Key In The Lake Whiskey Podcast

Live from Delilah’s we celebrated World Whisky Day with our good friends from six distilleries from across the world. On Part 1, we chat with Mark Boyle of Pernod-Ricard about Red Breast 12 (06:25:00), followed by Lukas Vlasnik of Woody Creek (25:33:00) and with Joe Luna of Judson & Moore (01:18:58). Listen to the personal stories of these distillery representatives and the history of their di...

Live from my hotel room in Estes Park, CO, I discuss the life of whiskey ambassador from this lovely landscape. I talk about selling single barrels; and developing genuine, healthy relationships in the whiskey industry. Host: Jake Hukee @KeyInTheLake Listen to more episodes and read stories at keyinthelake.com

Master Distiller Greg Metze joins the show to share the professional and life lessons he’s learned during four decades in the whiskey industry. Before leaving a 38-year career at Seagrams and MGP, Greg crafted custom mash bills for Old Elk. The creative freedom of working with new grain-builds inspired him to leave his legacy in Indiana of distilling 65% bourbons and 85% of ryes in the market, and...

Alex Brick, Woodinville Whiskey Ambassador joins the show talk us through the history of the Washington state distillery, and his career in the spirits industry. We sip four delightful expressions that Woodinville has to offer, including a 2022 Harvest Release Port Finished Straight Rye. Alex shares stories of Dave Pickerell, the distillery’s focus on wine-finished whiskeys and we even talk the wo...

Four years ago I met a man from Australia with ambition to build his whisky brand in the United States. He held an irrational belief that was nearly contagious. In 2009, Starward founder David Vitale built a single malt distillery in Melbourne—when whisky distilling barely existed in Australia. in just 15 years, he went from hand-selling his whisky on folding tables in corporate offices to Distill...

I recap my recent visit to the Bourbon Trail to select a handful of single barrels for Malloy’s Finest, and how wonderful/individual the whiskey industry truly is. We visited Maker’s Mark, Bardstown Bourbon Co., Preservation Distillery, Starlight Distillery and the Bardstown Collection Launch. Host: Jake Hukee Listen to more episodes and read stories at keyinthelake.com

Zak Rye of Warehouse Liquors (Chicago) shares the history of the iconic spirits purveyor, and how they’ve earned the trust of invested whiskey customers from across the country. Zak is a storyteller, a host and a retailer who’s spent time as a coffee roaster, an ambassador for the famed Compass Box, and now, leads the renovation and transformation of their upstairs space into an event/tasting room...

Good friend and Lustau National Brand Ambassador, Steven Dragun tastes us through five sherry wines from the Bodegas Lustau. Steven also explains a detailed history of the company and the complex organization of aging sherry in a solera system. We also discuss the versatility of their wines in cocktails. Sit back, grab a sherry from your local independent retailer and sip some sherry along with us...

Live from the world’s best whiskey bar, Delilah’s, I record a Drammers - Chicago whisky event. I’m an ambassador for Starward Whisky, and this episode gives insight to what it’s like to be an ambassador at a branded event. Thank you to Drammers for having me and thank you for being great friends and people. Host: Jake Hukee Listen to more episodes and read stories at keyinthelake.com

I visit the the conversation of contemplation and preservation of the body and the mind as being a whiskey brand ambassador. Host: Jake Hukee Listen to more episodes and read stories at keyinthelake.com

Live from The Franklin Room in Chicago, IL, we record the February outrun for Scotch Malt Whisky Society. We blindly sip on six different drams from the club with 34 our dearest friends. We give our tastings notes, reveal the distilleries on the bottle, and talk through history of the club and the scotch distilleries. Hosts: Jake Hukee & Callum O’Donnell Listen to more episodes and read storie...

I share my guide to the great city of Austin, TX. This isn’t a best of list, instead, it’s a curation of how I explore cities as a whisky ambassador on the road. Find great coffee shops, breakfast spots, whiskey haunts and cocktail joints. Host: Jake Hukee Listen to more episodes and read stories at keyinthelake.com

Live from The Green Post in Chicago, we escape whiskey and focus on barrel-aged gin from Tattersall. Our old friend Ambrosia Borowski of Green Post and Marcus Reidy of Tattersall sit down to explain how this delicious gin came to be a single barrel for the restaurant. We also discuss the foundation of Minnesota distillery, and focus on Green Post resurrecting both former Northside restaurants Foun...

