Key In The Lake Whiskey Podcast

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. This is part one of a two-part podcast. Guest: Bob Zacharias, Chris Blatne r, Jamie Duffy, Stephen Dragun & more Hosts: Jake Hukee , Wilson Torres & Callum O’Donnell Visit Bitter Pops when you’re in Chicago Li...

Chris Blatner (Urban Bourbonist) joins the show to share whiskeys from his 13 Summer Whiskeys list. We drink and comment on Wood Creek Rye, Laws Henry Road Straight Malt Whiskey, Westward Single Malt Cask Strength, Pinhook Bourbondini and the 7-year Pinhook Single barrel that Chris and I chose on Episode 186. We also talk about the curiosity of American single malts, the purpose of being a listene...

Live from Wisconsin Whiskey Fest, we sit down Murphy Quint, Head Distiller of Cedar Ridge. Murphy explains how his parents started this Iowa-based distillery on the foundation of the great soil and grain of the Heartland. He also shares his personal story of growing up in the distillery, moving away and working at Stranahan’s Distillery, and coming back home to help grow their brand into the numbe...

Live from the Wisconsin Whiskey Festival, Dancing Goat Founder Nick Mass joins the show to update the progression of his distillery. Twenty minutes into the conversation, Dixon Dedman, Kentucky Owl and 2XO, crashes the show (in the very best way). The two founders and blenders share stories of how their techniques developed while creating their individual brands. We also get deep into true purpose...

Live From WI Whiskey Fest, Ross Graham, Director of Sales at Old Elk Distillery shares how Greg Metze, Old Elk’s Master Distiller is using his historic pedigree to shape the brand into one of the most emerging brands in America. Also, our good friend Eric Rosentreter of Woodinville Whiskey joins the conversation halfway through the episode to share his industry insights. Guests: Ross Graham &...

Pinhook founder Sean Josephs returns. We discuss brand building with transparency and integrity, and how certain trends have dominated the whiskey industry, as of late, that may fall short of those two fundamentals. We also chat about the direction of craft and craftsmanship, along with the foundation of Pinhook beginning with an idea of blending whiskey but totally flipping on its head to follow...

Wilson and Jake sit down to speak about what bourbon means to them as people and as employees of whiskey distilleries. They go deep on the purpose of life, and the balance between their professional and personal interaction with whiskey. Hosts: Jake Hukee & Wilson Torres Visit Castle & Key Here Listen to more episodes and read stories at keyinthelake.com Key In The Lake

Whiskey Acres cofounder Nick Nagele explains their “Seed to Spirit” approach of farming high quality grains on the very farm the distillery sits on. Whiskey Acres foundation begins with, varietals of corn builds success, and the exploration of those varietals represents the terroir in each pour after they’ve been distilled and aged on their farm. Their whiskey speaks to and represents the place th...

Steven Dragun, Lustau National Brand Ambassador, joins the show. Steven shares how exploring his dream of becoming a musician through studying and playing music across the world led him to the spirits’ industry. Currently with Lustau in Chicago, Steven previously worked for whiskey distilleries like Angel’s Envy and New York Distilling Co. and behind the stick at various great bars in New York. Hi...

I sit down solo on the mics to share my experience from the road as a whisky brand ambassador. The "Where You Want To Be" series focuses on my visits to various markets across the US, documenting the distinctive details of an ambassador’s life in each city. I’ll also weave-in the lessons I’ve learned from my previous travels, while examining stories, essays and documents from notorious travelers/w...

Live from New Orleans at Tales of The Cocktail, a special guest, Mickey Pinstripe aka The Bourbon and Rye Club, joins the show. Sagamore Spirit’s Brett Bauer cohosts with me to chat with Mikey about his journey through whiskey, and his landing on his love for rye whiskey. We also discuss the events of Tales and the good times we experienced during the 20th anniversary of the coveted spirits event....

Jake shares the details of his recent trip to Kentucky and The Bourbon Trail, which included a long anticipated visit to Castle & Key. He also shares his thoughts on the value the online space still holds in the whiskey industry. Hosts: Jake Hukee Listen to more episodes and read stories at keyinthelake.com

Kyle Smith is a man that can’t rest. For the past eight years, Kyle has relentlessly ran around Chicago’s hospitality industry. He’s directed bar programs at Michelin awarded restaurants, worked for various whiskey distilleries, established multiple pop-up bars/events in every type of venue possible, and is currently working with Camp Yoshi. Camp Yoshi is Kyle’s respite from the city as he runs he...

