Production & Process

Aging Spirits in Oak

There are still mysteries attached to the aging process and while it has a significant influence on the character of an aged spirit it is still not as understood as the other aspects, namely the raw material, fermentation and...

The Next Step in Artisan-Distilled Vodka

Download 16 April 2004 Issue Bill Owens of the American Distilling Institute traces what he calls the “renaissance in distilling” to the work of Jorg Rupf, currently at St. George’s Distillery in Amameda, California, beginning about twenty years ago. Rupf’s...

The Simple Pot Still

Download 14 January 2004 Issue In the early days of distilling essential oils for medicine and fra grances, the simple pot-still was the only tool available to the chemist. By slowly heating a liquid sample and collecting the vapor, the compound was...

A Distilling Story

Download 9 June 2002 Issue I've worked in wineries and breweries for most of my life. Wanting to “round out” my knowledge, or “complete the trinity”, as I like to think, I’ve been learning how to make whiskey and brandies at home...

Whiskey 101

Download 7 April 2002 Issue

Cognac — the Noble and Inimitable Brandy

Beneath Cognac’s cloak of exclusiveness lies a substance equal to its reputation. Unquestionably, Cognac is the most famous and refined brandy in the world, and distillers strive to make it better still. Cognac has a mystique of exclusivity, and fortunately...