Enjoy and learn from conversations with leading distillers as co-hosts Sydney Jones, head distiller for FEW Spirits in Chicago, and Molly Troupe, master distill...
Episode 24: Eli Breitburg-Smith Is Ushering in the Epoch of Rye in Baltimore
Founded in 2015, Baltimore Spirits is celebrating a decade of distilling in Charm City. Led by cofounder and head distiller Eli Breitburg-Smith, that run has played a notable role in the craft revival of American rye. Their Epoch Reserve has won multiple double golds at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, more recently landing on Fred Minnick’s Top 100 list of American whiskeys in 2024.
In this episode, hosted by Sydney Jones, Breitburg-Smith talks about how he got into distilling as a former craft brewer and how Baltimore Spirits was focused from the beginning on bringing pot-distilled rye whiskey back to Maryland. He also discusses:
the influence of single-malt on their rye whiskeys
making other spirits, including their Shot Tower Gin, unusual apple brandies, and New World amari
using Belgian and American ale yeasts to help drive tropical character in the Epoch Rye
Baltimore Spirits’ approach to single-malt, and preparing barrels for that spirit
what makes Maryland rye whiskey different, including its history
the Ja Rule whiskey collaboration, Amber & Opal, featuring honey, smoky tea, and other botanicals
making apple brandies aged and blended Solera-style, distilled from smoked apples—and pechuga-inspired, made with smoked ham and seasonal botanicals
working with the Maryland Distillers Guild to share technical know-how and push for legislative changes for craft distillers
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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23: Morgan McLachlan of AMASS and De Soi Builds Thoughtful Botanical Bases for Both Gin and Nonalcoholic Spirited Beverages
Morgan McLachlan, the Los Angeles–based cofounder of Amass Spirits (https://amassgin.com) and Katy Perry’s nonalcoholic De Soi (https://drinkdesoi.com) brand, has a flair for theatrics that’s only fitting for someone who started her career as a camera operator for film and TV. Every nuanced performance is built on layers, some barely noticeable—but understanding the purpose of those creative choices is essential for McLachlan, as she constructs everything from gins and nonalcoholic spirits to fragrances and other botanical-based products.
In this episode, host Molly Troupe and McLachlan discuss:
McLachlan distilling background, which began in her own bathtub
distilling clementine oranges into a citrus spirit
using strategies from the fragrance and culinary worlds to produce compelling botanical blends in spirits
the varied impacts of house-made and sourced botanical extracts as well as different extraction techniques
challenges when working in the nonalcoholic space with water as a solvent
how certain terpenes behave through the distillation process for unexpected results
managing challenging botanicals such as cardamom
creating gin that’s both classically versatile and noteworthy
regulatory challenges with specific ingredients
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. 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.
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22: Spirits & Distilling Year in Review Special
Year one of the Spirits & Distilling podcast is in the books, and in this special year-end look back, hosts Sydney Jones and Molly Troupe recount some of their favorite conversations of 2024, discuss the dramatic changes in their own lives, muse on big issues of the past year like the TTB’s adoption of a definition for American Single Malt, and look at the big issues and conversations they’re focusing in on for the next year. Along the way, they discuss:
refereeing between the two wolves inside of you
developments in agave spirits
favorite spirits they’ve tasted over the past year
why meat is the last cool frontier in spirits
water and its impact on distilling
the benefits of higher proof bottled cocktails
impacts of AI on distilling
new year’s resolutions
And more.
Brought to you by:
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. Jim Kuhr, VP of Manufacturing at Red Boot Beverages says, “G&D has been with us since the early days. Their knowledgeable engineers and service techs are there when we need them. We’re in the midst of a large expansion, and they have been right there with us to select chiller solutions for today and the future.” Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com
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21: David Fisher of Sydney’s Archie Rose Distilling Prizes Independence and Balance
David Fisher’s love of spirits started with bartending in London and followed a winding path, eventually passing through pandemic-era New York City into sensory analysis and blending back home in Australia. Now the senior spirits blender at award-winning Archie Rose Distilling (https://archierose.com.au/) in Sydney, Fisher has one of the most respected noses in the business.
In this discussion with host Molly Troupe, Fisher shares his thoughts on the importance of confidence to sensory and blending, and knowing your weaknesses as well as your strengths. He also discusses:
stopping to smell the flowers (and everything else) in collecting sense memories
the aromatic purity of gin botanicals versus the integrated matrix of whiskey
the overarching importance of balance
bridging New World flavors and Old World elegance
the effects of Australian temperature swings on barrel aging
backing up sensory data with numbers, and making the connections with production choices
making distinctive whiskey with malts smoked by unusual local woods
And more.
Brought to you by:
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. Jim Kuhr, VP of Manufacturing at Red Boot Beverages says, “G&D has been with us since the early days. Their knowledgeable engineers and service techs are there when we need them. We’re in the midst of a large expansion, and they have been right there with us to select chiller solutions for today and the future.” Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com
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20: Sherrie Moore Uses Data and Experimentation to Understand and Optimize Whiskey Flavor and Consistency
There aren’t many problems in whiskey that Sherrie Moore hasn’t tackled and solved. Over her 30+ years at Tennessee’s renowned Jack Daniel’s distillery, she’s worked in just about every role imaginable—from chemist and processing manager to barrel warehousing manager and, eventually, director of whiskey production. She’s since directed whiskey production for Nearest Green Distillery, and for the past few years she has expanded her scope to help smaller brands dial in processes, products, and operations.
In this episode, Moore and host Sydney Jones discuss:
Understanding tradition before getting into experimentation
Jack Daniel’s experiments to reduce the angel’s share
Managing a distillery through periods of overproduction and rebalancing
Understanding the impact of toast versus char
Newer research from ISC Barrels on barrel preparation
Creating greater consistency, not just quality
Understanding the dynamics of barrel warehouses
Evaluating with the eyes to understand flavor
Collecting data on consumer preference through tasting-room experiments
And more.
Brought to you by:
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. Jim Kuhr, VP of Manufacturing at Red Boot Beverages says, “G&D has been with us since the early days. Their knowledgeable engineers and service techs are there when we need them. We’re in the midst of a large expansion, and they have been right there with us to select chiller solutions for today and the future.” 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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