Mail In the 1990s, Canadian whisky had everything. Global dominance, legendary brands, and decades of loyalty. And then… it stalled. This week, Sarah and Kurt explore the Canadian paradox, of how brands like Seagrams, which had been an iconic brand in the industry lost the momentum in the 1990's. Pour a dram and join us as we unpack one of whisky history’s most fascinating “what if” moments.