Ready for Rum?
We tend to think of bourbon as “America’s spirit,” but rum could have claimed the title in the country’s early days. Rum was first distilled in America in what is now Staten Island in 1664, and by the American...
Product Development 101: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed and Everything Thought Through
One of my great professional joys is meeting new distillers. Bright-eyed and bushy tailed, they’ve got pluck aplenty and grand notions about how their products are going to make the world a better place. And while that sentence might...
Revenge of the Nerds
Pat Heist is a total geek, but you might not know it at first. A long beard, leather jacket, and Kentucky drawl make him seem like he’s about to ask you to hold his beer so he can deliver...
Fermentation 101
Of all the topics discussed regarding the process of producing high-quality distilled spirits, fermentation always seems to get short shrift. People love to wax ecstatic about barrels, cut points, and grain bills, but the second you bring fermentation to...
136 Years of Rapid Maturation: Why Are We Not There Yet?
My first article on this topic was titled “80 Years of Rapid Maturation Studies – Why Are We Not There Yet?” We are now just five years distant from the publication of the first part, so why, then, did...
Yeast 101: Make Your Favorite Fungus Work for You
While yeast are a fungus, they are surprisingly close genetically to animals (including humans). Just like us, yeast need a vast variety of energy and nutrient sources to survive and grow. They thrive on oxygen and release carbon dioxide.
While...
Nestville Distillery
Between Hungary to the south and Poland and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia has traditionally been regarded as one of the “vodka belt” countries. “Never in a million years did I think Slovakians would convert to drinking...
Split Rock Distilling Sets its Sights on Sustainability
Conveniently located along the well-traveled coastal Route 1, Split Rock Distilling was co-founded by Topher Mallory and Matt Page. They regale me with how Newcastle, Maine, has grown in the 25 and 20 years they’ve respectively called it home....
American Whiskey Makers Dig Deep in Search of New Flavors
Peated whiskey immediately conjures images of sipping a medicinal Islay malt beneath the shadow of a crumbling castle in the windswept moorlands of Scotland. But peat bogs are not a strictly Scottish or even European environment. While peat is...
Whisky in the Kingdom: How Fife Revived its Distilling Legacy
The Kingdom of Fife, a fertile and historical peninsula in the Lowlands of eastern Scotland, has long punched above its weight when it comes to whisky. Sandwiched between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Tay, this tapestry...
