Spirits & Distilling Podcast

Year one of the Spirits & Distilling podcast is in the books, and in this special year-end look back, hosts Sydney Jones and Molly Troupe recount some of their favorite conversations of 2024, discuss the dramatic changes in their own lives, muse on big issues of the past year like the TTB’s adoption of a definition for American Single Malt, and look at the big issues and conversations they’re focusing in on for the next year. Along the way, they discuss: refereeing between the two wolves inside of you developments in agave spirits favorite spirits they’ve tasted over the past year why meat is the last cool frontier in spirits water and its impact on distilling the benefits of higher proof bottled cocktails impacts of AI on distilling new year’s resolutions 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

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!