My friends, here we are on the brink of what promises to be another most excellent fall weekend — it might be a blustery and rainy one in New York City yet again, but I’m equipped with the proper fall style essentials for the task at hand, including my trusty Shinola leather watch (and many more).

With today’s post (or yesterday’s post on the best shirt jacket for men), hopefully, you feel the same way. On that note, let’s talk some of the best fall boots — and from an unlikely source, at least until recently: Billy Reid. You see, the famed Alabama-based menswear designer, one of my favorite brands and menswear companies, period, hadn’t made footwear in recent years — that all changes now though, with two classic styles that should cover plenty of style scenarios.

Billy Reid footwear now includes both a sleek pair of leather moto boots and a stylish pair of chukka boots, and you can certainly look for much more on two of the best pairs of shoes for men this weekend on the blog (hint, hint). I don’t know about you, but it’s an exciting prospect that one of the best menswear designers in the country is now making some of the best men’s boots — it’s almost worthy of a toast, don’t you think?

And a toast or two was once again the focus of my week, as I trekked to the lovely, rolling hills of Kentucky and Bourbon Country itself. The mission? Visit the historic Castle & Key Distillery outside Lexington as part of my spirits and freelance writing pursuits, a trip that included a tour of its famed grounds and plenty of sipping on Castle & Key Restoration Rye.

Speaking of rye whiskey, you should also check out my latest Maxim.com feature on an excellent new rye whiskey from the spirits innovators at BHAKTA. But in the meantime, back to Castle & Key.

We also visited charming Lexington restaurants like Eppings on Eastside, and spent a very memorable day sipping bourbon and watching horse racing at the iconic Keeneland race track. Consider this just a taste of what’s to come regarding this heralded, fast-growing spirits company.

It was once again another reminder that I’m so fortunate to do what I do, be it covering menswear on this very blog or trekking around the country visiting the best distilleries and menswear factories in the business.

For now, I’m going to put some Billy Reid men’s boots on my wish list, and later, I’ll be enjoying some Castle & Key bourbon on a crisp fall night. I hope you consider doing the same! Cheers, and thank you for reading!