Distilling Research Grant Report: Bacteria in Rum Fermentations
As a rum distiller, I’m always on the lookout for novel production methods capable of increasing the organoleptic complexities of pot-distilled rum. Often you hear enthusiasts wax poetically about Jamaica’s famed dunder pits and their historic use, other fermentation...
Source Juniper Like a Pro
Within gin production we spend a huge amount of time trying to control the variables. This ensures a balanced and consistent product for both the distiller and customer. What follows are some thoughts on achieving consistent results with juniper...
How to Maximize Flavor from Specialty Grains: A Practical Guide
Heirloom, specialty, and terroir-driven grains are drawing increased interest from distillers and whiskey connoisseurs alike. At the same time, with more distilleries and more whiskey, the market is also becoming more competitive. The need for a spirit with unique...
Distilling Research Grant Report: Fermenting with Saltwater
In 2018, Cape Town, South Africa, narrowly escaped “Day Zero,” the point at which the city would run out of fresh water. In 2020, Sydney, Australia, implemented water restrictions. In 2023, about 51% of the continental United States is...
The Terroir of Tea
Coffee-infused spirits have been a bar staple for decades. Now, some spirits brands are venturing into the taste of tea.
Expanding from its native range spanning the Eastern Himalayas to Southeast Asia, tea has become a touchstone for cultures around...
Grape Gins Down Under
In 2015, Four Pillars launched its Bloody Shiraz gin, which is made by steeping its Rare Dry Gin in shiraz grapes from the Yarra Valley, resulting in a sweet, vibrant, yet still “ginny” spirit. Since then, the grape-based gin...
Navigating Old Texts
Sometimes old texts offer a window into the past that is also a path toward the future. Other times they include ingredients that are best left behind. Old texts can be used as inspiration by distillers so long as...
Branchwater Farms Digs Deep
Branchwater Farms in the Hudson Valley, New York, community of Milan was born of a midstream career change by wine sales veterans and husband-and-wife team Kevin Pike and Robin Touchet. Pike spent several years directing sales for national importer...
Heritage Grains
You are what you eat.
We scan labels for details of where the ingredients were grown, where livestock was reared, the exact variety of apple. Food sure, spirits? Not so much. A label will likely reveal the percentage of rye...
The Spirit of Rye
Carlo DeVito is a lifelong publishing executive whose clients have included adult beverage authors Kevin Zraly, Matt Kramer, Oz Clarke, Clay Rison, Salvatore Calabrese, Jim Meehan, and other authors such as Stephen Hawking, Dan Rather, Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.,...
