Spirits & Distilling Podcast

David Fisher’s love of spirits started with bartending in London and followed a winding path, eventually passing through pandemic-era New York City into sensory analysis and blending back home in Australia. Now the senior spirits blender at award-winning Archie Rose Distilling [https://archierose.com.au/] in Sydney, Fisher has one of the most respected noses in the business. In this discussion with host Molly Troupe, Fisher shares his thoughts on the importance of confidence to sensory and blending, and knowing your weaknesses as well as your strengths. He also discusses: * stopping to smell the flowers (and everything else) in collecting sense memories * the aromatic purity of gin botanicals versus the integrated matrix of whiskey * the overarching importance of balance * bridging New World flavors and Old World elegance * the effects of Australian temperature swings on barrel aging * backing up sensory data with numbers, and making the connections with production choices making distinctive whiskey with malts smoked by unusual local woods And more. Brought to you by: G&D Chillers: [https://gdchillers.com] G&D Chillers understands that each distillery’s chilling requirements are unique. On every distillery project, G&D offers the front-end design and engineering your team needs at no cost to you. Jim Kuhr, VP of Manufacturing at Red Boot Beverages says, “G&D has been with us since the early days. Their knowledgeable engineers and service techs are there when we need them. We’re in the midst of a large expansion, and they have been right there with us to select chiller solutions for today and the future.” Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com

There aren’t many problems in whiskey that Sherrie Moore hasn’t tackled and solved. Over her 30+ years at Tennessee’s renowned Jack Daniel’s distillery, she’s worked in just about every role imaginable—from chemist and processing manager to barrel warehousing manager and, eventually, director of whiskey production. She’s since directed whiskey production for Nearest Green Distillery, and for the past few years she has expanded her scope to help smaller brands dial in processes, products, and operations. In this episode, Moore and host Sydney Jones discuss: * Understanding tradition before getting into experimentation * Jack Daniel’s experiments to reduce the angel’s share * Managing a distillery through periods of overproduction and rebalancing * Understanding the impact of toast versus char * Newer research from ISC Barrels on barrel preparation * Creating greater consistency, not just quality * Understanding the dynamics of barrel warehouses * Evaluating with the eyes to understand flavor * Collecting data on consumer preference through tasting-room experiments And more. Brought to you by: G&D Chillers: [https://gdchillers.com] G&D Chillers understands that each distillery’s chilling requirements are unique. On every distillery project, G&D offers the front-end design and engineering your team needs at no cost to you. Jim Kuhr, VP of Manufacturing at Red Boot Beverages says, “G&D has been with us since the early days. Their knowledgeable engineers and service techs are there when we need them. We’re in the midst of a large expansion, and they have been right there with us to select chiller solutions for today and the future.” Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com

Olivier Ward got his start in gin in the mid-oughts, working on projects for Hendricks, and the he hasn’t been able to shake the gin world since. The people, places, and processes captivate him, and building or telling those brand stories has been a major focus for the better part of the past two decades. As chief gin judge for the IWSC, he tastes thousands of gins in any given year and has a context for flavor and approaches that few possess. Now, with Everglow Spirits [https://everglowspirits.com], he’s taking a fresh approach to both education and consultation, helping distillers (and would-be distillers) articulate their visions and understand the challenges of creating and growing brands. In this episode, Ward and host Molly Troupe discuss: * Thinking about gin beyond just flavor * Opportunities and risks in direct-to-consumer sales * The common mistakes that brands make, and how great brands hone their focuses * Finding resonance beyond baseline expectations for quality * The variety of creative approaches and tasting profiles around the world * Base spirits and their impact on gins * Categorizing for competition with process in addition to flavor And more. Brought to you by: G&D Chillers: [https://gdchillers.com] G&D Chillers understands that each distillery’s chilling requirements are unique. On every distillery project, G&D offers the front-end design and engineering your team needs at no cost to you. Jim Kuhr, VP of Manufacturing at Red Boot Beverages says, “G&D has been with us since the early days. Their knowledgeable engineers and service techs are there when we need them. We’re in the midst of a large expansion, and they have been right there with us to select chiller solutions for today and the future.” Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com Modern Process Equipment: [https://www.mpechicago.com/distillery-equipment-precision-roller-mills/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=digital&utm_campaign=brand&utm_content=october2024] Attention all distillers! The MPE Gran-U-Lizer is the precision roller mill that will change the way you approach distilling. The MPE Gran-U-Lizer masters every grain with unparalleled consistency—providing better flavor extraction and a more efficient process. One distiller even saved more than $38,000 a year after switching from a cage mill to an MPE roller mill! This is your key to achieving a perfect grind every time. Learn more on the Modern Process Equipment website: mpechicago.com!

