Spirits & Distilling Podcast

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Spirits & Distilling Podcast episodes

July 23, 202537: Staying Sane and Happy in the Spirits Industry—a Panel Discussion with Maggie Campbell and Jennifer Wren
In this special episode of the podcast, co-hosts Molly Troupe and Sydney Jones reunite for a panel discussion—not on distilling, specifically, but on how to set yourself up for success while maintaining work-life balance in the spirits industry. Joining the hosts are Maggie Campbell, CEO of American Cane, and Jennifer Wren. As chief joy officer of the Wren Way, Wren’s coaches women on how to make joy central to their careers.
Among other topics, they discuss:
the “bugout bag” and why you should pack one, today, even if you love your job
why it’s important for leaders to maintain positive work environments
tips on how to maintain work-life balance
the perils of toxic productivity
the importance of setting boundaries and taking breaks
watching for signs of burnout
the value of a network and keeping up with contacts
financial planning for career flexibility
And more.
G&D Chillers: G&D Chillers understands that each distillery’s chilling requirements are unique. On every distillery project, G&D offers the front-end design and engineering your team needs at no cost to you. Sid Dilawri from Filibuster Distillery says, “From the design and engineering to installation and start-up, G&D was easy to work with. We’ve had great customer service since commissioning our chiller, and I’d highly recommend them for any distillery system.” Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com.
1 hr 14 min
July 09, 202536: Todd Leopold Designs and Distills Spirits that Have Something to Say
Three decades in, you’d think Todd Leopold of Denver’s Leopold Bros would have this whole distilling thing locked down, but he’s the first to admit he’s still figuring it all out. Or, maybe it’s more accurate to say that as soon as he has something solved, he finds a new problem or project with a new set of unknowns, to maintain a dynamic state of constant learning. His restless creativity just can’t stay in one place for too long.
In this episode with host Sydney Jones, the widely respected maltster, distiller, and reluctant blender considers the distillery’s history and discusses the process and implementation behind a number of things, including:
reviving Maryland rye with a focus on fruit over spice
rediscovering and commissioning a three-chamber still to facilitate more flavor and aroma in specific spirits
distilling great fruit brandies and finding a place for oak-barrel conditioning with fruit spirits
very slow proofing to maintain stability
using a dunnage warehouse to reduce evaporation and maintain more consistent temperatures for aging spirits
maintaining a low entry proof for more breadth of flavor
working vinegar into their product portfolio
collaborating on vermouth with an award-winning winemaker
And more.
G&D Chillers: G&D Chillers understands that each distillery’s chilling requirements are unique. On every distillery project, G&D offers the front-end design and engineering your team needs at no cost to you. Hank Pressley, head distiller at Moon Drop Distillery says, “Early on, we made a decision to partner with quality American-made companies. One of those companies was G&D Chillers, and we are proud of that choice. Our equipment from them has run long and strong. We put our first barrel in our rickhouse in September 2021, and in the next 3 years we have put back more than another 540 barrels. What a great decision to team up with a company like G&D Chillers.” Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com.
1 hr 25 min
June 24, 202535: American Cane Tells Expressive Stories in Regionally Relevant Rum
A certain kind of alchemy occurs when everything aligns in the production of rum—ingredients, expressive fermentation, maturation—but the story and the “why” behind great rum is another element that can’t be forgotten. Maggie Campbell and Chaz Vest of American Cane are deeply focused on those components that make for interesting rum, driven to tell the broader history of rum production in America—even as they build production capacity and write up their own small piece of that ongoing history.
In this episode, Campbell, Vest, and host Molly Troupe discuss:
building a background in spirits—from Leopold Bros and Stranahan’s to Germain Robin and Mount Gay—before launching American Cane
the historical context of American rum, and the heritage that includes black, brown, and indigenous people in its production
the impact of fermentables such as fresh sugar-cane juice and molasses on the development of flavor
expressions of terroir in rum via fermentation and ingredients
building a sugar mill
taking a staged approach to growing the brand, from sourcing through production
And more.
