The Whiskey Lore® Podcast

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 his six-grain Bourbon. 

Brian shares insights into the distillery's award-winning spirits and the unique experience offered to visitors, including the opportunity to create custom whiskeys. We'll also give some travel planning a...

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 Seagrass and Foundation Single Barrel. 

Here are the main topics:

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 a tour company's hands has several advantages. Join me as I chat with my friend Jerry Daniels of Stone Fences Tours about what you can expect and what...

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. Dr. Heist shares insights on the sweet mash process, the challenges of scaling operations, and the future of whiskey innovation.

TAKEAWAYS

Wilderness Trail Distillery started as a small farmhouse distillery.

Dr. Pat Heist and Shane...

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 and uniquely colored bottles make their way across the country, it is time to introduce you to the brand, its history, and the story behind this name - New Riff...

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 barn and farm, to the goats, food trucks, and barrel thieving - there may not be a better distillery to get a feel for Kentucky Bourbon hospitality in a relaxed atmosphere.

We'll talk about...

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 just waiting to be explored?

Today, we're going to visit with Ryan Edwards, co-founder of Augusta Distillery, a facility I've had the privilege of seeing evolve from the bones of an old manufacturing building...

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 is a perfect example of how distilleries are expanding the story and process of whiskey making in new creative ways. This isn't your normal "51% corn" Bourbon lesson, it is a dive into...

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 to distill on a piece of equipment that had gone extinct. Plus we'll learn a bit about the tours at this old PPG factory and how the beer interacts...

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. Today, it is known as Minden Mill. New owners, yet, still an amazing distillery and now it has one of my favorite American distillers...

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've honed in on their community and it is a fun place to hang out with friends. From the food trucks to the cocktails and spirits served neat...

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 with the best rye whiskies available at that time.

We'll hear the story of Herman Mihalich, co-founder of Dad's Hat Distillery, find out what got him interested...

Meinelschmidt Distillery (Hagarstown, MD) WF053

Time for another Mid-Atlantic stop, this one not far off the I-81 exit. We're stopping in to visit a military veteran who, along with his wife, decided to take their enjoyment of craft distillery travel and turn it into their own distillery.

We'll learn Cort and Chelsea's inspirations for their Hagarstown distillery, hear about the growth of the town, their interest in wheated whiskeys, and hear the story of how the two met.

And, now Whiskey Lore's travel guide features over 900 distilleries worldwide, so if you're thinking about...

Copper Fox Distillery (Sperryville, VA) WF052

You've heard of peat smoked Scotch...well, that's not what you're going to get at Copper Fox. Instead, the grains from the distillery's malting floor get their smoke infused with smoke from cherrywood, peachwood, and applewood.

It's a unique take on smoke and it comes from distiller and founder Rick Wasmund's fascination with the wonderful scents these woods produce when burned.

Join me as I visit one of the few malting floors in the country and learn which legendary Scotch distiller taught Rick the art of malting.<...

Black Draft Distillery (Martinsburg, WV) WF051

What started as a horse farm is now the home of whiskey, fascinating flavors of vodka, and barns and a patio filled with music, cocktails, and a good number of soon-to-be friends.

Join me in the smoking room of the Black Draft Distillery as I chat with founder Glen Price about the evolution of his horse farm into an agritourism site and the home of fun weekend parties targeted to empty-nesters. I also find myself face to face with my own family's potential whiskey legacy, and we chat about...

Oak & Grist Distillery (Black Mountain, NC) WF050

Just a few miles east of Asheville, North Carolina (which has held the honor as Beer City USA several times) is a somewhat sleepy community on the edge of the mountains, where Will Goldberg and Charlie Stanley are focused on distilling up two amazing spirits - an American Single Malt and a Dutch-style Jenever.

Their stories start with both wine and cheese - backgrounds that center them in agriculture, flavor, experience, and terrior. Their pot still distilled American single malt was developed thanks to some help from a...

