Scotch

For instance, when you are talking scotch, we carry all of the popular brands like Cutty Sark, J&B, Dewars and Johnnie Walker. In these brands, and many more we carry all of the popular sizes and have most cases on hand at special pricing. In addition to the many “name brand” scotches, there are also bargain brands available that might not be as costly, such as B&L, Clan McGregor and Passport. As previously mentioned, there is always an abundance on hand to satisfy your needs. Single Malt Scotch is a popular and growing area and we have a selection to prove it! Cornhusker carries not only brands such as Glenlivet, and Glenfiddich, but also Knockando, Aberlour, Glenmorangie, Laphroaig and Balvenie, with some of these in a variety of ages. If you are hunting for a special scotch, we will be glad to search with our suppliers to get that special bottle for you.

Bourbon

The bourbon area of the store has large quantites of your favorite brands such as Jack Daniels, Jim Beam and Cabin Still. Also bargain brands such as Ancient Age, Old Crow, Ezra Brooks and even Evan Williams are constantly stacked and displayed for an easy shopping experience. The single batch bourbons have surfaced recently. The brands of Basil Hayden, Bookers, Bakers and Knob Creek are in stock everyday. Bourbons are made with at least 51% corn and aged 4 years in new oak barrels that have been charred and bourbons cannot be blended with anything except water to achieve the desired proof.

Canadian

Canadian Whiskies have much popularity in our area of the world. They are known for their smooth blends and drinkability. Rich with tradition, Canadian whiskies have had a large part in the American whiskey market for two generations. If you are looking for name brands like Canadian Club or Seagram’s V.O. you are sure to find them stacked high and bargain priced at the Cornhusker. You’ll also find Windsor, Canadian Mist, Black Velvet and Lord Calvert also stacked for easy accessibility whether you need a single bottle or a case. We also cater to those seeking some of the finer things in life, by stocking top of the line Canadian whiskies like Crown Royal and Tangle Ridge. At the other end of the spectrum, the bargain hunters will always find a brand and a price to suit them such as Hunter Canadian, Canadian Springs and Phillips Canadian. If you have a hard time finding your canadian whiskey, let us order it for you! Special orders are our specialty.

Whiskey

The Whiskies that are known as Rye, must be made of 51% rye grains. This tends to make them slightly sweeter than bourbons. Favorites of this type include Old Overholt, Jim Beam Rye and Wild Turkey Rye. Corn Whiskey is a small catagory. Corn whiskey has similar characteristics to a bourbon. These being that it must be made mostly out of corn. However, there are fewer restrictions on how long it must be aged and what type of barrell it must be aged in. Georgia Moon states on its label that it is less than 30 days old and it bottled in a wide mouth mason jar. Platte Valley Corn Whiskey says that it’s 100% Corn Whiskey and comes in a little brown jug. Tennessee Sour Mash Whiskies are obviously made in Tennessee. They do use new barrels like bourbon, but unlike bourbon, they are charcoal distilled.

Blends

Blends, also known as American Blends, are a category that is best represented by Seagram’s 7 Crown and Kessler. The name American Blend can sometimes be deceiving with the average consumer thinking they are getting several different whiskies blended together. The reality is that there is approximately 1/3 Whiskey and the other 2/3 Grain Neutral Spirits.

Vodka

Vodka is somewhat of a newcomer on the liquor scene with slow but steady increases in popularity since World War II. Vodka can be made out of any grain or vegetable that can be converted to fermentable sugars. Most are made from grains such as corn or sorghum. There are many stories of vodka being made from potatoes. Today, Chopin Vodka from Poland uses potatoes for its primary ingredient. There is also a French Vodka called Ciroc that is made out of grapes. While all the vodkas are similar in that they are neutral spirits, meaning that they have no predominant flavor of their own, there are many differences in them as well. The biggest difference in vodkas is the level of purity, or how free from impurities a vodka is. Some impurities do add flavor to a vodka, but it seems in the long run, the best vodka has an absence of flavor. Distillation of wort from grains creates a by-product called fusil oil. Fusil oil is the impurity in a vodka. There are several ways to remove it: fiber filter filtration, charcoal filtration, and re-distillation (probably the best and most costly of all processes.) The best vodkas from around the world are those that are triple or quadruple distilled. Some of these are Finlandia from Finland, Stolichnaya from Russia, Absolut from Sweden, Chopin and Belevedere from Poland, Ketel One from Holland and 3 Olives Vodka from England. There are two new entries into the vodka category which claim to be 5 times distilled. They are Pearl Vodka from Canada and Vox from Holland. American brands like Smirnoff and Burnette’s Vodka are triple distilled and offered at mid-range price. There are always bargain brands in the vodka section; Mc Cormick Vodka and Barton Vodka are the largest sellers. Flavored vodkas are the newest idea in upscale vodka. These are not sweetly flavored, but have a light flavor such as lemon, orange, or cranberry, currant, watermelon, strawberry, lime, apple, black cherry, vanilla, berry, pepper, chocolate and cherry. These flavors are great to make your favorite vodka martinis. Watch this section for new and exciting things.