G&D Chillers: G&D Chillers understands that each distillery’s chilling requirements are unique. On every distillery project, G&D offers the front-end design and engineering your team needs at no cost to you. Hank Pressley, head distiller at Moon Drop Distillery says, “Early on, we made a decision to partner with quality American-made companies. One of those companies was G&D Chillers, and we are proud of that choice. Our equipment from them has run long and strong. We put our first barrel in our rickhouse in September 2021, and in the next 3 years we have put back more than another 540 barrels. What a great decision to team up with a company like G&D Chillers.” Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com.
54 min
June 10, 202534: Brent Looby of Desert Door Summons the Spirit of Sotol
The distilling traditions we enjoy today are often the product of centuries of trial and error from past generations of makers, with ingredients carefully developed for efficiency and effectiveness in given locales. It’s hard to separate the spirit from the place that it comes from because often the very character of that spirit is a result of what grows, what fuels are accessible, and what ferments to a degree that matches the effort involved in extracting sugars. In Mexico and the southwestern United States, the ubiquity of agave has led many distillers to lean into such spirits, with tequila gaining traction as the segment’s most well-known, but similar plants such as the Dasylirion or desert spoon offer an adjacent distilled profile from a plant that often grows wild within its range.
For Brent Looby and Desert Door, the opportunity to ferment and distill a spirit somewhat familiar to modern consumers, but with its own personality and connection to the region, is a driving motivation. And from their distillery just outside of Austin, they’ve garnered medals and recognition for their classic and progressive takes.
In this episode, host Sydney Jones and Looby discuss:
the challenge in developing an agricultural supply chain for a wild-harvested plant
cooking the hearts of the plants to extract fermentable sugars
distilling with multiple stills to deliver the ideal flavor profile
sotol’s unique earthy and herbaceous flavor, with notes of almond and bread
barrel-aged sotol aged in Missouri white oak
botanical sotol with regional ingredients such as sage, rosemary, and hibiscus
And more.
G&D Chillers: G&D Chillers understands that each distillery’s chilling requirements are unique. On every distillery project, G&D offers the front-end design and engineering your team needs at no cost to you. Hank Pressley, head distiller at Moon Drop Distillery says, “Early on, we made a decision to partner with quality American-made companies. One of those companies was G&D Chillers, and we are proud of that choice. Our equipment from them has run long and strong. We put our first barrel in our rickhouse in September 2021, and in the next 3 years we have put back more than another 540 barrels. What a great decision to team up with a company like G&D Chillers.” Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com.
1 hr 5 min
May 28, 202533: Stranahan’s Tyler Glasser Distills with Artful Efficiency
For Tyler Glasser of Stranahan’s, problem solving and creative exploration are best begun with a holistic view, borne from perspectives gained working across the various roles within a distillery. Through his current role as plant operations administrator, he’s gained an appreciation for the part that planning, forecasting, and procurement play in enabling distillers and blenders to produce and construct great spirits, as creating products at the scale of Stranahan’s requires an integrated, cross-discipline push.
In this episode, host Molly Troupe and Glasser discuss:
How planning and forecasting impact every aspect of the distillery
The impact of procurement on the viability of distillers’ labors of love
Developing spirits that connect to place and shorten the supply chain
Managing stress and setting boundaries
The impact of tariffs on an increasingly chaotic forecasting environment
Using digital tools and algorithms to plan production and inventory levels
Balancing production with market demand while managing capital expenditures
And more.
G&D Chillers: G&D Chillers understands that each distillery’s chilling requirements are unique. On every distillery project, G&D offers the front-end design and engineering your team needs at no cost to you. Hank Pressley, head distiller at Moon Drop Distillery says, “Early on, we made a decision to partner with quality American-made companies. One of those companies was G&D Chillers, and we are proud of that choice. Our equipment from them has run long and strong. We put our first barrel in our rickhouse in September 2021, and in the next 3 years we have put back more than another 540 barrels. What a great decision to team up with a company like G&D Chillers.” Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com.
