Spirits & Distilling Podcast
Episode Archive
Episode Archive
31 episodes of Spirits & Distilling Podcast since the first episode, which aired on March 5th, 2024.
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31: Sara Sergent of Alpine Distilling Blends Science with Instinct and Flair in Botanical Spirits
April 29th, 2025 | 50 mins 15 secs
angelica, botanicals, distilling, gin, juniper, lemon, sourcing ingredients
Whether she’s engaging with the wide world of ingredients or sourcing those from her own high-mountain backyard, master distiller Sara Sergent combines well-honed sensory skills with a methodical process for testing how processes and treatments change aroma and flavor expression in her award-winning botanical spirits.
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30: Bob Dillon of Dismal Harmony Refines Flavors with Creative Flair
April 15th, 2025 | 1 hr 4 mins
cocktail, cocktails, distilling, liqueur, whiskey
Bob Dillon joins the podcast to discuss the technical and artistic vision behind his more familiar spirits as well as his ACSA best-in-show-winning Vidisha’s Masala liqueur.
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29: Devon Trevathan of Liba Spirits and Trovador Rum Distills Spirits with Stories
April 1st, 2025 | 1 hr 1 min
aperitivo, distilling, gin, peated whisky
Whether she’s distilling in far-flung locales, blending beautiful spirits, or writing about others’ processes, Devon Trevathan crafts stories in both words and flavors.
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Episode 28: Brett Steigerwaldt of Lyon Rum is Crafting Contemporary Expressions with Timeless Methods
March 18th, 2025 | 57 mins 17 secs
dark rum, distilling, double pot distillation, fermentation, rum, white rum
Rum with distinctive character and refined expression is key for this Maryland distillery, and head distiller Brett Steigerwaldt doesn’t leave flavor up to fate.
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27: Ashley Barnes of The Blending House Uses Data to Drive Better Blends
March 4th, 2025 | 52 mins 2 secs
blending, blending whiskey, bourbon, spirits blending, spirits sensory, whiskey, whiskey blending
As a chemist with a background in pharmaceutical quality, Ashley Barnes developed scientific discipline and a data-driven approach. Now as master blender at the Blending House, she applies that same rigor to the subject of aging and blending spirits.
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26: Caley Shoemaker of As Above, So Below Explores Character and Texture in Vodka Distillation
February 18th, 2025 | 1 hr 1 min
absinthe, distilling, gin, single malt, vodka, whiskey
Character and expression in “simple” vodka distillations? Is it really possible? The cofounder and master distiller behind this Santa Fe, New Mexico, craft distillery not only thinks so, but she walks through her process of using atypical grains and other ingredients to produce vodka with spirit and verve.
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25: Gian Nelson of Jano Spirits and Ruins Distillery is Exploring the Possibilities in California Agave
February 4th, 2025 | 48 mins 6 secs
agave spirit, california agave, distilling, tequila
There’s more to agave than Blue Weber, and Gian Nelson is on a mission to show just what’s possible with California agave through careful work with growers, adaptive fermentation processes, and an embrace of the inherent inefficiency of agave in general.
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Episode 24: Eli Breitburg-Smith Is Ushering in the Epoch of Rye in Baltimore
January 21st, 2025 | 57 mins 12 secs
apple brandy, distilling, maryland whiskey, rye, rye whiskey, solera, whiskey
The cofounder and head distiller of Baltimore Spirits discusses their approach to producing distinctive rye whiskeys—such as the award-winning Epoch—as well as other unusual spirits, from a pechuga-inspired apple brandy to a smoked-tea whiskey collab with Ja Rule.
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23: Morgan McLachlan of AMASS and De Soi Builds Thoughtful Botanical Bases for Both Gin and Nonalcoholic Spirited Beverages
January 7th, 2025 | 48 mins 5 secs
distilling, gin. botanicals, nonalcoholic spirits
She’s not one for hard and fast rules, instead employing the deep strategies of fine fragrance makers and molecular gastronomy chefs to understand the chemical underpinnings of the layered, nuanced aroma and flavor compounds in her spirits.
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22: Spirits & Distilling Year in Review Special
December 24th, 2024 | 1 hr 5 mins
ai, distilling, gin, single malt, whiskey, whisky
Hosts Sydney Jones and Molly Troupe recount some of the most intriguing and thought provoking episodes of the past year, discuss developments like the American Single Malt designation, and look toward what 2025 has in store.
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21: David Fisher of Sydney’s Archie Rose Distilling Prizes Independence and Balance
December 10th, 2024 | 51 mins 42 secs
blending, distilling, elegance, sensory, spirits
The senior spirits blender at Sydney’s award-winning Archie Rose shares his perspectives on sensory analysis, blending, and producing distinctive spirits with Australia’s ingredients and climate.
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20: Sherrie Moore Uses Data and Experimentation to Understand and Optimize Whiskey Flavor and Consistency
November 26th, 2024 | 56 mins 44 secs
barrel aging, barrel maturation, jack daniel's, tennessee whiskey, whiskey, whiskey maturation
Over her 30+ years at Jack Daniel’s, Sherrie Moore served in a variety of roles, from working in the visitor’s center in the mid-70s through stints as chemist, processing manager, warehousing manager, and more before retiring as director of whiskey production. Now, she works with spirits brands in a consulting capacity, sharing the knowledge she built over decades of bust-and-boom producing whiskey for one of the world’s largest brands.
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19: A Global Perspective on Gin With Olivier Ward of Everglow Spirits
November 12th, 2024 | 1 hr 7 mins
american gin, distilling, gin, juniper spirits, london dry gin, spirits
The world of gin, from the creative and technical side to marketing and sales, is experiencing the same flux that’s affecting the broader craft spirits world. But Ward— veteran spirits journalist, brand builder, and consultant—offers a broad look at the category, from evolving definitions and flavors to breakthrough marketing.
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18: Mark Vierthaler of Whiskey Del Bac Is Pursuing a Distinct Sense of Place, Transparently
October 30th, 2024 | 58 mins 35 secs
arizona, distilling, whiskey
The head distiller and blender in Tucson, Arizona, is embracing the scorching desert climate and local flavor—namely, mesquite-smoked malt—to craft distinctive whiskeys while making transparency integral to the brand.
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17: Blender Jackie Zykan of Hidden Barn and Oduoak Debunks Lazy Assumptions about Whiskey Flavors, Blending, and Sensory
October 15th, 2024 | 1 hr 12 mins
bourbon, bourbon blending, colorado whiskey, distilling, kentucky bourbon, perfume, whiskey, whiskey blending
Zykan, former master taster for Old Forester, current master blender for Hidden Barn and perfumer for Oduoak, joins host Sydney Jones for a rollicking episode of intentionality and shared experience.
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16: Adam Spiegel of Corning & Company and Sonoma Distilling Takes a Reactive and Responsive Approach to an Evolving Spirits Market
October 1st, 2024 | 58 mins 36 secs
black truffle whiskey, bourbon, distilling, espresso martini, rye, smoked malt, smoked whiskey, whiskey
The president of Corning & Company reimagined and reconfigured Sonoma Distilling into a house of brands—some are owned, others are partnerships—but quality and experimentation are still top of mind for this award-winning master distiller.