May 21, 2024

6: Andy Garrison of Stone Barn Brandyworks Takes a Value-Added Approach to Distilling Fruits and Vegetables

55 minutes

In Andy Garrison’s mind, fruit brandies have historically been necessary byproducts of excess—fruit trees produce more food that could be consumed by their owners, so what better way to preserve their bounty than distilling the juice from the leftover fruit? Today, in the age of wide-scale commercial farming, that approach to adding or preserving value from one’s harvest is not an animating factor, and pressing and distilling juice from fruits is one of the most expensive ways to produce a spirit. But do they have to be?

Whether through his work for Stone Barn Brandyworks, or for his own label Tuff Talk Distilling, Garrison seeks more compelling answers to these questions, through creative and technical exploration. He’s tackled some tough projects, and solved some difficult technical challenges along the way, and shares his insight with host Molly Troupe in this episode. Over the course of the conversation, he touches on:

Historical connections between agriculture and distilling

Finding ways to use distilling to add value to the modern food landscape

Making spirits from challenging, low-sugar ingredients like carrots

Differentiating spirits like potato eau de vie from more pedestrian spirits like contemporary vodka

Turning ramen noodles into a unique spirit

Building flavorful grappa with modern flavor additions like espresso and biscotti

And more.

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