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THE ART OF DISTILLING

WHISKEY
AND OTHER SPIRITS
 THE ART OF DISTILLING

AND OTHER SPIRITS

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EDITED BY BILL OWENS

AND ALAN DIKTY
FOREWORD BY FRITZ MAYTAG
© 2009 by Quarry Books

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written Photographs: Bill Owens, except: Alan
permission of the copyright owners. All images in this book have been reproduced Dikty, page 5; Bill Dowd, page 26; and
with the knowledge and prior consent of the artists concerned, and no responsibility Andrew Faulkner, pages 7, 8, 9, 11, 19
is accepted by the producer, publisher, or printer for any infringement of copyright or (center), 29, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48,
otherwise, arising from the contents of this publication. Every effort has been made to 49 (top), 52 (center), 54, 55 (top), 57, 58, 65,
ensure that credits accurately comply with information supplied. We apologize for any 66,69, 70, 75, 77, 78, 81 (left), 83, 84 (top), 85,
inaccuracies that may have occurred and will resolve inaccurate or missing information 88,89,90 (left), 91, 93, 95, 97, 98, 101, 102,
in a subsequent reprinting of the book. 103,104,105 (left), 106, 107 (top), 108, 112
(bottom), 113, 114 (right), 117 (top right), 129
First published in the United States of America by (top), 144, 147, 148, 152, 153, 159, 163, 164,
Quarry Books, a member of Quayside Publishing Group 165, and 166
100 Cummings Center
Suite 406-L Printed in Singapore
Beverly, Massachusetts 01915-6101
Telephone: (978) 282-9590
Fax: (978) 283-2742
www.quarrybooks.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Owens, Bill.
The art of distilling whiskey and other spirits: an enthusiast's
guide to the artisan distillers of potent potables I edited by Bill
Owens and Alan S. Dikty.
p.cm.
Includes index.
ISBN -13: 978-1-59253-569-9
ISBN -10: 1-59253-569-0
1. Distillation. 2. Liquors. 3. Artisans. I. Dikty, Alan S. II.
Title.
TP156.D50942009
663'.5-dc22
2009016457

ISBN-13: 978-1-59253-569-9
ISBN-10: 1-59253-569-0

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Cover and text design: Don McCartney, Diablo Graphic Design; Walnut Creek, CA

Cover Image: Detail of photo by Andrew Faulkner of a bottle of Prichard's Double

Barreled Bourbon Whiskey
Photo editor: Andrew Faulkner
Illustrations: Catherine Ryan

4 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

DEDICATION
In fond memory of our friend Michael Jackson,
who is, we have no doubt, now enjoying his
well-deserved angel's share of the world's
barrels of maturing whiskey

5
 FOREWORD BY FRITZ MAYTAG .... ..................... 8

INTRODUCTION BY BILL OWENS .............. ... .. 10

CHAPTER ONE

ABRIEF HISTORY OF DISTILLING ..........................12

CHAPTER TWO

THE DISTILLING PROCESS ..................... .............. ....... 24

CHAPTER THREE

WHISKEY .................... ............................................ ......... ....... 40

CHAPTER FOUR

VODKA .......................................... .. .... ..... ......... .... ........... .. ..... 64

CHAPTER FIVE

GIN .... .... .. .... ................ .. ... ... ... .... .. ... ... ...... ...... ..... ... ... ... .... .. .... ... 72

CHAPTER SIX

BRANDY AND EAU DE VIE .... ......... .. ............... ...... ..... 80

6
CHAPTER SEVEN

RUM, TEQUILA, LIQUERS, AND MORE ...................... 92

CHAPTER EIGHT

AGALLERY OF ARTISAN DISTILLERS ................... 110

CHAPTER NINE

DISTILLING RESOURCES ............................................... 144

THE DISTILLER'S LIBRARY ................................................................ 145

THE DISTILLER'S GLOSSARy ............................................................... 154

DIRECTORY OF DISTILLERIES ............................................................ 158

INDEX .............................................................................................. 168

ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS ... ... .............................................. .......... 172

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................ 175

ABOUT THE AUTHORS ................................. ...... ....... ......................... 175

7
 HE SECOND Whiskey Rebellion is happening
in the United States, and it is already spreading
around the world. In this marvelous book, Bill
Owens, Alan Dikty, and their contributors-like intrepid
war correspondents-take you to the front lines. You
will find here an up-to-the-minute report on the excite-
Detail of the fermentin g process ment, creativity, and brash enthusiasm of the United
of m akin g bourbon, Woodford
Reserve Distillery. States' craft distillers.

8 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Charring oak barrels at
Bluegrass Cooperage.

I have known Bill Owens producers and consumers swirl-

since his early involvement in the ing and swilling around the cur-
U.s.'s microbrewing renaissance: rent awakening.
He was one of the movement's So drink deep of Bill and Alan's
most fervent innovators. His own guide, get on the road with them,
achievements are many, and his go exploring and learning, and
enthusiasm for the whole wild enjoy being an early participant in
explosion of brewing creativity is the movement. And take my word
evidenced in his obvious enjoy- for it, as a distiller of whiskey
ment of the successes of his brew- since the second Whiskey Rebel-
ing colleagues. Whiskey Rebellion is upon us and lion's first shot: "Heads we win,
The craft-brewing renaissance, that it is happening right now in a tails we win!"
of course, began in the 1960s. By little building near you. And if you
the early '90s, it was inevitable have picked up this book already Fritz Maytag
that it would evolve into a craft- knowing about the great food Anchor Distilling
distilling renaissance. And so Bill awakening and hoping for a guide San Francisco
and his cohorts are at it again, to distilling, you have found it! April 2009
now celebrating a small-distillery What particularly fascinates me
revolution and the variety and cre- about the distillation of alcohol is
ativity that is springing up every- the enduring mystery surround-
where. Yes, we now have "craft" ing its origins. Distillation itself
whiskey distillers, experimenting is a physical art with a long-and
with all facets of grain distill- colorful-history. And the distill-
ing. And, as with the brewing ing of all sorts of materials for
revolution, the consumer reaps myriad purposes is an ancient
the rewards. We are entering a process. But when did the pro-
golden age for the spirits lover, duction of distilled spirits as a
and The Art of Distilling Whiskey beverage begin? You are welcome
and Other Spirits: An Enthusiast's to your opinion, and good luck
Guide to the Artisan Distilling of finding anyone to agree with
Potent Potables is an indispensable you! No matter what you think, I
guidebook to its beginnings. encourage you to savor the eternal
Where did the craft-distilling enigma that is embodied in a dis-
phenomenon originate? You could tilled spirit. It is a form of magic to
say that it came down from the take fruit or grain, ferment it, put
mountains, where pot-distilled it in a pot, heat it and make it dis-
whiskeys made by hand-in secret appear entirely, and then watch it
folds-have never entirely disap- reappear, drop by drop, as a clear,
peared. Or you could say that it volatile, almost ethereal liquid.
came up from the vineyards and And it is a dangerous liquid-do
orchards, where for many years not kid yourself. It can catch fire,
there has been a tiny craft- it can explode, and abusing it can
distilling segment of superb, hand- ruin lives. It is powerful, mysteri-
crafted fruit brandies and eaux- ous stuff, surely one reason that
de-vie. Just know that a second it captures the imagination of the

9
 S A YOUNG MAN in the 1970s, I had long hair, a
Volkswagen Beetle, a hip wife, and a career as a
newspaper photographer. I also published four
photography monographs, including the classic SUBUR-
BIA (still in print), and I received a Guggenheim Fellow-
ship in photography and three National Endowment for
the Arts grants. My dream was to work for LIFE maga-
zine or National Geographic, and I ended up stringing
for the Associated Press and covered the Hell's Angels
beating people with pool cues at Altamont. While all this
was happening, I was homebrewing in the garage.

By the 1980s, when I reached offering never got off the ground,
middle age, I had a flattop, sold and one by one, the brewpubs
the VW and cameras, and lost a were sold off, with Buffalo Bill's
wonderful wife. In 1982, I opened being the last to go. But I'll always
the first brewpub in the United have Alimony Ale ("The bitterest
States: Buffalo Bill's Brewery in beer in America!").
Hayward, California. The beer By the 1990s, I had gray hair
was good. My pumpkin ale is still and a new wife, and I was pub-
being brewed by many breweries. lishing two magazines: American
My public image was "colorful," Brewer and BEER: The Magazine.
and the news media loved me. I Once again my timing was good,
started believing my own press and the American Brewer rode the
clips. I opened two more brew- first great wave of craft brewing.
pubs and launched a public stock Things were looking great, but
offering to fund the building of a financially, the two magazines
large-scale production brewery. It turned out to be not such a great
all seemed like a good idea at the idea. I soon stopped publishing
time. It was, after all, "Morning BEER and sold American Brewer.
in America," Reagan was in the Soon after, the AARP mailings
White House, and the operative started showing up, and I opened
phrase for the times was "Greed an antique store. That venture
is good." lasted six months. Then my agent
I wanted success, money. I had sold some SUBURBIA photo-
three brewpubs. I grossed a mil- graphs to Elton John, giving me
lion dollars that year, but I had to enough money for a (used) Lexus
pay sixty employees and ended up and the cash for a three-month
with no profit. Things don't always trip across America, so I ran away
work out as you dream. The stock from home. On this trip I decided

10 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

to visit some craft distilleries. I Special thanks to Alan Dikty,
was intrigued, and the creative the editor of this book and a per-
juices started to flow again. When sonal friend. Alan has been with
I returned to California, I founded me as a friend and writer for some
the American Distilling Institute thirty years. Alan knows spirits.
(AD!). In 2003, I held the first ADI A big thank -you also to Andrew
distilling conference at St. George/ Faulkner, photographer and photo
Hangar One Distillery, and some editor for this book.
eighty people showed up.
In 2007, I decided to make
another trip across America. Bill Owens
Again, the trip was funded by Hayward, California
selling photographs to museums, March 2009
an assortment of art galleries,
and friends in the United States
and in Europe. This second trip
(21,000 miles) took four months,
and from fifty-three DVDs of im-
ages, we selected a hundred or
so for this book. By 2009, the ADI
database contained 1,246 names,
of which 205 are members, and
of those, 165 are craft distillers.
The future for the industry is
bright. More and more people
want to learn the art of craft
distilling. They want to learn how
to run small businesses selling
their handcrafted products to the
public. My recent "how-to" book,
Craft Whiskey Distilling, has sold
300 copies in three months.
The craft distilling industry is AUTHOR'S NOTE
really about lifestyle. People take ON SPELLING
great pride in producing their
products. This book is a look at For reasons that have yet
craft distillers and the rest of the to be adequately explained,
whiskey, rum, vodka, and gin American and Irish distillers
industry. spell the word whiskey with
I still have a foot in both an e while their Scotch, Ca-
camps, photography and distilla- nadian, Japanese, and New
tion. But if I had to choose, it'd be Zealand peers spell whisky
distilling, because it's a way of life. without it.

INTRODUCTION 11
CHAPTER ONE

INCE the earliest known use of distillation about

5,000 years ago, practice of the art has grown
and spread around the world in several waves,
the speed and extent of each being dictated by geogra-
phy, trade routes, and cultural and religious influences.
Each successive wave gave rise to significant technical
advances in distillation, making it less expensive, more
efficient, and more controllable.
Possibly the earliest written tial oils floated to the surface of
record of distillation is in the Epic the water collected in the jar and
of Gilgamesh, which describes a were skimmed off. Medieval texts
form of essential oil distillation and woodcuts show the same
Very Fine
practiced in Babylon as far back as principle being used to concen-
Whiskey
bottle, circa
3000 BeE. Herbs were placed in trate alcoholic vapors from boiling
the 1920s: a large heated cauldron of boiling wine. (Incidentally, this is similar
This vintage water, and the cauldron's open- in principle to a method that the
bottle was ing was covered with a sheepskin, Phoenicians used for consuming
acquired at a fleece side down. Periodically the cannabis.)
flea market sheepskin was changed, and the
then filled
condensate soaking the fleece was
with Old
Forrester. wrung out into a small jar. Essen-

12 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

DISTI LLING MIGRATES Germany by 1250, and France by These woodcuts from The Art of
1300. England, Scotland, Poland, Distillation by Jonathan French (1651)
EAST AND WEST Russia, and Sweden joined the show a small part of the wide variety
of forms distilling equipment had taken
By 500 BCE, alcohol distillation club by 1400.
by the seventeenth century. Two key
was an established industry in the DISTILLING TECHNOLOGY EVOLVES improvements are shown: mUltiple
ancient Indian area known as Taxila distillations in one setup (one still feed-
(in modern northwest Pakistan), European exploration and ing into the next) top of page, and an
where archeologists discovered conquest spread rapidly around improved vapor condenser (a coil of
a perfectly preserved terra-cotta the world, carrying the technology tubing known as a "worm" in a barrel
distillation system. In this process, of distillation with it. The first stills of cold water), below and opposite
in the Americas appeared not long page.
steam rising from a pot of boiling
water passed through a bed of after the conquistadores, and the
fermented grains, picking up al- Portuguese brought the technol-
cohol and flavors from the grains. ogy to Japan by 1500.
The vapors then struck the bottom This technology was largely
of a second pot filled with cold controlled by alchemists and
water, where they condensed and monasteries, who continuously
dripped into a collection tube. experimented and improved on
From Taxila, knowledge spread the equipment. By the mid-1600s,
to the East and the West, and several texts had been published
by 350 BCE, knowledge of the on the subject of distillation, a
distilling process appeared in the sample of which included the
writing of Aristotle in Greece and woodcuts on this spread, from
Sinedrius in Libya. The first arrival The Art of Distillation by Jonathan
of distillation technology in China French (1651). As this information
is misty, but by 25 CE, bronze spread beyond clerical and scien-
stills of similar design were being tific circles, wealthy individuals
produced and used there. began to establish still houses on
By the end ofthe first millenni- their estates.
um CE, the practice of distillation As knowledge blossomed
had spread throughout northern throughout the Renaissance,
Africa and the Middle East. The distillation continued to develop HThere is more refresh-
process had advanced significant- rapidly. Distillation was removed
from the exclusive province of sci- ment and stimulation in
1y over this thousand-year period,
and the material being distilled entists, monks, and professionals a nap, even of the brief-
was now boiled directly in a large and became a common household
est" than in all the alco-
sealed pot, which had a long tube art. Recipe books abounded.
leading from its apex to a small By the 1700s, the complexity hol ever distilled. N

collection jar. When the Moors and sophistication of commercial-

scale distilling equipment ad- - Ovid (ancient Roman classical poet
invaded Spain, they brought this and notorious wet blanket at
technology with them, and soon vanced rapidly. Advances in the bacchanals, 43-17 BeE)
the genie (or spirit) was out of understanding of how distillation
the bottle. The technology spread actually worked led to new still
from Spain to Italy in 1100 CE, and designs that could make better
was recorded in Ireland by 1200, quality spirits more easily and

A BRIEF HISTORY OF DISTILLING 13

 GEORGE WASHINGTON AND GERRYMANDERING
It is well known that George Washington was a distiller.
What is less well known is that the laws he crafted set the
distinction between the heavily taxed small distillers and
the lightly taxed large distillers, the line being drawn just
below the size of his distillery. Politics worked in much the
same way then as it does today.

The George Washington still recreation

at the Mount Vernon Distillery in
Mount Vernon, Virginia

faster than in the past. Distilling

became more accessible to the
masses, and the monopoly held Blueprint of a Simple Still
by the church and the elite classes
was threatened. These centers of c
power soon enacted restrictions,
at first to protect that monopoly,
and later purely for revenue.

REGULATION
AND REBELLION
Since 1700, the regulation and
I d

b
control of distillation has been
mostly a story of lost freedoms and
rights. A few rays of sunshine have
since poked through the clouds.
The elite and governments of
Europe tried repeatedly to ex-
ploit and control distillation. In a
/~
England, for example, the first
taxation of commercial distillation
appeared in 1690 to pay for a war Wash
with France. Private distillation
was exempted from this tax, and it e
remained free from interference as
taxes and regulations were raised,
lowered, abolished, and resurrect-
ed over the next century. Private
distillation in England flourished
and grew significantly during this
time (and perhaps not a little of
this product found its way into
commercial channels via the back
door), until it was outlawed in a) Steam jacket: Heats the pot and the wash
1781 to enhance the collection of b) Pot: Holds the wash
c) Swan Neck: Allows for separation of the components of the mixture
revenue. The massive Gin Craze
d) Tube in Shell Condenser: Condenses the alcohol vapors in spirits
of early eighteenth-century Great e) Spigot: The vapors are collected from a spigot at the bottom of the condenser.
Britain had its roots, in part, in this
unfettered spread of distillation.

14 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Three stripping stills and a spirit
still made from stainless steel
drums at the New Deal Distillery

continuously. Many significant

innovations have been developed,
making small-scale distilling
equipment more available, much
less expensive, and very much
easier to control than anything
that came before.

FUTURE TRENDS
Just as the appearance of mi-
crobreweries followed the renais-
sance of homebrewing, increasing
The United States govern- Australians lost their right to the choices and level of quality for
ment's first attempt to tax distil- distill their own beverages in the all beer drinkers, microdistilleries
lation resulted in the Whiskey aftermath of World War 1, again as are starting to thrive around the
Rebellion of 1791, which was put a revenue measure. world, some using traditional
down by federal troops led by Many African, Latin American, equipment, but many using new
George Washington (who was and southern European nations equipment, methods, and tech-
brought out of retirement for the have continued to allow private niques developed by the newly
conflict). distillation under a wide variety of liberated home distillers. Many
Federal excise taxes were rules, ranging from none, through of these modern small distilleries
abolished after the end of the War inspection of stills, to onerous are experimenting with new types
of 1812, only to be imposed during regulations and high taxation. and categories of spirits, creating
the Civil War in the 1860s (and In general, traditional alcoholic novel and sometimes uniquely
continue to this day). beverages are made in most farm- local spirits.
Napoleon introduced regula- houses using traditional equip-
tion in France. The laws varied ment (mostly pot stills of various
widely over the next century, but forms), without any adverse
stabilized in 1914, when the right effects on society.
was granted to anyone with a The most recent and hopeful
vineyard or orchard to distill up to change in the global regulation of
20 liters of spirits from their fruit distillation was the legalization of
if they agreed to pay a tax. This private, noncommercial distilling
right was originally inheritable, by New Zealand in 1996. The New
but that was revoked in the 1950s. Zealand government found that
This system led to the develop- the expense of enforcing the ban
ment of traveling stills, known on private distillation far out-
as bouilleurs de cru, which were weighed the revenue coming from
once very common sights in the fines, so the law was abolished.
French countryside. Because the This change led to widespread
number of permitted individuals adoption of small-scale distill-
has shrunk with every passing ing as a hobby, and, as hobbyists
year, very few of these mobile always will, they experimented
distilleries remain. with equipment and techniques

A BRIEF HISTORY OF DISTILLING 15

 As surely as thunder follows lightning/
whiskey follows bee0 and in the 1980s /

the scent of whiskey charged the air

like an approaching storm

T HE PROSPECT of making
whiskey, gin, rye, brandy,
and other flavorsome spirits at
home is enough to make some
modern cocktail enthusiasts and
craft brewers grow glint-eyed.
Ever so quietly, the more adven-
turesome of them have begun
tending home-sized stills to make
the smallest-batch American
spirits since the Prohibition days
of stove-top alky cookers. Unlike
unscrupulous producers who
made rotgut that could blind,
cripple, and occasionally kill its
drinkers, many of today's home

Moonshine still, dismantled

distillers have adopted high-tech BUT Is IT LEGAL?

equipment and a code of honor
that ostracizes those who try to Making bitters and falernum
sell their makings. Because these from pre-distilled spirits is en-
distillers are running the very tirely legal. However, unlicensed
best they can for their immediate distillers operating unregistered
friends and families, the results stills violate a number of federal ,
can be spectacularly good. state, and local laws, but a lack of
The ability to create personal permits hasn't stopped would-be
stocks of liquor from scratch falls distillers from buying and build-
squarely in the modern mix- ing personal stills in increasing
ologist's pursuit of making what numbers since the mid-1990s.
can't easily be had-real grena- Some of them are content with
dine from actual pomegranates; very smooth vodka, while others
ginger-spiked falernum; Jamaica's embrace the entire concept of arti-
pimento dram, a sucker punch of sanal production and are creating
allspice and rum; and potent aro- fantastic small-batch spirits using
matic house bitters-but all tuned the best ingredients they can af-
A tombstone that was used during ford. Running these tiny batches,
Prohibition for stashing moonshine near to their personal tastes. When it
comes to making the base spirits with yields of just a few liters, is a
Morgantown, West Virginia
for those bitters, it couldn't be practice some have called nano-
easier-or cheaper. distilling.

16 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

DIRT TRACK DISTILLING
Students of American popular culture know that
moonshine whiskey and NASCAR go together like
actor Burt Reynolds and muscle cars. Starting in
1973 with the movie White Lightning, Reynolds
made a career of portraying Southern good or
boys delivering moonshine in fast cars, while out-
running the local sheriff.
The real-life inspiration for such cinema charac-
ters was Robert Glen Johnson Jr. (born in 1931 in
Wilkes County, North Carolina), better known as
Junior Johnson. Johnson was a moonshiner in the
-
rural South who became one of the early super-
stars of NASCAR in the 1950s and '60s.
Johnson grew up on a farm and developed his
driving skills running moonshine as a young man.
He consistently outran and outwitted local police
and federal agents in auto chases, and he was
never caught while delivering moonshine to cus-
tomers. Johnson became something of a legend
in the rural South, where his driving expertise and
"outlaw" image were much admired.
Johnson is credited with inventing the "boot- ~/ina JlotJMhilft
leg turn," in which a driver escapes a pursuer by ..
tM "IAI~ nnll.Al.-Sflllll
~ '- f ~

sharply putting his speeding car into a 180-

degree turn on the highway, then speeding off
in the opposite direction before his pursuer can
turn around. Johnson was also known to use
police lights and sirens to fool police roadblocks A POS card advertisin g Junior Johnson's Midnight
into thinking that he was a fellow policeman; Moon by Piedmont Distillers
upon hearing his approach, the police would
quickly remove the roadblocks, allowing Johnson
to escape with his moonshine. his circle of NASCAR fans. In turn, the article was
made into a 1973 movie based on Johnson's career
In 1955, Johnson decided to give up deliver-
as a driver and moonshiner titled The Last Ameri-
ing moonshine for the more lucrative (and legal)
career of being a NASCAR driver.
can Hero. Jeff Bridges starred as the somewhat
Unfortunately, the "Revenues" had not forgot- fictionalized version of Johnson, and Johnson
himself served as technical advisor for the film.
ten Junior. In 1956, federal agents found Johnson
working at his father's moonshine still and arrested More recently, Johnson's family has licensed
him. Johnson was convicted of moonshining and the Junior Johnson name for use in promoting a
was sent to federal prison, where he served eleven legal distilled product: Junior Johnson's Midnight
Moon from Piedmont Distillers in Madison, North
months of a two-year sentence. He returned to the
Carolina.
NASCAR scene in 1958 and picked up where he
left off. He went on to win fifty NASCAR races in
his career before retiring in 1966.
In 1965, writer Tom Wolfe wrote an article about
Johnson in Esquire magazine. The article, origi-
nally titled "Great Balls of Fire," turned Johnson
into a national celebrity and led to fame beyond

A BRIEF HISTORY OF DISTILLING 17

 TEMPLETON
- OH o E EY-

Label for Mountain Moonshine

by Mystic Mountain Distillery

jH'!stlef.!:t""T~~~~!~
LAA"$PUA . COLO"ADO

Rocky Mountain Moonshine

Sippin' Hooch A p ostcard from Templeton Rye "Prohibition Era Whiskey"

DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME

(Nudge, Nudge, Wink, Wink, Say No More)

Soon after national Prohibition began in the 1920s, sion was complete, yeast was added to the mash,
a person could walk into virtually any grocery store with the resulting fermentation turning the sugars
in the United States and find for sale brick-size into alcohol. The fermented mash would then be
blocks of compressed raisins bound together with boiled in the pot still to distill off the alcohol.
condensed grape juice. Attached to the block was a Alas, times, and moonshine, are not what they
small container of dried yeast. The wrapping con- used to be. Modern moonshiners tend to skip the
tained the following text: grain mashing and go directly to fermentation by
dissolving regular sugar in warm water, ferment-
WARNING ing the sugar water with baker's yeast, and then
Do not dissolve this fruit brick in warm distilling off the resulting alcohol. The results are
water and then add the contents of the spirit much inferior to a distilled grain spirit, and
yeast packet, as this will result in fermen- ultimately an arrested moonshiner. The Alcohol and
tation and the creation of alcohol, the Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (ITB, also known as
production of which is illegal. "the Feds") keeps track of the sale of large quanti-
ties of bulk sugar, particularly in rural areas with a
Needless to say, the local A&P sold a lot offruit past history of moonshining.
bricks while Prohibition was in force. You have been warned.
Traditional moonshine starts out with the produc-
tion and fermentation of what is basically a simple
beer. Traditionalists would create a mash of ground
corn, hot water, and enough malted barley to pro-
vide sufficient enzymes to convert the starch in the
grains into simple sugars. Once the starch conver-

18 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Whiskey is what beer wants to be
when it grows up.

MODERN spirits; they are also going to

shape the face of micro- and
"M OONSHINERS" personal distilling. Brewers have
The current interest among already mastered three key skills:
hobbyist distillers in creating how to collaborate, how to orga-
first-rate liquors, and the gen- nize, and how to drive legislation.
eral wholesome quality of their The current interest in distilling
products tracks primarily to three among brewers is so widespread
convergent trends: that it is virtually impossible to
talk to craft brewers who aren't
"I ;1. '1.\ 1) Craft brewers already distilling on the sly or
rrr
I _'I I • ..\:1 .. .(.. ,r 2) New Zealand working on permits, or know
3) The Internet someone who is. One erstwhile
CRAFT BREWERS
brewer framed his transition from
beer to liquor with this aphorism:
Craft brewers are not simply Whiskey is what beer wants to be
the first ones to study how to when it grows up.
CORN WHISKEY make outstanding small-batch
Ottrn~" ~
IQMQtn ''''I'M. 10",,'
Of
0 • .,
Yd..""""
t\A.P1. ....., YloI,GllflA
UiC .

'"' ,,\4. • YO UOO P'I-QiOIol

Virginia Lightning Corn Whiskey by

Belmont Farm

Despite an uptick in amateur

distilling and a greater willingness
among some to talk more openly
about the craft, the long history of
secretive, and sometimes violent,
moonshining means that, until
recently, reliable information was
scarce and difficult to verify. That
situation is rapidly changing, and
distillers, from curious novices to
accomplished home artisans, are
far from isolated anymore. In less
than a generation, they've learned
to talk to each other, pool their
knowledge, and ask ever more
nuanced questions about building
and operating a range of stills.
Chuck Miller stands in front of his pot still at Belmont Farm Distillery, one of a
dozen distilleries in the United Stated producing a legal moonshine product.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF DISTILLING 19

 Distiller Ben Fris stands next to acus-
tom-built one-of-a-kind pot still at New
Holland Brewing and Distilling.

Making beer at home has been

going on for most of the twentieth
century, but it's only been legal
on a federal level since 1978. For
a decade or so after it was permit-
ted, homebrewers (in the United
States) explored all kinds of beer
and ale styles they could not pur-
chase through their local stores.
They perfected their techniques,
competed against each other in
regional and national contests,
published their personal recipes,
gave out awards to their peers,
and later put that knowledge to
use by opening brewpubs and
micro breweries everywhere.
Homebrew supply shops
everywhere were selling hops,
malts, specialty grains, carboys,
esoteric scientific equipment,
and lab-cultured yeasts to tens of
thousands of homebrewers trying,
good-naturedly, to best each other
in rounds of My Beer Is Better
Than Yours.
By the 1990s, some brewers
were pushing the limits of their enzymes, ideal fermentation what had long been a secret prac-
equipment and ingredients, be- temperatures, filtration systems, tice. Anonymous online forums
coming essentially novice distill- and the water profiles that lead were ideal tools for vetting home-
ers. Their homemade rigs looked to great-tasting beverages. Some distilling questions. Unlike the old
pretty much the same as brewing had come to believe that the only Appalachian moon shiners, mod-
equipment. The ingredients were thing stopping them from hav- ern distillers with homebrewing
the same. They were learning on ing whiskey was too much water. backgrounds were already used to
pot stills because, for hundreds Because they had developed talking to each other online and in
of years, variations on that model widespread networks for shar- person.
had been the choice of folk distill- ing information already-books, NEW ZEALAND
ing. Most of what a casual re- magazines, contests, clubs, festi-
searcher found in popular culture vals, newsletters, and rudimentary Because few of the twentieth-
references were the big, copper, online newsgroups-questions century books on moonshining
pumpkin-shaped boilers of a style began to circulate about how best held much practical information
that would have been familiar to to remove that excess water. on techniques for building and
eighteenth-century farmers. Sharing, critiquing, and judg- operating stills, amateur distill-
As brewers, they already ing were an entrenched part of the ers without a family history in
knew about grains, malt, yeast, culture that was starting to take up such matters learned by trial and

20 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 A copper still from
CopperMoonshineStiIls.com,
(as seen in the movie The Dukes of
Hazzard)

error. Then, in 1996, New Zealand to start selling their makings.

lawmakers scrapped legislation Some embrace the moonshiner
forbidding home distillation. In identity; others avoid the term
Australasia, an explosion of inter- because of its association with
est and innovation, specifically lawlessness.
around design for home-size stills Regardless of what distillers
that veered off from traditional call themselves, they fall into three
styles, reverberated widely. loose categories-economic, tech-
Local distilling enthusiasts nical, and artisanal producers.
were studying the physics of stills, ECONOMIC DISTILLERS
attaching probes and meters
to measure exactly what was Economic distillers make liquor
going on when they fired up. because homemade is cheaper
They learned how tall and wide than store-bought. Any type of
home-size stills should be. They still might be used, from an inher-
affixed columns to their pots and ited copper pot still, to modern re-
loosely filled them with ceramic flux models, or even an aquarium
pure alcohol as is possible outside
and copper packing material for heater in a plastic bucket. They are
a laboratory (in short, very clean
maximum efficiency. Those stills apt to distill sugar spirits, but also
stuff). Most recently, a specific
started looking like something grains and fruits when they may
style of distilling has evolved that's
out of a refinery, churning out be had inexpensively. Although
all about purity, efficiency, and
high-proof alcohol on single runs their products are prone to be
making lots of neutral spirits in
rather than the multistage process of questionable quality, they are
very compact column stills. Easily
that traditional pot stills called for. not necessarily bad liquor-think
built and easily operated, they are
of marc and grappa, made from
THE INTERNET more efficient and less work than
pomace that might otherwise be
pot stills.
These innovative distillers went thrown away.
online and, because their hobby TECHNICAL DISTILLERS
was legal, started talking to each MOONSHINE DEFINED
other openly. Brewers who were A broad definition of moon- Technical distillers are arm-
getting into distilling, with their shine is any liquor made from chair (or even professional)
already established networks and unregistered stills by unlicensed engineers and chemists, gear-
culture of openness, noticed. They distillers. This definition covers heads who strive to make the most
seized on a wealth of new verifi- a Kentucky farmer making the efficient distillery setup they can,
able information coming out of liquor his father did, a New York forever tweaking and adjusting
the Southern Hemisphere and imbiber wresting 10 ounces of gin their rigs, creating technological
added their own experiences, from a case of Budweiser, as well wonders. They run and rerun a
especially in online forums. as a San Francisco chef tweaking batch of spirits to create the purest
Since then, as reliable informa- her grandmother's klimmel to spirit they can, taking meticulous
tion has been vetted online about carryon the tradition. notes of every temperature fluc-
how best to build and operate Today's nano-distillers don't tuation, proof variation, and yield.
small-scale stills, home column, or sell their products. In fact, profit Technical distillers tend to have
reflux, stills have evolved, becom- seems almost anathema. One of an inordinate amount of vodka
ing more compact and efficient, the quickest ways to really anger on hand because the end result of
and able to put out as close to others is for unlicensed distillers their frequent experiments is often

A BRIEF HISTORY OF DISTILLING 21

 Fig. A: Diagram of a Column Fig. B: Dimensions of a Typical
Distiller Spirits Still

Condenser

ReflUX .............. ~>::::;::=:f->- Water 24"

(56cm)
I. . . . . . .
I----'--j:::~--L--_ Distillate

Rectifying
section

42"
1-- Column (127cm)

a;
"' Stripping
""'
0::
Q)
section

'"c
E
"C
2
'0
w 12" t
0, (31cm)
~ Reboiler
~
~
"0 '----i:;;>;::::===1-- Steam
"
<1l

2-
~ , Residue
e
Q (0.5 or 0.6 cm)

~'"
thick copper

""
.c:
36"
~

~
(91cm)
.~

~
E
g
c
.,o
["
<n
" L -_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ~

a high-proof, nearly pure spirit unwanted chemical compounds by not distilling to the highest
they can supplement with extracts obstacles to pure liquor, artisans proof possible. Finally, they tend
and essences for the exact flavor rightfully regard taste and aroma to ferment grains and fruits rather
they want. as the backbone that defines their than sugar, and not to care what
ASPIRING AND ACCOMPLISHED
own personal style of distilling. it costs-because it's for them, not
ARTISANS
They tend to use less-efficient, for sellin'.
old-school pot stills-they might
Aspiring and accomplished immediately recognize the kind
artisans comprise the third group, that a farmer used in 1740. Some
whose goal is to make authentic use column stills, but without the
and great-tasting spirits. While columns at maximum efficiency,
technical distillers consider thus preserving taste and aroma

22 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Fig. A: This flowchart illustrates how the wash is transformed
Fig. C: Anatomy of a Pot Still into spirits. The bottom of the still strips out the water, while
the rectifying section (top of the still) distills the liquors to
increase their spirituosity.

Fig. B: A pot is wider than tan allowing vapors to escape from

the wash. A tall swan neck allows for separation of the compo-
nents of the mixture. The shape ofthe still affects the flavor
components of the spirits. Every pot still is unique, as distillers
Lyne arm
want distinctive flavor profiles in their finished spirits.

Fig. C: As illustrated here, a whiskey still has four parts: pot,

swan neck, lyne arm, and condenser. The shape of each af-
( Condenser
fects rectification and the flavor of the spirit.
Pot: The pot can by any shape: round, onion, or conical. The
shape of the pot affects how the wash is heated (always to
172°F [78 °C)). It can be heated by direct fire, steam, gas, or
wood . Most pots have a sight glass so the distiller can check
for foaming during the distillation process.
Swan neck: The swan neck sits on top of the pot. It can be tan
Swan neck )
short, straight, or tapered. Often the swan neck is connected
to the pot via an ogee, a bubble-shaped chamber. The ogee
allows the distillate to expand, condense, and fall back into
the pot during distillation. Most pot stills have a tapered swan
neck, allowing for better separation and better enriching of
the spirits during distilling.
Lyne arm: The lyne arm sits on top of the swan neck. It can
be tilted up or down, and it can be tapered or stra ight. Often
pot stills are fitted with a dephlegmator, or a purifier. Its main
purpose is the enrichment of spirits before they're sent on to
the condenser.
Internal steam coil: The internal steam coil heats the wash to
173°F (78°C), where the alcohol separates from the wash.
Condenser: The condenser, or worm, is used for cooling the
Internal spirits and providing a small stream to a collection tank or pail.
steam coil

Pot )

ECONOMICAL INGREDIENTS FOR DISTILLING

Consider a glut of plums for backyard slivovitz, or a
skid of dried fruit at bargain pricing that can be turned
into Arabian siddiqui. However, ersatz whiskeys made
from breakfast cereals are not unheard of, so caveat
emptor is the rule.

A fruit eau de vie fermentation at Stringer's Orchard

Wild Plum Winery & Distillery

A BRIEF HISTORY OF DISTILLING 23

CHAPTER Two

N THE MOST literal sense of the word, distillation

means the concentration of the essence of a sub-
stance by separating it from any other substances
Th e condenser cools th e va pors into liq-
uid spirit, which is collected and bottled that it is mixed with. In the case of distilling alcohol, this
at Anchor Distilling. means boiling a fermented liquid in a still to separate the
ethanol from the solids,
water, and other chemical
compounds in the fer-
mented solution. But just
as the devil is in the details,
the art of distilling is in
how the distiller achieves
that separation, and how
precise that separation is.
The wide range of stills de-
scribed in this chapter each
originally evolved to meet the
requirements of producing a par-
ticular type of spirit. Depending
on the type of spirit being made,
precision is not necessarily the
goal of the distiller. Thousands of
chemical compounds are created
by fermentation and distillation,
all of which can have, for better
or worse, an effect on the ultimate
taste or character of a distilled
spirit. The distiller's primary job
is to retain the desired flavor ele-
ments, while discarding those that
are not. This is not as simple as
it sounds. And despite all of the
high-tech controls in a modern
distillery, the still master neverthe-
less has the final call.

