The Whiskey Lore® Podcast

Hinterhaus Distillery (Arnold, CA) WF072 Today the Great 48 Tour climbs over the Sierra-Nevadas into the great state of California. The drive in featured mountains, huge Sequoias, and some hairpin turns. The first signs of life (beyond some bikers and travelers at overlooks) occurs when you see the sign for Hinterhaus Distillery. This is a distillery I've long wanted to visit, thanks to the great...

While traveling in Scotland and Ireland, I'm surprised at how many distilleries tell the story of a mighty cooper's union that lobbied for American's single use barrel rule. I've never heard a single American distillery even mention it. And when I ask them about it, I get blank stares.   Let's dive into the history of coopers, find out more about their craft, take a ride on a flatboat covered in b...

Frey Ranch Distillery (Fallon, NV) WF071 Four years ago, I had the pleasure of chatting with Colby and Ashley Frey of Frey Ranch Distillery. They had just released their first batch of Bourbon and so we discussed that, but also took a deep dive into farming and how having direct control over the grain is such an advantage. Well, the Great 48 Tour was heading through Nevada and so where better to s...

Sugar House Distillery (South Salt Lake, UT) WF0040 After an incredible drive up through one of (if not) the most beautiful states in the country, I made my way to South Salt Lake in Utah for my third stop on this western swing of the Great 48 Tour. My host is James Fowler of Sugar House Distillery. If you thought High West was the only name in Utah spirits, you're in for a surprise.  James took m...

As Above So Below Distillery (Santa Fe, NM) WF0069 Today we're going to visit the beautiful town of Santa Fe and one of the most unique philosophies in terms of making spirits that I've come across. A primary goal for founder and distiller Caley Shoemaker and her spirits, particularly her gin, is to create a "sense of place" that evokes the unique aromas of Northern New Mexico, using local botanic...

Boulder Spirits (Vapor Distillery in Boulder CO) WF0068 The state of Colorado has no shortage of amazing distilleries, so I had a tough choice when kicking the "Great 48 Tour" back into gear. One of my favorite visits when I made my way here two years ago was Boulder Spirits. Founder Alastair Brogan walked me all around the place and we have a great conversation about all things single malt, Bourb...

As a historical researcher, one of the time periods I seem to have the least knowledge of is the history of this latest whiskey boom. As luck would have it, today I get a chance to dive into that history with someone who lived it. Meet Noah Rothbaum, the author of the upcoming book The Whiskey Bible: The Complete Guide to the World's Greatest Spirit . For 25 years, he's seen whiskey go from incons...

Oaklore Distillery (Matthews, NC) WF067 Charlotte. Where is that? North Carolina? South Carolina? You'd be surprised at how many people get tripped up by that. Today though, let it be known we're going to explore the whiskeys of Oaklore Distillery in Matthews a town that is definitely North Carolina. Join me as I chat with Tom and Matt, the founders of Oaklore who share their passion for whiskey a...

Company Distilling (Lynchburg, Thompson Station, Townsend, TN) WF0066 Way back in December 2021, I sat down with former Jack Daniel's Master Distiller Jeff Arnett in episode 45 to talk about his new venture - Company Distilling. We talked about how he fell into a job at the company, his rise, and the impact he had on that brand. Then we dug into his decision to join with other Tennessee entreprene...

Back in the 19th century, when Ireland ruled the whiskey world, distilleries didn't bottle their own whiskeys. Instead this was left to whiskey bonders who took barrels of aged spirit and blended, distributed, and marketed them to the world as Irish Whiskey. As the industry consolidated during the 20th century, the roll of the bonder all but disappeared. But today, this Irish legacy has come alive...

Isle of Raasay Distillery (Isle of Raasay, Scotland) WF0065 Returning to Scotland to visit one of my favorite young distilleries. Join me as I take you to the little island off the coast of the Isle of Skye and the distillery that was built by a blender with the idea of creating the perfect components for crafting a flavorful young whisky. Alasdair Day, co-founder of the distillery, joins me to ex...

Copper Mule Distillery (Hermann, MO) WF0064 Back in 2001, I stumbled upon a beautiful section of Missouri, just west of St. Louis known as Missouri Wine Country. That trip saw me stopping off at my first ever tasting experience - at the Stone Hill Winery. A couple trips later, I discovered there was whiskey to be had in the German community of Hermann. Now, there are several distilleries and I bum...