56 min
May 14, 202532: Aged Whiskeys and Citrus-Flavored Spirits Heat up for St. Augustine Distillery and City Gate Spirits
In this episode focused on distilling in Florida—host Sydney Jones’ old stomping grounds—she reconnects with industry friends Ric deMontmollin and Zack Wildrick from St. Augustine Distillery and City Gate Spirits. The high-heat, high-humidity environment there poses challenges for barrel aging St. Augustine’s whiskey, while the flavored moonshines of City Gate aim to evoke experiential memories for both the locals and tourists who flock to the distillery in season.
Over the course of the episode, the three discuss:
data-driven whiskey aging in Florida’s climate
aging concerns where the barrels’ internal temp never falls below 78°F (26°C)
avoiding excessive loss via evaporation
visually identifying potentially great single-barrel picks
making lean cuts for whiskey that ages well in the hot environment
finding authentic regional expression in flavored spirits from a neutral grain base
adjusting for year-to-year changes in the citrus crop
finding the sweet spot between audience, passion, and competency
building taste experiences for customers with specific spirit preferences
And more.
G&D Chillers: G&D Chillers understands that each distillery’s chilling requirements are unique. On every distillery project, G&D offers the front-end design and engineering your team needs at no cost to you. Hank Pressley, head distiller at Moon Drop Distillery says, “Early on, we made a decision to partner with quality American-made companies. One of those companies was G&D Chillers, and we are proud of that choice. Our equipment from them has run long and strong. We put our first barrel in our rickhouse in September 2021, and in the next 3 years we have put back more than another 540 barrels. What a great decision to team up with a company like G&D Chillers.” Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com.
1 hr 3 min
April 29, 202531: Sara Sergent of Alpine Distilling Blends Science with Instinct and Flair in Botanical Spirits
Sara Sergent, master distiller for Alpine Distilling in Park City, Utah, has garnered countless accolades over her career, and today she works with some of the biggest names in the culinary world to bring their ideas to life, while also creating bespoke and diverse spirit expressions for guests at their social club. If there’s an ingredient out there, she’s probably tried it and worked through how it expresses best through distilling. Through the course of this episode, she shares that knowledge with us. Along the way, Sergent and host Molly Troupe cover:
distilling challenging florals
using vapor extraction to preserve delicate details in sensitive ingredients
choosing which form of a plant—from root to flower—to use in distillation
research methods for learning more about botanicals
juniper variants from distant locales such as Japan and Croatia and their different impacts in gin
the range of expression in different-origin angelica root
maintaining botanicals in top shape for distilling and drying ingredients in-house
the impact of different peeling methods on lemon expression
And more.
G&D Chillers: G&D Chillers understands that each distillery’s chilling requirements are unique. On every distillery project, G&D offers the front-end design and engineering your team needs at no cost to you. Hank Pressley, head distiller at Moon Drop Distillery says, “Early on, we made a decision to partner with quality American-made companies. One of those companies was G&D Chillers, and we are proud of that choice. Our equipment from them has run long and strong. We put our first barrel in our rickhouse in September 2021, and in the next 3 years we have put back more than another 540 barrels. What a great decision to team up with a company like G&D Chillers.” Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com.
51 min
April 16, 202530: Bob Dillon of Dismal Harmony Refines Flavors with Creative Flair
Bigger world events have a way of bringing clarity and focus to individual goals, and for Bob Dillon of Dismal Harmony, the COVID pandemic gave him just the push he needed to change careers and explore the technical and creative side of craft distilling. Now, from his outpost in Morristown, New Jersey, he’s focused on both serving boundary-pushing cocktails and creating the spirits to make them possible. A recent Best in Show award for his Vidisha’s Masala liqueur from the American Craft Spirits Association’s 2025 competition is proof that his focus on finding new flavor expressions (within the confines set out by the TBB) is paying dividends.
