One sip and you’ll know: Ransom’s WhipperSnapper Oregon Spirit Whiskey is definitely not your father’s Old Grand-Dad. Aged in French pinot noir barrels, distilled not just from corn but also from proximately plentiful northwestern barley, and created using techniques borrowed from the worlds of bourbon, Scotch, Irish whiskey and corenwyn (a Dutch spirit), it’s just one example of the brave, new always-American spirits enlivening Whiskey Wednesdays at Johnny’s in Roland Park.
This biweekly boozebration offers four half-ounce sampling pours, along with two substantial appetizers and a presentation by a rotating cast of “spirits specialists” borrowed from Johnny’s sister stores Bin 604 and Bin 201.
Grab a banquette or bar stool, prime your palate with the apps and take all the time you like to chat with the presenter when he personally delivers your whiskeys. Looking around the warmly appointed
basement bar and dining area, you’ll see a surprising diversity of tasters, including plenty of women and more than a few Hampden hipsters making the reverse commute up Roland Avenue. Whatever their politics, they clearly concur that when it comes to whiskey, American exceptionalism is alive and well. Cost: $25.
4800 Roland Ave., 410-773-0777
