Whisky or Whiskey

[Prediction? Pain.]

Before I moved up here, Corkey's in Starkville sold Buffalo Trace for $18 I think (about 4 years ago). In Mass I regularly see it between $23 and $28, a few times as high as $38 (ha! nope). Our local total wine gets Weller pretty regularly, and though the prices have all gone up, I still get all 3 for under $30. If they didn't have a "one bottle per customer" policy, I'd buy the entire case when they get 'em in.

You're right about the state to state thing. It's funny what things are more expensive and less expensive. Bourbon for the most part is priced higher up here. But vodka and gin, holy hell...I get get a handle of Ketel for $26. Stoli about the same. A handle of Bombay Sapphire for $28. Rum is also crazy cheap up here. Scotch is about the same I guess.

If your professor gig doesn't work out, you could quit your job and sell secondhand Weller in Tennessee full time. And I'm totally not kidding. All three of those Wellers for $30 or under? Seriously? Good lord, man. Huzzah for our country's patchwork monstrosity of liquor distribution laws that's resulted in a totally arbitrary retail market! Where prices make no sense, supply and demand have nothing to do with anything, and people have take state governments to the United States Supreme Court to open a freaking liquor store!

[Prediction? Pain.]

I wonder if the way the state controls liquor in Mississippi is why our prices are so high? I don?t know much about that part of it. Or is it just supple?

Based upon what I know about Tennessee's beer and liquor laws, my guess is that Mississippi's pricing suffers chiefly from its tax structure and the way it regulates distributors.

Example of Tennessee's insane liquor distribution regulations: Up until a year or so ago, a person had to be a resident of Tennessee for at least two year in order to open a liquor store. But to get your license renewed, the owner had to live here for ten consecutive years. And if the store is owned by an LLC or corporation, then the residency requirement applied to the members or stockholders of those companies. In other words, Tennessee had a legally sanctioned good ole boy system in place that effectively barred any regional or national retailers to come in and compete. Not a recipe for good pricing.

So finally some people decided to challenge that law. In separate suits, Total Wine, the biggest liquor chain in the country, and then a couple who moved to Tennessee from Utah filed suit when they were denied permits to operated liquor stores due to the state's residency requirement. The case reached the United States Supreme Court last year and the Court struck down Tennessee's law as unconstitutional. (The opinion was 7-2 with Gorsuch and Thomas dissenting.) Here's an easy-to-read blurb about the case if you're interested.

So now that we've got a Total Wine up in Knoxville that's subject to the same tax laws as other liquor stores here, I can see first hand how much my state's backwards distribution laws have been screwing me all these years. Stuff is routinely 20% - 30% cheaper at the Knoxville Total Wine than it is in Chattanooga.

[ScoobaDawg]

I like Dickel a lot.

Can't stand Dickel juice at all. Not certain I like any whisky from tn.

[breazy]

Been deinking blue note snall batch lately. Good stuff memphis made. Also basil haydens (drunk spelling) and despite the disdain for bo bounds 4 roses small batch and single barrel

[defiantdog]

Hancock single barrel is pretty damn good - hard find though. My every day is Old Forester Statesman (their 1910 is a close second).

[dawgoneyall]

Whiskey doesn?t age after being bottled.

[State82]

Whiskey doesn?t age after being bottled.

Yeah that had me scratching my head. Did not see how that could be possible.

[FISHDAWG]

Whiskey doesn?t age after being bottled.

does wine continue to age ?

[SapperDawg]

Here is a good whiskey cocktail for you all, this has been my COVID staple.

Old Pal
2 parts bourbon (or rye). I prefer a higher proof, at least 100.
1 part Campari
1 part dry vermouth.

Shake with ice, then serve over an ice ball. Enjoy.

Pre-make option: Make these in two cup batches and store in a Mason Jar placed in the freezer. Remove, shake and serve.

[dawgoneyall]

Yes....but. There is always a but

[BrunswickDawg]

does wine continue to age ?

Yes, but that is because wine is fermented and wiskey is distilled.