24 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 ""Glass of brandy and water! That is the current but
not the appropriate name: ask for a glass of liquid
fire and distilled damnation. //
-Robert Han nineteenth-century temperance
crusader who was never the life of the party

How DISTILLATION because some water will vapor- denser. The shape of each section
ize at the boiling point of ethanol, affects rectification (redistillation)
WORKS even if the water itself is not at its and the taste of the spirits. There
Distillation is a physical boiling point. is no perfect design; each manu-
process in which compounds Tails (see page 36) start at 203°F facturer says its pot still makes the
are separated by virtue of their (95°C) and contain a high percent- best-tasting whiskey.
different boiling points. Two age of fusel oils, known to distill- At this point, distilling is an
compounds with the same boiling ers as wet dog bouquet. A little bit "art." To make good whiskey, you
point occurring together would is actually needed in some types of need to have good ingredients
not be separable by distillation. whiskey, but only a little bit. Think (clean wash) and a good palate
Fortunately, such occurrences Islay Scotch Whisky. (nose and tongue), and you need
with the ingredients in liquor and Because all the compounds in to know when to start and stop
spirits are rare. a still will vaporize to a greater or (making head and tail cuts). When
The separation in distillation lesser extent during boiling, the it comes to whiskey distilling, the
occurs when a mixture of com- separation of the compounds will process is controlled by a distiller,
pounds in the still is brought to a not be perfect, so more elabo- not a computer or a manual.
boil. Compounds with lower boil- rate stills have been developed The pot can be any shape:
ing points vaporize at lower tem- to intensify the separation of the round, onion, or conical. The
peratures than compounds with vapors once they have left the shape of the pot affects how the
higher boiling points. This means boiler. In modern high-separation wash is heated (to 172°F [77.8°C]).
that the vapor, or steam, rising off stills, this is done by employing It can be heated by direct fire,
the boiling mixture is richer in the a reflux column to manage the steam, gas, or wood. All systems
lower-boiling-point compounds vapors after they leave the boiler have advantages and disadvan-
than in the higher-boiling-point and before they are condensed tages. There is no right way to
ones. Next, this vapor is collected and drawn from the still. heat wash. Most manufacturers,
and cooled to condense it back however, prefer a double-jacketed
into a liquid. The resulting liquid, A STILL'S BLUEPRINT steam-water system that provides
called the distillate, contains a a gentle heat to the wash. Mainly,
considerably higher concentration The whiskey still has four parts: you don't want to burn the wash.
of the lower-boiling-point com- pot, swan neck, lyne arm, and con- Most pots have a sight glass so
pounds than of the higher-boiling-
point ones.
In a simplified example, let's WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DEGREE MAKES
consider a mixture of 90 percent
water and 10 percent ethanol. Between 174° (7B.BOC) and 175°F (79.4°C) a veritable witch's
Water has a boiling point of 212°F brew of nasty chemical compounds (known collectively as
(100°C), and ethanol has a boil- heads) are cut and removed by proper distilling. These include
ing point of 173.1°F (78.4°C). The acetone, aldehydes, and methanol. Lazy moonshiners tend to
ethanol will boil and vaporize well leave them in, resulting in rotgut and a serious head-banging
before the water, so when the va- headache the next morning as you lie in bed and pray for the
pors are collected and condensed, Angel of Death to come and finish the job.
the resulting distillate will have
a high concentration of ethanol
and comparatively little water. The
distillate will not be pure ethanol

THE DISTILLING PROCESS 25

 THE CHEMISTRY OF PURE SPIRITS
Even a modern high-separation still cannot produce pure etha-
no1. This is because water forms an azeotrope with ethano1. An
azeotrope is a mixture of two liquid compounds whose mol-
ecules become loosely bonded such that they have a common
boiling point that is different from either constituent's. In the
case of ethanol and water, the azeotrope occurs at a mixture of
the distiller can check for foaming
96.5 percent ethanol and 3.5 percent water, and it has a boil-
during the distillation process.
ing point of 172.67°F (78. 15°C). This is 0.45°F (0.1 rC) lower
The swan neck sits on top
than the 173. 12°F (78.4°C) boiling point of pure ethanol. In
of the pot. It can be tall, short,
distillation, this azeotrope is a single compound with a boiling
straight, or tapered. Often the
swan neck is connected to the point of 172.6rF (78. 15°C), and the still proceeds to separate
pot via an ogee, a bubble-shaped it on that basis. The ethanol that is purified by a fractionating
chamber. The ogee allows the column is not, therefore, pure 100 percent ethanol but pure
distillate to expand, condense, 96.5 percent ethanol, with the dimpurity" being pure water. No
and fall back into the pot during amount of redistillation under the conditions discussed here
distillation. Most pot stills have will influence this percentage; 96.5 percent alcohol by volume
a tapered swan neck, allowing (ABV) is the theoretical maximum purity that can be derived
for better separation and better by the above process.
enriching of the spirits during The temperatures stated above are at standard atmospheric
distilling. pressure. In a column still, due to increased pressure at the
The Iyne arm sits on top of the bottom resulting from the pressure drop over the plates, the
swan neck. It can be tilted up or temperatures would be quite a bit higher than stated. For
down, and it can be tapered or example, the spent wash, which would have a boiling point of
straight. Most arms are tapered about 212°F (100°C) at standard pressure, would have a boil-
down. Often pot stills are fitted ing point of about 220°F (104.4°C) due to the increased pres-
with a dephlegmator, or what sure.
Scottish distillers call a purifier.
The dephlegmator is fitted with
baffles that use water plates or
tubes to cool the distillate, sending
90 percent of it back into the pot.
Its main purpose is the enrich-
ment of the spirits before they're
sent on to the condenser.
The condenser, or worm, is
used for cooling the spirits and
providing a small stream to a col-
lection tank or pail.

A small pot still, similar to many moonshine stills, is in operation for tourists to see at
the Glenmorangie Distillery, Scotland.

26 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

WHISKEY STILLS IN DETAIL

Fig. A: In the basic moonshine still, Fig. A: Flat-top

There are several different vapors from the heated wash rise into
designs of stills used for mak- the cap. Moonshine Still
ing whiskey. These include the
moonshine still, gooseneck still, After hitting the flat top of the still,
continuous-run column still, vapors exit via the lyne arm into the
Lyne arm
French Charentais alambic still, condenser, where they condense and
become spirits.
and artisan pot still. (The tradition-
al English spelling of this French
word is alembic.) Pot

MOONSHINE STILL
The most basic and rudimen-
tary design is a crude pot still, or
moonshine still, which is a closed
pot, like a pressure cooker, with
a pipe leading from the lid into
a condenser coil. The condenser
coil can either be long enough
to air-cool the vapors, or it can
be shorter and immersed in a
water jacket. Such a still affords
Fig. B: The bubble caps sit on tray over Fig. B: Cross-section of
minimum separation of the vapors vapors tubes in the column. The caps
because there is almost no separa- provide contact between the rising a Still's Bubble Cap
tion once they leave the boiler. vapors and descending reflux, creating
Although this design of still is not a distilling cycle and enriching the
suitable for producing beverage alcohol. Arrows indicate vapors rising
Overflow tube
alcohol by modern standards, it from the wash and hitting the bubble
caps. A percentage of pure vapors
will still concentrate an 8 or 10
continue to rise and the "less pure" fall
percent ABV wash to 60 percent back into the still for re-distillation. Bubble cap
in a fairly fast run.
There are many home distillers
and illicit commercial moon shin-
ers using this type of still today.
1
And, because this type of still is
typically heated on a stove top or
on a gas burner, it is necessary
to remove all suspended solids
1 Alcohol
vapors
1
from the wash before placing it in
the boiling pot. To do otherwise 10% ABVwash
would risk burning solids on the
bottom of the pot.

THE DISTILLING PROCESS 27

 Anatomy of a Craft Whiskey Still Temp probe

< Pressure relief valve

Water out

Tube-in
shell
condenser

Swan neck

Temp gauge
Spirits
out _____

4" (10 cm) Sight glass

Water in

Not all craft whiskey stills are

alike, but most share the same
basic construction. Pot

Wash still ';',' (0.5 cm) or

'/.' (0.6 cm) Copper

Steam jacket

Pot stand
L........ _ _ _ _ _ _
---L--1.~ ....
" __ Drain

GOOSENECK STILL been in use for centuries for com- rising from the boiler that allows
mercial whiskey production, and enough separation to hold back
The gooseneck pot still is the it is even more popular today most of the fusel alcohols from the
most common design of still used distillate while retaining the de-
in modern whiskey distilleries
to produce Scottish malt whisky. sired flavors in the finished spirit.
than ever.
Some Irish whiskies and a number The gooseneck still has a large The neck bends at the top and
of American and Canadian whis- connects to a pipe called a Iyne
round boiler and is functionally
kies are also distilled in this type very similar to the crude pot still, arm that leads to a condenser coil
of still. This style of pot still has except it has a long, broad neck immersed in water. The lyne arm

28 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 A gooseneck still clearly
showing the Jyne arm at
Woodford Reserve Distillery

usually angles downward slightly

toward the condenser, but in some
distilleries it tilts upward.
The level of separation in a
gooseneck pot still is affected by
the amount of condensation that
takes place in the neck and lyne
arm that falls back into the boiler.
This condensation is called reflux,
and the more reflux, the higher
the level of separation. If the lyne
arm is angled downward, then
any vapor in the lyne arm that
condenses will fall forward to-
ward the condenser and become
part of the distillate passing to the
receiver. However, if the lyne arm
is angled upward, condensation
falls back to the boiler and will
create additional reflux, and there-
fore additional separation.

THE DISTILLING PROCESS 29

 Model of a gooseneck Forsyths whisky still

alcohol, which requires a high- grain in the boiler without burn-

BEVERAGES PRODUCED
separation still capable of produc- ing the solids on the bottom of
IN GOOSENECK STILLS
ing pure azeotrope ethanol. the pot.
Because the long, broad neck The wash distilled in goose- A rummager is an agitating
provides a large surface area, neck stills is typically separated device that slowly turns around
which results in a larger propor- from the suspended solids, much inside the still pot, dragging a net
tion of reflux than crude pot stills, like the malt washes used for of copper chains along the bottom
gooseneck stills are more suitable making Scottish malt whisky. of the boiler to prevent solids from
for distilling beverage alcohol. The Some gooseneck stills are heated caking up and burning during
gooseneck stills are suited to the by an open fire under the boiler, distilling.
production of whiskey, brandy, which would result in the burning
rum, schnapps, and other non- of suspended solids if they were in
neutral spirits, for which they the wash. However, most contem-
are widely used commercially. porary stills are heated with steam
However, they are not suitable for jackets. This, combined with a
the production of vodka, gin, or rummager, can enable these stills
other spirits derived from neutral to boil full mashes with all the

30 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 THE CONTINUOUs-RuN DESIGN FLAW
There is an inherent flaw in this design of still. Because the
~onti.nuous-r.un still has a constant flow of new wash coming
Into It at all times, there are always heads and tails present
in the column. This is unlike a batch still, which is any of the
noncontinuous stills discussed in this text, where the heads
are drawn off at the beginning of the run and then they are
CONTINUous-RuN go~e. ~n a continuous-run operation, all phases are constantly

COLUMN STILL beIng Introduced to the column by the incoming wash. This
poses no problem with the tails, because at the trays where
This type of still is used for the hearts are drawn off, the tails are lower in the column
producing enormous volumes
and are therefore not present to be drawn off with the hearts.
of spirit in a continuous opera-
However, heads are still present at these trays, so no matter
tion that runs constantly for up
how well a continuous-run still is equilibrated there'll always
to eleven months straight before
be a small amount of heads in the hearts phase.
it is shut down for cleaning and
overhauling. They commonly have Having said this, the continuous-run column is a high-
a fractionating column that stands separation still that makes very precise separation of the
about 100 feet (30.5m) high (simi- compounds in its column. There is always going to be a trace
lar to that of an oil refinery) and a amount of heads in the hearts, and this amount is still within
series of bubble-cap trays spaced the allowable limits for potable spirits. In most cases, it is less
every couple of feet up the col- than the residual heads found in the hearts from commercial
umn. The trays are farther apart batch stills.
near the bottom and get closer
together toward the top. It has
no pot or boiler per se, and it is
heated by blasting steam upward
from the bottom of the column,
while the wash is continuously
fed into a tray at the middle of the
column.
As the wash runs down the wash must be fairly clear with
is residue that is sent to the drain.
through the trays of the column, it a minimum of solids; otherwise,
A possible configuration for
encounters the hot steam, which the buildup of residue in the
bourbon would have the top
vaporizes the compounds in the system would become untenable
two trays configured for heads,
wash and carries them up the and the system would need to be
then the next four configured
column. The lower-boiling com- shut down to be cleaned. So, there
for hearts, the next five for tails,
pounds continue to rise up the is no process with a continuous-
and the rest of the trays would
column while the higher-boiling run still whereby the entire mash
reflux with no draw off and what
ones condense and are carried is distilled. The mash must always
reached the bottom would be
down the column. be strained or filtered before be-
discarded as residue.
The column has an exit valve ing placed in the reservoir supply-
The draw off rates would be
at every tray where vapor can be ing the still.
set up to maintain a hearts phase
drawn off and led to a condenser. The distillery must have a bat-
with, say, a constant 65 percent
This enables the operators to con- tery of fermenters that are in con-
ABY. Bourbon that's distilled in a
figure the system so certain trays stant operation at each stage of
continuous-run column still is usu-
lead to a condenser that goes to the fermentation process to keep
ally done in two distillations, both
the heads receiver, another set up with the continuous demand
with the hearts drawn off at about
of trays can be sent to the hearts for wash for the stills.
65 percent ABY.
receiver, and other trays can be
Because a continuous-run still
sent to the tails receiver. What
runs for many months at a time,
flows to the bottom of the column

THE DISTILLING PROCESS 31

 This alambic still was custom -built by
Dynamic Alambic by reconfiguring a
Grundig beer tank.

FRENCH CHARENTAIS simply include them as part of

the hearts (not the heads). In this
ALAMBIC STILL way, continuously feeding wine
This type of still is used almost into the boiler is possible. Because
exclusively for making brandy, there is no workable way to drain
including cognac, Armagnac, Cal- the boiler during operation, the
vados, and other famous French continuous feeding of wine must
brandies. It is designed especially stop when the boiler is too full to
to leave a lot of the aromatics and take any more.
flavor in the distillate, and is there- Prior to a distillation run, the
fore one of the lower-separation pre-heater is filled with wine to
beverage-alcohol stills. Because be heated for the next distillation.
of this quality, spirits are usually The pre-heater has the vapor tube
distilled twice in a French Charen- above the boiler, and it serves as from the boiler passing through it
tais alambic still. an expansion chamber, which on its way to the condenser. This
Whiskey can also be made in works well to hold back a lot of transfers heat from the vapor to
this design of still. It is function- the heavier compounds such as the wine before the vapor enters
ally quite similar to the gooseneck fusel alcohols and furfurols while the condenser. This heats the wine
still, but it creates a lower level of allowing the desirable aromatics in the pre-heater to near boiling
separation, making a richer and and flavors to be carried over in during the distillation run and
creamier-tasting whiskey, but with the distillate. reduces the amount of heat that
a little more fusel alcohol. The pre-heater, as the name the condenser has to dissipate,
The French Charentais alam- implies, preheats the next batch thereby making efficient use of
bic still has three major compo- of wine to be distilled. It is also heat and reducing the amount of
nents: the boiler with helmet, the used as a reservoir to enable cooling water used.
pre-heater, and the condenser. a near-continuous distillation The pre-heater has a pipe
The helmet is the chamber just process. Some brandy distillers with a valve leading from it to the

Alambic still at Jepson Vineyards in Ukiah, California Alambic still installation in France

32 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 A hole had to be cut in the ceiling
to accomodate th e column of this
pot still at Tuthilltown Spirits.

boiler. When a distillation run is

finished and the boiler has been
drained, the operator can open
the valve and fill the boiler with
another charge of wine from the
pre-heater that's already at near-
boiling temperature. This makes
efficient use of heat and signifi-
cantly reduces the amount of time
to bring the next batch of wine to
a boil.
The condenser in a French
Charentais alambic still, as in
most types of stills, consists of the
copper coil immersed in a water
jacket with cold water circulating
around it.
BEVERAGES PRODUCED IN
ALAMBIC STILLS

These stills are invariably used

to distill wine, or in the case of
whiskey, distiller's beer. They
are not generally used to distill
full mashes with all the solids
left in. However, design-wise,
the Charentais could be used to
distill mashes with solids because
its boiler is the same as that of
the standard alambic, which is
widely used to make grappa and
marc from grape pomace. To do
this, a sieve tray must be inserted ARTISAN POT STILL dephlegmator, and a catalyzer.
into the boiler to serve as a false The spherical-shaped boiler
bottom to hold the solids above This type of still is the most evenly heats the substrate, partic-
the bottom of the pot and prevent versatile of all the stills. Each ularly if there is an agitator. And,
burning. artisan pot still is nearly made to an artisan still that's steam heated
order, based on a distiller's needs and has an agitator can be used
and preferences. Its components to distill any wash. Even washes
include a spherical-shaped boiler, full of fruit pulp or grain mash
a condenser, and wide variety of can be heated in this configura-
optional components, such as a tion of boiler without any risk of
steam jacket or a direct fire, an burning on the bottom of the pot.
agitator, a helmet, one or two Also, by constantly agitating the
columns of bubble-cap trays, a wash throughout the distillation

THE DISTILLING PROCESS 33

 Twin columns of bubble-cap trays

run, the distillery can save about chamber, and it is usually a nearly
20 percent on the heat required to spherical dome that sits directly
perform the distillation. on top of the boiler. As vapor rises
The ability to distill the entire from the boiler, it passes through
wash, including all the solids, a comparatively narrow passage-
purportedly gives a superior way into the larger volume of the
flavor to the spirit produced. helmet. This results in a sudden
Apparently, the fruit mashes for reduction in pressure, which helps
making schnapps yield a richer, hold back higher-boiling com-
more complex flavor if they can be pounds while allowing desirable
distilled with all the fruit pulp in aromatics and flavors to continue
the boiler. Many whiskey distill- up the column. Some distillers say
ers contend the same to be true this helmet is key to producing a
for distilling grain mashes, and a truly excellent spirit.
number of the premium brands From the helmet, the vapor
of American whiskey are distilled rises into the column. In some
with the grain mash in the still. artisan pot still configurations,
The helmet component (op- the column is mounted directly
tional) is technically an expansion on top of the helmet. When there
is no helmet, the column
is mounted directly on
top of the boiler. In other
configurations, such as
two columns, the column
is positioned beside the
boiler. The reason for this
is the still would stand too
high for most facilities if
the column were stacked
on top of the helmet, or
even on top of the boiler.
Within the column are
bubble-cap trays. The va- transfers to the standing liquid.
por rises up the tubes un- This causes higher-boiling com-
der the bubble caps and pounds in the vapor to condense
bubbles out from under and lower-boiling compounds in
the cap and through the the liquid to evaporate. The overall
standing liquid on each effect is to drive the lower-boiling
tray. The standing liquid compounds up the column in
overflows at a certain vapor state and the higher-boiling
depth to the next tray be- compounds down the column in
low. Compound separation liquid state.
takes place by the redistil-
Artisan pot still: the shape of the helmet "head" of lation that occurs when
the still influences the flavor of the distillate. the heat from the vapor

34 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

The Moor's cap on this alambic still has a
distinctive look and gives a unique flavor COLUMN CONFIGURATION
profile to the distillates.

The number of bubble-cap

trays in the column depends
on the intended use of the
artisan pot still, and it is
therefore optional. Some
artisan pot stills are used to
OPTIONAL STILL COMPONENTS make vodka and have two
Modern artisan pot stills have tall columns with a total of
an interesting feature that allows twenty bubble-cap trays. An
the operator to bypass any of the excellent configuration for
trays to vary the separation level making whiskey, however,
for the column. There are levers would be a still with a
on the side ofthe column connect- copper. However, as this occurs helmet, a column with four
ed to each tray, and the operator over time, the copper material of trays, a dephlegmator, and a
can position the lever to cause the the still becomes compromised, catalyzer.
tray to turn sideways and allow and expensive still components
the vapors and liquid to pass by. require replacing. The idea ofthe
Or the operator can position the catalyzer is to have a chamber
lever the other way to put the tray with copper in the vapor path
in place so that it is fully engaged specifically designed to react out
in processing reflux. the sulfides from the vapor. Over
time, this copper erodes from the Unfortunately, their throughput
The dephlegmator resides is comparatively slow, and distill-
above the top bubble-cap tray. It reaction with the sulfides, but it
can be cheaply replaced. In effect, eries are often put in the posi-
is a chamber at the top ofthe col- tion of having to opt for larger
umn with numerous vertical tubes the copper in the catalyzer is be-
ing sacrificed to save the copper throughput stills, such as the
for the vapor to travel through on continuous-run column, to meet
its way to the condenser. There is material of the still.
In summary, artisan pot stills the demands of their markets.
a water jacket around the vertical
tubes that the operator can flood can be superb stills and are well
with cooling water to increase known for making quality spirits.
the amount of reflux. The water
level in the dephlegmator can be
adjusted to give granular control
over the amount of reflux.
Having the capability to dial up
or down the reflux creates a great
deal of control over the compound
mix in the finished spirit. For
example, if a given spirit had an
excellent aroma and flavor profile
but a rough finish due to an excess
of fusel alcohol, the reflux could
be dialed up slightly to hold back
the fusel.
The catalyzer is positioned
above the dephlegmator and
has an array of sacrificial copper.
Copper is an important mate-
rial in a still because the noxious
sulfides in the vapor instantly
react out upon contact with Artisan pot still

THE DISTILLING PROCESS 35

THE BATCH-STILL
PROCESS OF DISTILLATIOIt
T HE DISTILLATION process
is operationally the same
for all four-batch stills discussed
HEADS, HEARTS, TAILS
In distilling parlance, the
ethanol; certain other esters, the
higher alcohols (fusel alcohols),
and water have higher boiling
previously: the moonshine still, the compounds in the wash that are points than ethanol. This means
gooseneck still, the French Charen- not ethanol or water are called the lower-boiling congeners come
tais, and the artisan pot still. The congeners. Some congeners, such out in high concentration at the
continuous-run column still has as acetaldehyde, methanol, and beginning of a batch distillation
a different regimen, and it is de- certain esters and aldehydes, run, and the higher-boiling ones
scribed in the section that follows. have lower boiling points than come out in high concentration
toward the end of the run, leaving
the ethanol and the most desirable
The Process of Distillation: An Overview compounds as the most abundant
1 2
components during the middle of
the run.
When distillation takes place
in a batch still, the distillate that
comes out is divided into three
phases called heads, hearts, and
tails.
• The heads contain the
unwanted lower-boiling
3
congeners that come out at
the beginning of the run.
• The tails contain the un-
wanted higher-boiling con-
geners that come out at the
end of the run.
• The hearts are the desired
spirit in the middle.
Because whiskey is not dis-
tilled at a high-separation level, it
means that each phase bleeds into
the adjacent phase. That is to say,
5

o 6
o At left, the major steps from barley to
o barrel.
o
o 1. Mash Tun: Used to convert barley
o c :::. grain starches to sugars
2. Fermentation of the wash
•
3. Stripping of the wash to remove water
4. Collection of "low wine" spirits
5. Redistilling the spirits to produce final
spirits for barreling
6. Barreling or aging of spirits

36 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

there is a considerable amount of a part of that run. However, each is continued until the aggregate
ethanol in the heads phase, and subsequent distillation produces percent alcohol is down to 25
there are late-heads congeners at its own set of heads, hearts, and percent ABY. This distillate is the
the beginning of the hearts phase. tails, and the feints from those low wine, which is the input to the
Similarly, there is a significant runs are also saved for future spirit run.
amount of early-tails congeners at recovery. To produce the finished whis-
the end of the hearts, and there is key, the spirit still is filled with the
a considerable amount of ethanol Two-RuN low wine from the beer-stripping
in the tails phase. The whiskey, run, and often a measure of feints
comprised mostly of ethanol and DISTILLATION from previous spirit runs. The
water, has a delicate balance of When whiskey is made, it is spirit still is then brought to a boil.
late-heads and early-tails con- usually done in two distillation It is with the spirit run that the
geners that make up the flavor runs: a beer-stripping run and a distiller adjusts the boil-up rate
profile of the whiskey. spirit run. to achieve a gentle, slow flow of
There are literally thousands • The beer-stripping run is distillate and carefully separates
of these congeners, or chemical generally done in a larger, out the heads, hearts, and tails.
flavor compounds, created during high-volume pot still called
the distilling process, all of which a beer stripper. The beer
have the potential of adding or stripper is used to distill the
subtracting to the desired final fermented wash and con-
flavor profile of the distilled spirit. centrate the ethanol and all
Part of the art (as opposed to the the impurities into a distillate
science) of distilling is knowing of about 25 percent ethanol,
when these congeners are created, called low wine.
and when to add or remove them.
In flavor-specific spirits, such as • The spirit run is done in a
brandy and whiskey, it is desirable smaller whiskey stin such
to carryover selected congeners as a gooseneck or an artisan
into the finished spirit. However, reflux stin called a spirit still.
in flavor-neutral spirits, such as The spirit still is used to dis-
vodka, the goal is to remove as till the low wine and refine it
many congeners as possible to into the finished spirit. There
end up with a spirit that has a are the two outputs retained
clean, nonspecific palate. from the spirit run: the fin-
Because both the heads and the ished spirit and the feints.
tails contain a lot of ethanol and For a beer-stripping run, the
residual desirable flavor, they are fermented wash, which is typically
mixed together and saved for fu- about 8 percent ABY, is loaded
ture recovery. The heads and tails into the beer stripper, and the
when mixed together are called contents are brought to a boil.
feints. Feints can be distilled sepa- Because this run is just a primary
rately to produce another whiskey distillation, the heads, hearts, and
run, or they can be mixed in with a tails are not separated out. The
future spirit run, where their etha- entire output from this run is col-
nol and flavors are recovered as lected in a single lot, and the run

THE DISTILLING PROCESS 37

 Three pot stills at Stoutridge Vineyard

SINGLE-RUN
DISTILLATION
Some whiskey distilleries
produce their whiskey in a single
distillation. They do a spirit run
directly from the wash. The arti-
san reflux stills discussed previ-
ously are well suited to this type remain the most reliable methods same wash may begin-cut at 72
of whiskey distillation, but it is for determining them. percent and end -cut at 59 percent.
labor-intensive and the distiller Here are the empirical param- Therefore, it is because of these
must pay a lot of attention to nu- eters for judging the cuts. nuances that smell and taste be-
merous smaller runs rather than • The percent alcohol of the come the only truly reliable indica-
one larger run. spirit that is flowing out of tors of when to make the cuts.
Some people find the whiskey the still (i.e., the incoming BEGIN-CUT
from a single-distillation run to spirit)
When making the begin-cut,
be richer and have a more natu- • The still-head temperature the taste characteristics that the
ral flavor, while others find it to distiller is looking for are as fol-
These vary from one still to the
be harsh and unrefined. In the lows. When a spirit run comes to
next, and they vary based on the
following text, the more common boil and the first distillate starts
properties of the low wine (e.g.,
double-distillation method is used. flowing from the still, this is the
percent alcohol and quantity). It
MAKING THE CUTS is possible to develop a consistent beginning ofthe heads phase. The
Probably the most elusive part process using the same still and distiller can collect a small sample
of the distilling process for mak- the same quantity and formulation of the distillate on a spoon or in
ing whiskey is making the cuts of low wine, such that the parame- a wineglass and smell it. At this
from heads to hearts and then to ters remain the same for each run. stage, the distillate will have the
tails. Making a cut from one phase For example, in a spirit run sickening smell of solvents (such
to the next is the point where the in an artisan reflux still with low as nail-polish remover or paint-
distiller switches the output so wine that is 25 percent ABV: brush cleaner). However, before
that it is collected in a different Begin-cut (i.e., the cut from long this solvent smell diminishes,
receiver than the previous phase. heads to hearts) is usually done and even when a sample is tasted,
At the end of the spirit run, the when the evolving distillate is at these compounds will be very
heads will be in one container, the about 80 percent and when the faint. As the solvent character dis-
hearts in another, and the tails in still-head temperature is about appears completely, the distillate
a third one. The question is, when 180°F (82°C). will start to take on a hint of whis-
do you switch from one phase to End-cut (i.e., the cut from key. This flavor will increase until
the next? hearts to tails) is often done at it becomes very pronounced and
Experienced distillers do this about 65 percent and when the highly concentrated. It is when
by taste. Even though there are still-head temperature is about this flavor is clearly evident but is
measurable parameters such as 201 °F (94°C). still increasing in intensity that the
still-head temperature and per- However, a spirit distilled from distiller cuts to the hearts phase.
cent alcohol of the incoming spirit a straight malt wash can often be END-CUT
that can be used to judge when to end-cut as low as 60 percent. Also,
To make the end -cut, the dis-
make the cuts, taste and smell still a gooseneck still distilling the very
tiller needs to monitor the flavor of

38 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 THE CONTINUOUs-RuN
PROCESS OF DISTILLATION
changes in taste. At the beginning
of the hearts phase, the intensity
of the whiskey flavor will still be
I N a continuous-run distillation
process, wash is constantly
entering the column, so all three
Similarly, they might observe that
the compounds coming out of the
next four trays down are hearts.
increasing, and it will continue to phases (heads, hearts, and tails) Then they might determine that
do so until it becomes very strong. are present in the column at all the five trays below the hearts
However, as the hearts continue, times. This means there can't be a trays are producing tails and route
the intense whiskey flavor will discrete cut where the heads are them to the tails receiver. Below
fade into a smooth, sweet, pleas- drawn off and the hearts begin, the tails trays just water would be
ant flavor that will persist for or that the hearts end and the tails coming out, and the valves would
most of the hearts. The flavor will begin. All three phases must be be closed, so it would be left to
change slightly as the hearts prog- drawn off at the same time. flow to the bottom of the column
ress, but it will remain sweet and A continuous-run column is a and then to a drain.
pleasant. Toward the end of the high-separation fractionating still Because this type of still is not
hearts, the flavor will start losing that separates the compounds intermittent in its operation, it
its sweetness, and a trace of harsh very well, so once the still is must be set up to constantly draw
bitterness will begin to appear in equilibrated and functioning in the three phases of distillate at all
the flavor. This harsh, bitter flavor its steady state of operation, the times. Although this is difficult to
is the onset of the tails. Although distillers can determine which set up, it can produce very large
a small amount of this bitterness families of compounds are at each quantities of spirit twenty-four
is considered to contribute to the tray. For example, they might de- hours a day for a long time.
"bite" character of the whiskey, termine that the compounds com-
the distiller should cut to the tails ing out of the top two trays are
receiver before much of it is al- heads compounds and route those
lowed to enter the hearts. two trays to the heads receiver.
The tails can be collected until
the evolving distillate is down to
about 10 percent, and the still-
head temperature is about 206°F
or 208°F (9JDC or 98°C). The
reason for doing this is to render
all the residual alcohol that is left
in the still at the end of the hearts
phase. This alcohol can then be
recovered in a future spirit run.
The tails phase starts out bitter,
and the bitterness becomes more
intense as the tails continue, but
as the tails progress, the bitter-
ness subsides and gives way to a
sweet-tasting water. This sweet
water is called backins.

Continuous run still at Four Roses Distillery.

THE DISTILLING PROCESS 39

 "'Always carry a flagon of whiskey in
CHAPTER THREE case of snakebite, and furthermore,
always carry a small snake. N

- w. C. Fields, American actor and world-class drinker

HIS chapter introduces the process of distilling a

world's worth of whiskies, including North Amer-
ican styles of bourbon, Tennessee, rye, blended
American, corn, and Canadian, and on to Scotch and
Irish whiskies from Europe.
Of all of the basic categories of spirits, whiskey has
spread the most across the world, achieving a geo-
graphic and stylistic diversity that is unmatched by any
other type of distilled spirit. From the basic grain-based
distilled spirits of ninth -century Ireland, Scotland, and
northern Europe have evolved the classic whiskies of
Scotland and Ireland. These spirits, in turn, served as the
models for distillers in the newly settled North American
colonies to produce what came to be first modern rye
whiskey, and then in rapid succession, corn, bourbon,
blended American, and Canadian whiskies.
All of these now classic styles of whiskey have, in
recent decades, served as the stylistic inspiration for
myriad new whiskies throughout the world, from Ger-
many to Australia, and Nepal in between. Some of these
new whiskies are based on existing styles. Japanese
whisky distillers, for example, have generally taken their
inspiration (and malt, and sometimes even their water)
from Scotland. Others are boldly going forth in new
directions, particularly among the new generation of
American craft distillers.

Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey

40 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

THE HISTORY OF BOURBON WHISKEY

I N the early 1700s, a combina-

tion of bad economic times
and religious unrest against the
Anglican Church in Great Britain
set off a wave of emigration from
Scotland and Ireland. These Scots,
Irish, and so-called "Scotch-Irish"
(Protestants from the northern
Irish county of Ulster) brought to
North America their religion, their
distrust of government control,
and their skill at distilling whiskey.
This rush, augmented by
German immigrants of a similar
religious and cultural persuasion,
passed through the seaboard colo-
nies and settled initially in Penn-
sylvania, Maryland, and western
Virginia. Mostly small farmers,
they quickly adapted to growing
rye because of its hardiness and,
in the western counties, Native Whiskey barrels on display
American corn because of its high
yields. Grain was awkward to ship into whiskey. In Pennsylvania, the end of the American War of
to East Coast markets because of these were primarily rye whis- Independence in 1784, the first
the poor roads, so many farmers kies; farther to the west and south commercial distilleries had been
turned to distilling their crops corn whiskies predominated. By established in what was then the
western Virginia county of Ken-
tucky. From the start, they pro-
NOT-50-TRIVIAL PURSUIT duced corn-based whiskies.
In 1794, the cash-strapped
The first waves of British settlers in North America were a federal government imposed the
thirsty lot. It is recorded that the Pilgrims chose to make final first federal excise tax on distillers.
landfall in Massachusetts, even though their original destination The farmer-distillers of western
was Virginia, primarily because they were almost out of beer. Pennsylvania responded violently.
Federal tax agents were assaulted
The first locally made alcoholic beverage was beer, although the and killed by angry mobs. Order
limited supply of barley malt was frequently supplemented by was finally restored when the
everything from spruce tips to pumpkin. Distilled spirits soon federal government sent in an
followed, with rum made from imported Caribbean molasses army of 15,000 militiamen, led
dominating in the northern colonies and an assortment of fruit by George Washington, to put
brandies in the South. down the revolt. The ringleaders
were convicted and sentenced
to be hanged. But cooler heads
prevailed, and after jail time they

WHISKEY 41
 HUDSON
BABY BOURBON
WHISKEY

Label for Hudson Baby Bourbon by Tuthilltown Spirits

were pardoned and released. tionary War. Bourbon County

This situation did provoke was in the early nineteenth
a new migration of settlers century a center of whiskey
through the Cumberland production and transship-
Gap and into the then- ping. (Ironically, at the pres-
western frontier lands of ent time, it is a "dry" county.)
Kentucky and Tennessee. The local whiskey, made Label for Pappy Van Winkle's Family
In these new states, primarily from Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon
farmers found corn, soon gained a Whiskey
ideal corn -growing reputation for being
country and smooth particularly smooth as a distinctive American style
limestone-filtered because the local of whiskey, although not as a
water, two of the distillers aged their regionally specific spirit. Bourbon
basic ingredients of products in charred came to be produced in Kentucky,
bourbon whiskey. oak casks. The adop- Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio,
The name bour- tion of the" sour Missouri, Pennsylvania, North
bon comes from a mash" grain conver- Carolina, and Georgia, although
county in eastern sion technique fur- the only legal requirement for
Kentucky, which in ther distinguished calling a whiskey "bourbon" is
turn was named for bourbon from other that it be produced in the United
the Bourbon kings whiskey styles. States. Nowadays, bourbon
of France, who had By the 1840s, production is slowly expanding to
Benjamin Prichard's Double
aided the American Barreled Bourbon from bourbon was recog- other states as new craft whiskey
rebels in the Revolu- Prichards' Distillery nized and marketed distillers come online. Initially
bourbon was made in pot stills,
but as the century progressed the
new column still technology was
increasingly adopted. The last
REVIVAL OF THE FITTEST old-line pot still plant closed in
Pennsylvania in 1992, but the tech-
It may seem odd, but Scotch whisky may be bourbon's inspira-
nique was revived in Kentucky in
tion for long-term revival. The steady growth in sales of single
1995 when the historic Labrot &
malt and high-quality Scotch whiskies has not gone unnoticed
Graham Distillery was renovated
in bourbon country. All of the Kentucky and Tennessee whis-
and reopened with a set of new,
key distilleries are now marketing high-end "single cask" and
Scottish-built copper pot stills.
"small batch" whiskies that have found great success among More recently, most of the new
upscale consumers. More than thirty craft whiskey distilleries generation of craft whiskey distill-
have opened in the past few years across the United States to ers use pot stills.
cater to this increasing demand for quality over quantity. The The late nineteenth century
United States may yet in the words of one commentator, "turn saw the rise of the temperance
away from foreign potions and return to its native spirit." movement, a social phenomenon
driven by a potent combination
of religious and women's groups.
Temperance societies, such as
the Women's Christian Temper-

42 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

Label for Blanton's Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey by Buffalo Trace Distillery

ance Union and the Anti-Saloon quality. What did change was
League, operated nationally, but the American taste in whiskey.
they were particularly active in Illicit moonshine and import-
the Southern states. The notion of ed Canadian whiskeys were
temperance soon gave way to a lighter in taste and body than
stated desire for outright prohibi- bourbon and rye. The corre-
tion, and throughout the rest of sponding increase in populari-
the century an assortment ty of white spirits such as gin
of states and counties and vodka further altered
adopted prohibition for the marketplace. When Re-
varying lengths of time and peal came in 1933, a number
degrees of severity. This of the old distilleries didn't
muddle of legal restric- reopen, and the industry be-
tions played havoc in the gan a slow consolidation that
bourbon industry, because it lasted into the early 1990s, at
interfered with the produc- which time there were only
tion and aging of stocks of ten distilleries in Kentucky
whiskey. and two in Tennessee.
National Prohibition
in 1919 had effects on the
bourbon industry beyond
shutting down most of the
distilleries. Drinking did not
stop, of course, and the United
States was soon awash in illegal Souvenir bottle of Evan Williams Kentucky
alcohol, much of it of dubious Straight Bourbon Whiskey by Heaven Hill
Distilleries

Bottle of Four Roses Middle:

Distillery's Single Elijah Craig
Barrel Kentucky 18-year-old Ken-
Straight Bourbon tucky Straight
Whiskey Bourbon Whiskey
by Heaven Hill Dis-
tilleries

Right:
Buffalo Trace Dis-
tillery's Kentucky
Straight Bourbon
Whiskey

WHISKEY 43
 A bottle of Templeton Prohibition Era
Recipe Small Batch Rye Whiskey
from Templeton Rye

TENNESSEE WHISKEY coal. This filtration removes some

of the congeners (flavor elements)
Tennessee whiskey is a first in the spirit and creates a smooth,
cousin of bourbon, with virtually mellow palate. The two remain-
an identical history. The same sort ing whiskey distillers in the state
of people used the same sort of continue this tradition, which a
grains and the same sort of pro- distiller at the Jack Daniel's Distill-
duction techniques to produce a ery once described as being "same
style of whiskey that, remarkably, church, different pew."
is noticeably different. The early
whiskey distillers in Tennessee,
for reasons that are lost to history, RYE WHISKEY
added a final step to their produc- The Scotch-Irish immigrant
tion process when they began
filtering their whiskey through
distillers had some exposure to
using rye in whiskey production,
.a
lYE WHISItEY

110 m"'1 " "1'.[ .11 "ItFI

thick beds of sugar-maple char- but for their German immigrant
neighbors, rye had been the pri-
mary grain used in the production
of schnapps and vodka back in
northern Europe. They continued Below: The hand-blown bottle of Ren-
this distilling practice, particularly dezvous Rye Whiskey casts a wavy
in Pennsylvania and Maryland, amber shadow on a gift box
where rye whiskey, with its dis-
tinctive hard-edged, grainy palate,
remained the dominant whiskey
type well into the twentieth cen-
tury.
Rye whiskey was more ad-
versely affected by National Prohi-
bition than bourbon was. A gen-
eration of consumers weaned on
light-bodied and relatively delicate
white spirits turned away from
the pungent, full-bodied straight
rye whiskies. Production of rye
whiskies had vanished altogether
from the Mid-Atlantic states by
the 1980s. A handful of modern
rye whiskies are currently being
made by bourbon distilleries in
Kentucky and Indiana. The United
States's first indigenous whiskey
style is today only barely surviv-
ing in the marketplace. Its primary
Hudson Manhattan Rye Whiskey by
Ththilltown Spirits
use is for blending to give other

44 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Label for A bottle of Mellow Corn,
Rye Whiskey Kentucky Straight Corn
from th e Whiskey by Medley Company
Isaiah Morgan
Distillery

whiskies more character and BLENDED AMERICAN

backbone, although a small but
vocal group of rye whisky enthusi- WHISKEY
asts continue to champion it, and Blended whiskies date from the
a number of new craft distillers early nineteenth century when the
are again producing their inter- invention of the column still made
pretations of this classic American possible the production of neutral
whiskey style. spirits. Distillers blended one or
more straight whiskies (bourbon
and rye) with these neutral spirits
in varying proportions to create
their own branded blend. The
taste and quality of these whiskies,
then as now, varies according to
the ratio of straight whiskey to
neutral grain spirit. Early blends
were frequently flavored with
everything from sherry to plug
tobacco. Compared to straight
whiskies, they were inexpensive
and bland. Modern blends utilize
dozens of different straight whis-
kies to ensure a consistent flavor
profile. Blended American whis-
kies had a great sales boost during
and just after World War II, when
distillers promoted them as a way
of stretching their limited supply
of straight whiskey. Blended whis-
keys were considered to be too
bland by bourbon and rye drink-
1''' - ers, and consumers with a taste
for lighter spirits soon migrated
over to vodka and gin.