In this episode, Dillon and host Sydney Jones discuss:
the challenges in opening a craft distillery
balancing technical precision and artistic creativity across a range of spirits
building a high-end tasting room with a refined cocktail program to support the distillery’s business plan
distillery techniques for achieving great results with challenging ingredients
working up to the edge of the TTB’s generally recognized as safe (GRAS) ingredients list
And more.
G&D Chillers: G&D Chillers understands that each distillery’s chilling requirements are unique. On every distillery project, G&D offers the front-end design and engineering your team needs at no cost to you. Hank Pressley, head distiller at Moon Drop Distillery says, “Early on, we made a decision to partner with quality American-made companies. One of those companies was G&D Chillers, and we are proud of that choice. Our equipment from them has run long and strong. We put our first barrel in our rickhouse in September 2021, and in the next 3 years we have put back more than another 540 barrels. What a great decision to team up with a company like G&D Chillers.” Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com.
1 hr 5 min
April 01, 202529: Devon Trevathan of Liba Spirits and Trovador Rum Distills Spirits with Stories
Storytelling is in Devon Trevathan’s blood, and whether she’s distilling unique spirits in Austria, New Orleans, or Australia, or writing about the inspiring technical work of peers for articles for Spirits & Distilling, she remains focused on the dual side of making—pushing outside of one’s comfort zone and finding truth. Through Liba Spirits, she pursues a nomadic approach, producing spirits with their own stories at often far-flung locales. And with Trovador Rum, based in Nashville, Tennessee, she applies her developed blending skills to create a synthesis of various rum traditions. But her interests stretch well beyond specific styles and schools, and in this conversation with host Molly Troupe, she touches on:
the unique flavor profile and historical significance of peated whiskey
navigating the unique challenges of nomadic distilling
exploring new ingredients and processes in the context of foreign distilleries
working with infusion and maceration in place of barrel aging
finding balance between sweetness and bitterness in aperitivo
fine tuning spirits with filtration and adjustments
And more.
G&D Chillers: G&D Chillers understands that each distillery’s chilling requirements are unique. On every distillery project, G&D offers the front-end design and engineering your team needs at no cost to you. Sid Dilawri from Filibuster Distillery says, “From the design and engineering to installation and start-up, G&D was easy to work with. We’ve had great customer service since commissioning our chiller, and I’d highly recommend them for any distillery system.” Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com.
1 hr 2 min
March 18, 2025Episode 28: Brett Steigerwaldt of Lyon Rum is Crafting Contemporary Expressions with Timeless Methods
The process of making rum is rife with lore, but for Brett Steigerwaldt of Lyon Rum in St. Michael’s, Maryland, breaking down the variables and understanding the impacts of each factor—ingredients, fermentation, distillation, finishing—leads to more refined expression. In this episode, Steigerwaldt and host Sydney Jones discuss:
double pot distillation’s impact on flavor and texture in finished rum
distilling various iterations of white and dark rum as well as finishing in alternate spirit barrels
understanding base ingredients for better perspective on fermentation impact
the challenges of working with molasses
adapting traditional rum techniques to whiskey, making for greater ester formation
working with Rosalie Bay Distillery in Dominica
And more.
G&D Chillers: G&D Chillers understands that each distillery’s chilling requirements are unique. On every distillery project, G&D offers the front-end design and engineering your team needs at no cost to you. Sid Dilawri from Filibuster Distillery says, “From the design and engineering to installation and start-up, G&D was easy to work with. We’ve had great customer service since commissioning our chiller, and I’d highly recommend them for any distillery system.” Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com.
58 min

About Spirits & Distilling Podcast

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Enjoy and learn from conversations with leading distillers as co-hosts Sydney Jones, head distiller for FEW Spirits in Chicago, and Molly Troupe, master distiller for Freeland Spirits in Portland,…