In this flavorful conversation with Max Lentz and Eli Breitburg-Smith of the Baltimore Spirits Company, some of the things we discuss include:

• Why brewers make great distillers, and how a dialed in focus on fermentation can enhance the quality of a distilled spirits program.
• How Max and Eli took traditional mezcal distilling methods and adapted them for making smoked fruit brandies that pay homage to the ancient mezcal tradition and the terroir of the Mid-Atlantic.
• What the heck it means when you see "PECHUGA" on a bottle of mezcal – believe me, you won't want to miss this.
• How to build out your mezcal and amaro collections in a fiscally and environmentally responsible manner
• And much, much more.

During this episode, we sample through Baltimore Spirits Company's smoked apple brandy and their limited release pechuga-style version, featuring local persimmons, black walnuts and paw-paws. We also nose and taste their three amaro offerings: Szechuan, Coffee, and Fernet.