Brian Freedman is a wine, spirits, travel, and food writer; event host and speaker; and drinks educator. He regularly contributes to Food & Wine, and his first book,The world of whiskey can be daunting, especially if you’re just starting the process of putting together a collection. One of the few universal rules is that you should buy what you love, but beyond that, things can get confusing.
“Whiskey as a category can be intimidating for the novice spirit drinker or someone who wants to begin a collection,” notes Jonathan Adler, beverage director of Shinji’s in New York City. “The best way to begin, in my opinion, is to always start with a couple of different styles of whiskeys that won't break the bank so you can choose for yourself what you enjoy the most.”