CORN WHISKEY
Corn whiskey, an unaged, clear
spirit, was the first truly Ameri-
can whiskey, and the precursor
to bourbon. Scotch-Irish farmers
produced it in their stills for family
consumption or to trade for store
goods. When state and federal
Old Potrero 18th Century Style Rye excise taxes were permanently
Whiskey by Anchor Distilling

WHISKEY 45
 A bottle of Platte Valley
Straight Corn Whiskey by
McCormick Distilling Co.

CANADIAN WHISKY
Canadian whiskies, as with
their American cousins, originated
on the farm. These early whiskies
were made primarily from rye,
though over time Canadian distill-
ers turned to corn, wheat, and
other grains. Canadians continue
to refer to their whisky as "rye,"
" ALC/YOL ,II PR OOF)
even though the mash bill is now
predominantly a mix of corn,
wheat, and barley. Several of the
new generation of Canadian craft
distillers are, however, market-
introduced during the Civil War, ing both all-malt and "true" rye
most of the production of corn whiskies.
whiskey went underground to
become moonshine, where it has
remained ever since. A mod-
est amount of commercial corn
whiskey is still produced and con-
sumed in the South, while an in-
creasing number of craft whiskey
distilleries are now experimenting
with this more interesting alterna-
tive to vodka.

Above:
A bottle of Snake River Stampede
Blended Canadian Whisky

L eft:
Forty Creek Small Batch Reserve
Whisky (Can adian) by Kittling Ridge
Estate Wines & Spirits

46 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

THE BASIS OF NORTH AMERICAN WHISKIES

N ORTH American whiskies

are all-grain spirits that have
been produced from a mash bill
that usually mixes together corn,
rye, wheat, barley, and other
grains in different proportions,
and then is aged for an extended
period of time in wooden barrels.
These barrels may be new or used,
and charred or uncharred on the
inside, depending on the type of
whiskey being made.
Most non-craft North Ameri-
can whiskies are made in column
stills. The United States govern-
ment requires that all whiskies:
• Be made from a grain mash.
• Be distilled at 90 percent
ABVor less.
• Be reduced to no more than
Whiskey barrels on display on an antique truck 62.5 percent ABV (125°
proof) before being aged in
oak barrels (except for corn
whiskey, which does not
have to be aged in wood).
• Have the aroma, taste, and
characteristics that are gen-
erally attributed to whiskey.
• Be bottled at no less that 40
percent ABV (80° proof).

A cooper shoots air into a charring

barrel to stoke the flames.

A cooper forms a barrel before attaching

hoops around the outside.

WHISKEY 47
CLASSIFICATIONS OF
NORTH AMERICAN WHISKIES
ORTH AMERICAN whiskies are essen-
tially classified by the type or variety of
grains in the mash bill, the percentage or
proof of alcohol at which they are distilled, and
the duration and manner of their aging.

A stirring paddle sits

over a moonshine wash.

STYLE DEFINITION HOWEVER ...

Bourbon Whiskey Must contain a minimum of 51 percent In practice, virtually all straight whis-
corn, be produced in the United States, kies are aged for at least four years. Any
be distilled at less than 80 percent ABV bourbon-or any other domestic or
(160° proof), and be aged for a minimum imported whiskey-that is aged less than
of two years in new charred barrels four years must contain an age statement
on the label.

Small Batch Bourbon Bourbons that are bottled from a small The choice of barrels is purely subjective
group of specially selected barrels that on the part of the master blender.
are blended together

Single Barrel Bourbon Bourbon from one specific cask The choice of the barrel is purely subjec-
tive on the part of the master blender.

Tennessee Whiskey Must contain a minimum of 51 percent In recent years, as the sales volume of
corn, be distilled at less than 80 percent Tennessee whiskies has increased, the ag-
ABV (160° proof), be filtered through ing on many of the major brands beyond
a bed of sugar-maple charcoal, and be the required minimum of two years has
aged for a minimum oftwo years in new decreased. You have been warned.
charred barrels

Rye Whiskey Must contain a minimum of 51 percent Rye whiskey's dry, peppery, astringent
rye grain, be distilled at less than 80 character requires at least four years of
percent ABV (160° proof), and be aged for aging to soften its otherwise hard edge.
a minimum of two years in new charred
barrels

Blended American Must contain at least 20 percent straight It has a general whiskey flavor profile
Whiskey whiskey, with the balance being un aged (most closely resembling bourbon), but
neutral spirit or, in a few cases, high- lacks any defining taste characteristic.
proof light whiskey

48 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

Barley growing in a field in Washington State

STYLE DEFINITION HOWEVER ...

Corn Whiskey This commercial product must contain at Corn whiskey is the exception to the rule
least 80 percent corn, be distilled at less that requires whiskey to be aged to reach
than 80 percent ABV (160 proof), and be
0
its full flavor potential. Well-made corn
aged for a minimum of two years in new whiskey has a bright, fruity, almost sweet
or used un charred barrels. palate that fades with time.

Moonshine Whiskey Distilled from a mix of corn and sugar It is aged for the length of time that it
(aka white lightning, corn and aged in Mason jars and jugs takes the customers to get home or the
likker, white dog) Dukes of Hazzard to make a delivery in
the General Lee.

Canadian Whisky Made primarily from corn or wheat, with Virtually all Canadian whiskies (except the
a supplement of rye, barley, or barley pot-distilled malt whiskies of Glenora in
malt. There are no Canadian govern- Nova Scotia) are blended from different
ment requirements for the percentages grain whiskies of different ages.
of grains used in the mash bill. They are
aged, primarily in used oak barrels, for
a minimum of three years, with most
brands being aged for four to six years.

Bulk Canadian Usually shipped in barrels to their des- Additional aging statements on the labels
Whiskies tination country, where they are bottled. of some of these whiskies should be
These bulk whiskies are usually bottled at treated with deep skepticism.
40 percent ABV (80 proof) and are usu-
0

ally no more than four years old.

Bottled in Canada Generally have older whiskies in their Age, in this context, is still a relative
Whiskies blends and are bottled at 43.4 percent thing. Ten-year-old Canadian whisky is
ABV (86.8 proof)
0
considered a really, really old whisky.

WHISKEY 49
 Peregrine Rock Single Malt
Whiskey by St. James Spirits

NORTH AMERICAN UNITED STATES

WHISKEY REGIONS Kentucky produces all types of

North American whiskies except
North America's variations for Tennessee and Canadian. It
of whiskey are as nuanced and currently has the largest concen-
distinct as the continent's regions.
tration of whiskey distilleries on
Most are aged in new wood bar- the continent, but may soon cede
rels, but beyond that there has that claim to Michigan, Colorado,
been much experimenting in
or one of the Pacific Northwest
recent years.
states as new craft distilleries con-
tinue to open.

WHI KY
,~up ~~ vhf"!
.i ~fo tAl«< .1"''''
Ow and 111>111 d In ( .. IJf~I ... I"
'lNT } AIoII\ PllllTl
1'"Mo4' H\
, . -41'-: ~Il .0
~.(JDU:T 'l A
.-;;;;;CiI

Barrels of bourbon aging at the Woodford Reserve Distillery

50 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

Most
Wanted
Kansas
Whiskey
by High
Plains Inc.

REGIONAL FLAVORS
There are now more than thirty craft distilleries in at least sev-
enteen states that are producing such standard whiskey styles
as bourbon, corn, and rye, as well as many experimental varia-
tions. One example is Wasmund's Single Malt Whiskey from
Tennessee started out as the Copper Fox Distillery of Sperryville, Virginia. This distillery
bourbon country, but today its has its own floor maltings and soaks its aging spirit in apple-
two remaining whiskey distilleries wood chips. This sort of production twist, which has its roots
specialize in the distinctive Ten- in craft brewing, is increasingly becoming a distinctive feature
nessee style of whiskey.
of American craft distilling.
Other states-primarily
Additionally, there are a number of distilling plants scattered
Indiana, Illinois, Virginia, and
around the country that rectify (redistill), process, and bottle
Missouri-have large distilleries
spirits that were originally distilled elsewhere. These distill-
that produce straight whiskeys,
although some of these plants are eries, in addition to sometimes bottling bourbon that has been
currently mothballed. shipped to them
in bulk, may also
CANADA
create their own
Ontario has the largest con- blended whiskies .
centration of whisky distilleries These whiskies
in Canada, with three. Alberta tend to be relatively
has two, and Manitoba, Quebec, inexpensive "well"
and Nova Scotia each have one. brands that are sold
With the exception of Glenora in mainly to taverns
Nova Scotia and Kittling Ridge and bars for making
in Ontario, all of the other cur- mixed drinks.
rent Canadian whisky distilleries
produce only blended Canadian
whisky, although a number of new
craft whisky distilleries are listed
in the index.
Rick Wasmund malts barley by hand at the
Copper Fox Distillery.

WHISKEY 51
 A WHISKEY LEXICON
Bonded whiskey is bourbon from a single
distillery that was produced in a single
//season" and then aged for at least four
years in a government-supervised //bond-
ed" warehouse. Distillers originally did
this to avoid having to pay the excise tax
until the whiskey was aged and ready for
market. Consumers came to (erroneously)
regard the //bottled in bond" designation
as a statement of quality. Bonded whiskies
are not much of a factor in today's market
although they still exist.

The mash is the mix of crushed grain

(including some malt that contains en- In this whiskey barrel storage building, a black mold and rust
zymes to break down grain starches into thrive on the "angers share" of evaporated alcohol and the
Kentucky humidity.
sugars) and hot water from which the
distiller draws a liquid extract called wort.
The wort is fermented into a simple beer
called the wash which is then distilled.

Sour mash is the fermentation process by

which a percentage of a previous fer-
mentation is added to a new batch as a
//starter" to get the fermentation going
and maintain a level of consistency from
batch to batch. A sweet mash means that
only fresh yeast is added to a new batch
to start fermentation.

Straight whiskey is unblended whiskey

that contains no neutral spirit. Bourbon,
Tennessee, rye, and corn whiskies are Wash being made in the mash tun
straight whiskies. There is also a spirit
simply called //straight whiskey," that
is made from a mixture of grains, none
of which accounts for 51 percent of the
mash bill.

Bubbles rise during a grain fermentation.

52 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

SCOTCH WHISKY, IRISH WHISKEY,
AND OTHER WHISKIES OF THE WORLD
W HISKY is defined, in its
most basic sense, as a spirit
that is distilled from grain. Some-
times the grain has been malted,
sometimes not. What distinguish-
es whisky from vodka, gin, aqua-
vit, and other grain-based spirits
is that it is aged, often for long
periods of time, in wooden barrels
(usually oak). This barrel aging
smoothes the rough palate of the
raw spirit, adding aromatic and
flavoring nuances along with the
base amber hue that sets whiskies
apart from white grain spirits.

THE HISTORY OF
SCOTCH WHISKY
The basis of Scotch whisky is
the heather-flavored ales made
from barley malt that the Picts
and their prehistoric ancestors
brewed. Archeologists have found
evidence of such brewing dating
back to at least 2000 BCE. This ale,
still produced today by at least one
Scottish microbrewer, was low in
alcohol and not very stable.
Starting in the ninth century,
Irish monks arrived in Scotland
to Christianize their Celtic breth-
ren. They brought along the first
primitive stills, which they had
picked up during their prosely- Forsyth stills at the Penderyn Whisky Distillery in Wales
tizing visits to mainland Europe
during the Dark Ages. The local
Picts soon found that they could
create a stable alcoholic beverage
by distilling heather ale. Simple
stills came to be found in most
rural homesteads, and homemade
whisky became an integral part of
Gaelic culture.

WHISKEY 53
Laphroaig 10-year-old Talisker 18-year-old Single
Single Malt Scotch Whisky Malt Scotch Whisky
WHY BLENDED SCOTCH
from th e Island of Islay
WHISKY IS A GOOD
THING, EVEN IF YOU
PREFER SINGLE MALTS

It is a truism of religion
_ _ _ _- - II .... that converts frequently
,~ l become the most zealous
I

of believers. Among freshly

minted modern-day enthu-
siasts of Scotch malt whis-
kies, it is a frequently heard
refrain that malt whiskies
are superior to the blended
article, and that the latter
are just not worth bother-
ing with . Personal taste
is ultimately subjective,
of course. But single malt
drinkers should raise their
hats in salute whenever a
Dewar's or Johnnie Walker
delivery truck drives by,
because without these
blended brands most of the
remaining malt distilleries
would not exist. Blended
Scotch whiskies require a
blend of dozens of different
malt whiskies to be com-
If MNtIOUJrf TO M." ntl NlIiCI 01' *"&1& bined with the grain whisky
...... .•
1CIIUIJI . . . .u..-ukA 0. alllfOU ...... t(01OI . .~t
to'. ~"""'".OIIQJ La .......
to create the desired blend .
The individual percentages
of each malt whisky may
be sman but each contrib-
ISLAY SINGLE MALT utes its unique character ("uill lrl Uill
",~ 1 I. 0'
~
k r

SCOTCH WHISKY to the blend. A blender '- .,.; (,,11 IlI><lJrd p rli
•

8/~Ota(
11({]) will thus need to buy or
produce a large amount of
different malt whiskies to
- ..,.,. "'" g Ai... V "-' .. •

The most richly flavoured (Ie maintain the consistency

all Scotch whiskies of the blend. Thus, for a
malt whisky distillery, the
ESTABLISHED 1815
single malt may get all of
0rtJuu:0 '""0 lornm 'M seOTlIoMO IT lI.IOHM,TIJj, co,
e WHROAlO Dlmuny. IIUi OF I!ut 11 the glory, but the blends
ultimate pay the bills.

54 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Highland Park 12-year-old
Single Malt Scotch Whisky

As long as Scottish kings ruled just eight licensed distilleries. A

the country from Edinburgh number of present-day Scottish
the status quo of whisky as just distilleries, particularly in the
another farm product was more Highlands, have their origins in
or less maintained. But the Act such illicit operations.
of Union in 1707 that combined The Excise Act of 1823 reduced
England, Wales, and Scotland into taxes on Scotch whisky tolerably.
the United Kingdom altered the This act coincided with the dawn
Scotch whisky scene forever. The of the industrial revolution, and
London government soon levied entrepreneurs were soon building
excise taxes on Scottish-made new, state-of-the-art distilleries.
whisky (while at the same time The local moonshiners (called
cutting the taxes on English gin). smugglers) did not go quietly.
The result was a predictable boom Some of the first licensed distillers
in illicit distilling. In 1790s Edin- in rural locations were threatened
burgh it was estimated that more by their illicit peers. But in the
thn 400 illegal stills competed with end, production efficiencies and
the rule of law won out. The whis-
ky that came from these distill-
eries was made exclusively from
malted barley that had been kiln
dried over peat fires. The smoke
from these peat fires gave the malt
a distinctive tang that made the
Scottish product instantly identifi-
able by whisky drinkers all over
the world.
The nineteenth century
brought a rush of changes to
the Scotch whisky industry. The
introduction of column stills early
in the 1830s led to the creation of
grain whisky, which in turn led to
blended Scotch whisky in the late
1860s. The smooth blandness of
the grain whisky toned down the
assertive smoky character of the
malt whiskies.
The resulting blended whisky
was milder and more acceptable
to foreign consumers, particu-
larly the English, who turned to
Scotch whisky in the 1870s when
a phylloxera infestation (an insect
Barrels aging at the Penderyn Whisky Distillery in Wales pest that destroys grape vines) in

WHISKEY 55
Keith Tench, visitor centre manager, poses with distiller Gillian Howell at the Penderyn Whisky Distillery in Wales.

the vineyards of Europe disrupted THE HISTORY OF record in the mid-1500s, when the
supplies of cognac and port, two Tudor kings began to consolidate
of the mainstays of civilized liv- IRISH WHISKEY English control in Ireland. Queen
ing. Malt whisky distilleries were The Scots most likely learned Elizabeth I was said to be fond of
bought up by blending companies, about distilling from the Irish it and had casks shipped to Lon-
and their output was blended with (though they are loath to admit don regularly.
grain whiskies to create the great it). The Irish in turn learned about The imposition of an excise
blended brands that have come it, according to the Irish at least, tax in 1661 had the same effect as
to dominate the market. The malt from missionary monks who it did in Scotland, with the im-
whisky distilleries took a backseat arrived in Ireland in the seventh mediate commencement of the
to these brands and sold most or, century. The actual details are production of poteen (the Irish
in some cases, all of their produc- a bit sketchy for the next 700 version of moonshine). This did
tion to the blenders. The recent years or so, but it does seem that not, however, slow the growth
popular revival of malt whiskies monks in various monasteries of the distilling industry, and by
has led most of the distilleries to were distilling aqua vitae ("wa- the end of the eighteenth century
come out with bottlings of their ter of life"), primarily for making there were more than 2,000 stills
own products. medical compounds. These first in operation.
By the 1970s, international distillates were probably grape Under British rule, Ireland was
liquor companies owned most of or fruit brandy rather than grain export oriented, and Irish distill-
the malt whisky distilleries, a situ- spirit. Barley-based whiskey (the ers produced large quantities of
ation that continues to this day. word derives from uisce beatha, pot-distilled whiskey for export
the Gaelic interpretation of aqua into the expanding British Empire
vitae) first appears in the historical (along with grains and assorted

56 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Distiller Lance Winters leads a
group of other distillers on a tour of
St. George Spirits/Hangar One
Vodka. Here they are marveling at
the gleaming column stills.

DISTILLING TIMELINE
SPIRIT TVPE FERMENTATION MIN. AGING MAX. AGING
BRANDIES
Brandy V.S. 3 weeks 2 years 5 years
BrandyVSOP 3 weeks 4 years 15 years
Brandy X.O. 3 weeks 6 years 20-30 years
Grappa 1 week 1 month 3 years
Apple Brandy 3 weeks 2 years 20 years
Fruit Brandy 3 weeks 4-6 months 4 years
WHISKIES
foodstuffs). In the late nineteenth
Scotch 1 week 3 years 30 years century, more than 400 brands of
Irish 1 week 3 years 10 years Irish whiskey were being export-
Bourbon 1 week 2 years 20 years ed and sold in the United States.
Tennessee 1 week 2 years 6 years This happy state of affairs
lasted into the early twentieth
Rye 1 week 2 years 25 years century, when the market began
Corn 4 days 2 years 2 years to change. The Irish pot still users
Canadian 1 week 3 years 10 years were slow to respond to the rise
Moonshine 4 days 1 week 1 week
of blended Scotch whisky with
its column-distilled, smooth-
RUMS grain-whisky component. When
White 3 days 2 months 2 years National Prohibition in the United
Golden 3 days 1 year 3 years States closed off their largest ex-
port market, many of the smaller
Dark 1 week 1 year 4 years
distilleries closed. The remaining
Afiejo/Aged 1 week 5 years 30 years distilleries then failed to anticipate
-
TEOUILAS
Blanco 1 week None 2 months
the coming of Repeal (unlike the
Scotch distillers) and were caught
short when it came. The Great
Reposado 1 week 3 months 9 months
Depression, trade embargoes
Afiejo/Aged 1 week 1 year 4 years between the newly independent
VODKAS Irish Republic and the United
All 3 days None 3 months Kingdom, and World War II
caused further havoc among the
GINS distillers.
Dry 3 days None None In 1966, the three remain-
Genever 1 week 1 year 3 years ing distilling companies in the
Republic of Ireland-Powers,
Jameson, and Cork Distilleries-
merged into a single company,
Irish Distillers Company (IDC). In

WHISKEY 57
 Yamazaki Distillery Karuizawa Number
Shimamoto, Osaka, One Single Cask
Japan Whisky (Japan). The
12-year-old distillery is located in the
Single Malt Whisky foothills of Mount Asama,
(Japan) an active volcano.

in 1989, when a potato-peel

ethanol plant in Dundalk was
converted into a whiskey distillery.
The new Cooley Distillery began
to produce malt and grain whis-
keys, with the first three-year-old
bottlings released in 1992.

THE HISTORY OF
JAPANESE WHISKY
The modern Japanese whisky
industry can trace its beginnings
back to one man, Masataka Taket-
THE sura. The son of a sake brewer,
Y ZOO Taketsura went to Scotland in
SINGLE MALT 1918 and spent two years studying
chemistry at Glasgow University
WHI KY
and working at a Scotch whisky
AGee 12 YEARS
distillery in Rothes in the High-
lands. He returned to Japan in DR INKS
CO H ~AN
I '1l ...s bonk'll
.aJu,ll,e nIl I
1920 with a Scottish bride and a KaruizaWaDistillery
In J," II determination to change the Japa-
nese distilling industry.
The Japanese were then, as
they are now, major consumers of
Scotch whisky. Locally produced
spirits, however, were limited to
the fiery sorghum- or sweet-
potato-based shochu, and a hand-
ful of dubious "whiskies" that
were little more than neutral spir-
1972, Bushmills, the last distillery its colored with caramel. Taketsura key), soon dominated the market.
in Northern Ireland, joined IDe. In convinced the owners of what Modern Japanese distillers
1975, IDC opened a new mam- became the Suntory Company to (including the Nikka Whisky
moth distillery at Midleton near begin production of barley malt Distillery, which was founded by
Cork, and all of the other distill- and grain whiskies based on the Taketsura in 1934) have followed
eries in the republic were closed Scottish model. These whiskies, this trend and nowadays produce
down with the production of their some of which are made from im- and market a full range of malt
brands being transferred to Mid- ported peat-smoked Scottish malt, and blended whiskies.
leton. For a fourteen-year period, became very successful in the
the Midleton plant and Bushmills Japanese market. Other distilleries
in Northern Ireland were the only followed Suntory's lead, and these
distilleries in Ireland. whiskies, based on Scotch whisky
This sad state of affairs ended models (and later bourbon whis-

58 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

STYLE DEFINITION HOWEVER ...
Single Malt Scotch Whisky Malt whisky that has been produced at If it contains a mix of whiskies from dif-
one distillery. It may be a mix of malt ferent years, the age statement on the
whiskies from different years. The bottle label gives the age of the young-
barley malt for Scotch whisky is first est spirit in the mix.
dried over fires that have been stoked
with dried peat. The peat smoke adds a
distinctive smoky tang.

Vatted Malt Scotch Whisky Blend of malt whiskies from different A much underrated style, for no good
Scottish distilleries reason. The term blended malt whisky
means the same thing .

Scotch Grain Whisky Made from wheat or corn with a small Rarely bottled, but well-aged examples
percentage of barley and barley malt can be delicate drams.

Blended Scotch Whisky Blend of grain whiskey and malt The ratio of malt whisky to grain whisky
whiskey in the blend can vary considerably
among brands. And the number of malt
whiskies in the malt whisky component
can range from a handful to dozens.

Irish Pot Still Whiskey Unless labeled as such, Irish whiskeys Once upon a time, all Irish whiskies
are a mix of pot- and column-distilled were pot distilled. Column stills were
whiskeys. for Scots.

Irish Malt Whiskey Can be pot distilled, column distilled, Irish malts have made a welcome
or a mixture of both comeback in recent years.

Irish Whiskey A blend of malt and grain whiskies The ratio of malt to grain whiskey can
vary widely, which is not necessarily
reflected in the price.

Japanese Malt Whisky Produced in pot stills from lightly Broadly modeled on Scottish Highland
peated barley malt Malt Whiskies, and in some cases done
very well indeed.

Japanese Whisky A blend of malt whisky (Japanese or Not to be confused with Shochu, native
Scotch) and domestically produced Japanese whisky, which is made from
grain whisky rice, sorghum, or barley, and is a very
different earthy sort of spirit.

New Zealand Single Malt Pot-distilled malt whisky New Zealand whisky distilleries open
Whisky and close with the frequency of rugby
sports bars, so good luck finding any.

New Zealand Blended A mix of domestic malt and grain Occasionally it may even have some
Whisky whiskies domestically made whisky in it.

Australian Whisky All currently produced Australian Tasmania is the center of the new gen-
whiskies are pot-distilled malt whiskies eration of Australian whisky distilling.
 Thousands of barrels stacked
outside a cooperage

THE HISTORY OF
NEW ZEALAND AND
AUSTRALIAN WHISKY
Scottish emigrants brought
their whisky-making skills to New
Zealand in the 1840s. A thriving
whisky industry soon developed
and operated until 1875, when
new, excessively high excise grain whiskey, which is made
taxes and heavy competition from THE BASIS OF
from unmalted wheat or corn.
imported British whiskies forced SCOTCH WHISKY, These whiskeys are aged in used
the local commercial distilleries IRISH WHISKEY, wooden bourbon or sherry bar-
to shut down. A new, almost rels for a minimum of three years,
commercial-sized moonshine
JAPANESE WHISKY,
although five to eight years is the
trade quickly replaced them, a AND NEW ZEALAND norm.
situation that continued for almost AND AUSTRALIAN
a century. JAPAN
In 1968 a new whisky distillery
WHISKY
Japanese whiskies, both malt
opened in Dunedin. It produces a All of these whiskey styles, and blended, are broadly based
range of malt and grain whiskies, while very different in taste and on Scotch whiskies, with some
broadly in the Scottish style, from style, are based on malted barley top brands even being made
locally grown grain. Even the as the dominant source of flavor with imported Scottish water and
barley malt is kilned and smoked and character. peat-smoked barley malt. The
using local peat. SCOTLAND peat-smoke character of Japanese
Australian whisky production whiskies is generally more subtle
has experienced a similar varied There are two basic categories
and delicate than their Scottish
history, with assorted nineteenth- of Scotch whisky: malt whisky,
counterparts. Japanese whiskies
century producers popping up which is made exclusively from
may be aged in both new and
in the various states, only to be malted barley that has been dried
used (usually bourbon) wooden
driven out of business by British over smoking peat fires, and
barrels, which may be either
imports. Abortive attempts in the grain whisky, which is made from
charred or uncharred.
1990s to revive whisky production unmalted wheat or corn. These
whiskies are aged in used wooden NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA
have been followed more recently
by a new generation of more suc- bourbon or sherry barrels for a New Zealand and Australian
cessful craft whisky distillers, par- minimum of three years, although whiskies both draw on Scottish,
ticularly on the island of Tasmania. five to ten years is the general Irish, and American traditions in
practice. a cheerfully mixed manner, using
IRELAND both peated and unpeated locally-
grown barley malt to produce
There are two basic categories
mostly pot -distilled malt whiskies
of Irish whiskey: malt whiskey,
that are aged in used bourbon and
which is made exclusively from
wine barrels for a theoretical, if
malted barley that has been kiln-
not always absolute, minimum of
dried, but not over peat fires, and
six years for malt whisky.

60 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Detail offermenting barley
wash for making whiskey

THE DISTILLATION OF
SCOTCH WHISKY,
IRISH WHISKEY,
JAPANESE WHISKY,
AND NEW ZEALAND said to come from sea salt perme-
SCOTCH WHISKY,
AND AUSTRALIAN ating the local peat that is used to
IRISH WHISKEY, dry the barley malt.
WHISKY
JAPANESE WHISKY, Campbeltown is a port located
Double- and even triple- on the tip of the Kintyre Peninsula
distillation is the norm for this fam-
AND NEW ZEALAND
on the southwest coast that has its
ily of barley malt-based whiskies. AND AUSTRALIAN own distinctive spicy and salt-
SCOTLAND WHISKY REGIONS tinged malt whiskies.
All Scotch malt whiskies SCOTLAND IRELAND
are double distilled in pot stills, A series of corporate con-
The Highlands consist of the
whereas Scotch grain whiskies are solidations and resulting plant
portion of Scotland north of a line
made in column stills. closures have left the island with
from Dundee on the North Sea
IRELAND coast in the east to Greenock on only three distilleries, one in
the Irish Sea in the west, including County Antrim at the northern tip
Irish whiskeys, both blended
all of the islands off the mainland of Ulster, and two in the Republic
and malt, are usually triple dis-
except for Islay. Highland malt of Ireland to the south. Several
tilled through both column and
whiskies cover a broad spectrum new and revived distilleries are ,
pot stills, although there are a few
of styles. They are generally however, currently under con-
exclusively pot-distilled brands.
considered aromatic, smooth, and struction.
JAPAN medium bodied, with palates that JAPAN
Japanese whiskies follow the range from lush complexity to flo-
The whisky distilleries of Japan
Scottish tradition, with malt whis- ral delicacy. The subregions of the
are scattered throughout Hon-
kies being double distilled in pot Highlands include Speyside; the
shu and Hokkaido, the two main
stills and grain whiskies in column North, East, and West Highlands;
northern islands of Japan, with
stills. the Orkney Isles; and the Western
the malt whisky distilleries located
NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA
Islands (Jura, Mull, and Skye).
for the most part in mountainous
The Lowlands encompass the
Both New Zealand and Austra- regions where there are good
entire Scottish mainland south of
lian malt and grain whiskies are water supplies.
the Highlands except the Kintyre
double distilled in pot stills, with Peninsula where Campbeltown is NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA
some Tasmanian distilleries re- located. Lowland malt whiskies New Zealand currently only
portedly experimenting with triple are light bodied, relatively sweet, has one operating whisky dis-
distillation. and delicate. tillery in Dunedin, South Island.
Islay is an island off the west At press time, Australia had one
coast. Traditional Islay malt whis- operating whisky distillery in
kies are intensely smoky and pun- western Australia and three in
gent in character with a distinctive Tasmania.
iodine or medicinal tang that is

WHISKEY 61
 WHISKY COCKTAILS
SAZERAC DEPTH CHARGE MANHATTAN
In a short glass combine: Fill a tall glass three-quarters full In a shaker combine:
• 2 ounces (60 mJ) rye whiskey of beer. Pour, ,/2 ounces (45 ml) • 7112 ounces (45 mJ) bourbon
Canadian whiskey into a shot
• 7 teaspoon (5 g) sugar • -% ounce (23 mJ) sweet
glass. Drop the shot glass into
Stir to blend, then add: the glass of beer and drink them
vermouth
• Dash Peychaud's bitters together. • Ice
• Dash Angostura bitters Stir and strain into a martini
WHISKEY SOUR (cocktail) glass or a short glass.
• 112 ounce (75 ml) Pernod Fill a short glass with ice. In a Garnish with a maraschino
• 2 ice cubes shaker combine : cherry.
Stir to blend. Garnish with lemon • 1112 ounces (45 mJ) blended
twist. whiskey RUSTY NAIL

• 1 ounce (30 mJ) lemon juice Fill a short glass with ice cubes.
Add:
• 7tablespoon (75 g) sugar
• 1 ounce (30 mJ) Scotch whisky
it- , • Crushed ice (halffulI)
L
... .
-
J
- Shake and strain into the glass.
• 112 ounce (15 ml) Drambuie
liqueur
Stir and serve.

Sazerac Rye
Whiskey

Label for Old Gristmill Authentic American Corn Whiskey

by Tuthilltown Spirits

62 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 ARTISAN PROFILE I INSIDE THE INDUSTRY

JOHN HENRY
PipeLine Brand Agents, New York, New York

S UDDENLY, it is time to open

the doors. You bought your
still, got your license, built your
"I know the personalities, the
history, and the drama. What's
better than that? No corporate-
distillery, sourced your raw prod- created brand like 10 Cane has
ucts, decided what to make, and this history and rooted story"
actually made some. The most Henry cuts a striking figure. He
important step is still ahead- is a graduate of West Point and a
you've got to convince people to former Army intelligence officer,
buy what you're selling. Enter but he left all that behind to ride
John Henry of PipeLine Brand his bicycle through the streets of
Agents, a brand builder and mar- New York, bottles clinking in his
ket developer. backpack.
The task of reaching customers "The bike is king. It's a story
is daunting. Giant corporations unto itself. It's green, it's street, it's
can fly bevies of representatives artisanal, it moves. It's a hand-
around the world and ply retail- delivered, hand-sold way to do
ers and restaurants with promo- business, and I wouldn't have it
tional wares, but the small distiller any other way I paraphrase Or-
more often than not finds himself well: 'When I see a grown man on
driving around in his own car a bike, I have hope for the future.'"
with a case or two in the trunk. Henry likes to say that he
Pipeline's team of brand agents "farms relationships on the
and market ambassadors are street-organically" In doing so,
"dedicated to properly represent- the hardest part of the job is also
ing high-quality, artisanal spirits" what makes it possible.
(according to their website) and "What's most difficult about
they work hard to build strong, representing the more boutique,
supportive, mutually beneficial crafted brands is that you have
relationships. to continually tell the story from
"I tell the stories," said Henry scratch. The bigger brands bom-
"Whether it is the history of a bard the consumer with images-
centuries-old brewery, the soil think Vincent Gallo for Belvedere.
composition, the site and terroir of With the smaller brands, you have
a sugarcane field or vineyard, or a to make the connection one on
cherished family recipe that goes one as if you were the distiller,
back fourteen generations, I want telling his story That's what makes
to get out on the street and tell them stand out as brands and as
people about it." distillers. I am as much a brand
Henry understands that a storyteller as I am a street-based
small distiller's product is a work brand builder. I look at my job as
of passion, and he wants to instill part Johnny Appleseed and part
that passion in the marketplace Johnny Carson."
and forge the sort of loyalty that
can only be commanded by a craft
product.

WHISKEY 63
 "'The relationship between a Russian and
CHAPTER FOUR a bottle of vodka is almost mystical. N

- Richard Owen, British scientist and

drinking buddy of Charles Darwin

S THE STORY goes,

in 988, the Grand
Prince of Kiev
(Ukraine) decided it was
time for his people to be
converted from their pagan
ways to one of the mono-
theistic religions that held
sway to the south. First
came the Jewish rabbis.
He listened to their argu-
ments' was impressed,
but ultimately sent them
away after noting that the
followers of Judaism did
not control any land. Next
came the Muslim mullahs.
Again he was impressed,
A colorful aray of craft vodkas on both with their intellectual arguments and the success of
display, on ice, ready to be enjoyed
responsibly Islam as a political and military force. But when he was
told that Islam proscribed alcohol, he was dismayed and
sent them away. Finally came the Christian priests, who
informed him that not only could good Christians drink
alcohol, but also that wine was required for church ritu-
als such as communion. That was good enough for the
Grand Prince, and on his command his subjects convert-
ed en masse to Christianity.

