There is nothing like the taste of whiskey, straight with no chaser, and the way that its paradoxical power and peace roll across your tongue as you drink. America has increased its stake as a major player in the whiskey game over the past several years, and the game just ratcheted up a notch. The world of American whiskey just got more specific, as the United States Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) issued its long-awaited proposed rule to clarify and recognize American single malt whiskey as a specific category. This is big news for whiskey lovers in Americ ..read more

For whiskey makers, flavor is everything. Subtle overtones and minute differences in the depth of flavors will make or break the taste of the whiskey and, therefore, the marketability of your product.  From woodsmoke to spices to peanut butter, the flavor profiles of your favorite whiskeys go through many different experimentation phases along the way to create the product that you love to sip neatly or add to your favorite cocktails. At Harlem Standard, we like to make the old new again. Although we are certainly inspired by Prohibition ideologies and committed to re-creating these disti ..read more

Fifty years ago this month, James Brown put on one of his most amazing shows, to an audience that hadn’t paid a dime for a ticket and who were not even old enough to have a drink at the concert. And for the thousand or so concertgoers that day, he sent a message that may have had a profound impact on helping them change their lives for the better. It was on March 16, 1972, that Brown added a performance at the notorious prison on Rikers Island to his impressive resume. There he played a full setlist of hits, entertaining 16-20-year-olds who were awaiting trial in one of the country’s most infa ..read more

Now that we are falling into fall, it is time to consider all the libations that make the season great. Gone are the fruity drinks of summer, with their tiny umbrellas and their light palette. When the wind blows the leaves off the trees and the air takes on a chill, you need something hardier to drink that will warm your body, mind, and soul. Is there a better choice than whiskey? With its layered flavors, Harlem Standard whiskeys will stand up to your favorite fall foods.   Chili With robust beans and beef and a plethora of spices, this will warm you on a chilly day and is the perfect b ..read more

It’s the classic age-old question: which came first, the chicken or the egg? Or in this case, whiskey or bourbon? Even if you are an avid drinker and an enjoyer of spirits, you might not clearly understand this concept. To put it clearly, all bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon. This can certainly be confusing!  True whiskey requires specific standards to be met, including where it is made, how it is made, and what the key ingredients are. All that the United States requires for whiskey are that the spirits are created from a fermented mash of grain, but the other details v ..read more

A sultry sax solo. A glass of warming liquor on the bar. Lights turned low and hushed conversations. There are just some things that go together, and when you think about whiskey-drinking, jazz music cannot be far behind in your thought process. Dubbed the Jazz Age by writer F. Scott Fitzgerald, the Roaring 20’s were a time for music, drinking, and debauchery, but they actually had their roots in the struggle for African Americans to find their place in society. Jazz music was a flagship for the movement. Despite the abolition of slavery, Black people still of course faced injustices and inequ ..read more

For many new whisky drinkers, a sip of whiskey brings a myriad of flavors that please the palate. And as you get into your newfound passion for whiskey sipping, it is nice to actually know and understand what is what, as you begin to build muscle memories of flavor profiles. With a little knowledge and a lot of practice, you will be able to unearth specific flavors in the whiskey as you drink it. In this way, you will be able to discern which flavors appeal to you most, as well as which type of whiskeys pair well with certain foods, moods, and activities. The nitty-gritty At the heart of a goo ..read more

With the holidays approaching, you might be feeling a little anxious about your gifting list. How do you get everyone something on the list that feels luxurious without completely breaking the bank? Well, for some, a bottle of whiskey does the trick. It’s a gift that keeps on giving, evokes a sense of luxury, and well… who doesn’t love getting tipsy over the holidays? Here are some of our favorite whiskey archetypes. These are the folks who would appreciate a nice glass of the world’s smoothest elixir. So if these personality types remind you of anyone on your shopping list, a bottle of Harlem ..read more

As the weather turns colder and the summer drinks with their umbrellas and frivolity fall by the wayside, it is time to think about how you can enjoy a good healthy cocktail without packing on the pounds. After all, the holidays and all of their guilty pleasures are just around the corner! Harlem Standard understands that a cocktail doesn’t have to be the most unhealthy part of your week. And as a matter of fact, whiskey already has several medicinal properties and has been known to lower blood pressure, treat bacterial or viral infections, and even help keep heart disease at bay. Here are a f ..read more