Guides & Education Writer
Speciality: Cocktail Culture, Tasting Technique, Spirits Education, Mixology
David is a qualified bartender turned writer who believes the best way to appreciate whiskey is to understand it. His guides span every corner of the whiskey world — from beginner-friendly introductions through to advanced cocktail technique and distillation science. He ran the bar programme at a Michelin-starred restaurant in London for six years before dedicating himself to writing full-time at Whiskeyful.com. His first book, "The Spirit of Oak", is due for publication next year.
Guide
Whiskey is made on every continent, and each region leaves its mark on the spirit. Here is my guide to the world's great...
David Thornton
February 2, 2026
Guide
Up to 70% of a whiskey's final flavour comes from the barrel. After years of tasting whiskey at every stage of maturatio...
David Thornton
January 21, 2026
Guide
The mash bill is the recipe behind every bourbon, and understanding it changed how I recommend whiskey entirely. Here is...
David Thornton
January 11, 2026
Cocktail
Scotch, cherry brandy, sweet vermouth, and orange juice — named after the 1922 Valentino film. A cocktail as dramatic as...
David Thornton
January 10, 2026
Guide
The single malt versus blended debate has been raging for decades, and most of it is nonsense. Here is what actually mat...
David Thornton
January 8, 2026
Cocktail
Japanese-style: whisky, soda, tall glass, precision ice. Simplicity perfected — the art of making two ingredients extrao...
David Thornton
January 5, 2026
Cocktail
Equal parts bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, and lemon — Sam Ross's modern masterpiece. Bittersweet, balanced, and utterly...
David Thornton
January 1, 2026
Guide
I have taught hundreds of people to taste whiskey, from nervous beginners to seasoned wine drinkers crossing over. Here ...
David Thornton
December 31, 2025
Cocktail
Scotch and Drambuie over ice — a 1960s classic that's honeyed, herbal, and impossibly smooth. Two ingredients, zero fuss...
David Thornton
December 25, 2025
Cocktail
The classic cold-weather warmer — whiskey, honey, lemon, and hot water with a cinnamon stick. Grandma's remedy, perfecte...
David Thornton
December 20, 2025
Guide
Age statements are the most misunderstood numbers on a whiskey label. After a decade of explaining them to guests, here ...
David Thornton
December 17, 2025
Cocktail
A modern whiskey sour with honey syrup replacing sugar — silky, golden, and impossibly smooth. Another Milk & Honey mast...
David Thornton
December 15, 2025
Guide
A whiskey label tells you almost everything you need to know before you buy — if you know how to read it. Here is how I ...
David Thornton
December 14, 2025
Cocktail
A Negroni made with bourbon instead of gin — rich, bittersweet, and deeply warming. The whiskey lover's aperitivo.
David Thornton
December 10, 2025
Cocktail
Hot coffee, Irish whiskey, brown sugar, and a float of gently whipped cream. The perfect nightcap or winter warmer.
David Thornton
December 5, 2025
Guide
Bourbon and Scotch are the two great pillars of whiskey, and I have spent years behind the bar explaining the difference...
David Thornton
December 3, 2025
Cocktail
A modern classic — blended Scotch shaken with honey-ginger syrup, lemon, and floated with smoky Islay malt. The cure for...
David Thornton
December 1, 2025
Guide
Canadian whisky is the most underrated category in spirits. These five bottles prove that Canada produces whisky of genu...
David Thornton
November 25, 2025
Cocktail
A Manhattan made with Scotch — blended whisky, sweet vermouth, and bitters. Smoky, sophisticated, and perfect before din...
David Thornton
November 25, 2025
Cocktail
New Orleans' official cocktail — rye whiskey, Peychaud's bitters, sugar, and an absinthe rinse. Bold, aromatic, and stee...
David Thornton
November 20, 2025
Guide
I have made thousands of Old Fashioneds behind the bar, and the whiskey you choose makes or breaks the drink. These are ...
David Thornton
November 17, 2025
Cocktail
The official drink of the Kentucky Derby — bourbon, fresh mint, and crushed ice in a frosty silver cup. Summer in a glas...
David Thornton
November 15, 2025
Guide
You do not need to spend a fortune to drink exceptional single malt Scotch. These ten bottles sit under a hundred dollar...
David Thornton
November 10, 2025
Cocktail
Bourbon shaken with fresh lemon juice and simple syrup — bright, balanced, and utterly refreshing. Add egg white for a s...
David Thornton
November 10, 2025
Cocktail
Rye whiskey meets sweet vermouth and bitters in this sophisticated pre-dinner classic. Rich, complex, and impossibly ele...
David Thornton
November 5, 2025
Guide
Cask strength bourbon is whiskey without compromise — straight from barrel to bottle with nothing added and nothing take...
David Thornton
November 3, 2025
Cocktail
The quintessential whiskey cocktail — bourbon or rye muddled with sugar, bitters, and a twist of citrus. Simple, timeles...
David Thornton
November 1, 2025
Guide
I built some of my best bar programmes on bottles under thirty dollars. Here are the ten whiskeys I would stock if every...
David Thornton
October 24, 2025
Guide
Irish whiskey is in the middle of a genuine renaissance, and the range of quality available now is staggering. These are...
David Thornton
October 18, 2025
Guide
Japanese whisky marries Scottish tradition with an obsessive attention to detail that produces something genuinely uniqu...
David Thornton
October 8, 2025
Guide
Rye whiskey is having its moment, and I could not be happier about it. These ten bottles represent the finest rye has to...
David Thornton
September 28, 2025
Guide
Scotch can be intimidating, and I spent years behind the bar helping people find their way in. These fifteen bottles are...
David Thornton
September 23, 2025
Guide
I have spent years building bar programmes on a budget, and I can tell you with certainty: you do not need to spend more...
David Thornton
September 10, 2025