The Whiskey Rocks Podcast

Three bourbons. Three different approaches to the barrel. And, naturally, a whole lot of questions. This week on Whiskey Rocks, we’re sitting down with Mac Harris from Wenzel Distillery to talk wheated bourbon, toasted oak bourbon, and double oak bourbon. We dig into the story behind the distillery, the decisions that shape its whiskey, and what happens when you start experimenting with different...

Miles Munroe is back on Whiskey Rocks, but this time he’s writing his own story. After years as a distiller at Westward Whiskey, Miles is embarking on a new adventure with Grimoire Whiskey, bringing his experience, creativity, and passion for whiskey into a venture of his own. We talk about the motivation behind the move, his vision for Grimoire, the freedom to experiment, and what it takes to bui...

What exactly is going on inside Preservation Distillery? This week on Whiskey Rocks, we’re joined by Kyle Lloyd , Master of Maturation and VP of Operations at Preservation Distillery, for a deep dive into the whiskey behind one of Kentucky’s most fascinating portfolios. Kyle takes us inside Preservation’s approach to bourbon, vintage whiskey, sourced whiskey, house-distilled whiskey, blending and...

What happens when you combine seriously old whiskey, a little patience, a little stubbornness, and just enough swagger? We sit down with Ed Bley of Rising Tide Spirits to find out. Ed brings us into the world behind Rising Tide Spirits and the stories behind Old Swagger and Old Stubborn, including a 13-year Bottled in Bond bourbon, a 12-year rye, and a 12-year Old Swagger rye. We talk about what h...

For this episode of Whiskey Rocks, we’re taking the show on the road and heading straight into the heart of Ohio whiskey. We’re onsite at Middle West Spirits with Steven Frederick from Old Elk for a deep dive into what’s happening in Ohio’s whiskey scene, the story behind Old Elk, and what makes Middle West Spirits such an important part of it. And, of course, we’re drinking. We’re tasting our way...

What happens when an Army officer, a few whiskey nerds, and a serious obsession with bourbon get together and decide to start a whiskey company? You get H.K. Young. This week on Whiskey Rocks, Joel and Chris sit down with Cole Hanna of H.K. Young Bourbon Co. to talk about the journey from Fort Campbell to the bourbon business, the veteran community, sourcing great whiskey, and the question H.K. Yo...

What do you get when a nearly forgotten South Carolina heirloom corn meets a couple of obsessive entrepreneurs, a Charleston distillery, and a whole lot of whiskey? You get Jimmy Red. On this episode of Whiskey Rocks, we sit down with Scott Blackwell, co-founder of High Wire Distilling in Charleston, South Carolina , to hear the incredible story behind Jimmy Red corn and the bourbon that helped br...

This week on Whiskey Rocks, we’re heading to Little Rock, Arkansas, to sit down with Phil Brandon, founder of Rock Town Distillery. Phil takes us behind the scenes of building Arkansas’ first legal distillery since Prohibition, what it took to put Arkansas whiskey on the map, the importance of grain-to-glass distilling, and the risks and experiments that helped shape Rock Town into what it is toda...

Back for Another Pour: Thomas Thacker from Southern Grace Actually Came Back to Talk Whiskey with Us! Thomas Thacker is back…and we’re still trying to figure out why. When Thomas from Southern Grace Distilleries first joined Whiskey Rocks, we learned the story behind the distillery. This time, we skipped the origin story and went straight down the whiskey rabbit hole. We dive into barrel selection...

War Trail Spirits: They Risked Everything for Texas Whiskey What would make you walk away from a successful career, move to Texas, and build a whiskey distillery from the ground up? In this episode of Whiskey Rocks, Joel and Chris sit down with Laurie and Bernard Quandt, the founders of War Trail Spirits, to hear the incredible story behind one of Texas’s rising craft distilleries. They dive into...

What happens when a distillery decides tradition is just a suggestion? Joel and Chris sit down with Whit from ASW Distillery in Atlanta to talk about building a whiskey brand outside of Kentucky, taking risks, embracing experimentation, and creating award-winning pours that challenge expectations. Along the way, they dive into Fiddler Wheated Bourbon, Toasted Rye, The Soloist, and the one everyone...

Before bourbon hunting, whiskey influencers, and seemingly endless craft distillery openings, there were a handful of people willing to take a chance on an industry that barely existed. Phil Prichard was one of them. In this episode of Whiskey Rocks, Joel and Chris sit down with Phil Prichard, founder of Prichard’s Distillery, to talk about building a craft whiskey brand long before craft whiskey...

