The Whiskey Lore® Podcast

What happens when a man's name becomes more famous than the principles he stood for? In this edition of Whiskey Lore's Hall of Legends, a legendary figure from Kentucky whiskey history returns to tell his story. He watched an industry increasingly embrace speed, efficiency, and profits, often at the expense of the methods that had established Kentucky Bourbon's reputation. He believed that careful...

Episode 1: Talking Eastern Light Distilling Company Does Kentucky really need another major distillery when whiskey production is slowing and millions of barrels are already aging in warehouses? In the debut of The Whiskey Six, six whiskey industry voices discuss Eastern Light Distilling's ambitious new Kentucky operation and what it says about the future of Bourbon. Is contract distilling still a...

Why would an established Pennsylvania distiller leave behind a thriving network of farms, mills, and family connections to start over in Kentucky? As we follow Jacob Spears from the Monongahela River to Bourbon County, an unexpected collection of marriages, land transactions, and family migrations begins to challenge a familiar explanation for how Pennsylvania whiskey makers arrived in Kentucky. M...

In the years following the American Revolution, the United States found itself fighting another war, this time against a powerful confederacy of Native nations determined to defend their lands north of the Ohio River. But how could a nearly bankrupt government feed, equip, and supply an army on the distant frontier? The answer leads us to an unlikely chapter in whiskey history. From military ratio...

A Revolutionary War spy network, a family-owned Long Island distillery, and a Bourbon steeped with black tea. This week, I'm joined by Mark and Ben Grindel of Spy Trail Distillery to explore the history behind their name and the business they've built around it. Mark explains how a casual visit to a distillery in North Carolina eventually led him to sell his manufacturing business and pursue disti...

What happens when a California whiskey maker approaches Bourbon, rye, and single malt with the mindset of a winemaker? Drew Hannush welcomes Redwood Empire Master Distiller Jeff Duckhorn and Head Distiller and Master Blender Lauren Patz for a conversation about the distillery's evolution from a small operation in Sonoma County to a growing American whiskey producer. They explore the advantages of...

Who was it that came up with the 51% rule and the modern rules for straight whiskey in America? Meet today's legend on the latest episode of Whiskey Lore's Hall of Legends.

GUEST: Martin Markvardsen (Senior Global Brand Ambassador, Highland Park) What does it take to capture the flavors of Scotland in a bottle? In this episode, Drew Hannush sits down with Highland Park's Martin Markvardsen, who is celebrating 20 years with the Orkney distillery, to explore the history, people, place, and process behind one of Scotland's most complex single malts. From heather-rich Or...

Hero on one side of the border, villain on the other. Meet the second inductee into the Whiskey Lore Hall of Legends.

Welcome to a new series, where we meet whiskey legends who helped bring us the spirits we know and love today. Today, you'll meet our first inductee. Stay tuned for details on how you can help determine future Whiskey Lore Hall of Legend inductees.  Support my mission to bring real history to whiskey fans: patreon.com/whiskeylore

Welcome to the conclusion of Chapter 3 of The Lost History of Bourbon . Today, we will conclude our investigation into Rep. Virgin Chapman's claim that Jacob Spears of Bourbon County built the first distillery west of the Alleghenies and made the first straight Bourbon whiskey. We're on the edge of the Whiskey Revolution and a developing of markets for Bourbon whiskey. And we're still in the 18th...

Welcome to another packed episode of whiskey knowledge from the origins of Bourbon. The frontier is being settled, the word Bourbon reaches Kentucke Country, and now it's time to dig deeper into early distilling. In the first part of Chapter 3, we'll dig into the story of one of the candidates for first distiller. If you know me, you know how I feel about claiming firsts, so expect a skeptical tak...

From out of the wilds of Kentucke country a frontier region develops into a community. Little do these residents know, but their area will become famous for the whiskey it creates. Enjoy this special event as I continue to release the rough draft of my book The Lost History of Bourbon. Welcome to Chapter 2. 

