Spirits & Distilling Podcast - Episodes Tagged with “Spirits”

34: Brent Looby of Desert Door Summons the Spirit of Sotol

Spirits & Distilling — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 16:00:00 -0600

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.

21: David Fisher of Sydney’s Archie Rose Distilling Prizes Independence and Balance

Spirits & Distilling — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0700

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 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: 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

19: A Global Perspective on Gin With Olivier Ward of Everglow Spirits

Spirits & Distilling — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 18:00:00 -0700

Olivier Ward got his start in gin in the mid-oughts, working on projects for Hendricks, and the he hasn’t been able to shake the gin world since. The people, places, and processes captivate him, and building or telling those brand stories has been a major focus for the better part of the past two decades. As chief gin judge for the IWSC, he tastes thousands of gins in any given year and has a context for flavor and approaches that few possess. Now, with Everglow Spirits, he’s taking a fresh approach to both education and consultation, helping distillers (and would-be distillers) articulate their visions and understand the challenges of creating and growing brands.

In this episode, Ward and host Molly Troupe discuss:

Thinking about gin beyond just flavor
Opportunities and risks in direct-to-consumer sales
The common mistakes that brands make, and how great brands hone their focuses
Finding resonance beyond baseline expectations for quality
The variety of creative approaches and tasting profiles around the world
Base spirits and their impact on gins
Categorizing for competition with process in addition to flavor

And more.

Modern Process Equipment: Attention all distillers! The MPE Gran-U-Lizer is the precision roller mill that will change the way you approach distilling. The MPE Gran-U-Lizer masters every grain with unparalleled consistency—providing better flavor extraction and a more efficient process. One distiller even saved more than $38,000 a year after switching from a cage mill to an MPE roller mill! This is your key to achieving a perfect grind every time. Learn more on the Modern Process Equipment website: mpechicago.com!

11: Ken Klehm of 450 North Spirits Loves the Creative Challenge of Distilling an Array of Spirits

Spirits & Distilling — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 20:00:00 -0600

The modes that distillers operate in can vary wildly based on the goals of the business and the avenues for sales. While at the helm of Ghost Coast in Savannah, Georgia, Ken Klehm did it all—a law change allowed the distillery to sell cocktails as long as all the spirits were produced in-house, so Klehm distilled a wide range of spirits and liqueurs to stock the entire bar. Now, at the helm of 450 North Spirits—a family-owned distillery, adjacent to the family’s brewery, situated on a corner of the family’s Indiana farmland—he’s tackling new problems and finding opportunities in ingredients like estate corn, while creating spirits that feel at home next to the sweet and tart fruit beers the brewery is known for.

In this episode, host Sydney Jones and Klehm discuss:

making fernet based on spearmint
testing ABV in liqueurs with significant sugar content
unlocking the mystery of great chartreuse
production logistics behind distilling a wide range of spirits
conceptualizing a farm-based brewstillery program
finding cohesion from disparate inputs
mash and fermentation parameters including slow cooling in closed fermenters
distilling agave nectar

And more.

Brought to you by:
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. Rebecca Harris, president and head distiller of Catoctin Creek recently shared, “Service after the sale is what really separates the quality of a supplier relationship. G&D Chillers has always been a phone call away when we needed them. For a small business like mine, that partnership makes all the difference.” Whether you distill batch by batch or in a continuous operation, for more than 30 years, G&D has had the proven solution. Visit them today at gdchillers.com.

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Brewery & Distillery Workshop: IIf you’re planning a distillery or brewery launch, adding a distillery to your brewery, or considering purchasing an existing brewing or distilling business, then visit breweryworkshop.com for more information about the Brewery and Distillery workshop brought to you by Craft Spirits & Distilling and Craft Beer & Brewing. Over four days, you’ll learn what it takes to get a successful craft beverage business off the ground, through panel discussions, working group sessions, technical tours, and more. Get your ticket now at breweryworkshop.com.