35: 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 (https://www.americancane.com) 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: (https://gdchillers.com) 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.
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34: 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, (https://www.desertdoor.com) 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: (https://gdchillers.com) 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.
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33: Stranahan’s Tyler Glasser Distills with Artful Efficiency
For Tyler Glasser of Stranahan’s, (https://stranahans.com) 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: (https://gdchillers.com) 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.
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32: 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 (https://www.staugustinedistillery.com) and City Gate Spirits (https://www.citygatespirits.com/home). 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: (https://gdchillers.com) 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.
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31: Sara Sergent of Alpine Distilling Blends Science with Instinct and Flair in Botanical Spirits
Sara Sergent, master distiller for Alpine Distilling (https://www.alpinedistilling.com) 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: (https://gdchillers.com) 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.
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, Oregon, explore the technical and creative processes behind award-winning and storied spirits. It’s a podcast by distillers, for distillers, that covers the broad world of finely crafted spirits—botanical and herbal spirits, fruit distillations, agave spirits, grain spirits, and more. Listen as the hosts discuss every aspect of the process, from ideation and ingredient selection through conversion and fermentation, distilling, aging, finishing, proofing, and packaging. Subscribe to this bi-weekly podcast for tips and techniques that will help you make better spirits.
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