64 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

THE HISTORY OF VODKA

H ISTORICALLY, the Slavic

peoples of the north and
their Scandinavian neighbors took
alcoholic drinks very seriously.
The extreme cold temperatures of
winter inhibited the shipment of
wines and beers, because these
low-proof beverages could freeze
during transit. Until the intro-
duction of distilling into Eastern
Europe in the 1400s, strong drink
was made by fermenting wines,
meads, and beers, freezing them,
and then drawing off the alcoholic
slush from the frozen water.
The earliest distilled spirit in
Eastern Europe was made from
mead (honey wine) or beer and
was called perevara. The word
vodka (from the Russian word
voda, meaning "water") was origi-
nally used to describe grain distil- Three Holstein stills at st. George SpiritslHangar One Vodka.
lates that were used for medicinal
purposes. As distilling techniques
improved, vodka (wodka in Polish) their estates and produced high- established as the benchmark for
gradually came to be the accepted quality vodkas that were flavored Russian vodka.
term for beverage spirit, regard- with everything from acorns to The Soviet Union continued
less of its origin. horseradish to mint. The czars government control of vodka
maintained test distilleries at their production. All distilleries be-
country palaces. In 1780, a scien- came government -owned, and
VODKA IN RUSSIA tist at one such distillery invented while the Communist Party
Russians firmly believe that charcoal filtration to purify vodka. apparatchiks continued to enjoy
vodka was created in their land. By the eighteenth and into the high-quality rye vodka, the prole-
Commercial production was nineteenth century, the Russian tariat masses had to make do with
established by the fourteenth cen- vodka industry was considered cheap spirits.
tury. In 1540, Czar Ivan the Terrible technologically advanced. New Vodka production in the
established the first government stills and production techniques current Russian Federation has
vodka monopoly. Distilling licens- from Western Europe were returned to the pre-Revolutionary
es were handed out to the boyars eagerly imported and utilized. pattern. High-quality brands are
(the nobility), all other distilleries State funding and control of again being produced for the new
were banned, and moonshining vodka research continued. Under social elite and for export, while
became endemic. a 1902 law, "Moscow vodka," a the popularly priced brands are
Vodka production became an clear 40 percent ABV rye vodka still being consumed, well, like
integral part of Russian society. without added flavorings and soft voda.
Landowners operated stills on "living" (undistilled) water, was

VODKA 65
 Putting labels over the caps of freshly
filled bottles of Prezydent Vodka at
Polmos Lodz in Lodz, Poland

those infused with small quanti-

ties of fruit spirit, being shipped
throughout northern Europe and
even into Russia.
With the fall of Communism in
the late 1980s, the vodka distill-
eries soon returned to private
ownership. Nowadays, high-
quality Polish vodkas are exported
throughout the world.

VODKA IN POLAND VODKA IN SWEDEN

The earliest written records Vodka production in Sweden,
of vodka production in Poland which dates from the fifteenth
date from the 1400s, though some century, has its origins in the lo-
Polish historians claim that it cal gunpowder industry, where
was being produced around the high-proof spirit (originally called
southern city of Krakow at least a brannvin) was used as a compo-
century earlier. Originally known nent of black powder for muskets.
as okowita (from the Latin aqua When distilleries were licensed to
vita, "water of life"), it was used produce beverage alcohol (pri-
for a variety of purposes in addi- marily spice-flavored aquavit, but
tion to beverages. A 1534 medical also vodka), it was with the under-
text defined an aftershave lotion standing that gunpowder makers
as "vodka for washing the chin had first priority over beverage
after shaving." Herbal-infused consumers.
vodkas were particularly popular Home distilling was long a part
as liniments for the aches and of Swedish society. In 1830, there
pains of life. were more than 175,000 registered
In 1546, King Jan Olbracht Spirits dance in the still at the Weyer- stills in a country of fewer than
mann Distillery in Bamberg, Germany. three million people. This tradi-
granted the right to distill and sell
in spirits to every adult citizen. tion, in a much diminished and
The Polish aristocracy, taking a
cue from their Russian peers,
VODKA AND THE CLASS SYSTEM
soon lobbied to have this privilege
revoked and replaced by a royal
The societal attitude toward cheap spirits meant for the pro-
decree that reserved to them the
letariat could be summed up by the curious fact that mass-
right to make vodka.
produced vodka was sold in liter bottles with a non-screw cap.
Commercial vodka distill-
Once you opened the bottle, it couldn't be resealed. You had to
eries were well established by
drink it all in one session.
the eighteenth century. By the
mid-nineteenth century, a thriv-
ing export trade had developed,
with Polish vodkas, particularly

66 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

Charcoal filtration used in making vodka at Colorado Pure Distilling

illegal form, still continues to this taste. No smell." Sales boomed They are divided between those
day. Modern Swedish vodka is and American vodka, after mark- who purchase neutral grain spirit
produced by the Vin & Sprit state ing time during World War II, was (NGS) from a third party supplier
monopoly. on its way to marketing success. and then rectify it in their own
The first popular vodka-based facility, and a relative handful of
VODKA IN THE cocktail was a combination of operations that produce and distill
vodka and ginger ale called the their own wash to make vodka.
UNITED STATES Moscow mule. It was marketed This is actually a serious challenge
Vodka was first imported into with its own special copper mug, for craft distillers with pot stills,
the United States in significant examples of which can still be because it is difficult to produce
quantities around the turn of the found on the back shelves of a high-proof neutral grain spirit
twentieth century. Its market was liquor cabinets throughout the without using a column still.
immigrants from Eastern Eu- United States The best-known, and best-
rope. After the repeal of National Today, vodka is the dominant selling, craft -distilled vodka is
Prohibition in 1933, the Heublein white spirit in the United States, Tito's Handmade Vodka from the
Company bought the rights to the helped along by its versatility as a distillery of the same name in
Smirnoff brand of vodka from its mixer and some very clever adver- Austin, Texas.
White Russian emigre owners and tising campaigns. The most famous
relaunched vodka into the U.S. of these was the classic double en-
market. Sales languished until an tendre tagline: "Smirnoff-It leaves
enterprising liquor salesman in you breathless."
South Carolina started promoting The majority of American craft
it as "SmirnoffWhite Whisky-No distillers are vodka producers.

VODKA 67
 "'A vodka martini, please. Polish,
THE BASIS OF VODKA not Russian. Shaken, not stirred."
-James Bond, Agent 007, plunging
a stake into the heart of gin sales

V ODKA is made by ferment-

ing and then distilling the
simple sugars from a mash of pale
grain or vegetal matter, which
can be potatoes, molasses, beets,
or a variety of other plants. Rye
is the classic grain for vodka,
and most of the best Russian and
Polish brands are made exclu-
sively from a rye mash. Swedish
and Baltic distillers are partial to
wheat mashes, although wheat
is also used farther east. Potatoes
are looked down on by Russian
distillers, but they are held in high
esteem by some of their Polish
counterparts. Molasses is widely
used for inexpensive, mass-pro-
duced brands of vodka. American
distillers use the full range of base
ingredients.

DISTILLATION
OF VODKA
Maine Distilleries uses locally sourced potatoes to make its Cold River Vodka.
Vodka is distilled in the man-
ner described in the introductory ally a neutral, characterless spirit. can be exported, while krepkaya
chapter of this book. (See page Except for a few minor excep- (strong) denotes an overproof
24.) The choice of pot or column tions, vodka is not put into wood- vodka of at least 56 percent ABV
stills does, however, have a funda- en casks or aged for any extensive In the United States, domes-
mental effect on the final charac- period of time. It can, however, be tic vodkas are defined by U.S.
ter of the vodka. All vodka comes flavored or colored with a wide government regulation as "neutral
out of the still as a clear, colorless variety of fruits, herbs, and spices. spirits, so distilled, or so treated
spirit. But vodka from a pot still after distillation with charcoal or
(the sort used for cognac and other materials, as to be with-
Scotch whisky) will contain some
CLASSIFICATIONS
out distinctive character, aroma,
of the delicate aromatics, conge- OF VODKA taste or color." Because American
ners, and flavor elements of the There are no uniform classifica- vodka is, by law, neutral in taste,
crop from which it was produced. tions of vodka. In Poland, vodkas there are only very subtle dis-
Pot stills are relatively inefficient, are graded according to their de- tinctions between brands. Many
and the resulting spirit from the gree of purity: standard (zwykly), drinkers feel that the only real way
first distillation is usually redis- premium (wyborowy), and deluxe of differentiating between them is
tilled (rectified) to increase the (iuksusowy). In Russia, vodka that by alcohol content and price.
proof of the spirit. Vodka from a is labeled osobaya (special) is usu-
more efficient column still is usu- ally a superior-quality product that

68 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

VODKA FLAVORED VODKA

REGIONS As a neutral spirit vodka lends itself to blending with flavors

and fortifying other beverages. In the nineteenth centur~
high-proof "Russian spirit" was held in high esteem by sherry
producers in Spain, who imported it to fortify their wines.
Neutral spirits are still used to fortify port sherr~ and other
EASTERN EUROPE types of fortified wines, although the source of alcohol for
This is the homeland of vodka such purposes these days tends to be the vast "wine lake" that
production. Every country pro- has been created by European Union agricultural practices.
duces vodka, and most also have Flavored vodkas were originally used to mask the flavor of
local flavored specialties. the first primitive vodkas, but they were later considered a
Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus mark of the distiller's skill. The Russians and Poles, in particu-
produce the full range of vodka lar, still market dozens of flavors. Some of the better-known
types, and they are generally types are:
acknowledged to be the leaders in
vodka production. Only the better Kubanskaya: Vodka flavored with an infusion of dried lem-
brands, all of which are distilled on and orange peels
from rye and wheat, are exported Limonnaya: Lemon-flavored vodka, usually with a touch
to the West. of sugar added
Okhotnichya: "Hunter's" vodka is flavored with a mix of
ginger, cloves, lemon peel, coffee, anise, and
other herbs and spices. It is then blended
with sugar and a touch of a wine similar to
white port. It's a most unusual vodka.
Pertsovka: Pepper-flavored vodka, made with both black
peppercorns and red chile peppers
Starka: "Old" vodka, a holdover from the early centu-
ries of vodka production, which can be infused
with everything from fruit tree leaves to bran-
dy, port, Malaga wine, and dried fruit. Some
brands are aged in oak casks.
Zubrovka: Zubrowka in Polish; vodka flavored with buf-
falo (or more properly "bison") grass, an aro-
matic grass favored by the herds of the rare
European bison

In recent years, numerous flavored vodkas have been

launched on the world market. The most successful of these
Zubrowka have been fruit flavors, such as currant and orange.
vodka by
Polmos
Bialystocka is
flavored with
buffalo grass
from the Bia-
lowieza forest
in Poland. The
vodka has a
yellow-green
tinge (not
shown) from the
grass infusion.

VODKA 69
 Label for Koenig's
Famous Idaho Potato
Vodka, by the Koenig
Distillery and Winery
VODKA COCKTAILS
SCREWDRIVER
Fill a tall glass with ice. Add:
• 1 1;2 ounces (45 ml) vodka
number of flavored vodkas are • Orange juice to fill
also produced, both by the major Sti rand serve.
distillers and by an assortment of
craft distillers.
BLOODY MARY
Fill a short glass with ice. Add:
OTHER REGIONS
F 1\10 , • 11;2 ounces (45 ml) vodka
WAllO· POT ( The Caribbean produces a
VODKA surprising amount of vodka, all • Dash Worcestershire sauce
of it from molasses. Most of it is
• Dash Tabasco sauce
exported for blending and bottling
in other countries. • Dash lemon or lime juice
Poland produces and exports Australia produces molasses-
based vodkas, but few are ex- • Tomato juice to fill
both grain- and potato-based
vodkas. Most ofthe high-quality ported. Stir and garnish with celery
brands are produced in pot stills. Asia has a smattering of local salt on top.
The Baltic States of Estonia, vodkas, with the best coming from
Latvia, and Lithuania, along with Japan. SEX ON THE BEACH
Finland, produce primarily grain- Fill a tall glass with ice. Add :
based vodkas, mostly from wheat.
• 1 ounce (30 ml) vodka
<
WESTERN EUROPE • 1 ounce (30 ml) peach
This region has local brands of liqueur
vodka wherever there are distill- • 1 1;2 ounces (45 ml) orange
eries. The base for these vodkas JUice
can vary from grains in northern
countries, such as the United • 1 1;2ounces (45 ml)
Kingdom, Holland, and Germany, cranberry juice
to grapes and other fruits in the Stir and serve.
winemaking regions of France 0
~
and Italy. Sweden has, in recent 0
decades, developed a substantial
I
export market for its straight and
flavored wheat-based vodkas. Mazama In-
Z 1\f~ -7 /\\1t\
: Vl i \L I \1\'l i \ fused
0 Pepper
~
NORTH AMERICA Vodka by
The United States and Canada Bendistillery
produce vodkas, both from vari- ~
U >.. _

....U-.-"
~ -~
ous grains (including corn) and ~!I'!:..! r -,.u• •_
V4J

from molasses. American vodkas . .. .. ,

~-
~ f" • •,

are, by law, neutral spirits, so the

distinction between nonflavored
brands is more a matter of price Vermont White and Gold Vodka by
and perception than taste. A Vermont Spirits

70 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 ARTISAN PROFILE I INSIDE THE INDUSTRY

LENELL SMOTHERS
Former owner of LeNell's, Brooklyn, New York

W HEN craft distillers Tuthill-

town Spirits from Upstate
New York launched their first
neighborhood on the waterfront,
and her place fits right in. Small,
eclectic, and very much driven by
barrel-aged whiskey, they called it her personality, Smothers's store
Manhattan Rye, and they threw a never wanted to have everything.
party at the Four Season's Restau- For years, her vermouth selection
rant in the Seagrams Building on was limited to one brand, Vya,
Park Avenue in Manhattan. In a the American vermouth made by
big, open room, with bars at both Andy Quady of the Quady Winery
ends and a mash of people laugh- in Madera, California, because it
ing and drinking, they toasted was made by a small producer.
their accomplishment and poured Smothers was accepted into
samples of their excellent whis- the bourbon community whole-
keys and vodkas (made from 100 heartedly, and her selection of
percent New York State apples). American whiskey was breathtak-
When it came time to clink glasses ing. When Jimmy Russell of Wild
and hear announcements, the Turkey did a bottle signing in New
crowd was treated to a raucous York, he did it at her tiny shop.
tutorial on mixing a Manhattan. Smothers, however tight she
Standing on a balcony above the gets with the big producers, re-
crowd, like a hillbilly Juliet before mains a champion of craft distill-
a throng of devotees, LeN ell ing. "When I go Charbay, I've got
Smothers cackled and cracked four generations of distillers there,
wise. She wore a battered cowboy hands on. Someplace like Stoli
hat, bandannas around her wrists, isn't going to have the same qual-
tight jeans, and a mile of attitude. ity control."
She took the crowd through Where some people call micro-
the recipe: jigger of rye, shot of distilling practices such as making
sweet vermouth, dash of bitters, 100 percent barley whiskeys or
shake, twist. She talked varia- making whiskey from beer instead
tion: The perfect Manhattan is of from mash as controversial,
half dry and half sweet vermouth. Smothers believes that change
If they wanted to drink them on and adventure are something to
the rocks, do it. If they wanted to celebrate. "What is the American
drink them straight up, go ahead. tradition anyway? All we do is our
Do what you like, but do it with own thing."
good booze. In early 2009, after a try-
Smothers moved from Ala- ing struggle with her landlord,
bama to New York City in 2000 Smothers lost the lease to her
and spent three years toiling in shop. Next time, she's going to
sales while her dream to open buy the building, she says, and
up a shop simmered. Her bou- expand the whiskey selection.
tique wine and spirits shop in
Red Hook, Brooklyn, opened in
2003. Red Hook is a rough, hip

VODKA 71
 //The proper union of gin and vermouth
CHAPTER FIVE is a great and sudden glory; it is one of
the happiest marriages on earth" and
one of the shortest lived. N

-Bernard DeVoto, American essayist and drinks philosopher

IN is a juniper berry-
flavored grain spirit.
The word is an Eng-
lish shortening of genever,
the Dutch word for juniper.
The origins of gin are a bit
murky. In the late 1580s, a
juniper-flavored spirit of
some sort was found in
Holland by British troops
who were fighting against
the Spanish in the Dutch
War of Independence.
They gratefully drank it to
give them what they soon
came to call "Dutch cour-
age" in battle. The Dutch
themselves were encour-
aged by their government
to favor such grain spirits
over imported wine and
brandy by lack of excise
taxes on local drinks.

This gooseneck still at Philadelphia

Distilling was custom made by
Forsyths of Scotland.

72 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Sonja Kassebaum of

THE HISTORY North Shore Distillery stands in front

of the "helmet" of her gin still.

OF GIN
I N the 1600s, a Dr. Franciscus
de la Boe in the university town
of Leiden created a juniper- and
tion never works, but unfettered
production of alcohol has its
problems, too. By the 1720s, it was
spice-flavored medicinal spirit that estimated that a quarter of the
he promoted as a diuretic. Ge- houses in London were used for
never soon found favor across the the production or sale of gin. Mass
English Channel, first as a medi- drunkenness became a serious
cine (Samuel Pepys wrote in 1660 problem. The cartoonist Hogarth's
of curing a case of" colic" with a famous depiction of such behavior
dose of "strong water made with in Gin Lane shows a sign above a
juniper") and then as a beverage. gin shop that states, "Drunk for a
When the Dutch Protestant penny/Dead drunk for twopence/
William of Orange became king of Clean straw for Nothing." Panicky distillers, the increasing popular-
England in 1689, he moved to dis- attempts by the government to ity of imported rum, and a general
courage the importation of brandy prohibit gin production, such as feeling of public exhaustion grad-
from the Catholic winemaking the Gin Act of 1736, resulted in ually brought this mass hysteria
countries by setting high tariffs. massive illicit distilling and the under control, although the prob-
As a replacement, he promoted cynical marketing of "medicinal" lems caused by the combination
the production of grain spirits spirits with such fanciful names as of cheap gin and extreme poverty
("corn brandy," as it was known at Cuckold's Comfort and My Lady's extended well into the nineteenth
the time) by abolishing taxes and Eye Water. century. Fagin's irritable comment
licensing fees for the manufac- A combination of reimposed to a child in the film Oliver-"Shut
ture of such local products as gin. government controls, the growth up and drink your gin!"-had a
History has shown that prohibi- of high-quality commercial gin basis in historical fact.
Wherever the British Empire
went, English-style gins followed.
In British colonies in North Amer-
ica, such celebrated Americans as
Paul Revere and George Washing-
ton were notably fond of gin, and
the Quakers were well known for
their habit of drinking gin toddies
after funerals.
The mid-nineteenth century
ushered in a lOW-key rehabilita-
tion of gin's reputation in Eng-
land. The harsh, sweetened "Old
Tom" styles of gin of the early
1700s slowly gave way to a new,
cleaner style called dry gin. This
style of gin became identified with
the city of London to the extent
that "London dry" became a ge-
Fritz Maytag, right, at Anchor Distilling. With a small overhead crane, Achor
Distilling can interchange the columns of their three stills.
neric term for the style, regardless
of where it was actually produced.

GIN 73
 Bluecoat gin leaves th e bottlin g lin e at
Philadelphia Distilling.

Genteel middle-class ladies

sipped their sloe gin (gin flavored
with sloe berries) while consulting
Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household
Management (a wildly popular
Victorian cross between the Joy of
Cooking and Martha Stewart life-
style books) for gin-based mixed
drink recipes. The British military,
particularly the officer corps,
became a hotbed of gin consump-
tion. Hundreds of gin-based
mixed drinks w ere invented, and
the mastery of their making was
considered a part of a young of-
ficer's training. The best known
of these cocktails, the gin and
tonic, w as created as a way for
Englishmen in tropical colonies
to take their daily dose of quinine,
a very bitter medicine, to ward
off malaria. (Modern tonic water
still contains quinine, though as a
flavoring rather than a medicine.)

BATHTUB GIN mixing raw alcohol with juniper berry extract

and other flavorings and spices in a large con-
Gin production in the United States dates back tainer such as a bathtub (thus the origin of the
to Colonial times, but the great boost to gin term bathtub gin). These gins were generally of
production was the advent of National Prohibi- poor quality and taste, a fact that gave rise to
tion in 1920. Moonshining quickly moved in to the popularity of cocktails in which the mixers
fill the gap left by the shutdown of commercial served to disguise the taste of the base gin. Re-
distilleries. But the furtive nature of illicit distill - peal of Prohibition at the end of 1933 ended the
ing worked against the production of the then- production of bootleg gin, but gin remained a
dominant whiskies, all of which required some part of the American beverage scene. It was the
aging in oak casks. Bootleggers were not in a dominant white spirit in the United States until
position to store and age illegal whiskey, and the rise of vodka in the 1960s. It still remains
the caramel-colored, prune-Juice-dosed grain popular, helped along recently by the revived
alcohol substitutes were generally considered popularity of the martini.
to be vile.
Gin, on the other hand, did not require any
aging, and it was relatively easy to make by

74 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Spruce Gin
by Rogue
Distillery and
Ale House
THE BASIS OF GIN

In Holland, the production of

genever was quickly integrated
into the vast Dutch trading sys-
G IN and its Dutch cousin
genever Uenever in Belgium)
are white spirits that are flavored
The chief flavoring agent in
both gin and genever is the highly
aromatic blue-green berry of the
tem. Rotterdam became the center with juniper berries and so-called juniper, a low-slung evergreen
of genever distilling as distilleries botanicals (a varied assortment of bush (genus Juniperus) that is
opened there to take advantage herbs and spices). The spirit base commercially grown in northern
of the abundance of needed of gin is primarily grain (usually Italy, Croatia, the United States,
spices that were arriving from the wheat or rye), which results in and Canada. Additional botanicals
Dutch colonies in the East Indies a light-bodied spirit. Genever is can include anise, angelica root,
(present-day Indonesia). Many of made primarily from "malt wine" cinnamon, orange peel, corian-
today's leading Dutch genever dis- (a mixture of malted barley, wheat, der, and cassia bark. All gin and
tillers can trace their origins back corn, and rye), which produces a genever makers have their own
to the sixteenth and seventeenth fuller-bodied spirit similar to malt secret combination of botanicals,
centuries. Examples include such whisky. A small number of genev- the number of which can range
firms as Bois (founded 1575) and ers in Holland and Belgium are from as few as four to as many as
de Kuyper (1695). distilled directly from fermented fifteen.
Belgium developed its own juniper berries, which produces
juniper-flavored spirit, called a particularly intensely flavored THE DISTILLATION
jenever (with a j), in a manner spirit.
similar to that in Holland (which OF GIN
controlled Belgium for a time in Most gin is initially distilled in
the early nineteenth century). The efficient column stills. The result-
two German invasions of Bel- ing spirit is high proof, light-
gium in World Wars I and II had a bodied, and clean, with a minimal
particularly hard effect on jenever amount of congeners (flavor
producers as the occupying Ger- compounds) and flavoring agents.
mans stripped the distilleries of Genever is distilled in less-efficient
their copper stills and piping to pot stills, which results in a lower-
use in the production of shell cas- proof, more flavorful spirit.
ings. The present-day remaining Low-quality "compound" gins
handful of Belgian jenever distill- are made by simply mixing the
ers produce primarily for the local base spirit with juniper and bo-
domestic market. tanical extracts. Mass-market gins
Gin may have originated in are produced by soaking juniper
Holland and developed into its berries and botanicals in the base
most popular style in England, spirit and then redistilling the
but its most enthusiastic modern- mixture.
day consumers are to be found in Top-quality gins and genevers
Spain, which has the highest per are flavored in a unique manner.
capita consumption in the world. After one or more distillations, the
Production of London dry-style base spirit is redistilled one last
gin began in the 1930s, but serious time. During this final distillation,
consumption did not begin until the alcohol vapor wafts through
the mix of gin and cola became Bluecoat Gin by Philadelphia
a chamber in which the dried
inexplicably popular in the 1960s. Distilling juniper berries and botanicals are

GIN 75
 Guy Rehorst of the Great
Lakes Distillery uses a
wooden dipstick to measure the
volume of spirit in a tank.

suspended. The vapor gently ex-

tracts aromatic and flavoring oils
and compounds from the berries
and spices as it travels through
STYLE DEFINITION HOWEVER ...
the chamber on its way to the london Dry Gin The dominant English It need not be truly
style of gin in the United "dry," and it lends
condenser. The resulting flavored
Kingdom, former British itself well to mixing.
spirit has a noticeable degree of colonies, the United States,
complexity. and Spain

Plymouth Gin Relatively full-bodied (com- Originally the local

pared to London dry gin). It gin style of Plymouth,
is clear, slightly fruity, and England, modern
very aromatic. Plymouth gin is made
only by one distillery
in Plymouth, Coates
& Co., which also
controls the right to
the name Plymouth
Gin.
THE COLORFUL ORIGINS
OF OLD TOM GIN
Old Tom Gin The last remaining example Limited quantities
The name of Old Tom Gin of the original lightly sweet- of Old Tom-style gin
comes from what may be ened gins that were popular are still made by a
the first example of a bev- in eighteenth-century few British distillers
erage vending machine. England and several American
craft distillers, but it
In the 1700s, some pubs is, at best, a curiosity
in England had a wooden item.
plaque shaped like a black
cat (an "'"'Old Tom") mount-
ed on the outside wall. Genever The Dutch style of gin, The classic accom-
Thirsty passersby would or Hollands distilled from a malted grain paniment to a shot
mash similar to that used of genever is a dried
deposit a penny in the
for whiskey. Oude (old) green herring. Ge-
cat's mouth and place their genever is the original style. never is traditionally
lips around a small tube It is straw-hued, relatively sold in a cylindrical
between the cat's paws. sweet, and aromatic. Jonge stoneware crock.
The bartender inside (young) genever has a drier Genever-style gins
would then pour a shot of palate and lighter body. are produced in
gin through the tube and Some genevers are aged Holland, Belgium,
for one to three years in oak Germany, and the
into the customer's wait- casks. Genevers tend to be United States.
ing mouth. lower proof than English
gins (72 to 80 percent ABV
is typical). They are usu-
ally served straight up and
chilled.

76 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Greylock

GINilEGIONS Gin

EUROPE This spirit is lighter in body and

more delicate in flavor than both
The United Kingdom produces Dutch genever and English dry
mostly dry gin, primarily from gin. German gin is usually served
column stills. British gins tend straight up and cold.
to be high proof (90 proof or 45
0

Spain produces a substantial

percent ABV) and citrus-accented amount of gin, all of it in the Lon-
from the use of dried lemon and don dry style from column stills.
Seville orange peels in the mix of Most of it is sold for mixing with
botanicals. British gins are usually cola.
combined into mixed drinks.
Holland and Belgium produce
genever, mostly from pot stills.
NORTH AMERICA
Genevers are distilled at lower The United States is the world's
proof levels than English gins and largest gin market. London dry
are generally fuller in body. Many gin accounts for the bulk of
of these gins are aged for one to domestic gin production, with
three years in oak casks. Some most of it produced in column
genever producers now market stills. American dry gins tend to
fruit-flavored genevers, the best be lower proof (80 0 proof or 40
known being black currant. Dutch percent ABV) and less flavorful
,
and Belgian genevers are usually than their English counterparts.
chilled and served neat.
Germany produces a genever-
style gin called dornkaat in the
This rule applies even to brands
such as Gordon's and Gilbey's,
which originated in England. The
DRY ~IN
North Sea coast region of Frisia. United States's best-selling gin,

J ;

)J ~ ~ l t ~;{ -
-
A/ ~/lln;1;-'/If'I/'/7/h- ~,;1lly 41y;;
f' ,/1('I'fl/ f1i111w,;/n/ I'hJIf~d 1'1/' III
·}lIlfl// 1'1// • Wllr/Jr(1 14~'/'~1''1 DISTILLED AND BOntED BY
SETTLES KRICK. INC.. BOISE, IDAHO
NET CONTENTS 417.11. ALC!VOL
750 ML ~ 911.2 PROOF

Label for Genevieve Genever style gin Bardenay London Style Dry Gin

GIN 77
Aviation Gin
by House
Spirits
Distillery

~ .

+ IA' CH DIIfLLLCD

Seagram's Extra Dry, is a rare THE MARTINI AND THE

cask-aged dry gin . Three m onths MEANING OF LIFE
of aging in charred oak barrels
gives the gin a pale straw color The best known of hundreds
and a sm ooth palate. American
of gin-based mixed drinks is
craft distilleries have taken to gin
in a m ajor way, with such note- the gin and white vermouth
worthy examples as Distiller's Gin combination called the mar-
#6 from North Shore Distillery in tini.As is usually the case with Sarticious Gin by Sarticious Spirits
Lake Bluff, Illinois, and Rehorst most popular mixed drinks, the
Premium Milwaukee Gin from the origins of the martini are dis-
GIN COCKTAILS
Great Lakes Distillery in Milwau- puted.Oneschoolofthought
kee, Wiscon sin. CLASSIC MARTINI
holds that it evolved from
In a shaker combine:
the late-nineteenth -century
martinez cocktail, a rather cloy-
• 2 ounces (60 ml) gin
ing mixture of Old Tom-style • Dash white vermouth
gin and sweet vermouth . A
• tcetofill
dissenting sect holds that it
Shake and strain and into a
was created in the bar of the
martini glass or a short glass.
Knickerbocker Hotel in New
Garnish with an olive.
York City in the earlytwenti-
eth century. The ratio of gin to
TOM COLLINS
vermouth started out at about
In a tall glass combine:
two to one, and it has been
getting drier ever since. The • 2 ounces (60 ml) gin
famed British statesman Win- • 1 ounce (30 ml) lemon juice
ston Churchill, who devoted a
• 1 tablespoon (15 g) sugar
great deal of thought and time
to drinking, was of the opinion Stir, and then fill the glass with
that passing the cork from the ice. Fi II with cI u b soda.
vermouth bottle over the glass
of gin was sufficient. GIN AND TONIC
Fill a tall glass with ice. Add :
• 11/2 ounces (45 ml) gin
• Tonic water to fill
Label for American Distilled Gin Garnish with a lime slice.
infused with Rar e Botanicals by McMe-
namins Edgefield Distillery

78 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 ARTISAN PROFILE I INSIDE THE INDUSTRY

(HRISWELD
Berkshire Mountain Distillers,
Great Barrington, Massachusetts

I T is hard to imagine Chris Weld

in an emergency room, where
he worked in California for sixteen
pant in the Berkshares program
(local money accepted by hun-
dreds of merchants in western
years as a physician's assistant. He Massachusetts, including restau-
seems too young to have sixteen rants). He hired a local designer to
years of work behind him, and on design labels. He sourced his glass
his land in western Massachusetts, out of nearby Lenox.
he is perfectly at ease with a dog Weld looked further afield
at his side, light in his eyes, and for help with his rum, and he
mud on his boots. brought in a consultant. Together
He and his wife, Tyler, moved they worked on test batches and
back to the East Coast-after hav- perfected the recipe. He'd have
ing developed into serious food- worked for more than a year, he
ies-and bought an orchard. said, solving the problems that an
"Our water comes from an old expert solved in a few days, and
spring here on the property that the adjustments to fermentation
the Pittsfield Sun in 1901 said had temperatures and expert knowl-
'few equals and none superior.'" edge of different flavor com-
The farm that is now the pounds was priceless.
Berkshire Mountain Distillery Weld describes his rum as
was once, in fact, a springwater more like Armagnac than a typical
bottling plant. (One former owner molasses distillate. He has fifty
used it as a base of operations for barrels aging.
a sanitarium in town, and it has "I've got a big still," he says.
also been a hotel.) Indeed, he bought an SOO-gallon
Building the Berkshire Moun- stainless steel tank secondhand
tain Distillery was not easy. When from Brown Foreman. (He as-
Weld arrived, the would-be still sures anyone who asks that all the
house was a barn in shambles. other work, including the custom
Weld did as much of the work as columns and the piping, was done
he could himself and hired local by local craftspeople.) "If I had a
builders and craftspeople to do small still, I'd be at capacity." As it
the rest. Keeping things local is stands, he's able to make bourbon
important to Weld. and rum for aging, bring out new
"When I need to expand, I'll products such as a second gin
build another barn, and I'll hire lo- with a heavier flavor and more
cal people to build it." This implies botanicals than his first, and still
a direct contrast to what happens satisfy the 400 accounts he's devel-
when a big international distiller oped in his first year.
expands. For Weld, however, it's still the
He talks enthusiastically about community that's important. He
the "local multiplier" effect: "Every recently met into a man who had
dollar you spend locally is worth brought some of his Greylock Gin
three spent in a chain store." to a party. "Seeing it at parties ...
Weld is an enthusiastic partici- that's really it," he said, glowing.

GIN 79
 ""No sir, claret is the liquor for boys; port
CHAPTER SIX for men; but he who aspires to be a
hero must drink brandy. 1'/

-Samuel Johnson, eighteenth-century British writer

who loved brandy and hated whisky

HE word bran-
dy comes from
the Dutch word
brandewijn (burnt wine),
which is how the straight-
forward Dutch traders
who introduced it to north-
ern Europe in the sixteenth
century described wine
that had been "burnt," or
boiled, to distill it.
The origins of brandy
can be traced back to the
growing Muslim Mediter-
ranean states in the sev-
enth and eighth centuries.
Alchemists in the region
experimented with distill-
ing grapes and other fruits
to make medicinal spir-
its. Their knowledge and
techniques soon spread
beyond the borders of
the territory, with grape
brandy production appear-
ing in Spain and probably
Ireland (via missionary
monks) by the end of the
eighth century.
Brandy in a classic brandy snifter casts a shadow on a linen tablecloth.

80 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 TYPES OF BRANDY

B RANDY, in its broadest

definition, is a spirit made
from fruit juice or fruit pulp and
skin. More specifically, it is broken
down into three basic groupings.
Grape brandy is brandy dis-
tilled from fermented grape juice
or crushed but not pressed grape
pulp and skin. This spirit is aged in
wooden casks (usually oak), which
colors it, mellows out the palate,
Apples on the tree, raw materials for
and adds aromas and flavors. brandy
Pomace brandy (Italian grappa
and French marc are the best- (macerated) in a high-proof spirit
known examples) is made from to extract their flavor and aroma.
the pressed grape pulp, skins, The extract is then distilled once
and stems that remain after the at a low proof. Calvados, the
grapes are crushed and pressed to apple brandy from the Normandy
extract most of the juice for wine. region of northwestern France,
Pomace brandies, which are usu- is probably the best-known type
ally minimally aged and seldom of fruit brandy. Eau de vie ("water
see wood, are an acquired taste. of life") is a colorless fruit brandy,
They often tend to be rather raw, particularly from the Alsace
although they can offer a fresh, region of France and from Califor-
fruity aroma of the type of grape mao
used, a characteristic that is lost in
regular oak -aged brandy.
Fruit brandy is the
default term for all bran-
dies that are made from
fermenting fruit other
than grapes. (It should not
be confused with fruit-
flavored brandy, which
is grape brandy that has
been flavored with the
extract of another fruit.)
Fruit brandies, except
those made from berries,
are generally distilled
from fruit wines. Berries
tend to lack enough sugar
to make a wine with suf-
A bottle of brandy distilled from 100 per- ficient alcohol for proper Grapes enter the still for the making of
cent Viognier wine by Germain-Robin distillation, and thus are soaked grappa.

BRANDY AND EAU DE VIE 81

BRANDIES BY REGION

FRANCE central coast of France, just north cognacs start out in new oak to
of Bordeaux, in the departments mellow the fiery spirit and give
French brandy is the catchall of Charente and Charente-Mari- them color. Batches chosen for
designation for brandy produced time. The region is further sub- long-term aging are, after a few
from grapes grown in other re- divided into six growing zones: years, transferred to used, or
gions. These brandies are usually Grande Champagne, Petite Cham- "seasoned," casks that impart less
distilled in column stills and aged pagne, Bois Ordinaries, Borderies, of the oak flavor notes while the
in oak casks for varying periods of Fins Bois, and Bons Bois. The first brandy matures.
time. They are frequently blended two of these regions produce the Nearly all cognacs are a blend
with wine, grape juice, oak flavor- best cognac and will frequently be of brandies from different vintag-
ings, and other brandies, including so designated on bottle labels. The es and frequently different grow-
cognac, to smooth out the rough primary grapes used in making ing zones. Even those from single
edges. Cognac-like quality desig- cognac are the Ugni Blanc, Folle vineyards or distilleries have a mix
nations such as V.S.O.P. and Napo- Blanche, and Colombard. The of brandies from different casks.
leon are often used (see page 83), wines made from these grapes As with champagne, the prod-
but they have no legal standing. are thin, tart, and low in alcohol, ucts of local vineyards are sold
COGNAC which are poor characteristics for to cognac houses, each of which
table wines but perfect for making stores and ages cognacs from
Cognac is the best-known
brandy. different suppliers. The suppliers
type of brandy in the world, a
Cognac is double distilled in then employ master blenders to
benchmark by which most other
specially designed pot stills and create and maintain continuity
brandies are judged. The Cognac
then aged in casks made from in the house blends drawn from
region is located on the south-
Limousin or Troncais oak. All disparate sources.

BRANDY'S SEASONAL NATURE

Brandy, like rum and tequila, is an agricultural spirit. Un-
like grain spirits such as whiskey, vodka, and gin, which are
made throughout the year from grain that can be harvested
and stored, brandy is dependent on the seasons, the ripening
of the base fruit, and the production of the wine from which
it is made. Types of brandies, originally at least, tended to be
location-specific. (Cognac, for example, is a town and region
in France that gave its name to the local brandy.) Important
brandy-making regions, particularly in Europe, further differ-
entiate their local spirits by specifying the types of grapes that
can be used and the specific areas (appellation) in which the
grapes used for making the base wine can be grown.

