Fredric Hamber

Fredric Hamber

Raised in Napa and San Francisco.


I write about offbeat travel, men's lifestyle, and interesting people with idiosyncratic obsessions.

Drink Me •

A Visit to Glasgow Distillery Company: Makar Gin

You know the gin thing that’s been happening lately? It’s going on in Glasgow, too. GinFest was held last month at Glasgow’s Barras Art and Design Center, and the city now has its first dedicated gin bar, Gin 71, which offers (you guessed it) 71 brands of gin. This autumn was also when the first runs of Makar Gin from the Glasgow Distillery Company were completed, an important new venture boasting the only gin distilled within the city. I flew to Scotland to get the scoop for Drink Me readers t
Airows •

Freshen Your Gin Game With Loch & Union

Loch & Union may be a new kid on the gin block, but this distillery is making its presence felt. At the New York International Spirits Competition, they were recognized as California Gin Distillery of the Year and their American Dry Gin was awarded a 94-point score. Their secret is no secret: top of the line equipment and ingredients. They’ve skimped on neither. The copper stills are from legendary maker CARL of Germany. “Even for CARL, this is the biggest and most intricate set of stills they’
Airows •

Five Favorite Old Tom Gins to Add to Your Booze Library

Five Favorite Old Tom Gins to Add to Your Booze Library Maybe you’ve seen “Old Tom” on a gin bottle label and wondered exactly what that means. AIROWS was recently invited for a tasting of Old Tom gins at Whitechapel bar in San Francisco, a beguiling space fitted out in Steampunk style which boasts the largest gin selection in North America. We got the scoop from Whitechapel's resident expert Carl Brown. • “Old Tom was a kind of gin made in the mid-1800s,” Brown says. “They would add sugar to