Production & Process

The forested valleys of the Heavenly Mountains of Tien Shan are among the most isolated areas on Earth. Yet the apple, which is thought to have originated there, has followed nearly everywhere that humanity has tread. The apple’s ability...

American whiskey and, in fact, most American spirits of any type, are made from a combination of cereal grains. Regardless of their origin, however, all of these grains and even most fruits grown for use in beverage alcohol share...

Former chemist Nate Bissell has yet to think of an experiment with maple syrup he won’t try. Concoctions from Bissell — the sixth-generation owner of Bissell Maple Farm in Jefferson, OH — include traditional maple syrup, maple candy and...

Temperature is a critically important factor at every step of a distiller’s craft. Its affect on grains begins with the sun’s energy shining on the growing crops, and continues through the mash temperature of the malt. In fermentation, temperature...

Five years ago, it was farm to table. Today? Grain to glass. Such hashtag-friendly phrases may spread rapidly, but both often are often misused or misunderstood. “I find ‘grain to glass’ curious, because there is literally nothing else you’re allowed...

“We are ready for our first batch of whiskey!” my husband Steve exclaimed. “Where’s the grain?” For two years we had spent every evening, weekend and holiday building our distillery from the ground up. How could it be that suddenly...

Overview. This is part 3 of a treatise on distilled spirits maturation. Part 1, in the Fall 2017 Distiller, saw the coverage of ethanol-water solvent systems and key analytics for monitoring spirits maturation. Part 2, in the Winter 2017...

Authors: Brad J. Berron (James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits, The University of Kentucky), Jon Brown (Castle & Key Distillery), Jason Gambrell (Castle & Key Distillery), Travis Cantrell (Bardstown Bourbon Company), Meghan Mattingly (Bardstown Bourbon Company), Sarah A....

Distilled Stories: California Artisans Behind the Spirits Edited by Capra Press, 2016 Softcover/256 pages ISBN 978-1592661060 $20.00 Distilled Stories: California Artisans Behind the Spirits (edited by Capra Press) recounts the stories of 32 California distillers and how they came to make distilling their profession....

Update: A GoFundMe page has been set up here to help defray expenses for the injured employees. Video — An explosion and fire at Estes Park, CO, distillery on Saturday, Feb. 27th, sent two employees to the hospital. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqEmNLWOV2I