Most consumers are far too busy to keep track of the tsunami of wine hurtling in their direction, and with good reason---they have jobs, families, children, lives. Thus, the average person relies on experts for advice. But what if the experts, in their own way, are not much better than lemmings? What if their recommendations are hostage to trends, and their fear of not jumping on the bandwagon is intense? We examined this possibility in an essay titled “What do Tulips, Wine and the Kardashians Have in Common?” It’s a view of wine criticism you won’t find anywhere else, and one that will cause you to think.

Loyalty has become a rare commodity in corporate America, as executives jump from one situation to another to further their careers. This is just as true in the beverage sector as anywhere else. So it’s gratifying to see an individual such as Al Young, the Senior Brand Ambassador for Four Roses, who celebrates his 50th anniversary with the company this year. Even better, Four Roses released a special Bourbon in his honor, and we were fortunate enough to sample and review it.

In Glass Half Full, our roundup of the most interesting food, wine and spirits stories on the web, we looked at the 15 cheapest and most expensive cities to buy a round of drinks, the couple determined to dine in every Cracker Barrel in America, the downgrading of beer stocks by Goldman Sachs and the visionary who is infusing gin with antique Harley-Davidson parts . Here are last week’s posts:

What do Tulips, Wine and the Kardashians Have in Common?

Glass Half Full: 8/2/2017

Four Roses, Five Decades: Al Young 50th Anniversary Limited Edition Small Batch