In this episode, Derek H. Kiernan-Johnson, Professor of Legal Writing at the University of Colorado Law School, discusses his article "The Potemkin Temptation or, The Intoxicating Effect of Rhetoric and Narrativity on American Craft Whiskey," which was published in Legal Communication & Rhetoric, the Journal of the Association of Legal Writing Directors. Kiernan-Johnson begins by briefly describing the history of whiskey production in the United States, from the colonial era to the present "craft distiller" craze. Then he describes the emergence of "Potemkin distillers," or putative craft distillers who actually purchase mass-produced generic whiskey and deceptively sell it as an "artisanal" product. He explains how and why they use narrative strategies to obscure their misleading practices, and provides some tips about how to identify ersatz craft whiskies. He closes with some regulatory proposals that could help protect consumers.

Keywords: Typography, Narrative, Persuasion, Rhetoric, Judicial Decisionmaking, Graphic Design

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