Whiskeys like Wild Turkey and Gentleman Jack are perfect for college tailgaters and corporate imbibers, but some in the culinary know like to dig a little deeper. Chris Shepherd, a James Beard Award-winner from Underbelly in Houston, Texas, likes to drink, but he enjoys the hunt even more.

"I first realized my passion for ferreting out bottles when some friends asked me to put together bars for them." There's no hard liquor at Underbelly, so Shepherd's quest is absolutely personal. "I'm always looking for advice," he says. "I went to Louisville and met some people who really schooled me on picking the perfect bottle. They told me to go to the shittiest liquor stores I could find and look on the back shelves for bottles that are eight to 12 years old."

This vetting process helped the chef discover his "patient zero," a bottle of W.L. Weller 12 Year. From the moment he tried it, he was hooked. But Shepherd didn't let one great discovery derail his quest."Don't get stuck on one thing you like," he explains. "Try other things, and not always the most expensive. Understand the process and lean toward smaller, handcrafted spirits."

Interested in starting your own collection? Here are 10 must-have bottles from Chef Chris Shepherd.

1. W.L. Weller 12 Year

"Weller 12 is something I always carry in a flask and always have around the house. It's a12-year-old bourbon that's friendly. If you can find it these days, it's the best bargain on the market. I buy it by the case."

2. Ancient Ancient Age 10 Year

"This is a bottle that is relatively inexpensive, but hard to find this year, now that they've dropped one of the Ancients in the name. It used to be one of those old-school whiskeys that you always had in the kitchen to cook with. Now, it's more appreciated since it's aged a bit."

3. High Wire Distilling Co. Quarter Acre Sorghum Whiskey

"I'm really impressed with what this distillery is doing in Charleston. They use grains that are typically used more frequently seen in the culinary world like sorghum. I'm really looking forward to the release of their Jimmy Red Corn whiskey."

4. Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 Year

"I was so lucky to stumble across this to add to my home collection. I found it in one of my honey holes (a liquor store in Houston where I typically find special bottles—I haven't shared its location with anyone). It's also my girlfriend's favorite."

5. Willet Pot Still

"A really clean drinking bourbon. I toured this distillery last year, and I'm really impressed with what they are doing now and what their future holds."

6. William Larue Weller Antique Collection 2014

"One of the prizes of the collection. It's high in alcohol content, but well-rounded in the palate if you add an ice cube. I may or may not have found this at the same honey hole I found the Van Winkle Rye."

7. Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 12 Year

"A great bang for the buck. I stumbled across this in a small liquor store on the back shelf. It didn't cost me more than $35. I wish I would have bought the second bottle. I went back the next day to buy it, and it was gone."

8. Chapin & Gore Old Reserve 6 year (most likely from the 1950s)

"This is the oldest bourbon in the collection, given to us by some friends in Louisville, Shawn and Vanessa Cantley, who own one of my favorite bourbon bars, The Silver Dollar. I'm looking forward to their visit to Houston in a few months so I can open it with them."

9. Old Fitzgerald 6 year (most likely from the late 1970s)

"A classic bourbon. This is something I remember seeing in my grandfather's liquor cabinet. We'll probably open this up with a good friend of mine from Charleston when he comes to town."

10. Booker's 25th Anniversary Bourbon

"I had this at Husk in Charleston, and this is the bottle that sent me on the hunt. The bourbon is hot to begin with, but add a cube of ice and it will be perfect. I've been able to find three bottles of this one."

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