Whiskeys For Mama: A Mother’s Day Round-Up Of Interesting Spirits

Forget roses or candy. What your mother may really, really wants is whiskey. Good whiskey. Fun whiskey. Interesting whiskey. Here’s a roundup of some whiskeys that will make your mama happy.

Shibui Japanese 10-year-old Pure Malt Whisky ($139.99) Shibui is a rather interesting whisky company, which works with a variety of distillers in Japan – and some of them go back more than a century. This whiskey is perfect for award-winning moms. “It’s the hardest job to be a mother,” says Nicholas Pollacchi, co-owner and head of global whisky for Shibui. “This whisky picked up gold medals in San Francisco, and all mothers deserve a gold medal so giving them a bottle of Shibui 10-year-old pure malt whisky is a good way to do it.” This smoky and smooth whisky blends together whiskies from Japan and Scotland, and it’s made without any caramel spirit. 

Traverse City Whiskey Co. American Cherry Edition ($39.99) If your mom likes cherries, has ties to Michigan or loves a good whiskey sour, then this might be the whiskey you need to get her. “I really have to lean on our poster child, the American Cherry Edition for Mother’s Day,” says Chris Fredrickson, co-founder and distiller. Traverse City is the cherry capital of the world, and though this Michigan distillery stared with straight bourbon, the American Cherry Edition soon became a favorite. But it’s not a flavored whiskey. “It’s an infused whiskey,” Fredrickson says. “It’s not cherry with a hint of whiskey, it’s whiskey with just a hint of cherry.” And it’s made with Montmorency cherries grown on his family’s farm.

Woodford Reserve Bourbon ($42) Besides being the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby and all of its other accolades and awards, Elizabeth McCall, assistant master distiller, is the first distiller in Brown-Forman’s history to be a mother. As a new mother, this is her first Mother’s Day, and that’s something to toast. This is the perfect bourbon if your mom loves Derby Day or horsess

Walsh Whiskey’s Writers’ Tears Copper Pot Irish Whiskey ($45) Writers’ Tears is a rather unusual combination of aged single pot still and single malt Irish whiskey. Non-peated and matured in American oak bourbon casks, it’s an unusual Irish whiskey, and the name definitely plays on Ireland’s rich literary history. It’s a perfect gift if your mother is working on her book or writes for a living – she understands the name more than you know. Heck, this also could be called mother’s tears – because, well, you did make your mama cry.

Paul Sutton Bourbon ($64) If your mom is a doctor, a scientist or a sleuth, consider this bourbon. Bourbon had been made in Myra Barginear’s family for more than a century, but the Sutton family’s original mash recipe got lost. All that was left was the original, bourbon-filled mason jars. An oncologist who had taken a break to raise her children, Barginear used her chemistry background to work backwards to figure out the family recipe. She started her bourbon company in 2014, and she recently released her first bourbon. “Paul Sutton Bourbon represents seven generations of passion and tradition,” says Barginear. “The women in our family have built this brand. We’re mothers and entrepreneurs. We love and support each other – the epitome of whiskey in a teacup.” Barginear herself loves Mother’s Day. “Mamas are pretty amazing,” she says. “As a relatively new Mother, I have come to realize how much Mamas make endless sacrifices just to see their children smile. Mother’s are truly the embodiment of resilience. 

Jim Beam Orange Whiskey ($14.99) If your mother loves brunch and bourbon, then what she needs is a bottle of Jim Beam. Jim Beam Orange, to be exact. “When I think of Mother’s Day, I think of brunch cocktails, and for that, we put out Jim Beam Orange,” says Tim Heuisler Jim Beam brand ambassador. “If there’s a whiskey that riffs on brunch cocktails, then that’s Jim Beam Orange. You can put it in mimosas, orange crushes, and any brunch cocktails.” Tim Heuisler, Jim Beam brand ambassador.

Spirit Hound Distillers Colorado Honey Whisky ($64 ) This Colorado distillery sends its spent whisky barrels to Bee Squared Apiaries, which then uses them to age their raw honey for 90 days. After the whiskey honey is bottled, the barrels return to Spirit Hound, where they finish their whisky for 90 days, giving a well-balanced and smooth whisky with a honey finish that isn’t sweet. ”While Mom might be sweet as honey, our Colorado Honey is up-front malt whisky with subtle honey flavors and aromas, and just a little extra sweetness,” says a whisky spokesperson. “And if Mom isn’t so sweet? Well, this is just the trick to increase her honey level!” This whisky’s perfect for moms who love bees, need to be sweetened or moms who simply appreciate the unusual.

Starward Two-Fold Double Grain Whisky ($32.99) If your mom appreciates a modern approach to whisky, then she might like to try this interesting spirit from Australia. Made in Melbourne – a city, not the Outback – this whisky is matured in Australian wine barrels, and the ingredients are just a day’s drive away from the distillery. The two-fold brings together wheat whiskey and malt whisky, both distilled and matured separately before coming together for bottling. It’s complex and distinctive – just like your mother.

Buffalo Trace Kosher Whiskey ($39.99) If your mom prefers to keep Kosher, then one of Buffalo Trace’s three Kosher whiskeys – Kosher rye recipe, Kosher wheat bourbon and Kosher straight rye whiskey – is exactly what you should buy for your mom. First introduced last year, Buffalo Trace Distillery began working with the Chicago Rabbinical Council (cRc-Kosher) in 2010 to release what it believes to be the first authentic Kosher Whiskey. “We were overwhelmed with the popularity of our Kosher Whiskey when we first released it last year,” said Drew Mayville, master blender, director of quality. 

Benriach The Twenty One 21-year-old single malt scotch ($199.99) Scotch, scotch, scotch…your mom loves scotch. And if she loves scotch, then you might want to pick up one of the ultra premium releases from Benriach. Located in Scotland’s Speyside region, the distillery just released three new offerings, including Twenty One, Twenty Five and Thirty Year Old single malts. The Twenty One is matured in bourbon, sherry, virgin oak and red wine barrels. 

J.J. Corry The Hanson Blended Grain Irish Whisky ($58.10) If your mom is a farmer’s daughter or a farmer’s wife, then she might like this blended grain Irish whisky. Louise McGuane wanted to secure her father’s farm so she built a rackhouse and became Ireland’s first modern whisky bonder. She also has a herd of cattle on her land, too. The company’s named for a legendary whisky bonder who lived just three miles from the family farm. The Hanson is named after J.J. Corry’s son-in-law, who was a revenue man in the early 1900s, known locally as “The Gauger Hanson.” If your mom likes history, then she might like this, too.