Spirit bottles can’t speak, so it’s up to us to decide how to enjoy them. Even if a brand promotes its tequila, whiskey, rum, etc. as a “sipping spirit,” there’s nothing stopping anyone from using them in cocktails or for pouring up a round of shots. While an Old Fashioned made with Pappy Van Winkle or a Manhattan with a base of Red Hook Rye might be delicious, most bartenders’ hair would stand on end at the thought of either. So what divides spirits meant for mixing or shooting a...
