Tag / freelance writing

by Beau H.

The Friday Read: An Adventure into the Agave Fields with Patrón Tequila

My friends, thanks for joining me as we kick off another weekend via the Friday Read, your source for what’s new and what’s next when it comes to menswear, spirits and more. Last week, we talked more about rugged USA-made menswear from California-based Devium, and we’re shifting gears slightly this week, as I’m on the move.

I myself have been planning a Brooklyn apartment move — which you know if you follow me on Instagram — but my latest move of sorts is one that’s taken me out of the country, down south and in pursuit of a new adventure (and a new spirit). We’re coming to you live from Jalisco, Mexico, were I’m venturing into the agave fields to learn all about Patrón Tequila and its new Cristalino expression.

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This trip is part of the many hats I wear when it comes to freelance writing, including covering all manner of gear, spirits and more at Maxim.com. In fact, you can look for a dispatch on this particular trip over at Cool Material, where I’ll be diving into the world of agave.

It’s far from my first trip to the region (how cool is that!?), which brings you through the vibrant city and culinary destination of Guadalajra. I trekked to Mexico last September with El Tesoro Tequila, and I’ve also visited the region with 1800 Tequila last spring.

But back to Patrón: More than 2,500 employees work to craft this fine tequila at Atotonilco el Alto, using brick ovens and ancient Tahona stones to cook the agave and dial in that “just-right” flavor you’ve perhaps found in your favorite margarita or cocktail.

Along the way, we’re staying at the Hacienda Patrón an exclusive VIP guest house on site. Here, the itinerary includes plenty of tequila, round after round of gourmet meals, an agave cutting demonstration, a tour of Patrón facilities and a deep dive into how they make this premium spirit. Not bad for a work trip, right?

 
 
 
 
 
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Of course, I’ll be outfitted with some of my favorite gear along the way, including sturdy Flint and Tinder work pants, my trusty Blundstone boots and even some tequila-themed headwear (workers in the tequila fields often wear oversized straw hats to block the sun, dirt and grime during long days in the agave fields).

Shop Huckberry menswear and gear for your next trip

Between exceptional tequila, next-level accommodations and the chance to put some of my favorite menswear and gear to the test in rugged fashion, my latest trip checks all the boxes for me — and for that, I couldn’t be more thankful!

There’s more to come on my jaunt to Mexico if you go ahead and follow me on Instagram, but for now, just now that we’re focused on matters of style with two upcoming weekend posts. Cheers to tequila and cheers to real-world adventures, folks — thanks for reading!

by Beau H.

The Friday Read: The Huckberry Holiday Gift Guide, The Maker’s Mark Winter Wheat Wonderland & The Best Sweater Polos

Huckberry Holiday Gift Guide 2024.

Welcome to another fine winter Friday here in Brooklyn (or wherever you might happen to be reading your favorite Brooklyn style blog). It’s a season of bounty, joyful thanks, delicious whiskey and even better menswear, at least in my neck of the woods — if you follow me on Instagram, you’ll see that I’ve been busy wearing my many hats in my many varied freelance writing pursuits.

One day, I might find myself writing about a limited-edition luxury cognac, the next, I might be covering a new Huckberry x Timex watch. All in a day’s work!

And as of late, those varied pursuits included a preview of a special NYC Maker’s Mark Winter Wheat Wonderland (running now for the next 10 days!) — the space is an ode to Star Hill Farms in Kentucky, plus all things Maker’s Mark, with an outstanding limited-edition menu of cocktails crafted by cocktail expert and legend Colin Field.

Bhakta Spirits review.

This week also brought with it an excellent Upper East Side evening tasting some standout Bhakta Spirits (on the heels of my February 2024 trip to see the company in Vermont). Talk about a perfect balance between rare spirits and the joy of the holiday season, yes? It all requires fortitude, but it also requires the right menswear to meet varied situations in casually rugged-yet-refined style (the way I prefer to dress, and perhaps the way you do, as well!?).

And for those instances and plenty more — especially in the holiday season — I outfit myself with menswear favorites from Huckberry. It seems there’s never a bad time to shop the incredibly well-stocked retailer, which just happens to know what guys want — and the gals on your list, too (more on this in a moment). It certainly seems like everyone on your list is covered by the Huckberry Holiday Gift Guide, in my experience.

Shop the best holiday gifts at Huckberry

So, here’s your reminder to cross a few prime gifts off the “Nice” list by shopping Huckberry, as I’ve been this busy season. To send you on your way into the weekend, check out a few choice reading and shopping selections below — onward!