Most whiskey companies start with a still. Root Shoot started with a farm. In this episode of Whiskey Rocks, Joel and Chris sit down with Heyward Gualandi and fifth-generation farmer Todd Olander to explore one of the most unique stories in American whiskey. Instead of building a distillery and sourcing grain, Root Shoot flipped the traditional model on its head…growing, harvesting, and malting th...

On this episode of Whiskey Rocks, we sit down with Clinton Duggan, co-founder and master blender of Shortbarrel Bourbon, to talk about the wild ride from weekend barrel picks to building one of the most talked-about brands in modern whiskey. We dive into the art of blending, the evolution of bourbon culture, the rise of Atlanta whiskey, and what really goes into creating bold, memorable pours that...

In this episode of Whiskey Rocks, we sit down with Nicolas Lee of Glacier Distilling Company in Montana to talk about building a craft distillery near Glacier National Park and why American single malt whiskey is on the rise. We dive into their origin story, what makes Montana whiskey different, and break down their Logan Pass American Single Malt with music-inspired tasting notes. If you’ve ever...

What happens when you take traditional bourbon-making… and drop it into the Texas heat? In this episode of Whiskey Rocks, we sit down with Robert Likarish of Ironroot Republic Distilling to break down the science—and the fun—behind Texas whiskey aging. We get into how extreme temperature swings accelerate the aging process, why Texas whiskey often tastes older than it actually is, and how Ironroot...

On this episode, Joel and Chris dive into Journeyman Distillery, a Michigan craft whiskey operation with bootlegger roots, a factory-turned-distillery story, and a philosophy built on organic grains and craftsmanship. We taste their Pit Spitter Cherry Whiskey, Last Feather Rye, and cask strength expressions, each one telling a story that hits like a classic rock anthem. Plus, Bill and Johanna Welt...

The future of whiskey is here. For this special Women of Whiskey roundtable, Whiskey Rocks brings together Blair from Milam & Greene, Sydney Jones from Heaven Hill, Jaz’min Weaver from Bardstown Bourbon Company, and Liz Pirnat from Napa Valley Wine Academy for a conversation that goes beyond the glass. Whiskey has long been marketed one way but the reality is evolving. In this episode, we explore...

In this episode of Whiskey Rocks, Joel and Chris sit down with Ryan Gill, Director of Marketing & Brand Development at Three Chord Bourbon, the music-inspired bourbon brand founded by legendary producer and guitarist Neil Giraldo. How does a rock icon go from platinum records to whiskey barrels? Was Three Chord born as a passion project… or a serious bourbon philosophy from day one? And what does...

In this episode of Whiskey Rocks, we head to Tennessee to hang out with Brandon O’Daniels, Head Distiller at Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery, and uncover one of the most incredible comeback stories in American whiskey. Founded in 1860, Nelson’s Green Brier was once one of the largest whiskey distilleries in the world before disappearing before Prohibition....only to be resurrected over a century l...

What do Kentucky bourbon, a legendary racehorse, a risky 33–1 wager, and the birth of The Beatles have in common? Apparently… everything. In this episode of Whiskey Rocks, we sit down with Brian Luftman, co-founder of Never Say Die Bourbon, to unpack one of the most unbelievable origin stories in whiskey. From a Kentucky-born horse shocking the world at the 1954 Epsom Derby, to a Liverpool bet tha...

In this special Mezcal Rocks episode, we step outside the whiskey world and challenge some long-held assumptions as we dive into mezcal with Desolas Mezcal. Joined by Sammy Halpern, former Blue Run Spirits executive and co-founder of Desolas, we break down what whiskey drinkers often get wrong about mezcal, why smoke doesn’t have to dominate the conversation, and how Desolas is approaching the cat...

What does it really mean to make whiskey with conviction? In this episode of Whiskey Rocks, we sit down with Jim Hough of Liberty Pole Spirits, a distillery that isn’t interested in shortcuts, trends, or chasing hype. Instead, they’re laser-focused on doing things the hard way — local grain, grain-to-glass production, and a deep respect for Pennsylvania rye’s rebellious roots. Jim walks us through...

This week on Whiskey Rocks, we’re heading straight into the Rockies with Minturn Whiskey Company—where the elevation is high, the air is thin, and the whiskey doesn’t need any gimmicks to stand out. We talk about what it actually means to make whiskey at altitude, how Minturn balances mountain-town roots with serious distilling chops, and why their approach feels refreshingly honest in a category...

In this episode of Whiskey Rocks, Joel sits down with Chris Crowe from Burnt Church Distillery for a deep dive into what truly sets this Lowcountry standout apart. Chris shares the origin behind the unforgettable name, the intentional philosophy guiding every decision, and how Burnt Church blends Southern heritage with modern whiskey-making. From grain selection to barrel strategy to the experimen...