Gin

Gins are similar to Vodkas because the basis of both are grain neutral spirits. Gin, however, has botanicals added to it to give it a subtle flavor of juniper that goes great with tonic and lime creating a Gin and Tonic, maybe the most popular drink made with gin. The second most popular, the gin martini starts with a good gin, a splash of vermouth, and a generous olive. From the best to the simplest gins each one has a following. Beefeater and Tanqueray Gin have held the top spots of premium gin for years. Boodles and Bombay Sapphire have delicate and classy tastes. Gordon’s, Gilbey’s, and Seagram’s Gin are mid-range gins that are great with tonic. Bargain budget gins are Fleishmann’s, Barton, and McCormick Gin.

Rum

Rum is the fastest growing catagory in our store. Historically, rum was one side of the slave trade triangle. Molasses was made from sugar cane in the tropical islands then exported to Europe to be made into rum. The ships sailed to Africa to pick up slaves and import them back to the Americas. Remember, every sailor had his daily ration of rum. Knowing this, rum goes back to the original colonization of the “New World” Today, light rums that are only slightly aged are the most popular. For example, Bacardi Silver from Puerto Rico. However dark rums have more flavor, Myers Rum being an example of this. The latest success is Spiced Rums. Captain Morgan Spiced Rum started as a new item less than 10 years ago and now is one of the leaders in the entire rum catagory.

Tequila

Irish Whiskey

Irish whiskies are made from barley and matured in oak. Many are distilled 3 times in a pot still. Even though Irish whiskey is made very close to Scotland, the flavor would be a closer cousin to canadian whiskey then it would be to scotch. Irish whiskey is not prepared using peat as a fuel for heat so it does not have the smokey flavor found in scotch.

Cognac and Brandy

The area of the store dedicated to cognac and brandy is always intriguing. Both cognac and brandy are made by distilling wine. Cognac must be made in the Cognac region of France. Brandy can be made anywhere in the world. Cognacs have a long history and many levels of quality, mostly of the time, the price raises with age.

Cordials and Liqueurs

This catagory is complicated because it encompasses such a wide variety of flavors. In general each item in this catagory is comprised of some special flavor, sugar and some sort of alcohol. Some of the big names in this area are: Kahlua, Jagermeister, Bailey’s Irish Cream, Chambord, Grand Marnier, Frangelico, Rumple Mintz, Galliano and Cointreau. As you see, the list could go on and on, each one having its own unique flavor and use. Rarely could one be used to substitute an other. Then there are a great number of flavors that might be made by several companies but not known by their proprietary names. Examples of these would be: Creme de Mint, Peppermint Schnapps, Creme de Cocoa, Banana Liqueur, Creme de Casis, Blackberry Brandy, Peach Brandy, Cherry Brandy, Apricot Brandy, Blue Curaco, Orange Curaco, Triple Sec, Almond Liqueur, Anisette, Sloe Gin, Peach Schnapps, Green Apple Schnapps. For every “name brand” liqueur, there seems to be 1 or 2 “copycat” brands. For example where Bailey’s Irish Cream is the leader there are Carolan’s, St. Brendan’s and McCormick’s Irish Cream. For coffee liqueurs, Kahlua is the leader but others in the same catagory are Starbucks, Kamora, Caffe Lolita, Tia Maria and Patron XO Cafe. DiSaronno Amaretto has been copied by Lazzaroni, Amarito and Amaretto di Amore. If you are looking for totally unique brands that have been around for centuries, there are Drambuie, Benedictine, B&B, Chartreuse, Midori, Cuarenta y Tres (Licor 43) Barenjager, Herring Cherry Liqueur, Carslbad Becherovka, Tuaca, Mandarine Napoleon, Pimm’s, Ricard, Pernod, Absente, Romana Sambuca, Campari, Berentzen Apfel Korn, Jacquin’s Rock and Rye, Aftershock, Goldschlager, Kirschwasser. And there are always new conconctions becoming availble such as X Rated Fusion Liqueur and Hpnotiq. With a section that is 32 feet long, we have the complete line of Hiram Walker cordials and DeKuyper Cordials and DeKuyper’s Pucker Schnapps.