Jake, Wilson, and Brett Bauer of Sagamore Spirit analyze the future of their collective distillery’s single barrel programming, and how distributors /retailers value single barrels from mid-size distilleries. Guest: Brett Bauer Hosts: Jake Hukee & Wilson Torres Listen to more episodes and read stories at keyinthelake.com

Old Elk’s new market manager, Eric Rosentreter explains the rise of their single barrel program, and the responsibility of selling/representing a whiskey made by a living legend like Greg Metze. Guest: Eric Rosentreter Hosts: Jake Hukee Listen to more episodes and read stories at keyinthelake.com

Brett Bauer is back to share the development of Sagamore’s private barrel program. Sagamore has a unique blending process of seven-year-old rye whiskey to create private selects for retailers, bars and clubs across the country. Brett breaks down the Maryland distillery's intricate process private rye barrels. Guest: Brett Bauer Hosts: Jake Hukee Listen to more episodes and read stories at keyinthe...

Ever wonder what it’d be like to blend your own Pinhook True Small Batch? Well, take a listen to Garrett Turnquist of Maize + Mash and Steve Malloy of Malloy’s Finest joint experience of heading to Kentucky and blending together barrels and evaluating proofs to create their own three barrel blend. Guest: Steve Malloy and Garrett Turnquist Hosts: Jake Hukee Visit Pinhook Here Listen to more episode...

Wilson Torres is on to share the love, the pride and the restoration it took to develop Castle & Key’s single barrel program. This distillery’s story begins from reengineering Colonel Taylor’s bourbon recipe to developing a rye whiskey from the heartbeat of Kentucky, then transforming batches from both of the whiskeys into single barrel programs. Guest: Wilson Torres Hosts: Jake Hukee Listen t...

Day 4 | 12 Days of Barrel Picks. Chris Blatner, Executive Director of Bourbon Charity shares their magnificent Four Roses single barrel. Chris shares how the nonprofit organization raises money for various charities across the country through whiskey auctions and from the aid of its donors and distilleries that they partner with. Chris also highlights his trip to Kentucky to select this lovely sin...

Day 3 | 12 Days of Barrel Picks. We catch-up with our old friend Bob Zacharias. Bob is the GM of the taproom at the brewery/distillery located in Chicago. Bob shares the growth of Maplewood’s spirits program, and the difference between hospitality when operating a bar versus a taproom and creating a community atmosphere. Midway through the conversation, Adam Smith, Special Projects Manager, joins...

Day 2 | 12 Days of Barrel Picks. Andres Arias of Pernod Ricard is back to highlight the first Jefferson’s single barrel in the on-premise of Illinois. Andres and Callum share the history of selling Jefferson’s, which includes a long-awaited arrival of single barrels from the distillery—that’s been around for nearly 30 years. We also discuss the $250million investment that Pernod is dedicating to t...

Day 1 | 12 Days of Barrel Picks. Andres Arias of Pernod Ricard joins the show to highlight a single barrel from the West Virginia distillery. We discuss the rise of the distillery and the demand for single barrels for their Old Scout label. Andres also shares how Pernod is investing into American whiskies, and how he’s personally devoting interest and time into whiskey. Guest: Andres Arias Hosts:...

Old Elk’s new market manager, Eric Rosentreter returns to the show to talk about his new job with the Colorado distillery. Eric explains the rise of their single barrel program, and the responsibility of selling/representing a whiskey made by a living legend like Greg Metze. Guests: Eric Rosentreter Hosts: Jake Hukee Listen to more episodes and read stories at keyinthelake.com

Garrett Turnquist of Maize + Mash and Steve Malloy of Malloy’s finest join the show to discuss their Pinhook True Small Batch Bourbon for their restaurants and retail shops. They share the intricacies of meeting with the Pinhook founders to make their personal blend from three different bourbon barrels, and how their individual customers are enjoying their selection. Guest: Steve Malloy and Garret...

Live from Bitter Pops, our dear friends and many regular voices from our first 199 episodes help us celebrate 200 episodes of building community and sharing the stories behind label. In Part 2, the drinks start flowing through our gauntlets and taking a wild toll on our conversation. It’s fun. Guests: Bob Zacharias, Chris Blatne r, Jamie Duffy, Stephen Dragun & more Hosts: Jake Hukee , Wilson...