Pear-in-bottle brandy

82 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

Barrels of brandy stored for aging

ARMAGNAC
INDUSTRY STANDARDS FOR COGNAC
Armagnac is the oldest type of Because there are no age statements on cognacs, the industry
brandy in France, with document- has adopted some generally accepted terms to differentiate
ed references to distillation dating cognacs. It is important to note that these terms have no legal
back to the early fifteenth century. status, and each cognac shipper uses them according to his
The Armagnac region is located or her own criteria.
in the heart of the ancient prov-
ince of Gascony in the southwest V.S.lV.S.P.lThree Star: (V.S.: very superior; V.S.P.: very supe-
corner of France. As with cognac, rior pale) A minimum of two years aging in a cask, although
there are regional growing zones: the industry average is four to five years
Bas-Armagnac, Haut Armagnac, v.s.o.P.: (very superior old pale) A
minimum of four years'
and Tenareze. The primary grapes cask aging for the youngest cognac in the blend, with the in-
used in making Armagnac are also dustry average between ten and fifteen years
the Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche,
and Colombard. But distillation X.O.lNapoleon: (X.O.: extra old) A minimum of six years '
takes place in the unique alambic aging for the youngest cognac in the blend, with the average
armagnacais, a type of column age running twenty years or older. All cognac houses main-
still that is even more inefficient tain inventories of old vintage cognacs to use in blending
than a typical cognac pot still. The these top-of-the-line brands. The oldest cognacs are removed
resulting brandy has a rustic, as- from their casks in time and stored in glass demijohns (large
sertive character and aroma that jugs) to prevent further loss from evaporation and to limit ex-
requires additional cask aging cessively woody flavor notes.
to mellow out and distinguish it
from cognac. The best Armagnac
is aged in casks made from the
local Monlezun oak. In recent
years, Limousin and Troncais oak

BRANDY AND EAU DE VIE 83

 D etail from a b ottle
of Pierre Ferrand
Reserve Cognac

But virtually all Brandy de Jerez

is made from wines produced
elsewhere in Spain, primarily from
the Airen grape in La Mancha and
Extremadura, because the local
sherry grapes are too valuable
to divert into brandy production.
casks have been added to the mix age of older vintages in their mix Nowadays, most of the distilling is
of casks as suitable Monlezun oak than comparable cognacs, mak- likewise done elsewhere in Spain
becomes harder to find. ing them a better value for the in column stills. It is then shipped
Most Armagnacs are blends, discerning buyer. to Jerez for aging in used sherry
but unlike cognac, single vintages casks in a solera system similar to
and single vineyard bottlings that used for sherry wine. A solera
SPAIN is a series of large casks (called
can be found. The categories of
Armagnac are generally the same BRANDY DE JEREZ
butts), each holding a slightly
as those of cognac (Y.S., Y.S.O.P., older spirit than the previous one
Brandy de Jerez is made by the beside it. When brandy is drawn
X.O., and so on; see sidebar on sherry houses centered around
page 83). Blended Armagnacs off (racked) from the last butt (no
the city of Jerez de la Frontera in more than a third of the volume
frequently have a greater percent- the southwest corner of Spain.

HAVE STILL, WILL TRAVEL

Until the 1970s, portable

alambic armagnacais
mounted on two-wheel carts
were hauled among small
vineyards in Armagnac by
itinerant distillers called
bouilleurs de cru. These trav-
eling stills, alas, have mostly
given way to larger fixed-
in-place setups operated
by farmer cooperatives and
individual operators.

Christian Drouin, who pr oduces some of the fi nest Ca lvados, stands beside a
p or table still built in 1946 th at is now perm anently stationed in front of th e pr ess-
ro om at Domaine Coeur de Lion . It is probably th e only por table double distilla-
tion in workin g order. It is normally used from February to June . A second still now
oper ates inside the pr essroom.

84 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 AGING TIMELINE
Basic Brandy de Jerez
Solera must age for a
minimum of six months,
Reserva for one year, and
Gran Reserva for a mini-
mum of three years.
is removed), it is replenished with In practice, the best Reser-
brandy drawn from the next butt vas and Gran Reservas
all the way down the solera line to are frequently aged for
the first butt, where newly dis- twelve to fifteen years. The
tilled brandy is added. This system lush, slightly sweet and
of racking the brandy through a fruity notes to be found in
series of casks blends together a Brandy de Jerez come not
variety of vintages (some soleras only from aging in sherry
have more than thirty stages) and casks but also from the ju-
results in a speeding up of the dicious use of fruit-based
maturation process. flavor concentrates and
oak essence (boise).
PENEDES BRANDY

Brandy bottle detail from a brandy Penedes Brandy is from the

whose flavor profile leans more towards Penedes region of Catalonia in
bourbon (Huber Starlight Distillery). the northeast corner of Spain

The sample bottles display the effects of different types of barrels and aging processes at Germain-Robin.

BRANDY AND EAU DE VIE 85

near Barcelona. Modeled after ITALY GERMANY
the cognacs of France and made
from a mix of local grapes and the Italy has a long history of German monks were distill-
Ugni Blanc of cognac, it is distilled brandy production dating back ing brandy by the fourteenth
in pot stills. One of the two local to at least the sixteenth century, century, and German distillers
producers (Torres) ages in soleras but unlike Spain or France there had organized their own guild
consisting of butts made from are no specific brandy-producing as early as 1588. Yet almost from
French Limousin oak, whereas the regions. Italian brandies are made the start, German brandy (called
other (Mascaro) ages in the stan- from regional wine grapes, and weinbrand) has been made from
dard non-solera manner, but also most are produced in column imported wine rather than the
in Limousin oak. The resulting stills, although there are now a more valuable local varieties. Most
brandy is heartier than cognac, number of small artisanal produc- German brandies are produced
but leaner and drier than Brandy ers using pot stills. They are aged in pot stills and must be aged for
de Jerez. in oak for a minimum of one to a minimum of six months in oak.
two years, with six to eight years Brandies that have been aged in
being the industry average. Italian oak for at least one year are called
brandies tend to be on the light uralt or alter (meaning "older").
and delicate side with a touch of The best German brandies are
residual sweetness. smooth, somewhat lighter than
cognac, and finish with a touch of
sweetness.

The tasting room at a distillery is a popular stop on the tour. Rick Moersch at the Round Barn
Distillery pours some apricot brandy at the tasting room in his winery/brewery/distillery.

86 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Label for Pot Still
Brandy from
McMenamins
Edgefield
KOGKfIKLO
Distillery

UNITED STATES Stanford, founder of Stanford

University, was the world's largest
Grape brandy production in brandy producer. Phylloxera and
the United States, which until the National Prohibition almost shut
advent of modern craft distilleries down the industry in the 1920s.
was mostly confined to California, Repeal started things up again,
dates back to the Spanish missions Pot
but as with the bourbon industry, till
in the late eighteenth and early the advent of World War II re- Brandy
nineteenth centuries. A substan- sulted in brandy producers further
tial amount of peach brandy was marking time. Soon after the end
375ML
made by whiskey distillers in ALa01JOL 40%
of the war, the industry commis- BY VOLUME 80 PROOF
Southern states prior to National sioned the University of California
Prohibition, however, and apple at Davis Department of Viticulture
brandy distilling continued into and Oenology to develop a proto- producers began to change over
modern times on a modest scale type "California-style" brandy. It to this new style.
in New Jersey and Virginia. In had a clean palate, was lighter in CONTEMPORARY BRANDIES
the years following the Civil War, style than most European bran-
brandy became a major industry, Contemporary commercial
dies, and had a flavor profile that
with a substantial export trade to California grape brandies are
made it a good mixer. Starting in
Europe by the end of the nine- made primarily in column stills
the late 1940s, California brandy
teenth century. For a time, Leland from table grape varieties such
as the Thompson Seedless and
Flame Tokay. California brandies
are aged for two to twelve years in
used American oak (both brandy
and bourbon casks) to limit
woodiness in the palate, although
pot distillers also use French oak.
Several California distillers, most
notably Korbel, have utilized
the Spanish solera method for
maturing their brandy. Califor-
nia brandies do not use quality
designations such as V.S.O.P. or
stars. The more expensive brands
will usually contain a percentage
of older vintages and pot -distilled
brandies in the blend.
Craft-distilled brandies, includ-
ing grape, pomace, and fruit, were
the first of the modern genera-
tion of craft spirits to enter the
U.S. market, starting in California
in the late 1980s with produc-
ers such as RMS (a venture of
An alambic still

BRANDY AND EAU DE VIE 87

 Pisco Style Brandy by Leopold Bros.

flavor intensity that put them on 1880s when the French Jewish
par with their European counter- philanthropist Baron Edmond de
parts. Rothschild established what has
become the modern Israeli wine
LATIN AMERICAN industry. Israeli brandy is made in
the manner of cognac from Co-
--.=;:.....-..-- - -- MEXICO lombard grapes, with distillation
In Mexico a surprising amount in both pot and column stills and
of wine is made, but it is little maturation in French Limousin
known outside of the country be- oak casks.
cause most of it is used for brandy In the Caucasus region, along
production. Mexican brandies the eastern shore of the Black Sea,
are made from a mix of grapes, the ancient nations of Georgia and
including the Thompson Seedless, Armenia draw on monastic tradi-
Palomino, and Ugni Blanc. Both tions to produce rich, intensely
column and pot stills are used in flavored pot still brandies both
production, whereas the solera from local grapes and from such
system is generally used for aging. imported varieties as the Musca-
Brandy now outsells tequila and dine (from France) and the Sercial
rum in Mexico. and Verdelho (most famously from
Madeira).
SOUTH AMERICA South Africa has produced
South American brandies are brandies since the arrival of
cognac producer Remy Martin), generally confined to their do- the first Dutch settlers in the
Jepson Vineyards, and the idio- seventeenth century, but these
mestic markets. The best-known
syncratic Santa Cruz wine maker type is pisco, a clear, raw brandy early spirits from the Cape
Randall Graham at Bonny Doone from Peru and Chile that is made Colony earned a reputation for
Vineyards. From the start, these from Muscat grapes and double being harsh firewater (witblits-
grape brandy producers generally white lightning-was a typical
distilled in pot stills. The resulting
followed a French-themed muse, brandy has a perfumed fragrance nickname). The introduction of
with producers such as Germaine- and serves as the base for a vari- modern production techniques
Robin in Mendocino County and ety of mixed drinks, including the and government regulations in
Osocalis in the Santa Cruz Moun- famous Pisco Punch. the early twentieth century gradu-
tains going so far as to use the ally led to an improvement in the
classic Ugni Blanc, Colombard, quality of local brandies. Modern
and FolIe Blanche grapes to make OTHER REGIONS
South African brandies are made
their base wine. They installed Greece produces pot-distilled from Ugni Blanc, Colombard,
special cognac-style pot stills to brandies, many of which, such Chenin Blanc, and Palomino
distill it, and then aged their bran- as the well-known Metaxa, are grapes, produced in both pot and
dies in casks made from imported flavored with Muscat wine, anise, column stills, and aged for a mini-
Limousin or Troncais oak. The or other spices. mum of three years in oak.
resulting brandies, particularly as Winemaking in Israel is a well-
longer-aged examples come on to established tradition dating back
the market, have, in some cases, thousands of years. But brandy
shown levels of complexity and production dates back only to the

88 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Oro de

POMACE BRANDIES Mazzetti

liqueur, gold
suspended
In a grappa
base (Italy)

I TALY produces a substantial

amount of grappa, both the raw,
firewater variety and the more
.~ elegant, artisanal efforts that are
,
made from one designated grape
type and packaged in hand-blown
bottles. Both types of grappa can
be un aged or aged for a few years
in old casks that will tame the
, hard edge of the spirit without Craft pomace brandies from
imparting much flavor or color. the United States, from producers
Marc from France is produced in such as Domaine Charbay in Napa
all of the nation's wine-producing County and Mosby Vineyards in
regions, but it is mostly consumed Sonoma, are in the Italian style,
locally. Marc de Gewiirztraminer and they are usually called grap-
from Alsace is noteworthy be- pas, even when they are made
o L I
cause it retains some of the
distinctive perfume nose and spicy
from non-Italian grape varieties.
This is also true of the pomace
character of the grape. brandies from Canada.

GRAPPA: NOT YOUR GRANDPA'S

~ O OEL LA G"A'P ~ PHLEGM CUTTER
SASSANO
------ The U.S. government calls it pomace brandy, but ever
-
DEL GRAPPA since immigrants from winemaking countries began ar-
Hl IZIO.U SP E CIA l[
riving in the United States and started to make wine, they
were soon refermenting the pressed grape skins from
their winemaking, and distilling it to make a quick and
simple type of brandy. The French call it marc, but it is

'....,' the Italian term grappa that has caught on with distillers
"

I "u n!>
'.A"~ I
of every ethnic background.
Craft distillers in the United States have taken to the
distilling of grappa from the very start of the industry.
...' •
-."
Pioneer brandy distillers such as Clear Creek and St.
George Spirits have developed specific varietal grappas
that are carefully distilled to capture the subtle aromatic
notes of the base fruit. These are spirits to delight the ~ ( ~ ".,
th , ............
nose as much as the taste buds. 'nlflll

Grappa by Huber Starlight Distillery

Poli Bassano del Grappa (Italy)

BRANDY AND EAU DE VIE 89

APPLE AND OTHER FRUIT BRANDIES
Bottles of kirsch and framboise
eau de vie from Westford Hills
Distillers

N ORMANDY is one of the

few regions in France that
does not have a substantial grape
best brands coming from Ap-
pellation Controlee Pays d' Auge
near the seaport of Deauville, and
wine industry. Instead, it is apple the rest in ten adjacent regions
country, with a substantial tradi- that are designated Appellation
tion of hard and sweet ciders that Reglementee. Most Pays d' Auge
in turn can be distilled into an and some of the better Appellation
apple brandy known as Calvados. Reglementee are produced in pot
The local cider apples, which tend stills. All varieties of Calvados are
to be small and tart, are closer aged in oak casks for a minimum
in type to crab apples than to of two years. Cognac-style quality
modern table apples. This spirit and age terms such as V.S.O.P. and
has its own appellations, with the Hors d' Age are frequently used on
labels, but have no legal meaning.
The fruit-growing regions of
the upper Rhine River are the
prime eau de vie production
areas of Europe. The Black Forest
region of Bavaria in Germany,
(poire). Similar eaux de vie are
and Alsace in France are known
for their cherry brandies (kir in now being produced in the United
France, kirschwasser in Germany), States in California and Oregon.
Some plum brandy is also made
raspberry brandies (framboise and
- himbeergeist), and pear brandies
in these regions (mirabelle from
France is an example), but the

Apple brandy Exterior shot of Laird & Company, the oldest distillery in the United States

90 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Apple brandy label Apricot brandy

BRANDY COCKTAILS

SIDECAR
Fill a short glass with ice. In a shaker
combine:
• 7 ounce (30 ml) brandy
• 7 ounce (30 ml) Triple Sec
Wi " , U , . '" ' / " ' I ~ ti l , . , '1 . I O- kUV
• 7 ounce (30 ml) lemon juice
• Ice to fill
Shake and strain into the glass.
best-known type of plum brandy
is slivovitz, which is made from the STINGER
small blue sljiva plum throughout Fill a short glass with ice. Add:
Eastern Europe and the Balkans. • 7 ounce (30 ml) brandy
In the United States, applejack,
as apple brandy is called locally, • 7 ounce (30 ml) white creme de
is thought by many to be the first menthe
spirit produced in the British Stir and serve.
colonies. This colonial tradition
has continued with Laird's Dis-
BRANDY ALEXANDER
tillery, established in 1780 in New
Jersey and the oldest distilling In a shaker combine:
company in the United States, and • 7 ounce (30 ml) brandy
with distilleries in New Jersey and
• 7 ounce (30 ml) dark creme de cacao
Virginia.
Artisan fruit brandy distill- • 7 ounce (30 ml) cream
ing started in California, but in
recent years it has spread across • Ice to fill
the United States, with Calvados- Shake and strain into a large brandy
styled apple brandies from Clear snifter. Dust with nutmeg.
Creek Distillery in Portland,
Oregon, leading the way, while
Black Star Farms in Suttons Bay,
St. Julian in Paw Paw, and a bevy
of other Michigan artisan distill-
ers have released a wide range of
delicate, highly aromatic cherry,
plum, and other fruit brandies that
draw an obvious inspiration from Round Barn OJ tiller')
the Kirsch and plum brandies of
the Black Forest region of south-
ern Germany.

Label for Acqua di Lamponi, Raspberry Eau

de Vie

BRANDY AND EAU DE VIE 91

 //There's nought no doubt so much the
CHAPTER SEVEN spirit calms as rum and true religion. "
-Lord Byron

INCLUDING SCHNAPPS,
ANISE, AND BITTERS

Bottles of rum of differ ent RAPES AND GRAIN may be the two ma-
ages (yo un gest to oldest,
left to right) at Celebra- jor raw materials for distillation, but they
tion Distillation in New are by no means the only ones. Sugar-
Orleans
cane provides two different fermentables:
sugarcane juice and molasses, which is a by-
product of sugar refining. Both are used as
the basis of rum production, which, as a spirit,
ranges across the color and taste spectrum
from the almost vodkalike Blancos of Puerto
Rico to the hearty deep-hued Demeraras of
Guyana, with some very distinctive variations
in between.

92 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Bottle of Thomas

RUM TewRum

The agave plant, a native of

Central America, provides the
fermentable basis for a variety of
T HE HISTORY of rum is the
history of sugar. Sugar is a
sweet crystalline carbohydrate
distilled spirits, of which tequila is that occurs naturally in a variety of
the best known, but by no means plants. One of those is the sugar-
the only example. cane (Saccharum officinarum), a
Liquors can refer generically tall, thick grass that has its origins
to distilled spirits, but they can in the islands of present-day Indo-
also be specifically flavored spirits. nesia in the East Indies. Chinese
Add a sweetener, and they be- traders spread its cultivation to
come liqueurs. Add certain herbs, Asia and on to India. Arabs in turn
and you now have bitters. At the brought it to the Middle East and
end of the day, if something can North Africa, where it came to the
be fermented and then distilled, attention of Europeans during the
people will drink it. Crusades in the eleventh century.
As the Spanish and Portuguese
began to venture out into the
Atlantic Ocean, they planted sug-
GROG arcane in the Canary and Azores
The British navy adopt- Islands. In 1493, Christopher
ed a daily ration of a half- Columbus picked up cane cuttings
pint of 160 0 proof rum by from the Canaries while on his
the 1730s. This ration was second voyage to the Americas
subsequently modified by and transplanted them to Hispan-
mixing it with an equal iola' the Caribbean island now
amount of water to pro- shared by Haiti and the Domini-
duce a drink called grog. can Republic. Portuguese explor-
The grog ration remained ers soon did likewise in Brazil.
a staple of British naval The Caribbean basin proved to
life until 1969. have an ideal climate for growing
sugarcane, and sugar production
quickly spread around the islands. various English, Spanish, French,
The insatiable demand in Europe Portuguese, and Dutch colonies.
for sugar soon led to the estab- These mills crushed the harvested
lishment of hundreds of sugar- cane and extracted the juice.
cane plantations and mills in the Boiling this juice caused chunks
of crystallized sugar to form. The
remaining unsolidified juice was
HUDSON called melazas (from the Spanish
RIVER RUM word for honey, miel); in English
375 mI 4S'b IIIq/vaI this became molasses.
PotiO~QBdFrom 100%
Blaclaiit;rap MoIBSl!Ia .. Molasses is a sticky syrup that
PFlOOUCEDAND BOT1l..ED
BY'!l.JT'HILLTOWN SPiArTa. GARDINER. N'(
still contains a significant amount
1MIIIW.'!l.JT'HILLTOWN.COM
of sugar. Sugar mill operators
Label for Hudson River Rum by TuthiIItown Spirits soon noticed that when it was

RUM, TEQUILA, LIQUEURS, AND MORE 93

 Prichard's Crystal Rum Prichard's Fine Rum from
from Prichards' Distillery Prichards' Distillery

mixed with water and left out in

the sun it fermented. By the 1650s
this former waste product was ••• aOOf
being distilled into a spirit. In the
English colonies it was called Kill ~(r (ff/~
Devil (from its tendency to cause " l I' N

a nasty hangover or its perceived

medicinal power, take your choice)
or mmbullion (origins uncertain),
which was shortened over the
years to our modern word mm.
The French render this word as
rhum, while the Spanish call it
ron.
Rum was used as a cure-all for
many of the aches and pains that
afflicted those living in the trop-
ics. Sugar plantation owners sold
it, at discounted prices, to naval

ships that were on station in the

Caribbean in order to encourage
their presence in local waters and
thus discourage the attentions of
marauding pirates.
This naval-rum connection
introduced rum to the outside
world, and by the late seventeenth
century a thriving export trade
developed. The British islands
shipped rum to Great Britain
(where it was mixed into rum
punches and replaced gin as the
dominant spirit in the eighteenth
century) and to the British colo-
nies in North America, where it
became very popular. This export
of rum to North America, in ex-
change for New England lumber
and dried cod (still a culinary
staple in the Caribbean), soon
changed over to the export of
molasses to distilleries in New
Bob Ryan and partner Dave Wood at Ryan and Wood Distilleries in Gloucester, England. This was done to avoid
Massachusetts.

94 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Dark Rum, Spruce
Gin, White Rum, and
Hazelnut Spice Rum by
Rogue Distillery

laws from the British parliament,

which protected British distill-
ers by forbidding the trade in
spirits directly between colonies.
This law was, at best, honored in
the breech, and smuggling soon
became rampant.
The shipping of molasses to
make rum in New England distill-
eries became part of the infamous
"slavery triangle." The first leg
was the shipment of molasses to
New England to make rum. The
second leg was the shipment of
rum to the ports of West Africa to STYLE DEFINITION
trade for slaves. The final leg was White Rums Generally light-bodied (although there are a few heavy-
the passage of slave ships to the bodied white rums in the French islands). They are
sugar plantations of the Caribbean usually clear and have a very subtle flavor profile. If they
are aged in oak casks to create a smooth palate, they are
and South America, where many
then usually filtered to remove any color. White rums are
of the slaves were put to work in primarily used as mixers and blend particularly well with
the sugarcane fields. fruit flavors.
The disruption of trade caused
by the American Revolution and
the rise of whiskey production Golden Rums Also known as amber rums, these are generally medium-
in North America resulted in the bodied. Most have spent several years aging in oak
casks, which give them smooth, mellow palates.
slow decline of rum's dominance
as the American national tipple.
Rum production in the United Dark Rums Traditionally, full-bodied, rich caramel-dominated
States slowly declined through rums, the best are produced mostly from pot stills and
the nineteenth century, with the frequently aged in oak casks for extended periods. The
last New England rum distilleries richest of these rums are consumed straight up.
closing at the advent of National
Prohibition in 1920. The famed Spiced Rums White, golden, or dark rums, they are infused with
rumrunners of the Prohibition era spices or fruit flavors . Rum punches (such as planter's
were smuggling primarily whis- punch) are blends of rum and fruit juices that are very
key into the United States. popular in the Caribbean.
In Europe, the invention of
sugar extraction from the sugar
Age-Dated These are aged rums from different vintages or batches
beet lessened the demand for that are mixed together to ensure a continuity of flavor
Blended
Caribbean sugar, reducing the in brands of rum from year to year. Some aged rums
Rums
amount of molasses being pro- will give age statements stating the youngest rum in the
duced and the resulting amount blend (e.g., a ten-year-old rum contains a blend of rums
of rum being distilled. Many small that are at least ten years old). A small number of French
plantations and their stills were island rums are vintage dated.
closed. Rum production receded,

RUM, TEQUILA, LIQUEURS, AND MORE 95

 Chris Weld of Berkshire
Mountain Distillers

gnacs, and small-batch bourbons,

who are learning to appreciate the
subtle complexities of these rums.
The pot still rums of Guyana and
Jamaica have a particular appeal
for Scotch whisky drinkers. (It
is no accident that the Scottish
whisky merchant and bottler
Cadenhead also ages and bottles
Demerara rum.) The subtle and
complex rhums of Martinique
and Guadeloupe mirror the flavor
profiles of the top French brandies
in Cognac and Armagnac.

THE BASIS OF RUM

Rum, and its fraternal twin,
cane spirit, are made by distilling
fermented sugar and water. This
sugar comes from the sugar-
cane and is fermented from cane
juice, concentrated cane juice, or
molasses. Molasses is the sweet,
sticky residue that remains after
sugarcane juice is boiled and the
crystallized sugar is extracted.
Most rum is made from molas-
ses. Molasses is more than 50
percent sugar, but it also contains
significant amounts of minerals
and other trace elements, which
can contribute to the final flavor.
for the most part, to countries explosive increase in the number Rums made from cane juice,
where sugarcane was grown. of North American and European primarily on Haiti and Martinique,
The modern history of rum tourists into rum-drinking regions have a naturally smooth palate.
owes a lot to the spread of air- led to a steady increase in the pop- Depending on the recipe, the
conditioning and the growth of ularity of rum-based mixed drinks. "wash" (the cane juice, or molas-
tourism. In the second half of Nowadays, white rum gives vodka ses and water) is fermented, using
the twentieth century, modern serious competition as the mixer either cultured yeast or airborne
air-conditioning made it possible of choice in a number of distinc- wild yeasts, for a period rang-
for large numbers of people to tively nontropical markets. ing from twenty-four hours for
migrate to warm-weather re- Aged rums are gaining new light rums up to several weeks for
gions where rum remained the standing among consumers of heavy, full varieties.
dominant spirit. Additionally, the single malt Scotch whiskies, co-

96 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 ....
RUM COCKTAILS
•
RUM AND COKE (Cuba Libre)
- Fill a tall glass with ice. Add:

- v E---------:
-
LE
• 7 0?
rum
ounces (45 ml) dark

• Juice of half a lime

• Cola to fill
Coaster for Ragged Mountain Rum by
Stir and garnish with a lime
Berkshire Mountain Distillers: "Think wedge.
Globally, Drink Locally"

DISTILLATION OF RUM
-
DAIOUIRI
Fill a short glass with ice. In a
Rum can be distilled in either shaker combine:
pot or column stills. The choice • 7 0? ounces (45 ml) white
of stills has a profound effect on rum
the final character of the rum.
All rums come out of the still as • 7 ounce (30 ml) lime juice
clear, colorless spirits. Barrel ag- • 7tablespoon (75 g) sugar
ing and the use of added caramel
determine the final color. Because • Ice to fill
caramel is burnt sugar, it is true Shake and strain into the
that only natural coloring agents glass.
are used.
Lighter rums are highly recti-
PLANTER'S PUNCH
fied (purified) and are produced
in column or continuous stills, Fill a tall glass with ice. In a
then usually charcoal filtered shaker combine:
and sometimes aged in old oak • 70? ounces (45 ml) dark
casks for a few months to add rum
smoothness. Most light rums
have minimal flavors and aroma • 0? ounce (75 ml) lime
and are very similar to vodka. JUice
Heavier rums are usually distilled
in pot stills, similar to those used • 0? ounce (75 ml) lemon
to produce cognacs and Scotch JUice
750 ML409i> ALeNO L
(80 PROOF) whiskies. Pot stills are less efficient • 3 ounces (90 ml) orange
CRYSTAL than column stills and some con-
geners (fusel oils and other flavor
JUice
LOUISIANA
elements) are carried over with • 7 teaspoon (5 g) sugar
RYM the alcohol. These heavier rums
are used for making golden and • Dash grenadine syrup
dark rums. • Ice to fill
Some brands of rum are made
Shake and strain into the
by blending pot- and column-
distilled rums in a manner similar glass.
to that of Armagnac production.
Old New Orleans Crystal Rum by
Celebration Distillation

RUM, TEQUILA, LIQUEURS, AND MORE 97

 Sagatiba Pura Cachac;:a (Bra zil)

RUM REGIONS Jamaica is well known for

its rich, aromatic rums, most of
THE CARIBBEAN which are produced in pot stills.
Jamaica has official classifications
The Caribbean is the epicenter
of rum, ranging from light to very
of world rum production. Virtually
full-flavored . Jamaican rums are
every major island group produc-
used extensively for blending.
es its own distinct rum style.
Martinique is a French island
Barbados produces light,
with the largest number of dis-
sweetish rums from both pot and
tilleries in the Eastern Caribbean.
column stills. Rum distillation
Both pot and column stills are
began here, and the Mount Gay
Distillery, dating from 1663, is used. As on other French islands
such as Guadeloupe, both rhum
probably the oldest operating rum
agricole (made from sugarcane
producer in the world.
juice) and rhum industriel (made
Cuba produces light-bodied,
from molasses) are produced.
crisp, clean rums from column
These rums are frequently aged
stills. It is currently illegal to
in used French brandy casks for
ship Cuban rums into the United
a minimum ofthree years. Rhum
States.
vieux (aged rum) is frequently
The Dominican Republic is no-
compared to high-quality French
table for its full-bodied, aged rums
brandies.
from column stills.
Guyana is justly famous for Puerto Rico is known primar-
ily for light, very dry rums from
its rich, heavy Demerara rums,
column stills. All Puerto Rican
named for a local river, which
rums must, by law, be aged for a
are produced from both pot and
minimum of one year.
column stills. Demerara rums
Trinidad produces mainly light
can be aged for extended periods
rums from column stills and has
(twenty-five-year-old varieties are
an extensive export trade.
on the market) and are frequently
used for blending with lighter THE VIRGIN ISLANDS
rums from other regions. Neigh- The Virgin Islands, which are
boring Surinam and French Guy- divided between the United States
ana produce similar full-bodied Virgin Islands and the British
rums.
Haiti follows the French tradi-
• - Virgin Islands, both produce light,
CACHACA
, mixing rums from column stills.
tion of heavier rums that are dou-
ble distilled in pot stills and aged
-BRAZILIAN RUM
• These rums, and those of nearby
Grenada, also serve as the base
in oak casks for three or more - - for bay rum, a classic aftershave
MUlTiD ISTllLED
years to produce full-flavored, ex-
ceptionally smooth-tasting rums.
- -
1501111 40 AlU'f'Ol
lotion.
Haiti also still has an extensive CENTRAL AMERICA
underground moonshine industry Central America has a variety
that supplies the voodoo religious of primarily medium-bodied rums
ritual trade. from column stills that lend them-

98 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Distiller Stefan Hafen at the Weyer-
mann Distillery (Germany)

selves well to aging. They have re- mixed with neutral spirit at a 1:19
cently begun to gain international ratio to produce rum verschnitt. A
recognition. similar product in Austria is called
SOUTH AMERICA inlander rum.

South America produces vast AUSTRALIA

quantities of mostly light rums Australia produces a substan-
from column stills, with unaged tial amount of white and golden
cane spirit from Brazil, called rums in a double-distillation
cacha<;a, being the best-known method utilizing both column and
example. Venezuela bucks this pot stills. Rum is the second most
general trend with a number of popular alcoholic beverage in the
well-respected barrel-aged golden country after beer. Light rums
and dark rums. are also produced on some of the
NORTH AMERICA islands in the South Pacific such
as Tahiti.
North America has a handful
of traditional rum distilleries in the ASIA
southern United States, producing In Asia, rums tend to follow
a range of light- and medium- regional sugarcane production,
bodied rums that are generally EUROPE with white and golden rums from
marketed with Caribbean-themed Europe is primarily a blender column stills being produced
names. Modern craft distilleries of imported rums. Both the United primarily in the Philippines and
producing rum have sprung up in Kingdom and France import rums Thailand.
some more unusual locations, with from their former colonies in the
particularly noteworthy producers Caribbean for aging and bot-
including Prichard's Distillery in tling. Heavy, dark Jamaican rums
Kelso, Tennessee; the Rogue Dis- are imported into Germany and
tillery in Newport, Oregon;
and the Triple 8 Distillery in
Nantucket, Massachusetts.

~~IJ~~~
CANADA
-I
In Canada the 300-year- -, ex, ~ OV~
old tradition of trading rum
for dried codfish continues . l 'f~p S"(MP~ ~yeur
in the Atlantic Maritime . CWJ5 ~O~.
provinces of Newfoundland
and Nova Scotia, where
golden rums from Antigua,
Barbados, and Jamaica are
imported and aged for five
years. The resulting hearty Recipe
rum is known locally as card from
screech. Rogue
Distillery

RUM, TEQUILA, LIQUEURS, AND MORE 99

 HAll tequila is mezcal" but
TEQUILA, MEZ(AL, not all mezcal is tequila. N

-Tequila marketing mantra

AND OTHER AGAVE SPIRITS

T EQUILA, its sister spirit mez-
cal, and other agave spirits
trace their origins back at least
covered that the juice of the agave
plant, if left exposed to air, would
ferment and turn into a milky,
called this beverage octili poliqhui,
a name that the Spaniards sub-
sequently corrupted into pulque
2,000 years to when one or more mildly alcoholic drink. News of (POOL-kay).
of the Indian tribes that inhabited this discovery spread throughout In Aztec culture, pulque drink-
what is now central Mexico dis- agave-growing areas. The Aztecs ing had religious significance.
Consumption by the masses was
limited to specific holidays, when
large tubs of pulque were set
up in public squares. The ruling
elite was not subject to the same
restrictions, however, and drank
pulque throughout the year-a
privilege shared by captive war-
riors just before they were sacri-
ficed to the gods.
When the Spanish arrived in
Mexico in the early sixteenth cen-
tury, they soon began to make and
drink pulque. But the low alcohol
content (around 3 percent ABV)
and earthy, vegetal taste made it
less popular among the conquis-
tadors than European-style beers
and brandies. Early attempts to
distill pulque were unsuccessful,
and the resulting spirit was harsh
and acrid. It was soon discovered,
however, that cooking the agave
pulp resulted in a sweeter juice
that, when fermented, became
known as mezcal wine. This
"wine" was then distilled into the
spirit that we know today as mez-
cal.
Early mezcal distilleries in the
Spanish colony of Mexico operat-
ed in a manner similar to modern-
day brewpubs. The distilling plant
was usually small, and its produc-
tion was consumed primarily in
the distillery tavern (taberna). As
the colony grew, the mezcal wine
industry followed apace and soon
Blue agave, the raw material for tequila and mezcal became an important source of tax

100 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Ajimador harvests blue
agave for making te-
quila in Jalisco, Mexico.

revenue for the Crown. Periodic period of revolution that inhibited

attempts by Spanish brandy pro- the tequila industry. The return
ducers to shut down the mezcal of peace in the 1920s led to the
industry were about as unsuccess- expansion of tequila production
ful as similar efforts by English in Jalisco beyond the area around
distillers to inhibit rum production the town of Tequila, with growth
in the British colonies in North being particularly noteworthy in
America. the highlands around the village
of Arandas. This period also saw
THE EVOLUTION the adoption of modern produc-
tion techniques from the wine
OF TEQUILA industry, such as cultivated yeast
In 1656, the village of Tequila and microbiological sanitary
(named for the local Ticuilas In- practices.
dians) was granted a charter by In the 1930s, the practice of
the governor of New Galicia. Tax Mexico achieved independence adding non-agave sugars to the
records of the time show that mez- from Spain in 1821. But until the aguamieJ, or "honey water," was
cal was already being produced in 1870s it was a politically unstable introduced and quickly adopted
the area. This mezcal, made from country that experienced frequent by many tequila producers. These
the local blue agave, established changes in government, revolu- mixto (mixed) tequilas had a less
a reputation for having a superior tions, and a disastrous war with intense taste than 100 percent blue
taste, and barrels of the "mezcal the United States. Marauding agave tequilas. But this relative
wine from Tequila" were soon be- bands of soldiers and guerillas blandness also made them more
ing shipped to nearby Guadalajara extracted "revolutionary taxes" appealing to nonnative consum-
and more distant cities such as the and "voluntary" contributions in ers, particularly those in the
silver-mining boomtowns of San kind from the tabernas and dis- United States.
Luis Potosi and Aguascalientes. tilleries. In 1876 a general named
The oldest of the still-existing Porfirio Diaz, who was from the
THE BASIS OF
distilleries in Tequila dates back mezcal-producing state of Oaxaca
to 1795, when the Spanish Crown (oah-HA-kuh), came to power and TEQUILA AND MEZCAL
granted a distiller's license to Jose ushered in a thirty-five-year pe- Tequila and mezcal are made
Cuervo. In 1805, a distillery was riod of relative peace and stability by distilling the fermented juice
established that would ultimately known as the Porfiriato. of agave plants in Mexico. The
come under the control of the It was during this period that agave is a spiky-leafed member
Sauza family. By the mid-1800s, the tequila industry became firmly of the lily family (it is not a cactus)
there were dozens of distilleries established. Modest exports of and is related to the century plant.
and millions of agave plants under tequila began to the United States By Mexican law, the agave spirit
cultivation around Tequila in what and Europe, with Jose Cuervo called tequila can be made only
had become the state of Jalisco. shipping the first three barrels to from one particular type of agave,
Gradually, the locally produced EI Paso, Texas, in 1873. By 1910 the blue agave (Agave tequilana
mezcal came to be known as the number of agave distilleries in Weber), and it can be produced
tequila Gust as the grape brandy the state of Jalisco had grown to only in specifically designated
from the Cognac region in France almost a hundred. geographic areas, primarily the
came to be known simply as The collapse of the Diaz regime state of Jalisco in west-central
cognac). in 1910 led to a decade-long Mexico. Mezcal is made from the

RUM, TEQUILA, LIQUEURS, AND MORE 101

 Fields of blue agave in Jalisco, Mexico

ally with a stone wheel drawn

around a circular trough by a
mule) and shredded to extract
the sweet juice, called aguamiel
(honey water).
FERMENTATION: AGAVE OR MIXTO

The fermentation stage deter-

mines whether the final product
will be 100 percent agave or mixed
fermented juice of other species of sugars. For mezcal, they are baked ("mixto"). The highest-quality
agave. It is produced throughout in underground ovens heated tequila is made from fermenting
most of Mexico. with wood charcoal (which gives and then distilling just agave juice
Both tequila and mezcal are mezcal its distinctive smoky taste). mixed with some water. Mixto
prepared for distillation in similar They are then crushed (tradition- is made by fermenting and then
ways. The agave, also know as
maguey (pronounced muh-GAY),
is cultivated on plantations for
eight to ten years, depending
WHAT BING CROSBY AND JIMMY BUFFETT
on the type of agave. When the HAVE IN COMMON
plant reaches sexual maturity, it Modest amounts of tequila had been exported into U.S. bor-
starts to grow a flower stalk. The der towns since the late nineteenth century. The first major
agave farmer, or campesino, cuts boost to tequila sales in the United States came in the late
off the stalk just as it is starting
1940s when the margarita cocktail, a blend of tequila, lime
to grow. This redirects the plant
juice, orange liqueur, and ice, was invented. Its origins are
growth into the central stalk,
uncertain, but Hollywood actors and cocktail parties in Cali-
swelling it into a large bulbous
shape that contains a sweet juicy fornia and Mexican resorts seem to be involved in most of
pulp. When the swelling is com- the genesis stories. It is known that crooner and actor Bing
pleted, the campesino cuts the Crosby was so taken with one particular brand of tequila,
plant from its roots and removes Herradura, that he teamed up with fellow actor Phil Harris to
the long sword-shaped leaves, import the brand into the United States. The margarita, along
using a razor-sharp pike-like tool with the tequila sunrise and the tequila sour, have become
called a coa. The remaining pifia highly popular in the United States; in fact, it is claimed by
("pineapple"-so-called because many in the liquor industry that the margarita is the single
the cross-thatched denuded bulb most popular cocktail in the nation. In the 1970s, when ballad-
resembles a giant green and white eer Jimmy Buffett sang of "wasting away in Margarita ville, "
pineapple) weighs anywhere the success of the song enticed millions more Americans to
from twenty-five to one hundred sip from the salt-rimmed margarita glass.
pounds.
At the distillery, the pifias are
cut into quarters. For tequila, they
are then slowly baked in steam
ovens or autoclaves until all of
the starch has been converted to

102 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Stills used for producing tequila

distilling a mix of agave juice and

other sugars, usually cane sugar
with water. Mixtos made and bot-
tled in Mexico can contain up to 40
percent alcohol made from other
sugars. Mixtos that have been
shipped in bulk to other coun-
tries for bottling (primarily the
United States) may have the agave
content further reduced to 51
percent by the foreign bottler. By
Mexican law, all 100 percent agave
or aged tequilas must be bottled in
Mexico. If a tequila is 100 percent
agave, it will always say so on the
bottle label. If it doesn't say 100
percent, it is a mixto, although
that term is seldom used on bottle
labels.

