Winter 2016 Issue

Slow Distillation

Being an aficionado of the Slow Food Movement since the beginning, I would like to add another antidote to the tyranny of the fast...

Max the Stillmaker

A Brazilian living in Rhode Island decides to design a still and contacts a Chinese manufacturer to build the prototype. The Chinese tell him...

Hot & Dirty

Glorious spirits come from hot and dirty fermentations. Boring spirits come from cold and sterilized environments. But unsellable, horrible products also come from hot...

Interview with Leigh Lacap

From coffee barista days to bartending his first gig at San Diego’s great Craft and Commerce (www.craft-commerce.com), Leigh Lacap is schooled on balance and...

A Place of Their Own

One of the nation’s five largest liquor retailers has created sections within their stores for craft spirits. The 32-foot island pictured above is at...

The House Built on Agave

From the early 2000s, “Tequila” and “mezcal”—Mexico’s most famous agave spirits—have experienced significant growth in popularity and consumption in the United States. According to...

Still Growth in the Land of Beer

In a county that stretches from the outskirts of Tijuana almost to Disneyland in the north, San Diego has more than 70 miles of...

One-Shot vs. Concentrate or Concentrating on Gin with a Single-Shot

There are many different ways to create gin, even before you switch on the still. Even after the distillate is produced, a whole range...