John Chesney of Slightly Toasted shares their latest single barrel from Old Forester. John is always looking for the best whiskey he can find for their extensive single barrel program. As an operator of the on-premise, he and his business partners tussle with the idea of adding their single barrels to cocktails or serving them neat, but damn, this Old Forester can be enjoyed any way you desire. It’s high in proof, yet light in oak, and rich in flavor. Go buy it now.

Guest: John Chesney

Hosts: Jake Hukee & Matt Brown

VISIT SLIGHTLY TOASTED HERE

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Our beloved brothers from Wiscy City, USA lead us off on the 12 Days of Barrel Picks this year. Matt Brown explains their single barrel approach and highlights a delicious, unique pick from Malloy’s Finest in Chicagoland.

Guests: Matt Brown & John Chesney

Hosts: Jake Hukee

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Alex recently became an ambassador for Teeling Whiskey. He shares a brief history of the acclaimed Irish distillery and how it relates to the history of whiskey produced in Ireland. Alex also explains how the roots of the distillery were involved in the revival of Teeling, and how they’re integrating an innovative approach to making modern Irish whiskey for their core collection and single barrel program.

Guest: Alex Brick

Hosts: Jake Hukee & Matt Brown

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John is the GM and Operator of Slightly Hospitality.. Slightly Toasted is one the best modern whiskey bars in Chicago. John shares his perspective of building/running bars and restaurants during the height of the whiskey and revived cocktail booms. He discusses his method of working with distributors to build a prestige back bar, handling relationships with spirits reps., and being a guide—from behind the bar—to guide whiskey drinkers on their journey through the current and next generation of whiskey.

247. 12 Days of Barrel Picks | Dancing Goat

Steve Malloy of Malloy’s Finest and Eric Rosentreter of Old Elk join me for an industry check-in. We debate consumer fatigue of spending money on limited whiskey releases and single barrels vs. the overall fatigue of spending money for expensive items. We also chat about what “makes” a speakeasy. And, AND, we reveal Steve’s lead on purchasing a goddam BOOKER’S single barrel.

Guests: Steve Malloy & Eric Rosentreter

Host: Jake Hukee

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J. Henry & Sons is a beloved brand on this podcast. We’ve had our dear friend Joe Henry, cofounder and son of the family-owned distillery, on multiple times, but, now, we get to hear from the matriarch. Cofounder Liz Henry (Joe’s mom) comes on live at Wisconsin Whiskey Fest. She shares how the distillery changed her life and her family, her experience working with Nancy Fraley, and how proud she is to represent her home, Wisconsin, inside of a whiskey bottle. And The Crystal King of Chicago Marty Duffy joins us.

Guest: Liz Henry & Marty Duffy

Host: Jake Hukee

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Susan Rosentreter of Samson & Surrey joins me live from the Wisconsin Whiskey Fest. We go over her 20 years in the industry, including her time running one of the greatest whiskey bars in Chicago, Fountainhead. We also chat about pride of developing/working with small whiskey brands and how they’re stacking up against big brands. And of course, we discuss the future of single barrels in America.

Host: Jake Hukee

Guest: Susan Rosentreter

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We head back to see our friends in Wiscy City, USA. Nick Maas and his band of brothers, who operate Dancing Goat, share the updates of their distillery, including the expansion of their Presents Series. We also discuss the legacy of the DG, acquiring and leveraging distilleries, and brand building by “owning your backyard.” Towards the end, we forecast the future of small distilleries. We speculate on how they an maneuver through a crowded market and learning innovative opportunities to survive.

Guests: Nick Maas, Sean Dotson, Beau Bunce, Mark Fitlin, and Shane Caulder

Hosts: Jake Hukee & Wilson Torres

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Assistant Distiller Ted Wolfe and Sales Director Brett Bauer are on the show, and they’re not here to just talk whiskey. Sagamore is launching a new Amaro. Ted explains the intricate process of developing the herbal liqueur, and Brett shares the market execution of launching the Amaro in a Black Manhattan campaign across the US. Ted also shares his experience of studying astrophysics to developing sustainable farming in Paraguay with the Peace Corps, then a decade working in storm water restoration, and finally, ending up in the distillery at Sagamore.

Guests: Ted Wolfe & Brett Bauer

Hosts: Jake Hukee

Sagamore Spirit

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Chris Blatner, Steve Malloy, Eric Rosentreter and Wilson Torres join me for a roundtable discussion on a variety of topics. We primarily focus on the single barrel scene for small distilleries, and the overall growth of small distilleries. We discuss the approach of these distilleries discovering their identity while developing, in the moment, and following nontraditional routes to customers.

Guests: Chris Blatner, Steve Malloy, Eric Rosentreter & Wilson Torres

Hosts: Jake Hukee,

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