Fall 2026 Issue Preview
What You’ll Find Inside: Fall Issue 2026
Welcome to the Fall issue of Bourbon+. I have to say, 2026 has flown by, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down. So for this issue, we decided to take a moment to settle in and explore the people, places, and cocktails that make bourbon and whiskey what they are today.
For our cover story, we talked with Heather Wibbels, author of Bourbon is My Comfort Food: The Bourbon Women Guide to Fantastic Cocktails at Home, also known as The Cocktail Contessa, about creating some Fall cocktails for the cooler weather. She shares her spin on 4 fall-inspired whiskey cocktails: S’mores Old Fashioned, Banana Bread Old Fashioned, Jack of Hearts Apple Manhattan, and Sweater Weather Toddy. “A truly great cocktail doesn’t hide the whiskey; it makes it more with the addition of flavors, structure, texture, or aroma,” Wibbels tells us. Check out her recipes in the issue and try them at home.
Also in this issue, we talk with Laphroaig’s master blender, Sarah Dowling, about the 14-year-old single malt that she crafted with actor Willem Dafoe. The Spider-Man and Platoon actor took a no-notes approach to the spirit, leaving a mysterious air for consumers. “I love the ‘no notes’ approach,” Dowling tells us as she shares how the duo worked together on the limited edition of Willem by Willem.
Fun fact: Dafoe came up with and painted the label himself. The Scotch whisky will be out as long as supplies last, so be sure to check out the story and try a bottle soon.
And there’s plenty more to explore, including an inside look at TALA gin, which enables guests to take home a slice of the African Bush camps; Jeptha Creed and their 10th Anniversary Solera-Aged bourbon release; and we explore the bourbon culture in New York, which was once home to more than 1,000 distilleries, we take a look at a day in the life of The Bard Distillery’s Kim Bard, visit Alabama to check out the Little Bird Fairhope for our bar scout section (a place might want to make plans to visit), and so much more.
So sit back, relax, and pour yourself a drink as you explore the issue and find out what we have in store for you this season.
Cheers!
Photo by Heather Wibbels
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