Today I braved Atlanta traffic for one of my favorite recorded interviews of the year. Join me as I chat with ASW's head distiller Justin Manglitz. A distiller, a fiddler. Somehow, without ever traveling to Scotland or Ireland, he pulled in the art of distilling from those storied whisky making areas, saw what was happening in America, and developed his own hybrid techniques from the two disparate philosophies.

Learning my lesson after not carrying a microphone around during my interview with Richard at St. Augustine, this time Justin and I walked through the distillery and had a...

St. Augustine Distillery (St. Augustine, FL) WF0048

Heading down to a beautiful distillery in a historic building in a town filled with its own history. Join me as I travel to the oldest continuously occupied town in the United States (did I get that right?) as we meet with Richard DeMontmollin, head distiller, and chat about the origins of the distillery, his family name, the wonders of the pot still, and free tours.

If you've been curious about that fountain of youth or have been hearing about the special whiskeys coming out of Florida, check...

Seven Three Distillery (New Orleans, LA) WF047

Time to head down to the Big Easy to a distillery experience with a little swamp magic and a whiskey tree. In a town with so many cool things to experience, its time to get a feel for the hospitality and spirits produced by Luka Cutura and his team at Seven Three Distillery, just across the bridge from the Louisiana Superdome and a few blocks from Bourbon Street.

And check out an extra eight minutes of interview time with a free-trial of Whiskey Lore's Patreon patreon.com/whiskeylore 

Crittenden Distillery (Kiln, MS) WF046

Head to the deep, Deep South, down to the self-proclaimed moonshine capital of the United States, Kiln, MS. While it did snow here a couple weeks ago, this area is much more known for its heat and we're going to go step by step with Matt Crittenden through the distilling process and chat about various considerations along the way.

Patreon members are getting a rare treat - experiencing what it is like to walk through a distillery with me. Matt and I carry our mics around while he shows off...

Dread River Distillery (Birmingham, AL) WF045

The Deep South tour continues as I move through 48 great states and craft distilleries. Today I'm at Birmingham's Dread River Distillery meeting with their head distiller Joshua. We're going to dive into his experience moving from a Pennsylvania distillery into the heat of the South. We'll also learn about an American Single Malt experiment that took a unique turn, learn how Dread River fits into the Birmingham nightlife, and we'll attempt to meet Patty, the stray turned distillery cat. And what does Kudzu have to do with whiskey? We'll find out.<...

Time to take a trek off the beaten path to a family run distillery that defines what it means to run a craft distillery business. For 10 years, Craig and Meredith Amick have grown the business from moonshine made on a flame fed pot still to a line of Bourbon's that are showing, even in South Carolina heat, the right craftsman can make a unique Bourbon filled with complexity.

Join me as we chat about Craig's family's 9 generations in South Carolina and how they've incorporated that history into their spirits. We'll also tackle the idea of making things...

Rock Town Distillery (Little Rock, AR) WF0043

Today, I'm off on the last stop of my first swing through the country. The destination is Rock Town Distillery, where cocktails have become a specialty, and where you can taste the difference between column still and pot still whiskey - and maybe even taste some peated Bourbon and single malt.

Join me today as I chat with Phil Brandon, founder of Rock Town, as we talk about the distillery's 15th anniversary, getting started in non-traditional places, and some of the things people can experience at the distillery...

Hochatown Distilling Co (Broken Bow, OK) WF0042

What do you think of when you think of Oklahoma? Probably not beautiful green hills and Bourbon whiskey. Well, it is time to discover, along with me, one of the most beautiful parts of the state of Oklahoma, near the tourist town of Broken Bow, to learn about a distillery built on science.

Meet Blue McDaniel, co-founder of the Hochatown Distilling Company, a distillery that embraces the unique weather, local grains and lumber, and started with a scientific approach. It's a distillery that will help get you into...

Ironroot Republic Distillery (Denison, TX) WF0041

The Great 48 Tour heads to a family run distillery that is celebrating 10 years of mixing French distilling techniques with Bourbon and other spirits. Join me as I chat with Robert Likarish, co-founder of Ironroot. We'll talk about the distillery's origins, working with barrels in Texas heat, and how they set their distillery experience apart from the rest.

