On this episode of Industry Night, host Nycci Nellis sits down with Ari Sussman — 2024 Whiskey Maker of the Year — for a wide-ranging conversation about the science, culture, and future of distilled spirits. From winemaking in France to founding Michigan State's artisan distilling program, Ari brings a rare blend of academic rigor and bartender instincts to one of the most fascinating conversations in the drinks world right now. The result is a show notes episode that moves from grain to glass, from tradition to experimentation, and from old assumptions to a very different future for whiskey.
"I've interviewed a lot of people in the drinks world, but Ari Sussman is genuinely one of the most fascinating minds I've ever sat across from. He doesn't just make whiskey — he rethinks it from the ground up." — Nycci Nellis, Host of Industry Night
Ari's path into spirits is anything but conventional. He began as a policy analyst, took a one-way ticket to France, and found himself immersed in winemaking before eventually building distilleries across the United States. That winding trajectory gives him a perspective that feels both deeply technical and refreshingly practical. In this conversation, he explains how those early experiences shaped the way he thinks about flavor, process, and what makes a spirit truly memorable.
Much of the episode turns on the science behind grain and flavor. Ari talks about how American whiskey has long leaned wood-forward, and why more expressive grain varietals can open the door to a more layered, nuanced drinking experience. He also discusses how Prohibition disrupted grain diversity and how distillers today are working to bring those flavors back into the conversation. It is part history lesson, part sensory deep dive, and part argument for why the category still has room to evolve.
The episode also gets at one of the most interesting tensions in spirits: the transparency gap between producer and consumer. Ari argues that the usual questions wine drinkers ask do not always translate to whiskey, because the industry has historically placed a marketing curtain between the maker and the drinker. That idea runs through the whole conversation, especially as the hosts consider how younger consumers are discovering spirits today — often on their phones, through influencers, and with different expectations about access and authenticity.
That broader shift raises bigger questions about the future of American whiskey. Ari makes the case that longevity in the category depends on more than just technical quality; it also depends on whether a brand connects with people and stands for something meaningful. He shares how he approaches that balance through his work with Whiskey Gypsy, including the Explorer expression and the importance of Appalachian oak in shaping the final product. The conversation makes clear that innovation in whiskey is not just about novelty — it is about building something that can last.
"If you apply normal wine enthusiast questions to the spirits industry, it doesn't really lead you anywhere. There's a big curtain between the consumer and the producer, and marketing is supposed to fill that gap — but it wasn't." —
Ari SussmanWhat's Inside This Episode- How Ari went from policy analyst to buying a one-way ticket to France — and ended up building distilleries across America
- Why vodka is actually harder to make than bourbon
- The "flying monkeys" of Michigan State's pioneering distilling program
- How grain varietals got lost to Prohibition and are finally making a comeback
- The wood-as-teabag technique Ari stole from winemakers
- Why price and quality have zero correlation in blind tastings
- What's inside Whiskey Gypsy's Explorer expression — and why Appalachian oak matters
About the GuestsAri Sussman is a winemaker-turned-master-distiller whose career spans French vineyards, Michigan State University's pioneering Artisan Distilling Program, and distillery builds across the country. Named
2024 Whiskey Maker of the Year, he is currently the lead whiskey developer behind
Whiskey Gypsy — a brand co-founded by country star Eric Church and entrepreneur Raj Elva that's quietly rewriting the rules of American bourbon.
Nycci Nellis is the host of
Industry Night and co-host of Foodie and the Beast. A longtime fixture in food and beverage media, she brings sharp questions and genuine curiosity to every conversation — whether the topic is Michelin-starred kitchens or the grain science behind a six-year bourbon.
Find Ari Sussman's work and the Whiskey Gypsy Explorer expression at
whiskeygypsy.com (spelled W-H-I-S-K-E-Y-G-Y-P-S-I). For more of Ari's published research and grain varietal studies, follow him on
LinkedIn. Follow Nycci Nellis across platforms
@nyccinellis for more Industry Night episodes and food and drink adventures.