DISTILLATION AND
AGING OF TEQUILA
AND MEZCAL
Traditionally, tequila and mez-
cal have been distilled in pot stills
at 1100 proof (55 percent ABV).
The resulting spirit is clear but
contains a significant amount of
congeners and other flavor ele-
ments. Some light-colored tequilas THE BLUE AGAVE STRIKES BACK
are now being rectified (redis- From the 1930s through the 1980s, the bulk of the tequila be-
tilled) in column stills to produce a ing produced was of the blended mixto variety. The original
cleaner, blander spirit. 100 percent agave tequilas were reduced to a minor specialty
Color in tequila and mezcal product in the market. In the late 1980s, the rising success of
comes mostly from the addition single malt Scotch whiskies and expensive cognacs in the in-
of caramel, although barrel aging ternational marketplace did not go unnoticed among tequila
is a factor in some high-quality
producers. New brands of 100 percent blue agave tequilas
brands. Additionally, some distill-
were introduced, and sales began a steady growth curve that
ers add small amounts of natural
flavorings such as sherry, prune
continues to this day.
concentrate, and coconut to
manipulate the product's flavor
profile. These added flavors do not
stand out themselves, but instead

RUM, TEQUILA, LIQUEURS, AND MORE 103

 CLASSIFICATIONS OF TEQUILA
Beyond the two basic designations of tequila-agave and mixto-
there are four categories:

STYLE DEFINITION HOWEVER ...

Silver or Blanco Clear, with little (no more Once you have con-
than sixty days in stainless firmed that it is 100
steel tanks) or no aging. percent blue agave,
They can be either 100 a fancy bottle and a
percent agave or mixto. higher price do not
Silver tequilas are used necessarily mean that
primarily for mixing and it is a better spirit.
blend particularly well into
fruit-based drinks.

Gold Unaged silver tequila that A product category

has been colored and produced primarily
flavored with caramel. It is for silly gringos. Seri-
Barrels set for aging tequila in a ware- usually a mixto. ous tequila drinkers
house/ tasting room go for reposados.

Reposadol "Rested" tequila is aged in Reposado tequilas

serve to smooth out the often Rested wooden tanks or casks for are the best -selling
a legal minimum period of tequilas in Mexico.
hard-edged palate of agave spirit. at least two months, with
MEZCAL AND THE WORM the better-quality brands
spending three to nine
The rules and regulations months in wood. It can be
that govern the production and either 100 percent agave or
packaging of tequila do not apply mixto.
to agave spirits produced outside
of the designated areas in Mexico.
Anejo/Aged "Old" tequila is aged in Aging tequila for
Some mezcal distilleries are very
wooden barrels (usually more than four
primitive and very small. The best- old bourbon barrels) for a years is a matter of
known mezcals come from the minimum of twelve months. controversy. Most
southern state of Oaxaca, although The best-quality anejos are tequila producers
they are produced in a number aged for eighteen months oppose doing so
of other states. Eight varieties of to three years for mixtos, because they feel that
agave are approved for mezcal and up to four years for 100 "excessive" oak aging
percent agaves. will overwhelm the
production, but the chief variety
distinctive earthy and
used is the espadin agave (Agave vegetal agave flavor
angustifolia Haw). notes.
The famous "worm" found
in some bottles of mezcal C'con
gusano") is the larva of one of two
moths that live on the agave plant.
The reason for adding the worm
As THE WORM TURNS
to the bottle of mezcal is obscure. The upgrading and upscaling of tequila has, in turn, inspired
But one story, which at least has mezcal producers to undertake similar measures. In the past
the appeal of logic to back it up, few years, an increasing number of high-end mezcals, includ-
is that the worm serves as proof ing some intriguing "single village" bottlings, have been intro-
of high proof: the worm remains duced to the market. Mezcal now seems to be coming into its
intact in the bottle ifthe percent- own as a distinctive, noteworthy spirit.
age of alcohol in the spirit is high
enough to preserve the pickled

104 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 TEQUILA
COCKTAILS

CLASSIC MARGARITA
Take a short glass. Wet the rim
with lime juice. Put the glass
upside down in coarse salt, 50
that the salt clings to the rim.
In a cocktail shaker combine:
• 7 112
ounces (45 ml) silver
tequila
• % ounce (23 ml) Triple Sec
Brendan Moylan holds up a couple of • % ounce (23 ml) lime
bottles of JB Wagon er 's 100 percent JUice
Blue Agave Spirits in front of his well-
stocked bar. • Ice to fill
Shake and strain into the
worm. Consuming the worm, salt-rimmed glass and garnish
.~G AAZUL which can be done without harm, with a lime slice.
• an Em de: Ie diJulltr'J
Iiom~ lO the \' e bIt
has served as a rite of passage for
tr.ui&rlon~ 0 bOlh Tcquili generation s of fraternity boys. FROZEN FRUIT MARGARITA
ud , mal D~nlled RlIn Top-quality mezcals do not include Take a short glass. Wet the rim
100% lILUE AG VE
a worm in the bottle. with lime juice and put the
, " 1111 rich \'01=
1\0 j~r t o, Me C • glass upside down in coarse
c:ruhcd lUlU d", Illed b)' lund NON-MEXICAN
iI Abm~ ~Iorn'l by salt, 50 salt clings to the rim
, rt~ " AGAVE SPIRITS (this step is optional). Com-
I'1C G'odflltbtr 0 Amcn~n
ru 1\ dlJl,lI non Federal excise tax records ind i- bine the ingredients for the
cate that tequila-like agave spirits Classic Margarita in a blender
110%BLUE AGAVE were produced in the 1930s in the with very ripe fruit (6 to 7
southwestern United States. More ounces [170 to 200 g] fresh or
recently, modern craft distillers 4 ounces [115 g] frozen). Add
have begun to experiment w ith
3/4 cup ice. Blend until smooth
their own agave spirits, such as JB
Wagoner's Ultra Premium 100 per- and pour into the glass.
cent Blue Agave Spirits by Sky-
rocket Distillers in Temucula, Cali-
fornia; Agua Azul by St. George
-
TEOUILA SUNRISE
Fill a tall glass with ice. Add :
Spirits in Alameda, Californ ia; and • 7 112
ounces (45 ml) silver
Gold Agave by St. James Spirits in
reposado Irwindale, California,
tequila
• Orange juice almost to fill
Slowly pour 1;2 ounce (15 ml)
grenadine syrup over the top.
(As it trickles down it creates
the "sunrise" effect.)

A bottle of Agua Azul, a blue

agave eau de vie

RUM, TEQUILA, LIQUEURS, AND MORE 105

LIQUEURS, SCHNAPPS, ANISE, AND BITTERS

L IQUEURS, schnapps, anise,

and bitters are terms that
cover a wide variety of types of
spirits. What they all share in
common is that they are flavored
spirits.

LIQUEURS
Also known as cordials,
liqueurs are sweet, flavor-infused
spirits that are categorized accord-
ing to the flavoring agent (fruits,
nuts, herbal and spice blends,
creams, and such). The word
liqueur comes from the Latin liqui-
facere ("to dissolve") and refers
to the dissolving of flavorings in
the spirits. Artificial flavorings are
strictly regulated in most coun-
tries, and where allowed they
must be prominently labeled as
such. Master distiller Ted Huber pours at Huber Starlight Distillery.

ished spirits such as cognac, rum,

Top-quality liqueurs are pro- or whiskey as their base. Others
BLENDED FAMILIES
duced by distillation of either the macerate fruit or other flavorings
All liqueurs are blends, fermented flavor materials or the in a neutral spirit. Cremes (creme
even those with a primary spirit in which they have been de menthe, creme de cacao, etc.)
flavor. A touch of vanilla is infused. Many liqueurs use fin- are liqueurs with a primary flavor,
added to creme de cacao to while cream liqueurs combine
emphasize the chocolate. dairy cream and alcohol in a ho-
Citrus flavor notes sharpen mogenized, shelf-stable blend.
the presentation of anise. Liqueurs are not usually aged
Herbal liqueurs may con- for any great length of time, but
tain dozens of different they may undergo resting stages
flavor elements that a mas- during their production to allow
ter blender manipulates to the various flavors to "marry" into
achieve the desired flavor a harmonious blend.
profile. Liqueurs can be hard to clas-
sify, but regardless of flavor they
can be broadly divided into two
categories. Generics are liqueurs
of a particular type (creme de
Lab el for Coffee Liqueur by McMe- cacao or cura<;ao, for example)
namins Edgefield Distillery

106 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 A. van Wees Rosolis Ziolowy
De Ooievaar Gorzki (stomach ~
fruit liqueur bitters) from the .cfi'
from the Lancut Distillery
Netherlands in Poland

Pernod) is produced by distilling

\
anise and a variety of other botani-
cals together. Pastis is macerated,
rather than distilled, and contains
fewer botanicals than anis. In Italy,
sambuca is distilled from anise
and botanicals, but it is then heav-
ily sweetened to make it a liqueur.
Oil of fennel (also known as green
anise) is frequently added to boost
the aroma of the spirit. Greece has
hat can be made by any producer. a drier, grappa-like liqueur called
Proprietaries are liqueurs with ouzo, which is stylistically close to
trademarked names that are made pastis.
according to a specific formula.
Examples of such liqueurs in-
clude Kahlua, Grand Marnier, and
Southern Comfort.
BITTERS
SCHNAPPS The modern-day descendents
Schnapps is a general term of medieval medical potions,
used for an assortment of white bitters are marketed as having at
and flavored spirits that have least some vaguely therapeutic
originated in northern countries value (stomach settlers, hangover
or regions, such as Germany or cures, and so on). They tend to
Scandinavia. Schnapps can be be flavored with herbs, roots,
made from grain, potatoes, or mo- and botanicals and contain lower
lasses and be flavored with virtual- quantities of fruit and sugar than
ly anything (watermelon and root liqueurs.
beer schnapps from the United Although there are specialty
States being proof of that) . The liqueur producers, most brands
dividing line between schnapps are produced by general ditillers
and flavored vodka is vague and is as part of an extended product
more cultural than stylistic. line. Among the new genera-
tion of craft distillers, some of
ANISE-FLAVORED the standout liqueur producers
include Leopold Brothers Dis-
SPIRITS tillery of Denver, Colorado, with
These spirits can vary widely their unique whiskey-based fruit
in style depending on the coun- liqueurs (the Rocky Mountain
try of origin. They can be dry or Blackberry is particularly note-
very sweet, low or high proof, worthy), and the Flag Hill Dis-
distilled from fermented aniseed tillery in Lee, New Hampshire,
or macerated in neutral spirit. Tangerine Cello and Spicy Ginger or- with their delicately tinged Sugar
In France, anis (as produced by ganic liqueurs from New Deal Distillery Maple Liqueur.

RUM, TEQUILA, LIQUEURS, AND MORE 107

 < Label for Johnny
Ziegler Black ~ I 1 • Itt- I K I I ' 1 I I 1 I I

;Jo1uvuJ !Zu~U Forest Style Ap-

ple Aux Pomme
Schnaps Eau de
EAUDEVIE Vie by Winegar-
den Estate in N ew
40% alc./vol. - 750 m1 Brunswick, Canada

aJJ.1' PD"urt.e > Label for

Blackberry
Liqueur by
Clear Creek
Distillery
0407
" 1 1'1117 II V II II \. H I'IU ,

ABSINTHE MAKES THE HEART GROW FONDER

Modern pastis is the genteel descendent psychedelic potency to be, at best, great-
of its much more raffish nineteenth- ly exaggerated.
century ancestor absinthe, a high I-
..
..,
Forbidden fruit is always appealing,
(sometimes very high) proof anise liquor and starting in the 1990s absinthe, which
(technically not a liqueur because no MIME continued to b e commercially produced in
sugar is added) that included extract of Eastern Europe, slowly started to return
wormwood in its list of botanicals.
to the general marketplace, initially in
Wormwood contains the chemical "thujone-free" versions from France
compound thujone, whose alleged and Switzerland, and more recently
psychedelic effects made absinthe
from an increasing number of Ameri-
very popular among the
can craft distillers
"Bohemian" counter-
such as North Shore
culture artists and in-
Distilling in Lake
tellectuals of France
Bluff, Illinois, and St.
and Europe (Vincent
George Distilling
van Gogh and in Alameda,
Oscar Wild e were
California. One
devotees of what
Le Tourment Vert, thing that has
was termed "The French Absinthe by
not changed
Green Fairy"). Bruno Delannoy of about absinthe
Conversely, so- Distillerie Vinet Ege
is its high alco-
cial conservatives
hol content.
and prohibition-
ists campaigned against it
as the crack cocaine of the
day and eventually got it
outlawed in most European
countries and the United
States. Modern scientific
Absinthe Verte by Absinthe Verte by
analysis has found thujone's
St. George Spirits Leopold Bros.

108 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 ARTISAN PROFILE I INSIDE THE INDUSTRY

PHIL PRICHARD
Prichard's Distillery, Kelso, Tennessee

P HIL PRICHARD was still

working in telecom sales in
Memphis when he read the clas-
make it drinkable without aging
it. Phil makes an impressively
smooth white rum that hasn't
sic The Lore of Still Building and been aged yet retains the coconut
started teaching himself to make and butterscotch flavors that are
rum. its signature."
His first sale came in March Prichard takes some of this
of 2001 (thirty cases for $2,929). white rum and barrels it. While
It was the product offour years the rest of the industry saves
of work. His initial plan was to money aging their product in
make a product from Tennessee used, fifty-two-gallon whiskey
sorghum, but he learned that rum barrels, Prichard ages his rum in
had to come from sugarcane. He new, small barrels of fifteen gal-
wasn't discouraged: "The transi- lons. This provides more surface
tion was rather easy. By that time, area for the spirit to interact with
I had researched the history of the charred oak, and it develops
American rum, and we just slid serious flavors not typically found
into the new profile. It fit very in a rum aged for just three years.
well." Soon, tractor-trailer loads Hamilton had more praise: "Prich-
of molasses were being driven in. ard's Fine Rum is another great
What sets Prichard's apart from example of the small distiller's art.
other rum is the use of first -grade The relatively low distillation proof
sweet molasses, rather than and high barrel surface area to
blackstrap. Using better molasses volume yield a rum that reminds
"focused our attention on the pro- the imbiber of the other spirits
duction of a traditional American for which Tennessee is more well
rum," said Prichard. Blackstrap, as known."
well as being used to make rum, is Prichard is expanding. He
put on cattle and horse feed, and bought bourbon from Heaven
Prichard said: "In Africa they put Hill in Kentucky, aged it again
it on the roads to keep the dust in new barrels, and bottled it as
down! It's 32 percent sugar and 68 Double Barrel Bourbon. Finishing
percent Lord knows what." bourbon this way is rare, (Beam
Ed Hamilton-noted scholar, and Buffalo Trace have both
author, and keeper of Ministryof experimented with it) and Double
Rum.com-said: "By using a high- Barrel Bourbon was well received.
grade molasses as the raw mate- Building a distillery "was difficult
rial, he reduces the need to distill beyond imagination. Building a
to a high proof in order to reduce nationwide distribution network
the sulfur compounds that are the has been our greatest challenge
distiller's bane." The results are and the most costly!" Regardless
evident. "Phil has managed to do of the challenges, Prichard moves
what most molasses distillers only ever forward: In March of 2009,
wish they could do," said Hamil- the distillery began producing its
ton, "distill a good white rum and own whiskey.

RUM, TEQUILA, LIQUEURS, AND MORE 109

 "'Drinking young whiskey is something that is done
CHAPTER EIGHT only in stillhouses and bars in Italy. Let your spirit
mature to a proper degree of ripeness. N

- Michael Jackson critiquing an early example of craft distilled whiskey

HERE is a spirit revolution happening in the

United States, one that will change the entire
spirit industry. Distillers with an intense passion
for the craft lay their hearts, souls, and economic futures
on the line for the purpose of making the ideal liquid
spirit. These small companies, sometimes run by one or
two people, create a variety of spirits too numerous to
mention in a single breath. Their creations and blends
are no less valuable or quality-driven than big name
When Iowa flooded, Jeff Quint
brands, some even more so. These niche spirits have the
of the Cedar Ridge Distillery, advantage of creativity that expands the scope of what
filled his still with water to keep
it from floating away in the
the liquor industry has to offer not only to the U.S., but
deluge. to the world. These micro-distillers lack the name recog-
nition and the funding that
big name companies use
to help market their prod-
ucts, but some of them
will become the household
names of the future-just
as Jack Daniels and John-
ny Walker, distillers from
the past have become in
our time.
- Adapted from Cheri Loughlin's
Intoxicologist blog, www.intoxicologist.
wordpress.com

110 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

The copper patina on the still reflects a variety of colors at Koenig Distillery.

A GALLERY OF ARTISAN DISTILLERS 111

THE LEADERS OF THE PACK
ST. GEORGE SPIRITS/HANGAR ONE
ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA

Each one of the four Holstein claimed "Godfather of American Hangar One Vodka, stand by a
stills at Hangar 1 has a different artisan distillation," Jorg Rupf state-of-the-art Holstein still, on
purpose. The still on the right, (left), and Lance Winters, the "evil which Winters can distill brandy,
which is being serviced here, is genius" behind St. George Spiritsl whiskey, absinthe, and vodka.
dedicated to the production of
absinthe, the first legal absinthe
produced in the United States
since 1915. The facility is located in
an airplane hangar on the former
U.S. Naval Air Station in Alameda,
California. Below, the self-pro-

112 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

ANCHOR DISTILLING
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

Fritz May tag's stills at Anchor Dis-

tilling are unique in that the heads
can be interchanged depending
on what spirit is being distilled.
Maytag has brought back his-
torical recipes and classic ways of
making spirits.

A GALLERY OF ARTISAN DISTILLERS 113

SPOTLIGHT ON CALIFORNIA DISTILLERS
STILLWATER SPIRITS
PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA

HE SPIRITS of California are as varied as the

state. From the blue agave spirit produced by J.B.
Wagoner on the southern end of the state to the
brandy distilleries scattered through the wine regions,
to many fine vodkas, gins, and whiskeys that come out
of the San Francisco Bay Area, California is home to
many of the pioneers of the artisan distilling movement.

DOMAINE CHARBAV
ST. HELENA, CALIFORNIA

Don Payne flushes the still at

Stillwater Spirits by push-
ing a hose through a port
window into the column of
his Vendome still.
Marko Karadesevic stands atop a
French Chalvignac Prulho brandy
still at Domaine Charbay.

114 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

SKYROCKET DISTILLERS ESSENTIAL SPIRITS
TEMECULA, CALIFORNIA MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA

Sticking above the blue agave is the heat exchanger for one of the four
pot stills at Skyrocket Distillers, located on top of a mountain near Te-
mecula, California.

MOSBY WINERY
BUELLTON, CALIFORNIA
After a day of distilling, Bill Mosby The Moor's head provides a rec-
washes down the pot still at the tifying surface for a unique flavor
Mosby Winery in Buellton, Cali- for the grappa, rum, and other
fornia. spirits that Dave Classick makes
in his alambic pot still at Essential
Spirits.

A GALLERY OF ARTISAN DISTILLERS 115

GERMAIN-RoBIN
REDWOOD, CALIFORNIA

Joe Thomas Corley, head distiller

at Germain-Robin, stands among
the experimental racks containing
2.5- and 59-gallon barrels of differ-
ent types of oak for experimenting
with aging brandy.

Germain-Robin is one of the pio-

neers of the American craft spirits
industry. Its X.O. brandy is con-
sidered one of the best brandies
in the world. The still is a French
Chalvignac Prulho.

Sauvignon blanc vines planted in

the 1950s grow next to the distill-
ery at Germain-Robin.

116 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 JEPSON VINEYARDS
UKIAH, CALIFORNIA

A bucket for collecting samples of

the wash sits on a spigot at Jepson
Vineyards.

A Chalvignac Prulho brandy still

at Jepson Vineyards, one of the
premier brandy producers in
California

OSOCALIS DISTILLERY
SOQUEL, CALIFORNIA

One of the few farm distilleries

in California, Osocalis Distillery is Daniel Farber, one of the leading
located deep in the Redwoods in experts on aged brandy in the
the Santa Cruz Mountains. United States, noses his alambic
brandy.

A GALLERY OF ARTISAN DISTILLERS 117

DISTILLING IN TEXAS
GARRISON BROTHERS DISTILLERY
TEXAS

Garrison Brothers Distillery is lo-

cated in the Texas Hill country, 5.5
miles (88 km) west of Austin, and
it is the first legal bourbon dis-
tillery in the state. Not shown in
this photo, but implied behind the
scenes, is the cooking (maturation)
of 325 barrels of whiskey, all under
the hot Texas sun. Dennis Todd,
the assistant distiller, is standing
in front of the distillery, above.

118 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

DISTILLING IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
CLEAR CREEK DISTILLERY
PORTLAND, OREGON

N THE 1970s, Oregon

wineries started pro-
ducing some the of
the best Pinot N oir in the
world. The "good beer"
movement took over in the
late 1980s, and now Port-
land has found itself at the
hub of the new spirits rev-
olution. It is the only city
in America that can boast
a "Distillery Row," seven
distilleries within stagger-
ing distance of each other.
This proximity has created
a keener awareness of
quality and a wider vari-
ety of unique spirits being
Steve McCarthy stands
produced than anywhere in front of four Holstein
else in the country. Every stills at the Clear Creek
August, Portland sponsors Distillery in Portland,
Oregon. One of the true
the Great American Distill- pioneers in spirits, McCa-
ers Festival. rthy produces more than
Even outside Portland, thirty-two different spirits
ranging from Pear-in-the-
Oregon is ahead of the Bottle brandy to single
curve in the spirits revolu- malt whiskey.
tion. The state's many dis-
tilleries produce organic
spirits and many fruit-and
honey-based spirits. Many
of its fine brandies have
yet to reach market and
are sitting in barrels wait-
ing to come of age.

A GALLERY OF ARTISAN DISTILLERS 119

HIGHBALL DISTILLERY HOUSE SPIRITS
PORTLAND, OREGON PORTLAND, OREGON

Lee Medoff takes a sample of

Michael Klinglesmith, founder of Highball Distillery. The Highball Distill-
spirit from the still at House Spirits
ery produces Elemental Vodka, a premium organic vodka that launched
Distillery.
in June 2008 and is already distributed in three states.

ARTISAN SPIRITS
PORTLAND, OREGON
Ryan Csanky
(right) and
Erik Martin, of
Artisan Spirits,
which makes
Apia Artisan
Vodka and
Martin Ryan
Handmade
Vodka, lay
atop their wine
"bladder" ,
which holds
6,000 gallons
of Columbia
The alambic still at House Spirits
Valley Syrah to
Distillery, whose products include
be distilled.
an apothecary line of one-of-a-
kind liqueurs available only at the
distillery.

120 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

INTEGRITY SPIRITS
PORTLAND, OREGON

Rich Philips of Integrity Spirits in

Portland, Oregon, standing in
front of his still.

ROGUE DISTILLERY
PORTLAND, OREGON

Neon sign at the Rogue Distillery

& Public House

Kieran Sienkiewicz takes a sample

of rum from the barrels of the
Rogue Distillery, whose products
include Spruce gin, vodka, dark
and white rums, and Hazelnut
Spice Rum.

A GALLERY OF ARTISAN DISTILLERS 121

 CASCADE PEAK SPIRITS
ASHLAND, OREGON

David Eliason and Diane Paulson

stand behind the Oregon products
at the Great American Distillers
Festival, held each fall in Portland,
Oregon.

122 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 BRANDY PEAK DISTILLERS
BROOKINGS, OREGON

Brandy Peak
Distilleries is the
only distillery in
the United States
that heats its still
with a wood fire.
Their Aged Pear
Brandy personi-
fies what a pear
eau de vie ought
to be and recently
won the only
double-gold
medal awarded
at the American
Distilling Insti-
tutes 2009 judg-
ing of brandy,
grappa, and eau
de vie.

STRINGER ORCHARD
WILD PLUM WINERY
NEW PINE CREEK, OREGON
Wild plums ferment in a
stainless steel tank.

A GALLERY OF ARTISAN DISTILLERS 123

DRY FLY DISTILLING
SPOKANE, WASHINGTON

When the new still arrived, Dry

Fly Distilling had to cut a hole in
the ceiling to make room for the
column. Their wheat-based vodka
won double gold and best vodka
at the 2009 San Francisco Interna-
tional Wine and Spirits competi-
tion.

Dry Fly has also been very active

in getting the laws changed in
the state of Washington to allow
for the first time tasting rooms at
distilleries. A future generation of
Washington distillers will benefit
from their efforts.

Left: Painted trout

swim in front of a
fermentation tank
at Dry Fly Distill-
ing. Above: Kent
Fleishman and Don
Poffenroth are co-
owners of Dry Fly.

Dry Fly Distilling runs a manual

four-head bottle filler. Every spirit
is truly hand -crafted.

124 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

IDAHO SPOTLIGHT

DAHO has a lot more going for it than just spuds, KOENIG DISTILLERY
trout, and survivalist camps. In the past decade it AND WINERY
has developed a thriving and varied craft distilling CALDWELL, IDAHO
culture that includes both the full range of brandy, grain
spirits and even rum, but also the U.S.'s first chain of
distillery restaurants, modeled on the brewpub concept.

BARDENAY
BOISE, IDAHO

Andrew Koenig of Koenig Distillery

and Winery in Caldwell, Idaho.

Kevin Settles now runs three distillery/restaurants in Idaho. Sitting on

his patio and drinking a hand-crafted "mixology" is something you will
talk about for a long time.

A GALLERY OF ARTISAN DISTILLERS 125

COLORADO ROUNDUP
LEOPOLD BROS.
DENVER, COLORADO

OLORADO is not COLORADO PURE

far behind the Pa- DISTILLING
cific Northwest in LAKEWOOD, COLORADO
the number of craft distill-
Rob Masters finishes Colorado Pure
ers. But what it lacks in Vodka in a glass still and filters it
quantity, it does not lack in in a custom made charcoal system.
quality. There are superla- This ensures purity of the spirit.
tive whiskeys, vodkas, and
fruit spirits coming out of
Colorado from a unique
and varied group of distill-
eries. Any trip across the
distilled spirits map would
not be complete without a
stop in Colorado.

For an artisan distillery, Leopold

Bros. does it all and does it well.
They produce small-batch gin
and vodkas, absinthe, Pisco-style
brandy, and blackberry-, peach-,
and apple-flavored whiskies,
along with Three Pins Alpine
Herbal Liqueur, New England
Cranberry Liqueur, and New York
Sour Apple Liqueur.

126 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 STRANAHAN'S COLORADO WHISKEY
DENVER, COLORADO

PEACH STREET
DISTILLERS
PALISADE, COLORADO

Located in southwest Colorado, Jess Graber (right) and Jake Nor-

a region that is loaded with fruit ris (left) of Stranahan's Colorado
trees and wineries, Peach Street Whiskey. It all started when vol-
Distillers made its name with pear, unteer firefighter Jess Graber re-
peach, and plum brandies and ex- sponded to a fire at whiskey con-
panded into vodka and gin. They noisseur George Stranahan's barn.
are the first craft distillery to make Not only was a long and beautiful
a bourbon from scratch. And friendship formed, so was one of
though bourbon may be their best the smoothest and most flavorful
known product, their fruit spirits whiskeys on a Vendome still.
took five medals at the American
Distilling Institute's 2009 judging
of brandies, grappas, and eau de
VIes.

A GALLERY OF ARTISAN DISTILLERS 127

WYOMING WHISKEY
KIRBY, WYOMING
Steve McNally holds up an artist's
rendition of what Wyoming Whis-
key will be. They represent the
big dreams and rapidly changing
faces of the craft distilling revolu-
tion. The company plans to use
about 12,000 bushels of corn and
other grains to make 1,000 barrels
of whiskey a year. The goal is to
produce value-added Wyoming
products that agricultural produc-
ers can be proud of.

128 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 ANY of the early HUBER STARLIGHT DISTILLERY
craft distillers in BORDEN, INDIANA
the U.S. Midwest
had their roots in the craft
brewing and small-scale
winery industries, with a
particularly strong con-
tingent of fruit wineries
adding on pot stills and
producing a wide variety
of brandies. But recently a
number of new, decidedly
urban distilleries have be-
gun operation. Their initial
offerings have been gins,
vodkas, and the odd ab-
sinthe. But the first whis-
kies are quietly sleeping in
their barrels, and waiting
for their time to come.

Huber's Orchard and Winery is sec- laws changed to allow his distill-
ond only to the Indianapolis Motor ery and is now being followed as
Speedway for top tourist destina- more distillers pop up in the state.
tion in Indiana. Around 650,000 He is one of the few people to
visitors a year enjoy the farmers truly wear the title master distiller.
market, bakery, children's farm
park, gift shop, bakery, ice cream Top: Spring comes to the Huber family
factory, cheese shop, Plantation farm in rural Indiana, which has been in
Hall, and distillery. Ted Huber was the family since the mid nineteenth cen-
instrumental in getting Indiana tury. Bottom: Ted Huber "noses" a spirit
before making a heart cut.

A GALLERY OF ARTISAN DISTILLERS 129

 Corn gives 45th Parallel Vodka
its unique flavor profile. This is a
story of efficiency and flavor. Soon
45th Parallel Spirits will be bot-
tling brandy and whiskey as well.

45TH PARALLEL
SPIRITS
NEW RICHMOND, WISCONSIN
Built from the ground up, 45th
Parallel Spirits is a blueprint for
how craft distillers should handle
materials, from corn in to bottled
vodka out. 45th Parallel runs a
slow distillation process to pre-
serve flavor. Their vodka is triple
distilled to achieve purity. Differ-
ent amounts of carbon filtration
are applied to each small batch for
flavor consistency.

UNCLE JOHN'S FRUIT HOUSE AND WINERY

ST. JOHNS, MICHIGAN

Uncle John's Fruit House and

Winery is located on an apple
farm in the center of Michigan.
This farm provides a farm/nature
experience for families complete
with hay rides, corn field mazes, a
fling-fruit giant slingshot, a titanic
bouncy, playhouses, sandboxes,
nature trails, pumpkin patches,
train rides through the cherry
orchards, wagon rides, duck races,
and world-class apple spirits for
the ground-ups.

Mike Beck displays the awards that his spirits have received. His prod-
ucts include fortified wines, brandy, and eau-de-vie.

130 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

ROUND BARN
DISTILLERY
BARODA, MICHIGAN

The round barn at right was origi-

nally located in Rochester, Indiana.
The structure was dismantled,
shipped to the northern tip of
Michigan, and reassembled. The
tasting room inside offers samples
of cordials, from apricot to black
currant, elderberry to walnut, plus
brandy and grappa.

NEW HOLLAND BLACK STAR FARMS

BREWING CO. SUTTONS BAY, MICHIGAN
HOLLAND, MICHIGAN

New Holland Brewing Co. pro-

duces lemon-, orange-, pepper-,
raspberry-, vanilla-, and juniper-
infused brandies. New Holland's
still is hand-crafted from an old
navy soup kettle. You can only do
this if you own a micro brewery
and understand time, tempera-
ture, and the flow of ingredients;
this is something you can't do at
home.

Because federal law prohibits a distillery from being located in a house

(or in this case a bed-and-breakfast), Black Star Farms has a special
outbuilding for theirs. One of the purposes of the American Distilling
Institute is to change these laws.

A GALLERY OF ARTISAN DISTILLERS 131

ARTISAtf DISTILLERS
OF THE NORTHEAST VERMONT SPIRITS
PASSUMPSIC, VERMONT

RAFT distillers in the

Northeast tend to
take their base fer-
mentables very seriously.
Potatoes for vodka? Of
course. Wheat only? Abso-
lutely. But let's not forget
maple syrup. And then
there is the matter of what
goes into your whiskey...

A double rainbow appears over

the buildings at Vermont Spirits.
Vermont Spirits makes premium
vodkas using local natural in-
gredients. Their gold vodka is
distilled from 100 percent locally
farmed maple sap, and their white
vodka is distilled from lactose,
or milk sugar, producing one of
the more unique products on
the market. As their slogan says,
"You'll never look at a cow the
same way again." Vermont Spirits
donates a share of their proceeds
to charitable causes, including
alcohol eduction and alleviating
rural poverty worldwide. Above:
Duncan Holaday (left) and Steve
Johnson (right) stand next to their
custom-made maple sap evapora-
tor. The sap is fermented and later
distilled.

132 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

SWEETGRASS
FARM WINERY AND
DISTILLERY
UNION, MAINE

A Hoga pot still at Sweetgrass

Farm Winery and Distillery.

Adirondack chairs look out over the Upper Medomak Valley.

A GALLERY OF ARTISAN DISTILLERS 133

 FLAG HILL WINERY AND DISTILLERY
LEE, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Graham Hamblett (left) and Frank

Reinhold (right) of Flag Hill Winery
and Distillery, whose products
include General John Stark Vodka,
Sugar Maple Liqueur, and Cran-
berry Liqueur. Their wine and
spirits are sold in eighty-seven
liquor stores in New Hampshire,
and their spirits are distributed
throughout New England.

134 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

TRIPLE EIGHT DISTILLERY
NANTUCKE~MASSACHUSETTS

Jay Harman's Triple Eight Distillery, These bourbon barrels from Ken-
with the help of Cisco Brewers and tucky are for aging spirits. They
Nantucket Vineyards, produces are filled with rum or whiskey.
vodka, rum, gin, and "Notch" Triple Eight ages their Hurricane
(Not Scotch) Single Malt Whis- Rum for six months. Their "Notch"
key. For spirits lovers, this is the (Not Scotch) single malt whiskey
center of the universe. The Nan- ages for five years.
tucket Chamber of Commerce's
weekly meetings are held at the
Cisco Brewery during the summer
months.

A GALLERY OF ARTISAN DISTILLERS 135

 NEWPORT DISTILLING
MIDDLETOWN, RHODE ISLAND

Newport Distilling makes Thomas

Tew Rum from an industrial park
in Newport, Rhode Island. Half the
building is shared with their brew-
ery. Above is a master brewer and
distiller Brett Ryan.

136 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 MAINE DISTILLERIES
FREEPORT, MAINE

WESTFORD HILL As with many of the New England It has garnered double-gold from
distilleries, the Maine Distilleries the 2008 San Francisco Wine and
DISTILLERS story starts with a heritage of fam- Spirits Competition. Spirit Journal
ASHFORD, CONNECTICUT ily farming, love of open space, gave it five stars and highest rec-
and preservation of land. Local ommendation, and Wine Enthusi-
sourcing, clean water, and excel- ast named it the top vodka in the
lent distillation separate their Cold world in 2008
River Vodka from the competition.

Westford Hill Distillers' eau de

vies take home medals in almost
every competition where they are
entered. Their Pear eau de vie took
gold at the American Distilling
Institute's 2009 judging of brandy,
grappa, and eau de vie. It was fea-
tured in Saveur magazine as one
of the best one hundred products
in the United States.

•
Chris Dowe is one ofthe avant-garde in craft distilling. His Cold River
Vodka is made exclusively from Maine potatoes on a tOOO-liter Christian
Carl pot still.

A GALLERY OF ARTISAN DISTILLERS 137

 SPIRITS OF MAINE DISTILLERIES
GOULDSBORO, MAINE

Maine's first winery/distillery is lo- above, produces pear, peach, and

cated deep in the woods at the end honey eau de vies, aged apple
of a mile-long dirt road off Route brandy, and fruit liqueurs.
1 near Gouldsboro, a very long 48
miles (77 km) from Bangor. Wine-
maker and distiller Robert Barlett,

138 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 TUTHILLTOWN SPIRITS
GARDINER, NEW YORK

Tuthilltown Spirits sources the

grain for their whiskeys from
local Hudson Valley producers.
Tuthilltown's Baby Bourbon is
produced from 100 percent New
York corn. They make Heart of
the Hudson and Spirit of the
Hudson vodkas using fresh cider
from nearby orchards. They also
make rum, eau de vie, and brandy.
Ralph Erenzo (right), one of the
founding partners, worked with
New York State legislators to get
the Farm Distillery Act passed,
allowing farmers to produce and
sell agricultural spirits from their
farms. Located at the Tuthilltown
Gristmill, a 220-year-old property
on the national Registry of His-
toric Places, their still is located in
an old granary.

Exterior shot of Tuthilltown Spirits

A GALLERY OF ARTISAN DISTILLERS 139

DISTILLING IN THE (ITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE
PHILADELPHIA DISTILLING
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

The organic juniper berries used

to make Bluecoat American Dry
gin give a spicy and earthy flavor
profile, when compared with Lon-
don dry gins. The citrus zest and
all other botanicals used are also
organic. Their hand-hammered,
custom-made, gooseneck still is
one of a kind. Bluecoat's small
batch processing is slow-heated
over a ten-hour distillation pro-
cess. Philadelphia Distilling also
produces Penn 1681 Vodka and
Vieux Carre Absinthe Superior.

