"history is also going to remember the cowards who definitely knew better but still let things happen—whether it was for money, convenience, or just comfort. Use ... the only phrase that can genuinely make a weak bully go away: F**k you. Make me.”" www.pajiba.com/news/john-ol...

A dash of cold water on craft distilling? Or just a reasonable word of caution? My latest column in Craft Spirits magazine. issuu.com/americancraf...

Do you see that book? It feels as nice as it looks it does. Someone told me I might sell books just on how good it feels when you pick it up. 'Oooo,' you'll say, 'I must have this lush-feeling thing to take home.' Give in, do it.

The book in my profile pic, American Whiskey Master Class, finally launches next week. I'm writing interview questions to ask the distillers where we'll be doing events, because the podcast never sleeps. And I realize that while it's work, I just love doing this, crafting questions.

Letter from Lyndon Johnson to the Smothers Brothers, 1968

BREAKING: A federal judge just sumamrily struck Trump's complaint against the New York Times, essentially calling it, essentially, garbage. Must be rewritten within 28 days. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

This is Hollywood's McCarthy Moment. This is the litmus test. Learn from history. Who will step up and fight? Who will bend the knee and be complicit? History will remember.

Thanks.

Good reporting on a concerning topic. And excellent artwork by Wesley Allsbrook. How They’re Watching You www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

How to celebrate Mencken's birthday in 2025, a man who would almost certainly be canceled, and be 100% unrepentant about it? Quoting him seems like a good way. "Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard." Never more true. Cheers!

Goose statue in downtown Lewistown, PA. September 29th is Goose Day in the Juniata River Valley, and I intend to celebrate. #JustPostStuff

Don't get distracted.

Bolsonaro convicted by Brazil Supreme Court

Happy Jimmy Russell Day! Wild Turkey's master distiller started work at the distillery on this day in...wait for it...1954! Man's been making bourbon longer than most of us have been alive. Hats off!

No notes

THIS REALLY WORKS! Under the Inbox, click on "More", then "Manage Subscriptions." See one you don't want? Click on it, delete/open all the emails, back to the manage page, and click "Unsubscribe" and confirm. Done. I've had Gmail since 2009. Just cleaned up a lotta Inbox!

We brought plants in last night because of a frost warning. In the warm house overnight...2 monarchs came out! We hadn't noticed the chrysalises on the planters. We carefully took the planters outside and sat them in the sun. Keeping an eye out for any that may still be in the house.

My most wonderful wife was in Philly for the weekend & picked up a case of Human Robot cans (Tmavy, Hallertau, & Tin Hoagie). She then hit Tröegs in Hershey & got my reserved Oktoberfest sixtel, & a 6er of their new Pennsylvania Lager! I loves her.

Good Corgi morning to you!

This is in the new Heaven Hill Springs distillery in Bardstown. It's an ad painted on the side of a house sometime in the 60s. Someone happened to see it exposed when the house was getting redone, & HH people saved it, cleaned it up, & placed it here. Awesome.

@kenwhite.bsky.social things that made me guffaw in my earbuds this morning: “Kash Patel always looks like he just bargained on a fart and lost.” 🤣💀

"...most of them were African-American, who were Black." President Donald J. Trump.

We celebrated the last day of summer (shut up, it's over) by having some friends over for a spritz party, Aperol and Lillet Blanc, plus some rum fruit punch. Ate a bunch of snacks and cheese, laughed, relaxed, and kicked a keg (an 8 liter keg of fizzy water). Weird: no one had any whiskey!

For those keeping score at home, the Navy has sent 3 destroyers, a guided-missile cruiser, a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine and an amphibious ready group with a Marine Expeditionary Unit to the southern Caribbean. New @taskandpurpose.com taskandpurpose.com/news/navy-sh...

Had two friends over tonight because I unpacked my whiskey samples from when we moved. 42 year old Canadian Club Chronicles. Holy cow. That was so freaking good. My God. When Canadian whisky is good…it's amazing.

Book signing event: get your signed copies of my new book, American Whiskey Master Class, at Stoll & Wolfe distillery in Lititz, PA 9/24 6:30-8:30. $40 for a book, a talk on heritage grains in whiskey, AND samples of three whiskeys. See you there! www.eventbrite.com/e/american-w...

Turns out some of the “we want small government” people kiiiinda wanted the government to be just one guy.

Monarch butterfly chrysalis forming on the Dad's Hat Rye 30 gallon barrel I use as a seat when I'm grilling/smoking. Guess I'll need a new chair for a week or so. Hang in there, little guy! #JustPostStuff #NoKingsButMonarchs

PRE-FREAKIN-ORDER!!

Reading an article titled "Why didn't Brazilian democracy die?" and a key part of the story is a Supreme Court that actually did its job

Promising. Went to a small river town, had brunch. Got a Manhattan made with their own barrel-pick Rittenhouse. It was excellent. This is not the usual experience five years ago. Things are improving.

Arrested for filming it. And look how excited they all are to get some *action*. 🇺🇸 Watch fascism work.

American troops, are going to fire on American citizens, in American cities. It's only a matter of time. What are you going to do then?

News reports and Intel say the government is buying a $9 billion stake in Intel, PAYING out money. The media also report that Trump said that Intel paid the government $10 billion. Well? Which is it?

Stopped at Something Wicked brewery in Hanover, PA. Okay, we drove 1.5 hours to go to the brewery, because they're closing in two weeks. Every beer we had, including this Backrooms imperial stout, confirmed our decision. Fare thee well, Something Wicked! You were loved.

Man, Mayor Wu is just knocking it out of the park!

New episode of my podcast is up this morning! Fresh! Local! Scratch-made! Central PA's small, mighty independent local grocery stores! Big chains won't come to our small towns? That's okay, we'll support our own stores, farmers, makers & bakers! Listen today! www.podbean.com/eas/pb-398rf...

Last week, Boston received a letter from AG Bondi threatening to prosecute officials and withhold funds unless we cooperate with carrying out mass deportations. The US Attorney General asked for a response by today, so here it is: stop attacking our cities to hide your administration’s failures.

This blithering idiot is our president. This is worse than embarrassing.

Monarch butterfly emerged from chrysalis just now, and my wife caught the moment. We planted swamp milkweed in late spring, and they found it right away, a lot of caterpillars. And now butterflies! #justpoststuff

🔥 “If I’m willing to drive three hours to come here and talk, I’m gonna ask you to get off your phone and listen to what I have to say.”

I've got a large sidebar on Uncle Nearest in my upcoming book. It's much too late to edit, but I wouldn't. Because the most important part of the story is 100% true: an enslaved Black man had a key role in American whiskey making history. Nothing has changed that. www.kentucky.com/news/busines...

Release the Epstein Files.