Originally meant to be my 63rd Whiskey Flight podcast, I had no idea what a historical goldmine I was stumbling into when I reached out to Cindy and Andy Sudderth of R.M. Rose Co Distillery. In this conversation, Andy Sudderth shares not only his own family's legacy in distilling, but also what he's learned about the historic RM Rose Distillery. We'll learn about Rufus Rose, a Connecticut Yankee w...

How many times have you driven down I-75 through South Georgia, not knowing there were quality distilleries to be explore just miles off each exit? Join me as I chat with the owner of one of these distilleries, Brian Higgins of 1861. We'll explore the distillery's history, the quirky customs associated with whiskey, the myth about limestone water in Kentucky, and the specialty grains he's using in...

In today's conversation, I'm joined by Joe Beatrice and Tripp Stimson from Barrell Craft Spirits. We're going to dig into the art of whiskey blending, the unique characteristics of their products, and the intricacies of whiskey tasting. We'll explore the artistic differences between blending and distilling, the importance of maturation, and the flavor profiles of Barrell's whiskeys, including Seag...

Stone Fences Tours (Versailles, KY) WF0062 Listeners of Whiskey Lore know I have a passion for do-it-yourself travel. Still, not everyone is like me and maybe for your first trip to Kentucky, you'd prefer to have someone take you to the state's amazing distilleries. Or maybe you want the advantage of not having to measure your fun against your ability to drive afterwards. Leaving the experience in...

In this conversation, Drew Hannush interviews Dr. Pat Heist, co-founder of Wilderness Trail Distillery, exploring the journey from a small farmhouse distillery to a significant player in the whiskey industry. They discuss the scientific approach to distilling, the impact of the Renewable Fuels Act, the evolution of fermentation practices, and the importance of data collection in whiskey production...

New Riff Distillery (Newport, KY) WF061 As we continue to celebrate the release of Whiskey Lore's Travel Guide to Experiencing Kentucky Bourbon: Second Edition, time to visit one of the new breed of distilleries in Kentucky. As one of the few independent distilleries of size in the state, still family-owned, New Riff has found a way to spread their whiskey nearly coast-to-coast. As those beautiful...

Whiskey Thief (Franklin Co and Louisville, KY) WF060 Surprise, surprise, we're going to have a repeat guest to the show today. Distilling director Lisa Wicker (formerly of Limestone Branch, Huber's Starlight, and Widow Jane) joins us along with Walter Zausch, owner of the Whiskey Thief Distillery. If you've never been, you're missing one of Kentucky's most unique distillery experiences. From the b...

Augusta Distillery (Augusta, KY) WF059 The month-long celebration of the release of Whiskey Lore's Travel Guide to Experiencing Kentucky Bourbon: Second Edition continues with a journey to the Northern Kentucky region that is home to New Riff, Neeley Family, Boone County and others. But did you know, along the Ohio River, below Cincinnati and northwest of Lexington there are three distilleries jus...

RD1 Spirits Distillery (Lexington, KY) WF058 Today, we start a journey through Kentucky, visiting some of the great distillery experiences that have arrived since the release of my first edition of Experiencing Kentucky Bourbon in 2020 - as I celebrate the launch of the expanded Second Edition this week. Our first guest is Barry Brinegar of RD1 Spirits of Lexington. His new distillery experience i...

Iron City Distilling (Creighton, PA) WF057 It's time to head back to Pennsylvania, to visit one of the only three chamber stills in America and experience another side of Monongahela Rye. Join me as I chat with master distiller Matt Strickland and company president Peter Katz about how Iron City Beer got into the distilling world, discuss my experience at the distillery, and find out how you learn...

Minden Mill Distillery (Minden, NV) WF056 Taking a short break from the Great 48 on-site visits for a virtual visit to a location I visited when it lived under a different name - Bently Heritage. When they reached out to me about potentially doing an interview - I jumped at the chance. First, if you don't know about this distillery, you should. It is one of the coolest distilleries in the world. T...

Painted Stave Distillery (Smyrna, DE) WF055 For our 17th of the Great 48, I thought I was going to have some trouble tracking down a whiskey distillery in Delaware, but low and behold I found a fun one in the Painted Stave. Ron and Mike had a particular vision (and name) for this distillery, but sometimes plans change. In this case, rather than a distillery that distributes across the states, they...

Dad's Hat Distillery (Bristol, PA) WF054 Been a long time since I've been in eastern Pennsylvania and I have good reason to be here now. I'm taking part in a Pennsylvania whiskey documentary AND I'm getting to enjoy some fantastic distillery visits. This week, it is the place where the Pennsylvania rye revival took off...thanks to a magazine article and a wonderful wife who supplied her husband wi...