Philadelphia Distilling was the

first craft distillery in the State of
Pennsylvania. Bluecoat American
Dry Gin owns the state and was
named best gin at the 2009 San
Francisco international Wine and
Spirits Competition.

A gooseneck still is used to produce Bluecoat Gin.

140 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

RUM, SOUTHERN STYLE
PRICHARDS' DISTILLERY
KELSO, TENNESSEE

INCE Prohibition,
rum has commonly
been associated
with Caribbean islands,
but it was also distilled by
famous non-Caribbeans
such as George Washing-
ton. Mainland rum funded
the colonies, the slave
trade, and the American
Revolution. After Prohibi-
tion, it has taken a spirits
revolution to bring quality
rum back to the forty-eight
contiguous states. The
South is a natural horne to
the production of some of
the finest rum in the New Phil Prichard uses high quality A vendome still produces award-
World, and for that matter, molasses for the production of his winning rums, whiskies, and
award-winning rums. He disdains other spirits at Prichards' Distillery.
the whole world. the use of the traditional black-
strap molasses, which he sees as
an inferior beginning that pro-
duces an inferior distilled spirit.
And the proof is in the drink. The
more exposure Prichard's Rum
achieves, the more accolades it
receives. Also, Prichard's Sweet
Lucy, a bourbon-based liqueur
with apricot and orange, is be-
coming a campfire favorite, and
his Double Barreled Bourbon is
winning awards and losing no
friends. Prichard has been touting
rye whiskey as the true American
spirit, and we are all waiting for
his entry into this category.

A GALLERY OF ARTISAN DISTILLERS 141

 CELEBRATION DISTILLATION
NEW ORLEANS. LOUISIANA

Celebration Distillation makes Old

New Orleans Rum on a former
perfume still that with slight
modification became a rum still.
Where else but in New Orleans's
9th Ward would a consortium of
musicians and artists found a dis-
tillery? And why would they distill
anything but the local product,
sugar cane? Their temperamental
and unique still is difficult to work
with but produces a robust flavor.
In 2007, The American Distilling
Institute awarded their Amber
Rum the gold medal for aged
rums.

Chris Sule (of Celebration Distilla-

tion) adds water to the rum wash
to adjust its gravity.

142 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

COPPER Fox DISTILLERY
SPERRYVILLE, VIRGINIA

Rick Wasmund (above) operates

the mash still at the Copper Fox
Distillery, which is located at the
foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains
in Sperryville, Virginia. Wasmund
is the only distiller in the United
States who malts his own barley
by hand-firing the malt house with
wood cut from his property. Tast-
ing notes for individual batches of
his whiskey can be found on his
website (see Directory).

A GALLERY OF ARTISAN DISTILLERS 143

CHAPTER NINE

EFO RE you are going to walk the walk, you first

need to learn the talk. The Distiller's Library is a
bibliography of just about every English-language
book on distilling and the various types of spirits. If you
haven't already found what you want in this book, well,
here are a whole lot of alternative sources.
The Distiller's Glos-
sary will help you sort out
the industry jargon that is
sprinkled throughout the
text of this book. Learning
the meaning of the term
slobber box alone is worth
the price of admission.
And finally, the Direc-
tory of Distilleries is simply
the most comprehensive
worldwide listing of oper-
ating whiskey and craft dis-
tilleries currently in print.
So many tots of whiskey to
sample, so little time.

A bartender eyes her pour carefully while serving three Blood on Sand cocktails.

144 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

THE DISTILLER'S LIBRARY

W HEN it comes to learning

about what they make,
craft brewers have it relatively
Encyclopedia of Whiskey, Brandy
& All Other Spirits. New York: Sig-
net, New American Library, 1979.
easy. Since Michael Jackson's first CliffsN otes for bar management:
book on beer came out in the early quick but informative reference
1980s, there has been a steady descriptions and explanations for
flood of consumer and profes- thousands of spirit types, brands,
sional books on beer and brewing and cocktails. Out of print, but
arriving on the market. Not so for worth searching out. Hydrometers for measuring alcohol
spirits. The selection is better than content of distillates
Lembeck, Harriet. Grossman's
it used to be, but the pickings are Guide to Wines, Beers, and Spirits.
still slim. Here is a bibliographic Fleming, Alice. Alcohol: The
New York: Charles Scribner's
summary of what is available. Delightful Poison. New York:
Sons, 1983.
The grand old reference guide to Laurel-Leaf Library, Dell Publish-
NOTE: Not all of these books are cur-
alcoholic beverages: the spirits ing, 1975.
rently in print, but as of this book's pub- Short history of world and Ameri-
lication, they were all available through section is still a good introduction
to all the major and many, many of can spirits, followed by an extend-
Amazon.com or Alibrus.com. The review
comments are solely the opinions of the the minor categories and brands. ed essay on the physical effects
editor, Alan Dikty. (positive and negative) of alcohol.
Owens, Bill, ed. World Guide to
Gately, Ian. Drink: A Cultural
Whiskey Distilleries. White Mule
DISTILLED SPIRITS, Press, 2009. www.distilling.com. History of Alcohol. New York:
GENERAL A complete listing of whiskey Gotham Books, 2009.
distilleries. Excellent world history of the
Blue, Anthony Dias. The Com- development of the drinking of
plete Book of Spirits. New York: Price, Pamela Vandyke. A Direc- alcohol and how its production,
HarperCollins Publishers, 2004. tory of Wines and Spirits. London: including distilling, has influenced
Wide-ranging review of all major Peerage Books, 1986. various cultures.
categories of spirits by a well- More wine than spirits oriented,
known beverage and lifestyle writ- Heron, Craig. Booze: A Distilled
but any reference books that tells
er, with tasting notes and cocktail History. Toronto: Between the
the truth about Southern Comfort
recipes. Its usefulness is marred (it contains no bourbon) is worth- Lines, 2003.
by truly awful copyediting. while. A history of liquor in Canada,
written from a feminist, politically
Dikty, Alan s. Buying Guide to correct (!!) point of view. Lots of
Spirits. New York: Sterling Pub- DISTILLED SPIRITS, informative history, eh?
lishing, 1999.
Concise but detailed chapters on
HISTORY Lender, Mark Edward, and
all spirits categories, with thou- Barr, Andrew. Drink: A Social James Kirby Martin. Drinking in
sands oftasting notes. Used as a History of America. New York: America: A History. New York:
training manual for the sales force Carroll & Graf Publishers, 1999. The Free Press, 1982.
of the largest liquor wholesaler in Breezy but well-researched histo- Conventional but well-written
the United States. Written, with ry of drinking in the United States, survey of liquor drinking in the
a certain dry wit, by the editor of combined with droll put-down of United States, from Colonial times
this book. prohibitionists, past and especially to the present. Heavily illustrated.
present. Logsdon, Gene. Good Spirits.
Henriques, E. Frank. The Signet

DISTILLING RESOURCES 145

White River Junction, VT: Chelsea for the rest of us, explained in 223 DISTILLED SPIRITS,
Green, 1999. pages.
A social history of distillation in PRODUCTION
Ford, Gene. The Benefits of
the United States, and a call for Moderate Drinking: AlcohoL
Barleycorn, Michael. Moonshin-
home distillation. The author is a Health & Society. San Francisco:
er's Manual. Hayward, CA: White
bit of a crank, but writes well. Wine Appreciation Guild, 1988. Mule Press, www.distilling.com.
Rorabaugh, W. J. The Alcohol Listen to your doctor. Wine (and Home distillation for beginners.
Republic: An American Tradi- spirits) in moderation is good for Byrn, M. Lafayette. The Com-
tion. New York: Oxford University you. plete Practical Distiller. Chagrin
Press, 1979. Falls, OH: Raudins Publishing,
United States, 1790 to 1830, was 2002.
the high tide of spirits consump- DISTILLED SPIRITS, Reprinting of 1875 distillery
tion. Everyone drank, there were PHILOSOPHY operations manual that contains a
no excise taxes, all distilleries were All hoff, Fritz, ed. Whiskey and lot of still useful information for a
small and local, and best of all, no Philosophy. John Wiley & Sons, small-scale pot distiller. Order at
organized temperance movement. 2009. www.raudins.com.
Ah, the Good Old Days. Philosophy of consuming and M'Harry, Samuel. Practical Dis-
Waxman, Max. Chasing the discussion of whiskey. tiller. Chagrin Falls, OH: Raudins
White Dog. Simon & Schuster, Amis, Kingsley. On Drink. New Publishing, 2001.
2009. York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Reprinting of 1809 (!) American
Tracing the historical roots of 1972. distilling manual. Learn about dis-
moonshine to the backwoods of One of Britain's great postwar tilling techniques from the era of
the United States. novelists discusses the purpose the birth of bourbon. Fascinating
of drinking in a series of essays reading. Order at www.raudins.
where the wit is as dryas his com.
DISTILLED SPIRITS,
recipe for a martini. Goldsmith, David J. A Practical
MEDICINAL EFFECTS Handbook on the Distillation of
DeVoto, Bernard. The Hour.
Center for Science in the Public Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1951. Alcohol from Farm Products. Am-
Interest. Chemical Additives in One of the United States's great sterdam: Fredonia Books, 2001.
Booze. Washington, DC: CSPI Reprint of 1922 distilling manual
literary critics of the twentieth
Books, 1982. century explains the importance first published during National
The CSPI is a notorious collection of good whiskey in a civil society, Prohibition. Just remember, folks:
of public scolds, and no friend to along with the importance of a don't drink it, because that would
distilled spirits. But their chemi- properly made martini in "the be illegal, wink, wink. Order at
cal analysis of assorted brands of violet twilight of each day-the www.fredoniabooks.com.
wines, spirits, and beers makes in- cocktail hour." Murtaugh, Dr. John E. The
teresting reading. Hint: Stay away
Edmunds, Lowell. The Silver Alcohol Textbook. Nottingham,
from any liqueur with the word
Bullet. Westport, CT: Greenwood UK: Nottingham University Press,
creme in the brand name.
Press, 1981. 2003.
Chafetz, Morris E. Liquor: The The martini as a mirror of Amer- Commercial-scale ethanol and
Servant of Man. Boston: Little beverage alcohol production tech-
ica's soul. Seven messages from
Brown, 1965. the cocktail shaker. niques and reference charts. Not
Don't let drunken fools screw it up for light reading.

146 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Hundreds of bottles of spirits line the walls in the ultimate well-stocked bar.

Nixon, Mike, and Mike McGaw. Stone, John. Making Gin & Coffee table picture book crossed
The Compleat Distiller. Auckland, Vodka. Vancouver, BC: John with a surprisingly detailed expla-
NZ: Amphora Society, 2001. Stone, 1997. nation of how grappa is produced
Advanced home distilling from Advanced home-distilling tech- in Italy, and who does it.
New Zealand. Lots of practical niques for white spirits. Order at Brown, Gordon. Handbook of
information for newbies. www.gin-vodka.com. Fine Brandies. New York: Mac-
Owens, Bill. Craft Whiskey Dis- millan, 1990.
tilling. Hayward, CA: White Mule BRANDY AND British-oriented guide to the bran-
Press, 2009. www.distilling.com. dies of the world. Odd bar chart
Compact summary ofthe small-
EAU DE VIE product ratings, but still a good
scale distilling process. Heavily Behrendt, Axel, and Bibiana general overview of the subject.
illustrated. Behrendt. Cognac. New York: Ab-
Calabrese, Salvatore. Cognac:
beville Press, 1997.
Rowley, Matthew. Moonshine. A Liquid History. London: Cassel,
Detailed tasting notes and his-
Lark Books, 2006. 2001.
tories for more than a hundred
How to build a still at home. Big type, lots of pretty pictures,
producers.
Russell, Inge, ed. Whiskey Tech-
but still a useful reference work,
Behrendt, Axel, and Bibiana with intelligent tasting notes.
nology. Academic Press, 2003.
Behrendt. Grappa: A Guide to the
Handbook of alcoholic beverages. Hannum, Hurst, and Robert S.
Best. New York: Abbeville Press,
Blumberg. Brandies and Liqueurs
Smiley, Ian. Making Pure Corn 2000.
Whiskey: A Professional Guide
of the World. Garden City, NJ:
Extensively researched guide to
for Amateur and Micro Distillers.
Doubleday, 1976.
Italian pomace brandy. Detailed
Amphora Society, 2003. www Well-written and still useful over-
tasting notes and producer histo-
.home-distilling.com view of the brandies of the world .
nes.
A crash course in small-scale Herbert, Malcolm. California
Boudin, Ove. Grappa: Ialy
distilling from New Zealand, the Brandy Cuisine. San Francisco:
Bottled. Partille: PianoForte Pub-
homeland of modern moonshin- Wine Appreciation Guild, 1984.
lishing, 2007.
mg.

DISTILLING RESOURCES 147

 A Ping-Pong table at St. George's
Spirits keeps the hardest-working
distillers entertained and on their
toes in the distillery.

Primarily a cooking and mixed

drink recipe book, it also contains
historical notes on the California
brandy industry prior to the ar-
rival of modern craft distillers.
Neal, Charles. Armagnac:
The Definitive Guide to France's
Premier Brandy. San Francisco:
Flame Grape Press, 1998.
Exhaustive guide to every com-
mercial distillery in Armagnac, Geneva. Boston: Justin , Charles, Spirited Guide to Liquors and
most of which are tiny farm distill- 2003. Liqueurs. London: Paddington
eries. The author loves his topic, The story of the eighteenth- Press, 1977.
hates inferior production tech- century gin craze in England is Capsule explanations of many
~ven stranger than you can imag- liqueurs, well known and obscure.
niques' and lets you know exactly
what he thinks. me.

Nicholas, Faith. Cognac. Lon-

don: Mitchell Beazley, 2005. Emmons, Bob. The Book of Gins
Typical flashy-looking Mitchell & Vodkas. Chicago: Open Court,
Beazley beverage book. Quick his- 2000. RUM
tory, lots of tasting notes on pricey Quick but comprehensive intro- Arkell, Julie. Classic Rum. Lon-
X.O.s. duction to the two primary white don: Prion Books, 1999.
spirits. Quick -moving survey of rums of
Page, C. E. Armagnac: The Spirit
Watney,John. Mother's Ruin: the world, with an emphasis on
of Gascony. London: Bloomsbury,
The Story of Gin. London: Peter the Caribbean.
1990.
Standard, British-centered guide Owen, 1976. Ayala, Luis. The Rum Experi-
to Armagnac. Tour and tasting The social history of gin in Eng- ence. Round Rock, TX: Rum Run-
notes. land. Sloe gin explained! ner Press, 2001.
Enthusiastic guide to the rums of
Ray, Cyril. Cognac. New York:
LIQUEUR the Americas. Highly opinionated.
Stein & Day, 1973.
Well-known British wine writer Conrad, Barnaby. Absinthe: Barty-King, Hugh, and Anton
presents a droll history of France's History in a Bottle. San Francisco: Massel. Rum: Yesterday and To-
best -known brandy. Chronicle Books, 1988. day. London: Heinemann, 1983.
The crack cocaine of its time, but Serious history of rum in all of its
in truth, much maligned. A social major markets.
GIN
history of the "Green Fairy." Broom, Dave. Rum. London:
Coates, Geraldine. Discovering Mitchell Beazley, 2003.
Gin. London: NewLifeStyle Pub- Walton, Stuart. The New Guide
to Spirits and Liqueurs. London: More specifically, rums of the
lishing, 1996. Caribbean for Brit drinkers. Lots
Flashy graphics and History Lite Lorenz Books, 2000.
Well-organized reference guide to of pretty pictures.
text on the social history of gin.
liqueurs and how to mix them. Coulombe, Charles A. Rum:
Dillon, Patrick. Gin: The Much- The Epic Story of the Drink That
Lamented Death of Madam White, Francesca. Cheers! A
Conquered the World. New York:

148 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 A bottle of Northern Comfort Massa-
chusetts Liqueur sits on the counter at
Nashoba Distillery.

Citadel Press, 2004. aquavit.

The political history of rum from a Wisniewski, Ian. Vodka: Dis-
Catholic perspective. (Really!) covering, Exploring, Enjoying.
Gelabert, Blanche. The Spirit London: Ryland Peters & Small,
of Puerto Rican Rum. San Juan: 2003.
Discovery Press, 1992. A stylish magazine article on
Cooking and mixing drinks with vodka turned into a very short
Puerto Rican rum. book.
Hamilton, Edward. The Com-
plete Guide to Rum. Chicago: ings are now somewhat dated, but WHISKEY, GENERAL
Triumph Press, 1996. still very useful.
Gabanyi, Stefan. WHISK(E)Y.
A yacht -cruising tour of the rums Martinez Limon, Enrique.
of the Caribbean. A great read. New York: Abbeville Press, 1997.
Tequila: The Spirit of Mexico. New English translation of a German
Hamilton, Edward. Rums of the York: Abbeville Press, 2000. guide to the whiskies of the world.
Eastern Caribbean. Culebra, PR: Extensively illustrated consumer Thousands of brands and terms
Tafia Publishing, 1997. guide to the production and listed and explained. Excellent
The Minister of Rum recycles The brands of tequila. quick reference guide.
Complete Guide to Rum. Sanchez, Alberto Ruy, and
Jackson, Michael. WHISKEY.
Obe, Capt. James Pack. Nelson's Margarita de Orellana. Tequila: A
New York: Dorling Kindersley,
Blood: The Story of Naval Rum. Traditional Art of Mexico. Wash- 2005.
Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, ington: Smithsonian Books, 2004. Heavily detailed and beautifully
1983. Breezy, lightweight guide to cur- laid-out guide to the whiskies of
Rum as a tool of social control in rent brands of tequila. Lots of the world, including the new craft
the Royal Navy. So how much is a drink recipes. distillers. Required addition to any
tot of rum? Valenzuela-Zapata, Ana G., serious distiller's library.
Plotkin, Robert. Caribe Rum: and Gary Paul Nabhan. Tequila! Jackson, Michael. The World
The Original Guide to Caribbean A Natural and Cultural History. Guide to Whisky. Topsfield, MA:
Rum and Drinks. Tucson: Bar Tucson: The University of Arizona Salem House Publishers, 1988.
Media, 2001. Press, 2003. The Bard of Brew's first take on
Many, many mixed drink recipes, Tequila as seen through the eyes the whiskies of Scotland, Ireland,
uniformly enthusiastic product of plant biologists. Canada, the United States, and
reviews, and a very, very annoying Japan. A worthy companion to his
page layout featuring a winged seminal The World Guide to Beer.
heart (don't ask).
VODKA
Begg, Desmond. The Vodka Maclean, Charles. Whiskey
Companion. Philadelphia: Run- (Eyewitness Companions). Lon-
TEQUILA ning Press, 1998. don: Dorling Kindersley, 2008.
Emmons, Bob. The Book of Te- Quick history of vodka with exten- Lightweight but up-to-date listing
quila: A Complete Guide. Chicago: sive tasting notes. of all major and a sprinkling of
Open Court, 1997. smaller whiskey distilleries world-
Delos, Gilbert. Vodkas of the
Truth in advertising. Excellent wide, with limited tasting notes.
World. Edison, NJ: Wellfleet Press, Heavily illustrated in the patent
introduction to the history and 1998.
production of tequila. Brand list- DK publication style.
Excellent survey of vodkas and

DISTILLING RESOURCES 149

 The George Washington Distillery

Bean Distillery and its brands.

Taylor, Richard. The Great
Crossing: A Historic Journey to
Buffalo Trace Distillery. Frankfort,
KY: Buffalo Trace Distillery, 2002.
Well-written company history
with good insights into the devel-
opment of bourbon distilling in
early Kentucky.

Van Winkle Campbell, Sally.

Murphy, Brian. The World Book Excellent pictorial history of liquor But Always a Fine Bourbon: Pappy
of Whiskey. Chicago: Rand Mc- and distilling in American society. Van Winkle and the Story of Old
Nally & Co., 1979. Waymack, Mark H., and James Fitzgerald. Louisville: Limestone
Interesting view of the whiskies F. Harris. The Book of Classic Lane Press, 1999.
of the world just before the late American Whiskeys. Chicago: Self-satisfied family history with
twentieth-century rash of merg- Open Court, 1995. lots of pretty pictures.
ers, closures, and brand changes. Concise history of American whis-
Apres moi, Ie deluge. key and current distilleries with
WHISKEY, AMERICAN-
detailed tasting notes.
Murray, Jim. The Complete BOURBON &
Guide to Whiskey. Chicago: Tri- TENNESSEE
umph Books, 1997. WHISKEY, AMERICAN-
Carson, Gerald. The Social His-
More properly a guide to Scotch, BIOGRAPHY tory of Bourbon. Lexington: Uni-
Irish, Canadian, and American Green, Ben A. Jack Daniel's versity Press of Kentucky, 1984.
whiskies, and the distilleries that Legacy. Nashville: Rich Printing, The evolving role of bourbon in
make them. Good capsule histo- 1967. America's collective lifestyle.
ries of the distilleries with minimal Quasi-official biography of the
tasting notes. Cecil, Sam K. The Evolution of
founder of America's leading
the Bourbon Whiskey Industry in
Murray, Jim. Jim Murray's whiskey distillery.
Kentucky. Paducah, KY: Turner
Whiskey Bible: 2006. London: Car- Krass, Peter. Blood & Whiskey: Publishing, 1999.
lton Books, 2006. The Life and Times of Jack Daniel. County-by-county listings and
Close to all-encompassing pocket Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, capsule histories of every distillery
tasting guide to the world's whis- 2004. to operate in Kentucky. An obvi-
kies from Britain's other leading Interesting analysis of the life ous labor oflove.
spirits writer. of Jack Daniel and his business
Cowdery, Charles K. Bourbon,
world.
Straight: The Uncut and Unfil-
WHISKEY, AMERICAN- Pacult, F. Paul. American Still tered Story of American Whiskey.
GENERAL Life: The Jim Beam Story. Hobo- Chicago: Made and Bottled in
ken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2003. Kentucky, 2004.
Getz, Oscar. Whiskey: An Standard recap of American An independent and frequently
American Pictorial History. New whiskey distilling history with an irreverent view of the American
York: David McKay, 1978. emphasis on the growth of the Jim bourbon industry. Must reading

150 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 An old truck outside Stranahan's
Colorado Whiskey

for all serious students of Ameri-

can whiskey distilling.
Crowgey, Henry G. Kentucky
Bourbon: The Early Years of Whis-
keym a kin g. Lexington: University
Press of Kentucky, 2008.
More properly a remarkably
detailed history of the develop-
Dynasty: Seagram's and the Bronf- Publisher, 1976.
ment of commercial distilling in man Empire. New York: Athene- Interesting snapshot of the Ca-
Colonial America and the early
urn, 1979. nadian distilling industry on the
United States. Substantial original
The dirt on the now vanished eve of the late-twentieth-century
scholarship. Who knew that peach
dominant force in Canadian industry consolidation.
brandy was once produced by
distilling.
most Southern whiskey distillers?
Bronfman, Samuel. From Little WHISKEY,
Givens, Ron. Bourbon at Its Acorns: The Story of Distillers
Best: The Lore and Allure of Corporation-Seagrams, Ltd. MOONSHINE-HISTORY
America's Finest Spirits. Cincin- Montreal: Distillers Corporation- Carr, Jess. The Second Oldest
nati: Clerisy Press, 2008. Seagrams Limited, 1970. Profession: An Informal History of
Lavishly illustrated coffee-table The Grand Old Man of Canadian Moonshining in America. Engle-
book introduction to bourbon. Distilling tells a cleaned-up ver- wood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall,
Murray, Jim. Classic Bourbon, sion of the history of Seagrams 1972.
Tennessee and Rye Whiskey. Lon- and Canadian whisky. Nary a The history of moonshining, pri-
don: Prion Books, 1996. mention of Joe Kennedy and boot- marily in Southern states.
An Englishman tastes American legging.
Dabney, Joseph Earl. Moun-
whiskies, and likes them. Exten- Brown, Lorraine. 200 Years of tain Spirits. Asheville, NC: Bright
sive tasting notes. Tradition: The Story of Canadian Mountain Books, 1974.
Regan, Gary, and Mardee Hai- Whisky. Toronto: Fitzhenry & Whi- A social history of Appalachian
din Regan. The Book of Bourbon. teside, 1994. moonshine distilling with an at-
Shelburne, VT: Chapters Publish- A non-Seagramscentric history titude. Corn whiskey: good; sugar
ing,1995. of Canadian whisky. A bit on the distillation: bad.
Extensive tasting notes, somewhat short side.
Dabney, Joseph Earl. More
dated at this point, and recipes. Marrus, Michael R. Samuel Mountain Spirits. Asheville, NC:
Regan, Gary, and Mardee Hai- Bronfman: The Life and Times Bright Mountain Books, 1980.
din Regan. The Bourbon Compan- of Seagram's Mr. Sam. Boston: There is more to moonshine than
ion. Philadelphia: Running Press, University Press of New England, just corn whiskey; peach brandy,
1998. 1991. for example. Chockfull of recipes
CliffsNotes for virtually all current Academic analysis of the Cana- and homemade still designs.
brands of bourbon. dian distilling industry through an
Keller, Esther. Moonshine: Its
overview of the now dismantled
History and Folklore. New York:
Seagrams whisky empire.
WHISKY, CANADIAN Weathervane Books, 1971.
Rannie, William F. Canadian Moonshine in Kentucky and
Bingham, Madeleine. King Whisky: The Product and the In- southern Indiana. Lightweight,
of the Castle: The Making of a dustry. Lincoln, ON: W F. Rannie but entertaining.

DISTILLING RESOURCES 151

 Barrels roll out at Woodford
Reserve Distillery.

Mauer, David W. Kentucky

Moonshine. Lexington: University
Press of Kentucky, 1974.
Moonshining as an industry, from
Colonial times to the present.

WHISKEY, IRISH
Magee, Malachy. Irish Whiskey:
A 1000 Year Tradition. Dublin:
O'Brien Press, 1998.
Short but detailed history of Irish
whiskey distilling, with capsule
histories of every commercial
distillery in Ireland.
McGuffin, John. In Praise of WHISKY, SCOTCH ing, just prior to the late-twentieth-
Poteen. Belfast: Applegate Press, century shutdowns.
Barnard, Alfred. The Whisky
1978. Graham, Duncan, and Wendy
Distilleries of the United Kingdom.
Moonshine, Irish style. As is usu- Graham. Visiting Distilleries, 2nd
Edinburgh: Birlinn, 2003.
ally the case, romantic history is edition. Glasgow: Angel's Share,
Reprint of 1887 guide to the dis-
better than the rather squalid cur- 2003.
tilleries of Scotland, England, and
rent state of affairs, with kitchen Does your favorite Highland dis-
Ireland. Wonderful window into a
stills in urban housing estates tillery have a gift shop? How clean
long vanished world of distilling,
distilling fermented sugar water. is the loo? All your Whisky Trail
with many engravings. A must-
McGuire, E. B. Irish Whiskey. have for the historically minded questions are answered here.
Dublin: Gill & Macmillan, 1973. distiller. Greenwood, Malcolm. A Nip
A last hurrah view of the Irish Around the World: The Diary of a
Brander, Michael. The Essential
distilling industry, just prior to the Whisky Salesman. Argyll: Argyll
Guide to Scotch Whisky. Edin-
final industry consolidation. Publishing, 1995.
burgh: Canongate Publishing,
Murray, Jim. Classic Irish Whis- 1990. Stories from the front of whisky
key. London: Prion Books, 1998. Compact report on the state of the selling in Europe. Interesting, but
More or less complete tasting and Scottish distilling industry, circa short.
buying guide to Irish whiskey, in- 1990. Gunn, Neil M. Whisky & Scot-
cluding local brands. Murray does land: A Practical and Spiritual
Cooper, Derek. A Taste of
tend to like everything, though. Survey. Edinburgh: Souvenir
Scotch. London: Andre Deutsch,
Townsend, Brian. The Lost Dis- 1989. Press, 1988.
tilleries of Ireland. Glasgow: Neil The role of Scotch whisky in vari- Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Wilson, 1999. ous facets of British culture. Lots reprint of 1935 classic tome on
Companion book to the author's of great graphics. Scotch whisky production and
Scotch Missed: The Lost Distilleries history.
Daiches, David. Scotch Whisky:
of Scotland, only sadder. Scotland
Its Past and Present. New York:
still has around a hundred distill-
Macmillan, 1970.
eries, while Ireland has only three.
The world of Scotch whisky distill-

152 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Barrels set for aging tequila in the
warehouse/tasting room at the Casa
Cofradia Distillery, in Tequila,
Jalisco, Mexico

Hume, John R., and Michael

S. Moss. The Making of Scotch
Whis~ revised edition. Edin-
burgh: Canongate, 2000.
A business history of Scottish
distilling. Very detailed, yet well
written.
Jackson, Michael. Michael Jack-
son's Complete Guide to Single
Malt Scotch, 5th edition. Philadel-
phia: Running Press, 2004.
The benchmark guide to single
malt Scotch whiskies, with more
than a thousand tasting notes. A
must-have reference book.
dated. Scotch whisky distiller, blender,
Jackson, Michael. Scotland and
McDougall, John, and Gavin
merchant, bottler, and marketing
Its Whiskies. New York: Harcourt,
D. Smith. Wort, Worms & Wash- group. Somewhat outdated now,
2001.
backs: Memoirs from the Still- but still a useful reference guide.
A travel guide to the various dis-
tilling regions of Scotland. Lovely house, Glasgow: Angel's Share, Reeve-Jones, Alan . A Dram Like
photographs and lyrical text from 2000. This . .. London: Elm Tree Books,
Britain's leading spirits and beer Journeyman still master's tales of 1974.
writer. life in a variety of Scottish distill- Droll social history of Scotch
eries. Old slights and scores are whisky with extensive mixed drink
Lockhart, Sir Robert Bruce.
settled in a most amusing manner. and food recipes.
Scotch: The Whisky of Scotland in
Fact and Story. London: Putnam, McDowall, R. J. S. The Whiskies Townsend, Brian. Scotch
1970. of Scotland. New York: Abelard- Missed: Scotland's Lost Distilleries,
A standard history of Scotch Schuman, 1967. 3rd edition. Glasgow: Angel's
whisky, much used (quoted and Distilleries, blenders, and their Share, 2004.
otherwise) by subsequent books whiskies of the time are described The life and death of more than a
on the topic. in extensive detail, while Ameri- hundred Scottish distilleries are
can mixers are denounced as foul chronicled with photographs and
Maclean, Charles. MacLean's
pollutants of pure malt spirits. directions. Try cross-referencing it
Miscellany of Whisky. London:
Milroy, Wallace. Wallace Mil-
with Barnard's The Whisky Distill-
Little Books, 2004.
eries of the United Kingdom.
A collection of whisky-themed roy's Malt Whisky Almanac. New
essays on a wide variety of topics. York: St. Martin's Press, 1991.
Great bedside book. Limited tasting notes on single
malt whiskies from an early Brit-
Maclean, Charles. The Mitchell
ish advocate of the style.
Beazley Pocket Whisky Book. Lon-
don: Mitchell Beazley, 1993. Morrice, Philip. The Schweppes
Pocket guide with ratings on Guide to Scotch. Sherborne, UK:
single malt, grain, and blended Alphabooks, 1983.
Scotch whiskies. Now somewhat All-encompassing guide to every

DISTILLING RESOURCES 153

THE DISTILLER'S GLOSSARY

Agitator: A device such as a stirrer try. In U.S. terms, a liquid measure to produce steam for cooking and
that provides complete mixing equal to 42 American gallons or distillation processes.
and uniform dispersion of all com- about 306 pounds; one barrel Bourbon: Whiskey produced
ponents in a mixture. Agitators equals 5.6 cubic feet or 0.159 cubic within the United States from a
are generally used continuously meters. mash containing a minimum of 51
during the cooking process and Batch distillation: A process in percent corn and then aged for a
intermittently during fermenta- which the liquid feed is placed in minimum of two years in a new
tion. a single container and the entire charred oak barrel. Bourbon can
Alcohol: The family name of a volume is heated, in contrast to be legally produced in any state.
group of organic chemical com- continuous distillation, in which Brandy: Generally speaking, the
pounds composed of carbon, the liquid is fed continuously result of distilling any fermented
hydrogen, and oxygen; includes through the still. fruit wine. Specifically, the result
methanol, ethanol, isopropyl alco- Batch fermentation: Fermentation of distilling grape wine. Fruit
hol, and others. conducted from start to finish in a brandies are made from fruits
Applejack: In its original meaning, single vessel. other than grapes, while fruit-
fermented hard apple cider that Batch process: Unit operation flavored brandies are usually
is partially frozen to separate the where one cycle of feed stock grape brandy with added fruit fla-
water from the alcohol. In modern preparation, cooking, fermenta- vors. See Eau de vie and Grappa.
terms, it is the North American tion, and distillation is completed Brewing: Generically, the entire
version of apple brandy. before the next cycle is started. beer-making process, but techni-
Atmospheric pressure: Pressure of BATF: Formerly the Bureau of Al- cally only the part of the process
the air and atmosphere surround- cohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; un- during which the beer wort
ing us that changes from day to der the U.S. Department of Trea- is cooked in a brew kettle and
day. It is equal to 14.7 psi. sury. Responsible for the issuance during which time the hops are
Auger: A rotating, screw-type de- of permits, both experimental and added. After brewing, the beer
vice that moves material through commercial, for the production is fermented. In a grain distillery,
a cylinder. In alcohol production, of alcohol. The guns have been the fermented wort or wash is
it is used to transfer grains from removed and the agency has been frequently referred to as beer.
storage to the grinding site to the renamed the Tobacco and Taxation Brix: A measurement of sweet-
cooker. Bureau (TIB). ness in a liquid, usually fruit juice.
Baker's yeast: Standard robust Beer: A general term for all fer- Specifically the measurement of
yeast used openly by bakers, and mented malt beverages flavored dissolved sugar-to-liquid mass
quietly by many distillers. The with hops. A low-level (6 to 12 ratio of a liquid. As an example,
fermentation is quick and violent, percent) alcohol solution derived in a 100-gram solution, a 30 Brix
and the resulting beer is cloudy. from the fermentation of mash by measurement is 30 grams of sugar
But that really doesn't matter if microorganisms. For distillers, the and 70 grams of liquid.
you are going to distill it. initial fermented grain solution Bubble-cap trays: Cross-flow
Balling: On a hydrometer, the that is distilled. See Wash. trays usually installed in rectify-
measurement of the percent of Beer still: The stripping section of ing columns handling liquids free
sugar in a solution by weight. See a distillation column for concen- of suspended solids. The bubble
Brix. trating ethanol. caps consist of circular cups in-
verted over small vapor pipes. The
Barrel: Varies depending on coun- Boiler: A unit base to heat water vapor from the tray below passes

154 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Detail of a charred barrel

through the vapor pipes into the

caps and curves downward to es-
cape below the rim into the liquid.
The rim of each cap is slotted or
serrated to break up the escaping
vapor into small bubbles, thereby
increasing the surface area of the
vapor as it passes through the
liquid. fermenter, and flow rates are set to make it unfit for human consump-
correspond with required resi- tion; the denaturing agent may
Cachaca: Unaged, raw sugarcane
dence times. be gasoline or other substances
spirit from Brazil, usually mixed specified by the Bureau of Alco-
with neutral grain spirit from Cooker: A tank or vessel designed
to cook a liquid or extract or digest hol, Tobacco, and Firearms.
other sources.
solids in suspension; the cooker Dewatering: To remove the free
Cane spirit: The broad term for
usually contains a source of heat water from a solid substance.
spirits distilled from fermented and is fitted with an agitator.
sugarcane juice. See Cachaca and Distillate: That portion of a liquid
Rum. Cooking: The process that breaks that is removed as a vapor and
down the starch granules in the condensed during a distillation
Cognac: By legal-definition, grape
grain, making the starch available process.
brandy from the Cognac region of
for the liquefaction and sacchari- Distillation: The process of
France. fication steps of the fermentation separating the components of a
Column: A vertical, cylindrical process. mixture by differences in boiling
vessel used to increase the degree Coproducts: The resulting sub- point; a vapor is formed from the
of separation of liquid mixtures by stances and materials that accom- liquid by heating the liquid in a
distillation or extraction. vessel and successively collecting
pany the production of ethanol by
Compound: A chemical term distillation. and condensing the vapors into
denoting a combination of two or liquids.
Corn whiskey (likker): Legally:
more distinct elements. Minimum 80 percent corn mash Eau de vie: Colorless fruit brandy
Concentration: The ratio of mass whiskey, aged a minimum of two such as Kirschwasser from the
or volume of solute present in a years in used wooden barrels. Schwartzwald in Germany.
solution to the amount of solvent. Illegally: The fresh-from-the-still Ethanol: The alcohol product
The quantity of ethyl alcohol (or original version of moonshine. See of fermentation that is used in
sugar) present in a known quan- Moonshine. alcohol beverages and for indus-
tity of water. Cross-flow trays: Liquid flows trial purposes; chemical formula
Condenser: A heat-transfer device across the tray and over a weir blended with gasoline to make
that reduces a thermodynamic to a down comer that carries it to gasohol; also known as ethyl alco-
fluid from its vapor phase to its the next lower tray. Vapors rise hol or grain alcohol.
liquid phase. from the bottom of the column to Ethyl alcohol: A flammable or-
Continuous fermentation: A the top, passing through the tray ganic compound formed during
steady-state fermentation system openings and the pools of cross- sugar fermentation. It is also
that operates without interrup- flowing liquid. called ethanol, grain alcohol, or
tion; each stage of fermentation Denature: The process of adding simply alcohol.
occurs in a separate section of the a substance to ethyl alcohol to