Welcome to the second half of Chapter 1 of The Lost History of Bourbon. Here is your chance to hear the writing of a book - as it happens. That means sometimes changes come about and this episode contains a refreshed middle section to the chapter as well as its conclusion. Enjoy more of the set up for the arrival of Bourbon County and the spirit that took on its name. Cheers, Drew

GUEST: Jeremy Buchanan (Owner & Distiller, Hartfield & Co.) What does it mean to make Bourbon in Bourbon County? For Jeremy Buchanan, it means more than putting whiskey in a bottle, it means reconnecting with a forgotten distilling tradition that helped give Bourbon its name. In this episode, Drew Hannush sits down with the owner of Hartfield & Co. Distillery to explore the county's lost whiskey l...

Enjoy a unique experience as I write a whiskey history book and give you a sneak preview of the rough draft. The Lost History of Bourbon takes you back to the origins of the spirit and reveals the forgotten history that gave Bourbon its good name. Enjoy the stories and the grand reveal - and tell a friend. Cheers, Drew

GUESTS: John Kelly (CEO) & Graeme Millar (Master Distiller), Belfast Distillery Company Belfast was once one of the world's great whiskey capitals, but for decades its distilling heritage lay dormant. In this episode, Drew Hannush reunites with Belfast Distillery Company CEO John Kelly and Master Distiller Graeme Millar to explore the rebirth of McConnell's Irish Whiskey, the remarkable transforma...

GUEST: Jason Fruits (Old 55 Distillery CEO & Co-Founder) Some distillers inherit tradition. Others build their own path from the ground up. In this episode, Drew Hannush sits down with Old 55 Distillery co-founder and distiller Jason Fruits to explore how a family grain business became one of America's most distinctive estate distilleries. From growing the grain to questioning nearly every accepte...

It's time to get past the marketing and historical redirects and get down to the business of discovering the true origins Bourbon. It's a story you might think you know. But do you really?  It's time to toss out 90% of the myths and lore and starting fresh, looking for the people who made America notice this thing we call Bourbon. And like the story of Tennessee whiskey, this reveal of the story w...

GUEST: Nora Ganley-Roper & Adam Polonski (Lost Lantern Founders) Independent bottlers have long helped whiskey lovers discover hidden gems in Scotland, but the concept is only beginning to take hold in America. In this episode, Drew Hannush sits down with Lost Lantern founders Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski to explore how they're introducing craft distilleries from across the country to new a...

GUEST: John Pawluk (Twisted Cow Distillery Founder and Distiller) Some distillers master tradition. Others ask why the tradition exists in the first place. In this episode, Drew Hannush sits down with Twisted Cow founder and distiller John Pawluk, whose gift of curiosity has led him to challenge long-held assumptions about fermentation, copper, grain, barrel aging, and flavor development. There is...

Long before Bourbon became synonymous with Bardstown and Frankfort, Lawrenceburg was home to a network of distillers whose names helped shape the industry itself. Families like the Ripys, Hawkins, Bonds, McBrayers, and Dowlings built businesses, mentored one another, and left a legacy that still echoes across Kentucky whiskey today. In this episode, Drew Hannush talks with filmmaker Bo Cumberland...

Drew Hannush heads to Florida's Treasure Coast for a virtual visit to Indian River Distillery in Vero Beach. Founded by Ray Hooker and his family, the distillery combines Florida history with a passion for rum, bourbon, gin, and American single malt. Along the way, Ray shares stories of pirates, the infamous Ashley Gang, and the unique challenges of making whiskey in a subtropical climate. In This...

When you talk about a roller-coaster history, Four Roses is the poster child brand. In today's episode, we'll relive the glory years of Four Roses in the post-World War II era, when Madison Avenue carved out a Four Roses lifestyle. Then, I'll dig into how Seagram's took the brand from straight Bourbon blend to "Premium Light Whiskey." Then, I'll be joined by Four Roses legendary Brand Ambassador A...

Southern Georgia isn't the first place most whiskey travelers think of, which makes 13th Colony Distillery one of those discoveries that feels like you've stumbled onto something special. In this episode, Drew Hannush heads to Americus, Georgia, to visit one of the state's oldest operating whiskey distilleries and sit down with president Maxwell Darby. Along the way, they explore how a hobby proje...