Find details about Ironroot and all of the other distilleries we profile on the show at whiskey-lore.com/flights (and make sure to sign up for the free wish list feature, to...

Old Dominick Distillery (Memphis, TN) WF040

Welcome to Memphis, the second stop on my Great 48 Tour of the United States and its amazingly creative craft distilleries. Today, we're skipping Graceland and heading straight downtown to Front Street, a couple stops from Beale, to enjoy some whiskey and Memphis history through the eyes of the Old Dominick Distillery.

Join me as I visit one of my favorite distilleries in the state, talk about the tour experience, the legends of Boss Crump and Prohibition, the grocer turned whiskey producer from Italy, and all the things you could...

Bard Distillery (Graham, KY) WF039

It's time for the "Great 48 Tour" as I make my way across the country, visiting a craft distillery in each of the 48 contiguous states.

It seems appropriate to start this kind of journey in Kentucky, the state that helped bring whiskey back after Prohibition. But so many distilleries in east and central Kentucky are well established. Heading to Western Kentucky is like seeing the rebirth of distilling all over again.

Today's stop is the Bard Distillery (Stop #1), where Tom and Kim Bard established a distillery in the very...

Kiwi Spirit (Golden Bay, New Zealand) WF038

(A special extended version is available at whiskey-lore.com/patreon - available with the 7-day free trial)

It's time to head to the land of the Kiwi's - New Zealander's fun nickname. A few weeks ago, Kiwi Spirit was flying in the Whiskey Lore "Craft Distillery Fan Favorite" competition and reached the Sweet 16. I felt it was time to get to know them and their spirits better.

What I found out is that the distillery is on the edge of one of the most beautiful places...

Hellyers Road Distillery (Burnie, Tasmania) WF037

How many distilleries are there on the island of Tasmania? Wow, really? 

It is time to take our first steps onto whisky island. So you thought that was Islay, right? Well, maybe by volume, but for the sheer number of distilleries, Tasmania has them by a mile. 

Today, let's get a sense of what is going on in Tasmania, the flavors, the styles, the experiences, and the people. Join me as I chat with CEO Derek Charge or our Head Distiller Fiona Coutts of Hellyers Road Distillery to...

Hard Truth Spirits (Nashville, Indiana) WF036

Over the years, I've been to a few distilleries that consider themselves "destination distilleries." On the way up through Indiana, I saw Hard Truth suggesting they were a "Top" destination distillery. In this episode, Gerry, Bryan, and Travis are out to convince me of it.

Join me on my last stop along the Midwest Great Lakes Tour 2024 as I visit the hill country of Indiana. And also find out about one of Canada's legendary distillers that time forgot - on This Week In Whiskey Lore.

And make...

O'Shaughnessy Distilling Co. (Minneapolis, MN) WF035

The Midwest Great Lakes Tour 2024 is winding down, but not before we hit a jewel of the Midwest, Minneapolis and the distillery that is bringing together Irish and American spirit traditions. The distillery is O'Shaughnessy the home of Keeper's Heart. I'll chat with former brewer, now lead distiller Chris Sliber about how he and Irish distiller Brian Nation are building the perfect infusion of Irish Pot Still, grain, and American Bourbon and rye. We'll talk about pot stills, deconstructing whiskey, and what to expect while on tour.

Plus, fans...

When it comes to whisky legends, George Dickel has one of the most confusing. Was he a distiller or wasn't he a distiller? Who is this Victor or Manny Shwab that gets a mention during the historical breakdown on the tour. Did George ever own the Cascade Hollow distillery? And if he didn't who did? Plus, where did the slogan for their whisky "Mellow as Moonlight" come from?

My guest today, Clay Shwab, is the great-grandson of the man who had a vision for George Dickel & Co, laid his own money on the line, and helped bring...