  • Speaking of taking care of your holiday shopping — especially for your better half — I’ve got just the ticket: Over at Maxim, I wrote about the best Huckberry gifts to buy for her, whoever that “her” in your life might be. From your mother to your sister to your sister-in-law and beyond, Huckberry’s expert insight made it a delight to write about a few choice selections over at Maxim.
Shop style favorites for everyone at Huckberry
  • Let’s talk holiday style for a minute: Nailing the right balance between comfort and fashion is critical, as is staying ever-so-slightly on-trend without overdoing it. That means finding a middle ground, like the retro-yet-fresh sweater polo. It harkens back to the 1950s and ’60s, but you’ll still find it on red carpets today — and you’ll find out more about the style in my guide to the best sweater polos over at AskMen. Happy shopping, folks.
  • Shopping for the watch enthusiast in your life? Have plenty of spare coin to throw around? You very well might want to dive into my piece at Maxim.com covering how Omega crafted a more affordable version of the iconic Seamaster worn by James Bond. Talk about a wrist game upgrade, my friends.

Now, who’s ready for a dram of whiskey and for the weekend to start in earnest? Before we can kick things off — beer, cozy evenings by the fire, a lovely candle burning — here’s the rugged, classic flannel shirt you should be wearing this season, all courtesy of yesterday’s post on Schott NYC‘s timeless take on the style. I hope it keeps you warm this weekend and beyond, and I hope you’ll join me tomorrow for our Style Pick of the Week. Cheers to the season, my friends!

by Beau H.

The Friday Read: An Austin Exploration with Bearface Whisky

Bearface Whisky review

In my many freelance writing pursuits — as you’ll see if you keep up with my Instagram — I get to trek across North America and occasionally, the globe in pursuit of all sorts of stories. Think menswear, watches and whiskey — yes, whiskey and more whiskey, indeed. It’s been a big focus of mine as of late, especially this fall as I trekked to Wisconsin with The Macallan (I’ve also written recently about the best American microbrews to try this fall, though!).

And this week, in addition to writing about, say, the best gear to buy from Filson, I also had the chance to put some of those pieces into action as I hopped a flight south to Texas (ATX, more specifically) as a guest of Canada’s Bearface Whisky. Bearface, briefly, ages its whisky in the elements in northern Canada, out among forests and fields and not in traditional rickhouses.

This gives it plenty of character well-suited to the wilds of ranch life outside Austin, and Rambling Rose Ranch was where I found myself this week tasting a suitable number of Bearface expressions (that’s Rambling Rose pictured above here).

Austin, with its downhome character (in certain pockets) and its deep Western roots proved a fitting tie-in for Bearface, hailing from western Canada and making some curious whisky (including one elementally aged using wild Matsutake, which I tried at a tasting dinner in Brooklyn last winter).

Learn more now about Bearface Whisky

It was yet another journey I’m thankful to get to experience in this freelance writing life, and it also included stops at Bearface-approved spots like the Firehouse Lounge and Midnight Cowboy. Other ATX favorites of mine include Zilker Brewing (as seen below) and Easy Tiger for a plentiful selection of outstanding local and regional beer.

With that being said, there’s more on the way from my Austin experience — horseback riding on a ranch and a longhorn tour (as you might have seen on my Instagram) tend to go nicely with whisky inspired by the wilderness.

On this front here at The Style Guide, it’s back to menswear in Brooklyn this weekend, starting with tomorrow’s very fall-centric Style Pick of the Week. I think you’ll find you could wear it quite easily to enjoy some standout spirits — that’s the M.O. here at your favorite Brooklyn style blog, after all. Cheers and as always, thanks for reading!

by Beau H.

The Friday Read: Visiting “Downton Abbey” with Highclere Castle Gin

Highclere Castle Gin.

My friends, welcome back to another edition of my weekday-ending recap, The Friday Read, where we touch on a little bit of everything — menswear very much included — in a way that’s a little bit different than the process here at The Style Guide the rest of the week.

You see, if you keep up with me on Instagram, you know that I wear a lot of hats among my many freelance writing pursuits, from covering the best sneakers for GQ to writing about the best new Scotch at Maxim and keeping up with all things fall style within the confines of this site (and others).

And as with my trip just last week to El Tesoro Tequila to try a stellar lineup of excellent new tequila, I once again hopped a flight — this time, a longer, trans-Atlantic flight to follow the story and the spirit.

Read my latest spirits writing here

The itinerary and the goal this time around? Trekking to historic Highclere Castle — a real-life castle and yes, the actual home of acclaimed TV and film series “Downton Abbey.” Not bad for a weekday work trip, right? Among other adventures, the trip took back the curtain on the excellent Highclere Castle Gin, a bottle that absolutely belongs in your bar cart (and one that’s often priced at below $30 in the United States).

Learn more about Highclere Castle here

There’s much to love about Highclere Castle Gin, which actually launched much more recently than one might expect — just before the pandemic hit, in fact. It was founded in part by entrepreneur Adam von Gootkin, who dreamed up the idea for the spirit and brought it to life with the help of the castle’s own Lord and Lady Carnarvon. Your average back-bar gin backed by a massive corporate conglomerate, this is not.

And yet, the gin tastes just as historic and acclaimed as its larger counterparts, with centuries of pedigree backed up by its namesake home. Along with two days spent tasting gin and wandering the grounds of Highclere Castle, a stop in London (at the Other House Kensington) and an excellent gin pairing dinner at The Stafford London was in order. In The Stafford’s historic wine cellar, fellow writers, influencers and supporters of Highclere Castle dined on some stunning dishes (again, follow me on Instagram for real-time action).