Whiskey Del Bac in Tucson, Arizona, has pursued a taste of place in its spirits since opening in 2011, using local mesquite wood instead of peat to smoke-dry malt for its single-malts. Head distiller and blender Mark Vierthaler—also the interim marketing director—joined the team in 2021, leading the production of what he calls the distillery’s “love letter to the Sonoran desert.” In this episode, Vierthaler joins host Sydney Jones to talk terroir, transparency, marketing, blending, and balancing art with pragmatism. Among other topics, he discusses: * transparency and sense of place as integral to the brand * sourcing rye whiskey—transparently—and filtering it through mesquite charcoal * adding a rye that fits the locally rooted brand * collecting and interpreting sensory data to craft a blend that’s better, not just to spec * the push-and-pull of creativity and the needs of the business * marketing perspective and brand consideration for distillers * the Distiller’s Cut series as an outlet for creativity * fermenting hot, up to 95°F (35°C), with special ester-forward yeast * fermenting and distilling a cleaner product meant for aging in the hot climate * using thick-staved barrels to mitigate for dramatic daily temperature swings in an arid climate * leaning into Arizona flavor for wider appeal And more. Brought to you by: G&D Chillers: [https://gdchillers.com] G&D Chillers understands that each distillery’s chilling requirements are unique. On every distillery project, G&D offers the front-end design and engineering your team needs at no cost to you. Rebecca Harris, president and head distiller of Catoctin Creek recently shared, “Service after the sale is what really separates the quality of a supplier relationship. G&D Chillers has always been a phone call away when we needed them. For a small business like mine, that partnership makes all the difference.” Whether you distill batch by batch or in a continuous operation, for more than 30 years, G&D has had the proven solution. Visit them today at gdchillers.com. Modern Process Equipment: [https://www.mpechicago.com/distillery-equipment-precision-roller-mills/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=digital&utm_campaign=brand&utm_content=october2024] Attention all distillers! The MPE Gran-U-Lizer is the precision roller mill that will change the way you approach distilling. The MPE Gran-U-Lizer masters every grain with unparalleled consistency—providing better flavor extraction and a more efficient process. One distiller even saved more than $38,000 a year after switching from a cage mill to an MPE roller mill! This is your key to achieving a perfect grind every time. Learn more on the Modern Process Equipment website: mpechicago.com!

Jackie Zykan of Hidden Barn [https://hiddenbarnwhiskey.com] and Oduoak [https://www.oduoak.com] can tell you what aromas and flavors she detects when she smells and tastes whiskey, but she’d rather not put it in terms that you can connect with. After all, if she tells you she gets almond, you’ll most likely perceive and focus on that almond. But as she says in the episode, “Who cares if you ... get almond or not? I don’t care. There is no wrong or right.” The spirited blender has strong opinions about the current state of whiskey- and bourbon-blending, education, and consumer feedback; in this episode, Zykan and Jones discuss: * Lessons learned from working behind the bar * Oak contributions to aged whiskey * The industry’s manipulation of tasting descriptors to create generic experiences * Finding workable and interesting permutations in bourbon blends * Figuring barrel volumes when working into blends * Using small bits of sometimes “flawed” whiskey to add character and an edge to a blend * Moving the bourbon community to a better language around flavor and sensory * Layering top, middle, and bass notes in whiskey-based perfume * Focusing on intentionality and going full gas, no brakes And more. Brought to you by: G&D Chillers: [https://gdchillers.com] G&D Chillers understands that each distillery’s chilling requirements are unique. On every distillery project, G&D offers the front-end design and engineering your team needs at no cost to you. Rebecca Harris, president and head distiller of Catoctin Creek recently shared, “Service after the sale is what really separates the quality of a supplier relationship. G&D Chillers has always been a phone call away when we needed them. For a small business like mine, that partnership makes all the difference.” Whether you distill batch by batch or in a continuous operation, for more than 30 years, G&D has had the proven solution. Visit them today at gdchillers.com. [ABS Commercial:](hhttps://abs-commercial.com) For over 11 years, ABS Commercial has been your full-service equipment manufacturer, designing quality distillation equipment ranging from 50L – 5,000L. Whether establishing a new distillery or expanding into a brewstillery, their team of experienced engineers and designers work with you to develop customized distilling solutions. With their consultative approach, they tailor to your production capacity, space constraints, and budgetary considerations to help you create quality, crafted spirits. Contact them today at sales@abs-commercial.com [sales@abs-commercial.com] to discuss your customized distilling needs.