This episode features Laura Fields of The Delaware Valley Fields Foundation.

In this episode Laura and I go down a number of whiskey history tangents.  We hope that you enjoy this fascinating journey into some little discussed stories of our past.

Highlights From our Conversation:

Jefferson's Bourbon

Stoll and Wolfe

Jack Sullivan

Michters

Wild Turkey

Leopold Brothers

Alan Bishop

Judson and Moore

Whiskey Trust

Quantum Spirits

Koval Distillery

Laird & Company

This episode features our experience at Cidercon 2023 in Chicago.  

Sunny Gandara

Eleanor Leger

Michelle McGrath

The following were featured guests:

Northeast Barrel Company

Peterson Farms

Flextank

33 Books

Black Diamond Farm

Alma Cider

Uncle John's Cider Mill

Brother Monk Ciderworks

Dressler Estate

BevFluence

Blakes Hard Cider

Cider Soms

Northwest Cider Association

This episode features Jaime Windon of Lyon Rum.

Jaime has a penchant for saying yes to crazy ideas.  On a whim she drove down to Kentucky and bought a 26 galloon still to make rum.  Lyon Rum was embraced by the small town of St. Michaels, MD as the distillery began to take shape and grow.  It's Jaime's love of making things for people and serving them that has helped to make this rum distillery a major success.  They're putting a unique fingerprint on the rum industry by making genuinely flavorful and complex spirits. 

605 S Talbot St UNIT 6, St Michaels, MD 21663 - (443) 333-9181- www.LyonRum.com - Facebook

Highlights From our Discussion:

Tiffani Barriere

Amaro Santoni

Rise Up Coffee Roasters

This episode features Lyndon Smith of Botanist and Barrel.

Lyndon and his wife Amie Fields have an extensive natural wine background.  They also have a wonderful family heritage of being wine producers.  Grandpa Abe even produced bathtub tropical hooch.  A defunct blueberry farm came for sale nearby where Lyndon grew up.  This farm now grows a wide variety of fruits including blueberries, apples, pears, aw well ask botanical.  This is where Botanist and Barrel was born.  They create delicious nuanced natural ciders and wines.   

32 Broadway St Suite 110, Asheville NC 28801 - (828) 338-9516- www.BotanistandBarrel.com - Facebook

Highlights From our Discussion:

Défi Wines

Good Food Guild

Eda Rhyne

DeAngelo Williams

Artifact Cider Project

Enlightenment Wines Meadery

Graft Cidery

Crooked Run Fermentation

This episode features Mark Breen-Klein of Independent Spirits Distillery.

Kerry, Mark's mother, was trying to decide a business to go into as her children were leaving home to explore their lives.  Without any experience or knowledge the decision was made to start a distillery.  Mark brought his biomedical engineering degree background into the family business.  His attention to detail and a focus on a uniform product takes their spirits to a new level.  There are quite a few expressions to be proud of which are all unique, creative and full of flavor.  These are expressions that pay homage to the local farmers of South Jersey that surround this family craft distillery.  

131 Davidson Rd, Woolwich Township, NJ 08085 - (609) 202-5458- www.ISDistillery.com - Facebook

Highlights from our discussion:

Two Bridges Wine, Beer and Spirits Trail

Rabbit Hill Farms

Mood's Farm Market

Tito's Vodka

This episode features Mike Contreras of 2SP Brewing Company.

2SP was conceived in 2015.  Mike is the director of sales and marketing.  While he was working at Dogfish Head Brewing, the owner of 2 Stones Pub, Mike Stiglitz gave him a call.  He shared that he was thinking about starting a brewery.  He was already filling out his team with Bob Barrar, who at the time was already a highly decorated brewer.  It was an easy decision for Mike to come on board.  The focus has been to build a nice regional brewery that provides local beer for the community that they can be proud of.  Today, 2SP is the 10th largest brewery in PA, providing wonderful, flavourful, complex beer.  

120 Concord Rd #101-103, Aston, PA 19014 - (484) 483-7860- www.2SPBrewing.com - Facebook

Highlights from our discussion:

Dogfish Head Brewery

Iron Hill Brewery

Rogue Brewery

Evolution Craft Brewing

Wawa

Herman's Coffee

Little Goat Coffee Roasting Co.

Rebecca Newman

Great American Beerfest

We reflect back on an amazing 2022 while sampling Wandering Bard Meadery's Oaked Black Cherry.  

Highlights From our Discussion:

Bar Convent Brooklyn

Cidercon 2022

MeadCon 2022

Duck Butts Meadery

This episode features Amanda Beckwith of Virginia Distillery Company.

Dr. George G. Moore was an Irishman who came to the United States in the 1970's.  He loved collecting and drinking single malt whisky's.  In 2011 the dream of a distillery began to become a reality.  In 2013 George's son Gareth took over the reigns when his father passed away.  Today, Virginia Distillery Company has been distilling and aging for over seven years.  Amanda came on board in 2015 to launch the tour and tasting program.  Her knowledge of whisky making quickly grew.  Amanda discovered that she had an amazing ability to  nose and taste whisky.  Today, as master blender, she has taken the lead on their single malt "Courage & Conviction" release.  We got to share Amanda's perspective on the juice that the team is producing.  We have to say that what they are producing is sensational.  Their New American Single Malt is a feast for the senses.

299 Eades Ln, Lovingston, VA 22949 - (434) 285-2900 - www.VADistillery.com - Facebook

Highlights from our discussion:

Harry Cockburn

Dr. Jim Swan

Nancy Fraley

George Washington's Mount Vernon Distillery

Murphy & Rude Malting Company

Brown Forman

Bar Convent Brooklyn

This episode features Tetsuro Mayazaki of Iichiko Shochu.

Shochu is the original Japanese craft distilled spirit.  It is more popular than sake and Japanese whisky.  This delicious spirit is a newcomer to the American market.  All of these years it has been unique to Japan and its restaurants.  Iichiko Shochu is distilled from barley.  In 1979 Iichiko was launched.  Today it is the number one consumed shochu in Japan.  After tasting these exceptional expressions we can fully understand why.  We loved learning from Tetsuro about shochu and its origins.  

www.iichiko.com - Facebook

Highlights from our discussion:

Bar Convent Brooklyn

Tiffanie Barriere

Koji

Umami

Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits

Tales of the Cocktail

This episode features Matt Simon of Good intent Cider.

For Adam Redding, cidermaking began as a hobby.  He took cider making classes at Cornell University.  Growing up in Gettysburg, he was exposed to the amazing apples produced in Adams County.  Matt joined Good Intent almost 6 years ago.  He studied food science at Penn State.  Matt reached out to Adam as graduation approached.  Adam shared all his experience and it wasn't long before Matt was putting his own personality into the cider being produced.  Good Intent is producing flavorful and complex cider.  This is a must stop for cider fans and new to be cider lovers.  

167 S Potter St, Bellefonte, PA 16823 - (814) 355-1654 - www.GoodintentCider.com - Facebook

Highlights from our discussion:

Mason Dixon Distillery

A. Smith Bowman Distillery

Gettysburg, PA

Bellefonte, PA 

Ciderfest of PA