45th Parallel Distillery (New Richmond, WI) WF034

After a short (recording) layoff, thanks a a hurricane power outage, I'm back to finish off the last three visits on my Midwest Great Lakes Tour 2024. Today, we're off to a distillery with great fan support in an area just a little off the beaten path. It's 45th Parallel, just about 50 minutes east of Minneapolis. It's a distillery focused on grain-to-glass, getting most of their grains from the local community and they're working on a variety of spirits beyond Bourbon and Rye. We'll talk about one of them - aquavit...

Lucky Guys Distillery (Hudson, WI) WF033

The sign says it all "mad scientist at work." Join me as I arrive on the border of Wisconsin and Minnesota and chat about all things bitters (including how they're made), cocktails, white whiskey, and what charcoal filtering really does. I'll be chatting with Lucky Guys founder Guy Whitehead.

And check out the growing list of distilleries available for you to plan trips to at whiskey-lore.com/flights 

Great Northern Distilling (Stevens Point, WI) WF032

Thanks to everyone taking part in our Instagram Craft Distillery Bracketology. Without you, I wouldn't have discovered so many great Wisconsin distilleries, including the one I'm visiting today in the heart of America's Dairyland, beer land, and now whiskey land.

During our visit, we'll learn about what potatoes bring to vodka, the special ingredients that make a Wisconsin Old Fashioned unique, and dive into the concept of the Wisconsin supper club with Brian Cummings, Great Northern's founder.

Plus on This Week in Whiskey Lore, we'll go...

Ethanology Distillation (Elk Rapids, MI) WF031

If you're into creativity and you love distilleries that push the boundaries, today's distillery has you covered. Nick and Geri Lefebre made gin and Bourbon, but they also make a pretty amazing spirit (2 ways) out of honey. Single malt and brandy fans might find this episode fascinating.

Nick and I sit outside, enjoying samples and talking about creative distilling, Michigan grain, B Corp Certification, and the search for flavor. The conversation was so fascinating, time flew by - so enjoy this extended interview as we say goodbye to Michigan...

Mammoth Distilling Co (Bellaire, MI) WF030

A big thank you to Mammoth for inviting me to South Manitou Island for the Rosen Rye project. What an amazing experience. You'll hear about some of it in this episode with my guest, farmer, brewer, and distiller Collin Gaudard. He'll talk about how Rosen Rye got to America, how popular it was, how it went away, and how we got it back.

Also during this episode, we'll go back to the gangster era and hear how a little Tennessee town earned a nickname worthy of the most famous...

Traverse City Whiskey Co (Traverse City, Michigan) WF0029

Way back in 2019 I was in my favorite Tennessee whiskey shop when I saw a bottle I'd heard about but hadn't seen in the wild. It was a bottle of XXX Traverse City Straight Bourbon Whiskey. I bought it and really enjoyed the flavor and the idea I was sipping something from the state I was born in.

Today, Traverse City is growing the spirits its making and focusing on the local cherry scene. Join me as I chat with Chris Fredrickson, co-founder of Traverse City Whiskey...

Grand Traverse Distillery (Traverse City, MI) WF0028

When I started this journey to Michigan, I have to say, I knew very little about the distilling history of my birth state. Come to find out, this modern craft boom might just be the very start of its reputation in the world of fine spirits. And one of the first to fire up a still was Kent Rabish. Inspired by a trip to Oregon and his grandfather's still, hear the story of the early days of Michigan distilling, the thought process that goes into building a distillery, and why...

Iron Fish Distillery (Thompsonville, MI) WF0027

It's time to visit distillery 2 on my journey through the great distilleries of the Midwest. The one stands as Michigan's first post-Prohibition farm distillery. Here grain-to-glass can be seen first hand, after a drive down one of Michigan's patented easy driving dirt roads.

Find out what makes this particular distillery tick, how they are handling sustainability, and what inspired these owners to attempt both farming and distilling - something they had zero experience with when they started.

And This Week In Whiskey Lore will focus on a...