Small-Batch Booze is Booming...

Did someone say it's cocktail hour? Yep, it's pretty much undeniable -- artisanal spirits are having a moment. American-made small-batch and craft-distilled liquors have taken off in the last few years and, we gotta say, it's made happy hour way happier. There are now hundreds of small distilleries who bottle their liquors in-house scattered throughout the nation. And these craft spirit makers are using top of the line, age-old techniques to come up with some of the most delightfully high-quality cocktail components we've ever tried. A commitment to authenticity and tradition and the use of locally and sustainably-sourced ingredients are hallmarks of these distilleries and their loyal mixologists -- self-proclaimed "cocktail geeks." Our advice? Get your Side-car straight up and never look back. Among our favorite artisanal whiskies are Chicago's Few Spirits and Hudson Whiskey of New York; we love gin by Green Hat and St. George; top vodka picks are Gerry Webb's Moon Mountain vodka and Comb of Port Chester, New York, whose products are distilled from honey; and our go-to Tequila is Charbay, based in Napa Valley. We also want to give a shout-out to Fee Brothers and Jack Rudy -- their bitters and other old-timey ingredients will help kick your drinks up a notch! Take some Southern Comfort (sorry, couldn't resist) in the knowledge that your Old-fashioned can now truly live up to its name.