This Friday caps off a very special, very busy week, one notable in more ways than one (and one notable beyond even one of the best whiskies for fall and winter as seen above). From Monday through Wednesday of this week, I traveled to the beautiful state of Kentucky with NYC’s Magrino PR for something well beyond just a whiskey tasting. I was on hand in the rolling hills of Somerset, Kentucky with the Horse Soldier Bourbon team for groundbreaking festivities (and my, were there festivities) related to the new Horse Soldier Farms facility, a sprawling, $200 million planned expansion of the Horse Soldier Bourbon brand — you might have read about the trip in my newsletter earlier this week. It was a momentous trip filled with patriotism, community and faith, all principles of the remarkable Horse Soldier brand. If you want a taste of the brand, you can get their excellent whiskey delivered to your door, but it’s about so much more than whiskey.

Founded just about three years ago by a group of Special Forces veterans — horse soldiers and Special Forces members who served bravely in Afghanistan and elsewhere — the company operates a lovely tasting room in Florida and distills product in Ohio with partners, but the Somerset facility is going to become a true destination in every sense of the word, with a massive lodge, cabins, a chapel, an amphitheater and much more set for the beautiful space tucked away in Somerset’s rolling hills. In fact, it’s not far from where members of the Horse Soldier team were training when terrorists attacked the U.S. on September 11th. It was a true homecoming celebration packed with tons of significance and emotional moments, capped off with a night in Louisville and a special ceremony at the Frazier History Museum welcoming Horse Soldier Bourbon to the famed Kentucky Bourbon Trail. I’ll have much more to say on the trip and on the groundbreaking soon, but it was an incredible, passion-filled trip (right down to the breathtaking stay at Louisville’s 21c Museum Hotel), and I couldn’t have been more honored to be on site for such a special occasion. For now, I’ve got some other deadlines to knock out yet this weekend (as I sip on my new favorite bourbon, of course), but I’ll still take you into the weekend with my normal guide to menswear’s best reads and buys. Happy shopping!

• So, here’s a shopping pick to get your weekend started off right. In fact, I can vouch firsthand for the durability and versatility of classic slim blue jeans from Mott and Bow, seeing as I wore two pairs throughout my trip to Kentucky. These jeans are packed with helpful stretch and washed just enough to give them plenty of comfort right out of the box, so consider giving Mott and Bow (and the site’s free shipping and returns) a shot heading into fall. They are the best fall jeans, after all.

• Fall is nothing if not the season for taking care of chores and taking care of business, literally, and that involves everything from splitting wood to hauling brush to simply pouring up some more Horse Soldier Bourbon as you sit around the bonfire. Whatever your pursuits might be this season, my guide for The Manual on the best barn coats for doing chores is sure to keep you warm and toasty in rugged style.
• Here’s one more for you today when it comes to fall layering. Bonobos, long one of my favorite brands, has also long been known for its stylish and slim chinos. That notoriety levels up a step further though when it comes to one of the best sweaters, too. I wrote about said sweater on the blog earlier this week, so be sure to gear up accordingly, folks.

That’ll wrap up my trio of picks for the best menswear you can shop this weekend, but allow me to provide you with one more recommendation: It always pays off to get a nice discount on a Taylor Stitch leather jacket, and you can read all about how to do that here. I’ll let you go forth and shop stylish menswear, sip excellent whiskey and plan your Bourbon Trail getaway. Enjoy it, my friends!