This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Don Q rum. All opinions are 100% mine.

Rum sometimes has a bad rap since there are a lot of inferior products out there, but thankfully there are some fantastic rums out there too. It all comes down to craftsmanship and market demands. Luckily, over the past few years we've started to see high quality products such as Don Q Gran Añejo make it to store shelves and bars around the United States. People from Puerto Rico probably laugh at this being a new trend since they've known the greatness of rum since Destilería Serrallés started producing the spirit on the island in 1865.

Wild Turkey has a great distillery experience that is also one of the newest. Visitors will get a chance to go "Behind the Barrel" like I did as their guest, but in a much abbreviated fashion. However, for bourbon fans this is a great opportunity to learn, taste, smell, and see one of the greatest bourbons in the country right now.

When it comes to mancation in Australia, Melbourne is surely a great choice of destination for all those men who are looking forward to have some fun with their friends. Melbourne has an urban setting, luxury hotels offering upscale amenities, great outdoor activity opportunities and even unique golf settings. Here are some top ideas for your next mancation in Melbourne.

Last week I had the privilege of joining Wild Turkey for a "Behind the Barrel" experience touring not just their distillery, but some of their partners including Vendome Copper & Brass Works and Independent Stave Company. During this tour, my eyes were opened wide to how complex the science and art of making great whiskey can be. While I knew that the mash bill and number of years aging in the barrel had a big say in how whiskey tastes, there's a whole lot more than that!

Making a classic cocktail is a skill that will impress your guests at a party, but sometimes that can prove to be challenging to get things "just right". Here's a way to cheat a bit and make some classic drinks such as an Old Fashioned or a Boulevardier quick and easy.

Islands is one of my favorite restaurants to take my friends and that's because the food is always good and while the classics never change, they always have new offerings to switch stuff up too. On our recent guys weekend to Palm Desert, California they invited us to stop by and fuel up as well as taste their new Islands Golden Ale brewed in collaboration with Karl Strauss Brewing.

The mountains of North Carolina have a rich tradition of producing whiskey and frankly trying new things to produce a unique product that other distillers may consider unconventional. While it is unlikely that you'll ever be able to hike out in the woods and see how illicit moonshine is made, this is the next best thing... maybe even better!

Despite the fact that I love all things wine and enjoy visiting new wineries for a tasting, at home I'm honestly not much of a drinker. As a result, no matter how much I LOVED that bottle of wine at the wine tasting, it's likely that it will be weeks or even months after I come home that it will be opened. Even once opened, sadly there are too many bottles that have gone to waste. I know that I'm not alone in this challenge though, so I thought it might be time to share some wine wisdom. Hopefully this helps save precious wine from being wasted!

It's time to cook down and enjoy one of summer's most delicious treats, but like everything in life - we can make it even better! So, with that in mind, here's a roundup of some of my favorite Watermelon Cocktail recipes. These are perfect for cooling off this summer, cheers!

Last night I had the opportunity to not just visit a fantastic new brewery but also meet with five of the best chefs in San Diego. We were assembled to help raise money for Feeding San Diego, while also celebrating the launch of Flesh & Blood - Bitter Brothers new Golden Sour that has a stunning color and flavor of tart cherries and raspberry. Each of the five courses was inspired by and paired with one of their beers, for a culinary experience that I wish could be shared better than just my words and pictures.

I love Crown Royal's Nobel Collection of spirits. They maintain the same great taste of Crown Royal - but tweak it just enough to make each variety something exciting and unique. This year they have introduced Crown Royal Wine Barrel Finished and it makes for a perfect Father's Day gift along side their Crown Your Father digital experience. 

For many people Iowa is one of those states we've only seen from 39,000 feet as we fly over it and notice all those green fields of corn. Despite having family that had once lived there, that was about all I knew of it until I drove through the state a few years ago on my way to California. At the time I was surprised at all the cool stuff in the state but didn't have a chance to explore it more until last week when I was invited to join Travel Iowa on a quick tour.

We love tequila and whether you are sipping, shooting, or enjoying it in a cocktail it's always a spirit to enjoy with friends.  While there are plenty of bars where you can celebrate we wanted to create a list of some of our favorite recipes provided by friends at our favorite Tequila brands including: CRUZ, el Jimador, Partida, Herradura, and others.

We've teamed up with our friends at Bacardi to offer you guys a chance to attend the 2017 Holiday Bowl in San Diego (transportation is not included) so you can take the OAKHEART Challenge... Read on for more details!

I'm a huge fan of cocktails, but as much as I love pushing the envelope with fancy bitters and exotic alcohol - nothing beats the pure simplicity of a classic Manhattan or an Old Fashioned. Last month I spent some time in Vegas Las Vegas (where I sampled many many Old Fashioned derivatives). I realized that there was really no reason why you had to stick with tradition. Old Fashioned Or Manhattan might be the name... but really, there's no reason why you can't swap bourbon for rye or even cachaca!

I'm guessing most of you guys love beer, I do too! Luckily, I've been blessed with numerous opportunities to visit some of the best beer cities in the country and in fact I live in San Diego - which is at the top of most lists of places for beer lovers to visit. However, these beercations are more than just hopping in the car and drinking. To make the most of your time and money it's important to plan ahead. This is your opportunity to try new things, expand your boundaries, and bond with your buddies around an awesome shared experience.

One of my favorite parts about traveling is experiencing new foods. There's an unspoken sense of truth and honesty that comes only by experiencing what a different culture loves to eat and drink. That's true when you travel overseas... but it's also true even while traveling through this country as I did a few weeks ago during a road trip through North Dakota.

In honor of Mexican Independence Day, I'm sharing a tasty little recipe from Zinum Mezcal for their Basil Margarita!

Last summer we got invited to check out an awesome new music festival in San Diego - KAABOO. Since then it's been at the top of our list for 2017 and the wait is almost over! The 2017 KAABOO lineup looks even better, with bands including Jimmy Buffett, Aerosmith, Jack Johnson, Fall Out Boy, Lenny Kravitz and so many more that I can't event list them all here. Plus, this is not just a "music festival" - they've got celebrity chefs, comedians, artists and even spa treatments.

There's no shortage of beer festivals in San Diego, but last weekend I had one of my all-time-favorite experiences at one though initially I was skeptical. For those of you who have attended beer fests, you know that typically these events are just row after row of tap tents in a park or along a road somewhere. This one was scattered among the many boats at the San Diego Maritime Museum! Yes - that's right, drunk people navigating gangways and ships moving beneath of our feet... what could possibly go wrong...