Eric Rosentreter of Woodinville Whiskey Co. and I sit down to discuss the rise and importance of single barrels and whiskey clubs. We run through the pros of selling single barrels across the country to grow a brand, and the potential downfall of attaching yourself to the wrong club—that can’t commit to the promises that they make. We run through it all. Guest: Eric Rosentreter Host: Jake Hukee

Chris Blatner joins me and provides three delicious single barrel samples from Pinhook. Chris and I sit down at Wolf Point Distilling to select the next Pinhook Bourbon single barrel for Leo’s Mayfair. Chris guides us through the history of Pinhook’s vertical single barrel program as we taste through and choose a 7-year-old bourbon for Leo’s. Hosts: Jake Hukee & Chris Blatner Listen to more ep...

Jefferson’s founder Trey Zoeller joins the show to share how he’s “Pushing the boundaries of what bourbon can be, and the defintions without bastardizing it.” We also share a dram of Jefferson’s newest release Ocean Rye. Trey explains the origins of the Ocean series, and how he’s honoring tradition, history and adventure to create a whiskey apart from the rest of American distilleries. Guests: Tre...

On World Whisky Day, we interviewed five different representatives from six different distilleries from across the world for our Live Tasting Event. On Part 2, we interview Kotryna Gesait,Starward East Coast Ambassador. Dave Smith, St. George Head Distiller. Nick Brady Maas, founder of Dancing Goat. (00:25 - 32:42) - Kotryna shares how her personal travels across the world collided with the Starwa...

On World Whisky Day, we interviewed five different representatives from six different distilleries from across the world for our Live Tasting Event. On Part 1, we interview Val Colella, Castle & Key National Brand Ambassador and Dom Venegas, Pernod Whisky Portfolio Ambassador. (00:03:05 - 00:28:30) - Val guides us through her history of growing up and living in New York, but finding her love a...

Joe Henry founder of J. Henry & Sons Bourbon joins me to warmup Whisky Week. We sound like we were out drinking late for 4-5 nights, consequently, the proof is in our hoarse voices. We also discuss the annual release of J. Henry’s Bellefontaine Reserve, extra-aged for five and a half years in new, charred oak barrels, slowly reduced and finished in ex-Cognac barrels. Guest: Joe Z. Henry Host:...

Whiskey author, writer Lew Bryson drops by for a special Whisk(e)y Week podcast. Lew shares his three decades worth of knowledge of watching the whiskey industry transform into the predominant international spirits category. His examination of “the purpose of making whiskey” propels our chat about American distilleries growing during the last decade; how marketing has effected the whiskey world in...

Callum and Jake catchup to discuss the importance and impact an individual cask has on a batch of whiskey. The guys focus on a Castle & Key single barrel tasting they did earlier in the day with Wilson, and how three barrels—aged in the same warehouse, with the same mash bill—tasted incredibly different. They also share the details of upcoming whiskey events, including their World Whiskey Day...

Jake sits down to share why the podcast hasn’t been consistently published over the past couple of months. He explains how his love for whiskey and his job as an ambassador for Starward Whisky, along with life altering anxiety has led to less dedication to the podcast. Host: Jake Hukee Listen to more episodes and read stories at keyinthelake.com Jake Hukee is a brand ambassador for Starward Whisky

Callum and Jake celebrate St. Patricks Day by celebrating Callum’s new prestigious position at Pernod Ricard. We also share our St. Paddy’s bar crawl from this past Saturday during Chicago’s celebration of the holy Irish holiday. Hosts: Jake Hukee & Callum O’Donnell Listen to more episodes and read stories at keyinthelake.com Key In The Lake

Sagamore President Brian Treacy and Central Sales Director Brett Bauer join me for a conversation about their new Bottled In Bond and Rum Finish Rye. Their efforts to create a Bottled In Bond symbolizes the distillery’s transition from using MGP contracted distillate to a grown up distillery, ushering in their hard work and dedication to becoming an all-in Maryland Rye distillery. Guests: Brett Ba...

Callum and Jake catchup to share their early-year thoughts on the whiskey industry by discussing the importance, or the lack their of importance to whiskey clubs. They also discuss the importance of neighborhood bars and their role of maintaining community. Hosts: Jake Hukee & Callum O’Donnell Listen to more episodes and read stories at keyinthelake.com Key In The Lake