Your guide to tasting cask strength whiskey (or really any alcoholic beverage) like a pro.

A behind the scenes look at how small spirits brands get into stores and bars. It’s not as simple as a truck arriving at in the loading dock.

February we’re doing a deep dive into variations on the Manhattan cocktail. Here’s your guide to the quintessential elegance that is the Manhattan cocktail so that you can follow along like a true connoisseur.

Mardi Gras season, yes SEASON, is here! Put on your party shoes, grab your friends and family (kids too!) and join us in New Orleans for fun, food, and classic bourbon cocktails!

Sometimes failure is the best inspiration.

Will we see you in the new year? On the blog this week, new year wishes and 2025 goals for the New Dawn fam.

Some people do beach reads, over here we're doing cozy fireside thrillers featuring your average day in the life of a field ecologist.

You know we're all about doing right by the environment here at New Dawn Distilling. So when we say your holiday dinner is inspiration for your next cocktail, it's not just a creative prompt but a way for you to take reduce, reuse, recycle to a whole other level.

Sitting down with Dr. Frances Richards of the Black Entrepreneur Experience podcast, Founder & CEO Dawn O’Neal talks about her superpowers, getting into the spirits industry without knowing all the barriers, and the people who inspire her.

CEO & Founder, Dawn, sat down with Kalin Thomas of Cuisine Noir to talk about how her childhood inspired her commitment to the environment, the broad appeal of premium craft spirits made with sustainability in mind, and why you should pick up a bottle or two this holiday season.

It never occurred to me until I got into the whiskey business that whiskey was considered “a man’s drink,” or maybe I should say that never stopped me from drinking it. 

Many factors played a role in my journey from conservationist to owning my own whiskey brand, one such factor was this book by Nikki Erlick, The Measure.

New Dawn’s 10-year old Wheated Whiskey is exactly the kind of whiskey I was looking for when I started this journey. Something completely unexpected that would push me out of my comfort zone while also staying true to the bold, classy, and elegant whiskies that I loved to sip. 

This new expression is the second addition to the New Dawn Distilling portfolio, following the successful inaugural six-year New York Bourbon in June, which won a Silver Medal at the 2024 Spirits Ratings as well as recognition at Taste of Black Spirits in Detroit.

Dr. Dawn O’Neal, the visionary founder and owner of New Dawn Distilling, is redefining the whiskey landscape from her vibrant base in New Orleans.

This month on Bourbon and Books with New Dawn Distilling, we're leaning into the month's macabre, spooky, and horror aspects with Out There Screaming: An Anthology of Black Horror edited by Jordan Peel. Yes, that Jordan Peel!

The feeling was electric - wine, spirit, and non-alcoholic beverage purveyors from AROUND THE WORLD gathered across the second floor of the DoubleTree Detroit pouring tastes and cocktails for each other, distributors, retailers, and the general public. It was supposed to be “work” but it felt like a big family reunion and I was just excited to have gotten an invite…

Here I am, the VP of Consumer Relations and I have to admit: There was a time – not so long ago – when I wouldn’t have dreamed of drinking any sort of whiskey, let alone enjoying bourbon whiskey. But over time, and perhaps a little encouragement from our founder and my sister, Dawn, I’ve found that each sip is more than just a drink; it’s an experience that brings so much nuance, culture, and history to the forefront of my palate.

The Old Fashioned cocktail has a rich and debated history, with origins tracing back to the 1800s. While the Pendennis Club in Kentucky claims to have first served it, Chicago may have mentioned the drink even earlier. Today, the Old Fashioned remains a classic, with endless variations in ingredients like rye, bourbon, and bitters, allowing for endless customization and modern twists.