We tried a forthcoming new expression (more to come soon!) and chiefly, trekked the iconic and instantly recognizable grounds — shoutout to my traveling companion, drinking buddy and formidable writer Brian Freedman.

The Highclere Castle Barrel-Aged Gin was a particular highlight, with unexpected smoke and citrus notes thanks to aging in Armagnac barrels (among other processes). The best part is, you can get Highclere Castle Gin online and in nine countries, and all at a remarkably low price. How’s that for a visit that’s worth hopping on a plane across the ocean?

Filson

It’s trips like these, ones where I get to experience exceptional spirits in a wonderful atmosphere — all while wearing some of my favorite menswear and carrying my favorite luggage for travel — that drive home that I positively love what I do when it comes to my many freelance writing pursuits.

On that front, you can assuredly look for much more on my trip very soon at sites like CoolMaterial.com, where I’ve got a couple stories in the hopper just yet. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to a restful weekend back in Brooklyn, where “flannel shirt weather” continues to creep in slowly but surely.

As always, you can expect a series of weekend style posts incoming talking all about the best fall menswear. Stay stylish, stay thirsty and thanks for reading, my friends!

by Beau H.

The Friday Read: Heading West with Stranahan’s Whiskey

Stranahan's American Single Malt.

My friends, thanks for passing through The Style Guide as we launch headfirst into another winter weekend. We’re past the hustle and bustle of the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, but the pursuit is still a fast one when it comes to shopping for the best gifts for men (and for everyone on your list). I’ll have two new product recommendations of my own coming up this weekend, but I’m focused first and foremost on yet another whiskey-focused freelance writing trip.

If you follow me on Instagram or keep up with my many freelance writing pursuits, you’ll see I’ve had the exciting post-pandemic opportunity to dive headfirst into the industry, writing about everything from luxury Scotch to the best American bourbon and more. It’s a passion of mine alongside covering essentials like the best leather boots and the best men’s flannel shirts, of course.

And that passion extends to covering distilleries both old and new, traditional and innovative, like Stranahan’s American Single Malt Whiskey. That’s where this coming weekend will find me, as I trek to cold and snowy Denver for what should prove an epic weekend: It’s the annual release of the ultra-exclusive, distillery-only Stranahan’s Snowflake Whiskey, accompanied by a festival and lots of fanfare (and yes, great whiskey all around). To say I’m excited is likely an understatement!

Learn more at Stranahan’s

I’m also excited to spend time with Stranahan’s first-ever Head Blender, Justin Aden — the whiskey veteran just so happens to be a fellow graduate of my beloved Michigan State University, and that’s about as cool as it gets, if you ask me.

In the meantime, I’ll be bundled up with some of the best winter menswear in tow, and I’ll be sharing full details over on my Instagram. How’s that for a winter weekend? Stay warm, stay stylish and we’ll see you for tomorrow’s Style Pick of the Week. Thanks as always, my friends!

by Beau H.

The Friday Read: New Men’s Footwear from Billy Reid & Classic Fall Whiskey from Castle and Key

Billy Reid men's footwear.

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).

Best chukka boots for men.

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.

Learn more now at Billy Reid

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.

Pick up some Castle & Key rye whiskey now

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.

Add Castle & Key whiskey to your bar cart

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!

by Beau H.

The Friday Read: Exploring Ireland with Glendalough Gin

Well, my friends: As hard as it might be to believe, considering that I was on the road in Minneapolis last weekend in pursuit of a whiskey-centric freelance writing story well, I’m on the road once more — but this time, the trip is a little more far-flung. I’ve been in Dublin and the rolling hills of Wicklow, Ireland since Tuesday as part of my freelance writing adventures, this time with the exceptional Glendalough Gin. While Glendalough also makes excellent whiskey, this venture is covering the process of obtaining botanicals for its gin, with a trek through the lush hills of Wicklow to complete the foraging experience.

I can’t share too much beyond that right now, but it’s been a wonderful trip to one of my favorite countries on the planet — complete with a day on Wednesday in Dublin visiting some of the city’s best bars and sipping Glendalough Gin in the process.

For a trip with such variety — from cocktail bars in Dublin to the wilds of Wicklow — I packed a few versatile favorites, like classic Mott and Bow blue jeans and a new pair of waxed Flint and Tinder pants from my friends at Huckberry. For your next trip abroad, I’d suggest you do the same!

And while I’ve covered the worlds of Scotch, Irish whiskey and bourbon, I’ve only lately begun dipping my toes (as a writer, that is!) in the world of high-quality gin. It’s one of many experiences in my freelance writing work for which I’m endlessly grateful, with the chance to expand my world and my comfort zone each and every day.

I’ve got a bit more time in Dublin yet before returning to New York City for what promises to be a lovely spring weekend, so in the meantime, be sure you’re keeping up with my pursuits over on my Instagram. Cheers and thanks for reading!