Some of the topics we cover in this wide-ranging conversation with spirits writer, educator, and judge Billy Abbott include:

• How Billy took the leap from a career in computing and database management to pursue his passion for whisky, and what the past decade has looked like for him following that drastic vocational shift.
• What it means to be a generalist in a world teeming with whisky specialists, and why it pays to take a curious, humble, and omnivorous approach to learning and teaching about spirits.
• Then we take a slight left turn and talk about Asian spirits, including how Billy became one of the first Awamori Jinbners, his thoughts on Shochu and Bajui, and the tricky business of introducing large markets to spirits they know nothing about.
• But that’s not all. We give you the inside scoop on BIlly’s new book, we cover some exciting new spirits producers and trends in Europe and the UK, and we even wax poetic on the importance of sandwich ergonomics in the age of COVID.

This episode is brought to you by Near Country Provisions. If you live in the Mid-Atlantic and want to enjoy ethically raised (and delicious) meat from local farmers delivered to your door every month, then you need Near Country in your life.

Head over to NearCountry.com and enter the code BARCART when you sign up for your subscription to receive 2 free pounds of bacon or ground beef in your first delivery.