DISTILLING RESOURCES 155

 Il ItnU, EI:m\Tlllfl\

Label for Cherry Liqueur by

Clear Creek Distillery

Evaporation: The conversion of Hops: The dried blossom of the fe- Tequila.
a liquid to the vapor state by the male hop plant, which is a climb- Moonshine: Originally minimally
addition of latent heat or vaporiza- ing herb (Humulus lupulus). Aged aged corn whiskey produced il-
tion. hops are used by some whiskey legally in the Appalachian Moun-
Fermentation: A microorgani-
distillers in the mashing process. tain region of the Southern United
cally mediated enzymatic trans- Lauter tun: The vessel used in States. Modern moonshine is usu-
formation of organic substances, brewing between the mash tun ally made from fermented sugar
especially carbohydrates, gener- and the brew kettle. It separates water. See Corn whiskey.
ally accompanied by the evolution the barley husks from the clear Pot: A hollow vessel more deep
of a gas. The process in which liquid wort. The barley husks than broad.
yeast turns the sugars present on themselves help provide a natu-
malted grains into alcohol and ral filter bed through which the Pressure vessel: A metal container
carbon dioxide. wort is strained. This filtration is generally cylindrical or spheroid,
frequently skipped in grain distil- capable of withstanding various
Gasohol (Gasahol): Registered
lation. loadings.
trade names for a blend of 90
percent unleaded gasoline with 10 Lautering: The process of strain- Prohibition: The process by which
percent fermentation ethanol. ing wort in a lauter tun before it is a government prohibits its citi-
cooled in the brew kettle. zens from buying or possessing
Gasoline: A volatile, flammable alcoholic beverages. Specifically,
liquid obtained from petroleum Mash: A mixture, consisting of
Prohibition refers to the period
that has a boiling range of approx- crushed grains and water, that between the effective date of the
imately 29° to 216°C and is used can be fermented to produce ethyl 18th Amendment to the U.S. Con-
for fuel for spark ignition internal alcohol. stitution (January 16, 1920) and its
combustion engines. Mashing: The process by which repeal by the 21st Amendment.
Gin: White spirit flavored with ju- barley malt is mixed with water Repeal took effect on December 5,
niper berry and other "botanicals." and cooked to turn soluble starch 1933, although it passed Congress
Grappa: A brandy distilled from
into fermentable sugar. Other ce- in February, and the sale of beer
grape pomace. real grains, such as corn and rice, was permitted after April 7, 1933.
may also be added. After mashing Proof: Alcohol containing 50
Head: The end (enclosure) of a in a mash tun, the mash is filtered
cylindrical shell. The most com- percent alcohol by volume (ABV)
through a lauter tun, where upon is called 100 U.S. proof spirit. U.S.
monly used types of heads are it becomes known as wort.
hemispherical, ellipsoidal, flanged proof is twice the percentage of
and dished (semispherical), coni- Methyl alcohol: A poisonous type spirit by volume.
cal, and flat. of alcohol, also known as wood Rectification: With regard to
alcohol. Produced as a by-product distillation, the selective increase
Heads: The initial run of distillate of the fermentation of starch or
at the start of the distillation pro- of the concentration of the lower
cellulose. Methyl alcohol is not volatile component in a mixture
cess. Heads are usually returned produced by fermenting sugar,
to the still for redistillation. by successive evaporation and
and only minimally from fruit condensation.
Heat exchanger: A unit that wme.
Rectifying column: The portion
transfers heat from one liquid (or Mezcal: Distilled spirit from the
vapor) to another without mixing of a distillation column above the
pulp of the agave plant, produced feed tray in which rising vapor
the fluids. A condenser is one type in Mexico outside of the desig-
of heat exchanger. is enriched by interaction with a
nated tequila production area. See

156 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Label for Bardenay Rum

countercurrent falling stream of or solid state to the gaseous state.

condensed vapor. Alcohol is vaporized during the
Rum: A distilled spirit made from distillation.
fermented molasses or sugarcane cooling device in which the vapor Vessel: A container or structural
JUlce. is condensed. envelope in which material is
Rye whiskey: Whiskey contain- Stripping column: The section of processed, treated, or stored; for
ing a minimum of 51 percent rye the distillation column in which example, pressure vessels, reactor
grain, aged for at least two years the alcohol concentration in the vessels, agitator vessels, and stor-
in a new charred oak barrel. Rye starting beer solution is de- age vessels (tanks).
whiskey, which was the original creased. This section is below the Vodka: In U.S. terms, colorless,
whiskey in Colonial America, has beer injection point. odorless, tasteless neutral spirit.
a dry, hard-edged palate, and is Stripping section: The section of Foreign vodkas can retain fla-
nowadays primarily blended into a distillation column below the vor elements, particularly if pot
other types of whiskey to give feed in which the condensate is distilled.
them more character. progressively decreased in the Wash: In distilling, the liquid
Shell: Structural element made to fraction of more volatile compo- produced by the fermentation
enclose some space. Most of the nent by stripping. process, which is then distilled to
shells are generated by the revolu- Tails: The final discharge of the concentrate the alcohol. See Beer.
tion of a plane curve. distillation process, tails contain Worm: Copper condenser coils
Shower-type trays: These trays do undesirable flavor elements (con- suspended in a vessel of continu-
not have downcomers. The liquid geners) and fusel oils, and they are ously flowing cold water, used as
level results from the pressure usually discarded. part of a pot still.
drop caused by the counterflow- Tank: A vessel of large size to con- Wort: An oatmeallike substance
ing streams. tain liquids. consisting of water and mash
Sieve trays: Sieve trays are usually Tequila: Distilled spirit from the barley in which soluble starch has
cross-flow type perforated with fermented pulp of the agave plant, been turned into fermentable sug-
small holes. Sieve trays are some- produced by legal definition only ar during the mashing process.
times used for feeds that tend to in certain designated areas in The liquid remaining from a brew-
deposit solids or polymerize in the and around the Mexican state of ing mash preparation following
column. Jalisco. See Mezcal. the filtration of fermentable beer.
Sight gauge: A clear calibrated
In grain distillation, the wort or
Tunnel-cap trays: Tunnel-cap trays mash is frequently fermented and
cylinder through which liquid are similar to bubble-cap trays
level can be observed and mea- then distilled without filtration.
except that they are rectangular.
sured. Yeast: The enzyme-producing
Valve trays: Valve trays are cross- one-celled fungi of the genus Sac-
Slobber box: Pressure relief and flow trays with large perforations
particulate matter filter chamber charomyces that is added to wort
that are covered with flat plates. before the fermenting process for
located between the still and con- The cover plates are free to move
denser coils on a pot still. the purpose of turning ferment-
vertically and thus permit the pas- able sugar into alcohol and carbon
Still: An apparatus for distilling sage of ascending vapors. dioxide.
liquids, particularly alcohols; it Vaporization: The process of con-
consists of a vessel in which the verting a compound from a liquid
liquid is vaporized by heat, and a

DISTILLING RESOURCES 157

INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORY OF DISTILLERIES
Label for Mirabell Eau de Vie

AUSTRALIA Victoria, BC V8T 4P1

phillipsbeer.com
Bakery Hill
28 Ventnor Street Winchester Cellars
North Balwyn Victoria 3104 6170 Old West Saanich
www.bakeryhilldistillery.com.au Victoria, BC V9E 2G8
winchestercellars.com
Great Southern Distilling Company
252 Frenchman Bay Road Winegarden Estate
Albany 851 Route 970
www.distillery.com.au Baie Verte, New Brunswick E4M
Wolfram Ortner 1Z7
Hellyers Road winegardenestate .com
Untertscherner Weg 3
153 Old Surrey Road, PO Box 1415 9546 Bad Kleinkirchheim,
Burnie, Tasmania 7320 Spittal an der Drau
www.hellyersroaddistillery.com.au www.wob.at CZECH REPUBLIC
Wild Swan Distilling Gold Cock Distillery
94 Burniston Street Razav 472
Scarborough, WA 6019 BELGIUM 763 12 Vizovice
wildswandistillery.com.au The Owl Distillery www.rjelinek.cz
Rue Sainte Anne 94
Grace-Hollogne
AUSTRIA www.belgianwhisky.com DENMARK
Reisetbauer Destilleriet Braunstein
A-4062 Axberg 15 Carlsensvej 5 - 4600 Koge
Axberg CANADA Koge, Sjaelland
www.reisetbauer.at Glenora Inn & Distillery www.braunstein.dk
Route 19/Ceilidh Trail
Waldviertler Roggenhof Glenville, Cape Bretonm Nova Fary Lochan Destilleri
3664 Roggenreith 3 Martinsberg, Scotia Co/Smedevej 15, Farre
Niederosterreich glenoradistillery.com DK - 7323 Give
Martinsberg, Zwettl www.farylochan.com
www.roggenhof.at Kittlingridge Spirits
297 South Service Road 0rbaek Bryggeri
Weidenauer Grimsby, ON L3M 1Y6 Orbaek Bryggeri Assensvej 38,
Leopolds 6, 3623 Kottes kittlingridge.com 58530rbaek
Leopolds Kottes Purk, Zwettl Orbaek, Funen (Island)
www.weidenauer.at Okangan Spirits www.www.oerbaek-bryggeri.nu
2920 28th Avenue
Weutz Vernon, BC V1T 1V9 Stauning Whisky A/S
St Nikolai 6 okanaganspirits .com 6900 Skern
8505 St Nikolai im Sausal Denmark
www.weutz.at Philips Brewing Co. stauningwhisky.dk
2010 Government Street www.stauningwhisky.dk

158 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Sugar Maple, Cranberry, and Rasp-
berry Liqueurs by Flag Hill Distillery

Vingarden lille Gadegard Ebermannstadt, Bavaria

v.Jesper Paulsen www.fleischmann-whisky.de
Sondre Landevej 63
DK-3720 Aakirkeby Brennerei Hohler
www.a7.dk Kirchgasse 3, 65326 Aarbergen,
Hesse
www.brennerei-hoehler.de
ENGLAND
lantenhammer Destillerie
St. George's Distillery Bayrischzeller Strasse 13, 83727
English Whisky Co, Ltd. Schliersee, Bavaria
Harling Road www.slyrs.de
Roudham Norfolk NR16 2QW
www.englishwhisk.co.uk Reiner Mosslein
Crec'h ar Fur, 22610 Pleubian Weingut Reiner Mbsslein,
Bretagne Untere Dorfstrasse 8, 97509 Zeilit-
FINLAND www.glannarmor.com zheim, Bavaria
Teerenpeli Malt Whisky Distillery www.weingeister.de
Hiimeenkatu 19, Lahti Guillon
www.teerenpeli.com Hameau de Vertuelle, 51 150 Sonnenschein
Louvois Alter Fiihrweg 7-9 - 58456 Witten-
Champagne-Ardenne Heven
North Rhine-Westphalia
FRANCE www.whisky-guillon.com
www.sonnenschein-brennerei.de
Des Menhirs
Wambrechies
Pont Menhir 29700 1, Rue de la Distillerie
Plomelin, Bretagne JAPAN
F- 59118 Wambrechies
www.distillerie.fr www.wambrechies.com Fuji-Gotemba
Distillerie Bertrand www.kirin.co.jp
Warenghem
3 Rue du Marechal Leclerc - BP 21 Route de Guingamp, 22300 Lan-
350 Uberach, Alsace Hakushu (and Yamazaki)
nion, Brittany Daiba 2-3-3, Minato-ku
www.distillerie-bertrand.com www.distillerie-warenghem.com Tokyo 135-8631
Domaine Mavela www.suntory.co.jp
Route de La Marana - 20600
Furiani GERMANY Hanyu
www.brasseriepietra.com Berghof Rabel +81 (0)3 5418 4611
Berghof 73277 Owen-Teck www.one-drinks.com
Fisselier Schliengen, Baden -Wurttemberg
56 Rue de Verger, 35571 Chantepie www.berghof-rabel.de Karuizawa
www.jacques-fisselier.com www.mercian.co.jp
Blaue Maus
Glann ar Mor Bambergerstrasse 2, 91330 Sendai (Miyagikyo) and Yoichi
Celtic Whisky Compagnie Eggolsheim -N euses 5-4-31, Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku

DISTILLING RESOURCES 159

 Postcard for Stranahan's
Colorado Whiskey

Tokyo 107-8616 SWEDEN

www.nikka.com
Box Destilleri
Box Kraftverk 140,
87296 Bjartra
INDIA www.boxdestillerie.se
Amrut Distilleries, Ltd.
# 41/1, 72nd Cross, Gotland Distillery
Rajajinagar 6th Block Sockerbruket, 622 54 Romakloster
Bangalore, 560010 Gotland
www.amrutwhisky.co.uk Rawalpindi www.gotlandwhisky.se
www.murreebrewery.com
McDowell's Grythyttan Whisky
www.clubmcdowell.com Nora Destilleri AB, Storg 2, 713 31
PERU Nora
Vastmanland
Chilca Vid Sac www.grythyttanwhisky.com
NETHERLANDS Cesar Fontana Balaguer
Us Heit Distillery Los Colibries 150 Mackmyra Svensk Whisky, Valbo
Snekerstraat 43, 8701 XC Lima 27, Peru Hantverkargatan 5, Hus 5, 112 21
Bolsward, Friesland [email protected] Stockholm
www.usheitdistillery.nl
www.mackmyra.se
Zuidam Distillers SOUTH AFRICA Spirit of Hven
Smederijstraat 5, 5111 PT Baarle
James Sedgwick Distillery www.hven.com
Nassau
www.zuidam-distillers.com Aan -de-Wagenweg
Stellenbosch 7600
www.distell.co.za SWITZERLAND
NEW ZEALAND Bauernhof
Drayman's Distillery Edi Bieri, Talacher, 6340 Baar
The Southern Distilling Company PO Box 1648 Baar, Zug
www.hokonuiwhisky.com Silverton, Pretoria 0127 www.swissky.co
www.draymans.com
Brennerei Hagen
NORWAY Destillerie v.u. Hagen Ruhli sea-
Buran Norsk Whisky A/S SPAIN yard
[email protected] DYC (Distilerias y Crianza del 8536 Huttwilen
Whisky) www.distillerie-hagen.ch
Mateo Inurria 15, 28036 Madrid
PAKISTAN www.dyc.es. www.beamglobal. Burgdorfer Gasthausbrauerei
com Wynigenstrasse 13
Murree P.O. Box 1085,
National Park Road 3401 Castle Village
P.O.Box No. 13 www.burgdorferbier.ch

160 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Label for Hazelnut Espresso Liqueur
by BendistilIery in Bend, Oregon

Maison les Vignettes-Swhisky Bardenay

Copainrative Lap'Tou, 610 Grove Street
c/o Maison Les Vignettes, Les Boise, ID 83702
Vignettes 6 50 PrOOf Alcohol. 25% by volume bardenay.com
1957 Ardon, Valais, Switzerland 1em; ~ Grain Spirits
www.swhisky.ch Barrel House Distilling Co.
1200 Manchester Street, Building 9
Spezialitatenbrennerei Zurcher Lexington, KY 40504
+41 (0) 32,3318583 barrelhousedistillery.com

Whisky Brennerei Holle Bear and Eagle Products

Hollen 52 1425 E. Borchard Street
4426 Lauwil Santa Ana, CA 92705
www.single-malt.ch, www.swiss- beareagle.com
whisky.ch Alltech's lexington Brewing &
Distilling Co. Belmont Farms
Whisky Castle 401 Cross Street 13490 Cedar Run Road
Kasers Schloss AG Lexington, KY 40508 Culpepper, VA 22701
Schlosstrasse 17, www.kentuckyale.com virginiamoonshine.com
CH- 5077 Elfmgen, Aargau
www.whisky-castle.com Anchor Distilling Bendistillery
1705 Mariposa Street 1470 NE 1st Street, #800
San Francisco, CA 94107 Bend, OR 97701
TAIWAN anchorbrewing.com bendistillery.com
King Car Whisky Distillery Berkshire Mountain Distillers
230, Roosevelt Road, Sec. 3, Taipei Ancient City Distilling
4041 Pine Run Circle 1640 Home Road
www.kavalanwhisky.com Great Barrington, MA 01230
St. Augustine, FL 32086
(under construction) [email protected]
[email protected]
TURKEY Black Star Farms
Tekel Artisan Spirits 10844 E. Revold Road
Abide-I Hurriyet Cad. 1227 SE Stark Street Suttons Bay, MI 49682
No:285 Bolkan Center B Blok Portland, OR 97214 blackstarfarms.com
34381 Istanbul artisan-spirits.com
www.mey.com.tr Blackwater Distilling
Balcones Distilling 137 Log Canoe Circle
3209 Maple Avenue Stevensville, MD 21666
Waco, TX 76707 [email protected]
UNITED STATES
Balconesdistilling .com
45th Parellel Spirits Brandy Peak
1570 Madison Avenue 18526 Tetley Road
Ballast Point Spirits
New Richmond, WI 54017 Brookings, OR 97415
10051 Old Grove Road, Suite B
45thparallelspirits.com brandypeak.com
San Diego, CA 92131
ballastpoint.com

DISTILLING RESOURCES 161

 Label for Black River Gin by
Sweetgrass Farm Winery
and Distillery

C&C Shine Colorado Pure Distillery Drum Circle Distilling

425 Alta Street, Building 15 5609 W 6th Avenue, Unit C 2212 Industrial Boulevard
Gonzales, CA 93926 Denver, CO 80214 Sarasota, FL 34234
[email protected] coloradopuredistilling.com (under construction)
[email protected]
Captain's Applejack Distillery Connecticut Valley Distillers
1 Laird Road 148 Forest Street Dry Fly Distilling
Scobeyville, NJ 07724 Manchester, CT 06040 1003 E. Trent #200
lairdandcompany.com [email protected] Spokane, WA 99202
dryfiydistilling.com
Cascade Peak Spirits Copper Fox Distillery
Box 1198 9 River Lane Dynamic Alambic Artisan Distillery
Ashland, OR 97520 Sperryville, VA 22740 Burle W. Figgins Jr.
cascadepeakspirits.com copperfox.biz Post Office Box 5066
George, Washington 98824
Castle Spirits Delaware Phoenix Distillery [email protected]
18 Quickway Road # 201 144 Delaware Street, Box 245
Monroe, NY 10950 Walton, NY 13856 Empire Winery & Distillery
[email protected] www.delawarephoenix.com 11807 Little Road
New Port Richey, FL 34654
Cedar Ridge Distillery Distillery 209 empirewineryanddistillery.com
501 7th SE Avenue, Suite B Pier 50 Shed B, Mailbox 9
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401 Terry A. Francois Boulevard Essential Spirits
www.crwme.com San Francisco, CA 94158 144-A South Whisman Road
distillery209.com Mountain View, CA 94040
Celebration Distillation essentialspirits.com
2815 Frenchman Street Dogfish Head Brewery & Distillery
New Orleans, LA 70122 320 Rehoboth Avenue Fat Dog Spirits
neworleansrum.com Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 3212 North 40th Street
dogfish. com Tampa, FL 33605
Chateau Chantal Distillery [email protected]
15900 Rue de Vin Dolmen Distilling
Traverse City, MI 49686 Box 732 Finger Lakes Distilling
chateauchantal.com McMinnville, OR 97128 4676 NYS Route 414
[email protected] Elmira, NY 14905
Clear Creek Distillery fingerlakesdistilling.com
2389 NW Wilson Domaine Charbay
Portland, OR 97210 4001 Spring Mountain Road Fiore Winery & Distillery
clearcreekdistillery.com St. Helena, CA 94574 3026 Whiteford Road
charbay.com Pylesville, MD 21132
Colorado Gold Distillery www.fiorewinery.com
1290 S. Grand Mesa Drive Don Quixote Distillery
Cedaredge, CO 81413 236 Rio Bravo
coloradogolddistillery.com Los Alamos, NM 87544
dqdistillery.com

162 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Detail from a bottle of Gen-
eral John Stark Vodka from
Flag Hill Distillery

Flag Hill Farm Hidden Marsh Distillery

PO Box 31 2981 Auburn Road
Vershire, VT 05079 Seneca Falls, NY 13148
flaghillfarm.com montezumawinery.com

Flag Hill Winery & Distillery High Plains Distilling

297 North River Road 1700 Rooks Road
Lee, NH 03861 Atchison, KS 66002
flaghill.com highplainsinc.com

Forks of Cheat Distillery High Spirits Distilling

2811 Stewartstown Road 15 N. Agassiz Street
Great Lakes Distillery
Morgantown, WV 26508 Flagstaff, AZ 86001
616 West Virginia Street
[email protected] arizonahig hspirits. com
Milwaukee, WI 53204
greatlakesdistillery.com
Four Roses Distillery High West Distillery
1224 Bonds Mill Road 703 Park Avenue
Green Mountain Distillers
Lawrenceburg, KY 40342 Park City, UT 84060
fourroses. us 192 Thomas Lane
Stowe, VT 05672 highwestdistillery.com
Garrison Brothers Distillery greenmountaindistillers.com
Highball Distillery
Box 5932 610 SE 10th Avenue
Austin, TX 78763 Haleakala Distillery
530A Kealaloa Avenue Portland, OR 97214
garrisonbros.com highballdistillery.blogspot.com
Maui, HI 96768
Germain-Robin haleakaladistillers.com
House Spirits Distillery
Hubert Germain-Robin
Harvest Spirits 2025 SE 7th Avenue
P.O. Box 1059
3074 US Route 9 Portland, OR 97214
Ukiah, CA 95482
Valatie, NY 12184 medoyeff.com
germain-robin. com
harvestspirits.com
Hubbard's Brandy House
Golden Hill Distillery
Hawj Brother's Distillery 12147 Corey Lake Road
123 Black Rock, Box 504
Redding Ridge, CT 06876 1841 Josephene Way Three Rivers, MI 49093
[email protected] Yuba City, CA 95993 coreylakeorchards.com
[email protected]
Graham Barnes Distilling Huber Starlight Distilery
13011 DeBarr Drive Heartland Distillers 19816 Huber Road
Austin, TX 78729 9402 Uptown Drive, Suite 1000 Borden, IN 47106
treatyoakrum.com Indianapolis, IN 46256 starlightdistillery.com
heartlanddistillers.com
Grand Traverse Distilery Indio Spirits
781 Industrial Circle, Suite 5 Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. 7110 SW Fir Loop STE 240
Traverse City, MI 49686 1064 Loretto Road Portland, OR 97223
grandtraversedistillery.com Bardstown, KY 40004 indiospirits.com
heaven-hill.com

DISTILLING RESOURCES 163

 True North Vodka and
Cherry Flavored Vodka by
Grand Traverse Distillery

,
Integrity Spirits ~ TRAVERi McMenamins Edgefield Distillery
909 SE Yamill Street 01 Illl R' 2126 SW Halsey Street
Portland, OR 97214 Troutdale, OR 97060
integrityspirits.com mcmenamms.com

Isaiah Morgan Distillery Michigan Brewing Company

45 Winery Lane 1093 Highview Drive
Summersville, WV 26651 Webberville, MI 48892
kirkwood-wine.com www.michiganbrewing.com

Island Investments & Enterprises Modern Spirits

Ltd. 168 W. Pomona Avenue
914 Anglers Way Monrovia, CA 91016
Jupiter, FL 33458 modernspiritsvodka.com
[email protected]
Montanya Distilling Co.
Jepson Vineyards Leopold Brothers 1332 Notorious Blair Street
10400 S. Highway 101 4950 Nome Street, Unit E Silverton, CO 81433
Hopland, CA 95449 Denver, CO 80239 montanyadistillers.com
. .
www.Jepsonwme.com leopoldbros.com
Mosby Winery
Keystone Distillery Liquid Ventures 9496 Santa Rosa Road
120 East Baltimore Pike 818 SW 3rd Avenue, Suite 281 Buellton, CA 93427
Media, PA 19063 Portland, OR 97204 mosbywines.com
[email protected] liquidvodka.com
Mt. St. Helen's Spirits
Knapp Vineyards Local Color Brewery Box 728
2770 County Road 128 42705 Grand River Avenue Amboy, WA 98601
Romulus, NY 14541 Novi, MI 48375 pacifier.com
knappwine.com localcolor.com
Mystic Mountain Distillery
Koenig Distillery & Winery Long Island Spirits 11505 Valley Road
20928 Grape Lane 2182 Sound Avenue Larkspur, CO 80118
Caldwell, ID 83607 Baiting Hollow, NY 11933 mysticmtnspirits.com
koenigdistillery.com lispirits.com
Nashoba Distillery
Kolani Distillers Maine Distilleries 100 Wattaquadock Hill Road
500 Balwin Avenue 437 Route One Bolton, MA 01740
Paia, HI 96779 Freeport, ME 04032 nashobawinery.com
kolanidistillers.com coldrivervodka.com
New Deal Distillery
Lake Placid Spirits Mancos Valley Distillery 1311 SE Main Street
Box 227 Ian James Portland, OR 97214
Lake Placid, NY 12946 116 N. Main Street newdealdistillery.com
lakeplacidspirits.com Mancos, CO 81328

164 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 American Single
Malt Vodka in 80 0
and 100 0 proof from
Stillwater Spirits

New Holland Brewing & Distilling Railean Distillers

66 East 8th street 111 Pelican Court
Holland, MI49423 League City, TX 77573
newhollandbrew.com railean.com

Newport Distilling Company Ransom Spirits

Oliphant Lane, Unit 3 745 NE 5th Street
Middletown, RI 02842 McMinnville, OR 97128
newportstorm.com ransomspirits.com

North Shore Distillery Rogue Distillery

Box 279 1339 NW Flanders
Lake Bluff, IL 60044 Portland, OR 97209
northshoredistillery.com www.rogue.com

Northern Maine Distilling Com- RoughStock Distillery

pany 705 Osterman Drive, Suite C
66 Industrial Drive, Suite J Bozeman, MT 59715
Houlton, ME 04730 montanawhiskey.com
twenty2vodka.com
Round Barn Distillery
Osocalis Distillery 10983 Hills Road
5579 Old San Jose Road Baroda, MI49101
Soquel, CA 95073 roundbarnwinery.com
osocalis.com Philadelphia Distilling
12285 McNulty Road, #105 Roundhouse Spirits
Pacific Distillery Philadelphia, PA 19154 3215 Foundry Place, #104
18808 142nd Avenue NE, #4B philadelphia distilling .com Boulder, CO 80301
Woodinville, WA 98072 roundhousespirits.com
pacificdistillery.com
Piedmont Distillers Ryan & Wood Distilleries
Parched Group 203 East Murphy Street 15 Great Republic Drive, U-2
310 Stockton Street Madison, NC 27025 Gloucester, MA 01930
Richmond, VA 23235 piedmontdistillers.com ryanandwood.com
cirrusvodka.com
Pioneer Spirits San Luis Spirits
Peach Street Distillers 2290 Ivy Street, #150 Box 310
144 S. Kluge Street, Building 2 Chico, CA 95928 Dripping Springs, TX 78620
Palisade, CO 81526 pioneerspirits.com drippingspringsvodka.com
peachstreetdistillers.com
Prichards'Distillery Sarticious Spirits
Peak Spirtis 11 Kelso Smithland Road 427 Swift Street
26567 North Road Kelso, TN 37348 Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Hotchkiss, CO 81419 prichardsdistillery.com sarticious.com
peakspirits.com

DISTILLING RESOURCES 165

 Bottle of Hangar 1 Vodka
by St. George Spirits

Skyrocket Distillers Templeton Rye

27315 Jefferson Avenue, Suite J18 206 East 3rd Street
Temecula, CA 92590 Templeton, IA 51463
drinkjbw.com templetonrye.com

A. Smith Bowman Distillery The Solas Distillery

One Bowman Drive 17070 Wright Plaza
Fredericksburg, VA 22408 Omaha, NE 68130
asmithbowman.com upstreambrewing .com

Solomon Turner Co. Tito's

5900 Central Avenue Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey 12101 Moore Road
Calpella, CA 95418 2405 Blake Street Austin, TX 78719
solomon [email protected] Denver, CO 80205 titos-vodka.com
stranahans.com
Spirits of Maine Triple Eight Disitillery
175 Chick Mill Road Stringer's Orchard Wild Plum 5 Bartlett Farm Road
Gouldsboro, ME 04607 Distillery Nantucket, MA 02584
bartlettwinery.com Box 191, Highway 395 ciscobrewers.com
New Pine Creek, OR 97635
St. George Spirits stringersorchard.com Tuthilltown Spirits
2601 Monarch Street 14 Gristmill Lane
Alameda, CA 94501 Sub Rosa Spirits Gardiner, NY 12525
stgeorgespirits.com 876 SW Alder Drive tuthilltown.com
Dundee, OR 97115
St. James Spirits subrosaspirits.com Uncle John's Fruit House
5220 Fourth Street, Unit 17 8614 N. U.S. 127
Irvingdale, CA 91706 Swedish Hill Winery St. Johns, MI 48879
saintjamesspirits.com 4565 Route 414 ujcidermill.com
Romulus, NY 14541
St. Julian Winery swedishhill.com Vermont Spirits
716 S. Kalamazoo Street PO Box 272
Paw Paw, MI 49079 Sweetgrass Farm Winery and St. Johnsbury, VT 05819
stjulian.com Distillery vermontspirits.com
347 Carrol Road
Stillwater Spirits Union, ME 04862 Warwick Valley Distillery
611 2nd Street sweetgrasswinery.com 114 Little York Road
Petaluma, CA 94952 Warwick, NY 10990
stillwaterspirits.com Syntax Spirits wvwmery.com
1409 E. Olive Court, Unit A
Stoutridge Vineyard Fort Colins, CO 80524 West Virginia Distilling
10 Ann Kaley Lane syntaxspirits.com 1380 Fenwick Avenue
Marlboro, NY 12542 Morgantown, WV 26505
stoutridge.com mountainmoonshine.com

166 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

 Tito Beveridge of
Tito's Handmade Vodka

Westford Hill Distillers

196 Chatey Road
Ashford, CT 06278
westfordhill.com

Woodstone Creek
3641 Newton Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45207
woodstonecreek.com

Wyoming Whiskey
300 North N elso
Kirby, WY 82430
[email protected] Beam Global (Jim Bean) wildturkey@qualitycustomercare.
149 Happy Hollow Road, Box 160 com
Yahara Bay Distillers Clermont, KY 40110
3118 Kingsley Way www.jimbeam.com Woodford Reserve Distillery
Madison, WI 53713 7855 McCracken Pike
yaharabay.com Buffalo Trace Distillery Versailles, KY 40383
1001 Wilkonson Boulevard woodfordreserve.com
Yellowstone Valley Brewing Frankfort, KY 40601
2123 1st Avenue North www.buffalotrace.com
Billings, MT 59101
yellowstonevalleybrew.com George A. Dickel & Co.
1970 Cascade Hollow Road
Tullahoma, TN 37388
georgedickel.com
UNITED STATES: THE OLD GUARD

Most whiskey in the United States Jack Daniel's Distillery

has been, and still is being made 182 Lynchburg Highway
by long established distilleries in Lynchburg, TN 37352
Kentucky and Tennessee. The Jim jackdaniels.com
Beam Distillery traces its origins
to the late eighteenth century, Maker's Mark Distillery, Inc.
while Buffalo Trace has been in 3350 Burks Spring Road
operation since the mid-nine- Loretto, KY 40037
teenth century. Today all of them makersmark.com
welcome visitors, with hospital-
ity centers that range from small Tom Moore Distillery
town charm (George Dickel) to Box 788, 1 Barton Road
major museum impressiveness Bardstown, KY 40004
(Heaven Hill). bartoninc.com

Wild Turkey Distillery

1525 Tyrone Road
Lawrenceburg, KY 40324

DISTILLING RESOURCES 167

INDEX

Note: Page numbers in italics indicate figures arms. See condensers Blanton's Single Barrel Kentucky Straight
or tables. artisanal producers, 21, 22 Bourbon Whiskey, 43
artisan distillers, 8-9, 11, 19-21, 28, 42, 51, 58, blended families, 106
45th Parallel Spirits, 130, 130 62,67,70-71,109,110-143 blended whiskey, 45, 48, 55-56, 57, 58, 59
45th Parallel Vodka, 130 in California, 114-118 Bloody Mary, 70
in Colorado, 126-127 blue agave, 100, 101, 102, 103, 115, 115
A in Idaho, 125,125 Bluecoat American Dry Gin, 75, 140
absinthe, 108 leaders of the pack, 112-113 boilers, 28, 32, 33
Absinthe Verte, 108 in the Midwest, 129 boiling points, 25, 26, 34
acetone, 25 of the Northeast, 132-139 boise, 85
Acqua di Lamponi Raspberry Eau de Vie, 91 in the Pacific Northwest, 119-124 bonded whiskey, 52
Act of Union (United Kingdom), 55 in Pennsylvania, 140 Bonny Doone Vineyards, 88
Africa, 13, 15 in the South, 141-143 bootleggers, 74
agave, 93, 10Q 100-105 in Texas, 118 botanicals, 75-76, 106, 107
agave juice, 102-103 in Wyoming, 128 bottled in Canada whiskey, 49
agave spirits, 100-105 artisan pot stills, 27, 33-35, 33-35 bottles, 12,66,85,90
age-dated blended rum, 95 Artisan Spirits, 120, 120 bottle fillers, 124
Aged Pear Brandy, 123 Asia, 21, 70, 93, 99. See also specific nations bottling lines, 74
aged rum, 96, 97 Austin, Texas, 67 labeling of, 66
aging processes, 57, 85 Australia, 15, 21, 40, 70, 99. See also Australian bouilleurs de cru, 15, 84
agitation, 33-34 whisky Bourbon County, 42
agitators, 33-34 Australian whisky, 59, 60 Bourbon dynasty, 42
agricultural spirits, 82 A. van Wees De Ooievaar fruit liqueur, 107 bourbon whiskey, 31, 48, 50, 51, 71, 87, 109
Agua Azul, 105, 105 Aviation Gin, 78 history of, 41-46
aguamiel, 101, 102 azeotrope ethanol, 26, 30 resources on, 150-151
Aguascalientes, Mexico, 101 Azores Islands, 93 boyars,65
Airen grapes, 84 Aztecs, 100 brandewijn, 81
alambic stills, 35, 87, 115, 115,117,117,120, brandy, 30, 32, 41, 73, 80, 80-91, 81, 82, 85
120 B aging of, 83, 85
Alberta, Canada, 51 Baby Bourbon, 139 American, 87-88
alchemists, 13 Babylon, 12 apple brandy, 89-90
Alchohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau backins,39 brandy de jerez, 84-85
(TTB), 18 Back River Gin, 162 "California-style", 87
aldehydes, 25 Baltic States, 70 Canadian, 88
Alimony Ale, 10 Bamberg, Germany, 66 of the Caucausus region, 88
Alsace region, France, 88, 90 Barbados, 98, 99 craft-distilled,87
American Brewer, 10 Bardenay, 125, 125 definition of, 81
American Distilled Gin, 78 Bardenay London Style Dry Gin, 77 distilling timeline, 57
American Distilling Institute (AD I), 11, 127, Bardenay Rum, 157 French,82-83,88,90
131, 137, 142 Barlett, Robert, 138, 138 fruit brandy, 89-90
American Revolution, 41, 42, 95 barley, 49, 60 German, 86, 90, 91
American whiskey, 28, 34, 40, 48. See also barley malt, 53, 60 grape brandy, 87
North American whiskey barrels, 41, 47, 52,53,55,60,85,104, 116, 116, Italian, 86, 88
blended,45 135, 155 Latin American, 88
resources on, 150-151 bars, 147 Mexican, 88
the Americas, 13, 40, 41. See also specific bartending, 145 Penedes Brandy, 85-86
nations, colonies, and regions batch stills, 31, 36-38 pomace brandy, 88
agave spirits in, 100-101 bathtub gin, 74 by region, 82-88
rum in, 93-95 Bavaria, Germany, 90 resources on, 147-148
Anchor Distilling, 45, 73, 113, 113 Beck, Mike, 130, 130 seasonal nature of, 82
angelica root, 75 bee~ 19-20,33,41, 65 South African, 88
anis, 107 beer strippers, 37 Spanish, 84-86
anise-flavored spirits, 75, 107, 108 beer tanks, 32 types of, 81
Antigua, 99 BEER: The Magazine, 10 uralt (alter), 86
Anti-Saloon League, 42-43 beets, 68 in the US, 88
Apia Artisan Vodka, 120 begin-cuts, 38 brandy cocktails, 91
appellation, 82 Belarus, 69 brandy de jerez, 84-85
Appellation Controlee Pays d'Auge, 90 Belgium, 75, 77 Brandy Peak Distillers, 123, 123
Appellation Reglementee, 90 Belmont Farm Distillery, 19 brandy snifters, 80
apple brandy, 87, 89-90, 90, 91 Bendistillery, 70, 160 branvin, 66
applejack, 91 Benjamin Prichard's Double Barreled Brany Alexander, 91
apples, 81, 90 Bourbon, 42 Brazil, 93
aquavit, 66 Berkshire Mountain Distillers, 79, 96, 97 breakfast cereals, 23
aqua vitae, 56, 66 bitters, 16, 92, 93, 107 Bridges, Jeff, 17
Arabs, 93 Blackberry Liqueur, 108 British colonies, 41, 42, 73, 91, 93, 94-95, 141
Arandas, Mexico, 101 Black Forest region, Germany, 90, 91 British gin, 77
Aristotle, 13 Black Star Farms, 91, 131, 131 British military, 74
Armagnac, 32, 83-84. See also cognac blackstrap molasses, 109 British navy, 93
Armenia, 88 bronze stills, 13

168 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

bubble caps, 27, 33, 34 Copper Fox Distillery, 51, 51, 143, 143 Dutch colonies, 93
bubble-cap trays, 33, 34, 34, 35 cordials, 106. See also liqueurs "Dutch courage", 72
Buffalo Bill's Brewery, 10 coriander, 75 Dutch genever, 76, 77. See also genever
Buffalo Trace Distillery, 43 Cork Distillery, 57 Dutch War of Independence, 72
Buffalo Trace Distillery's Kentucky Straight Corley, Joe Thomas, 116, 116 Dynamic Alambic, 32
Bourbon Whiskey, 43 corn,41,42,130
Buffett, Jimmy, 102 corn brandy, 73 E
bulk Canadian whiskey, 49 corn likker, 49. See also moonshine whiskey Eastern Europe, 65, 67, 68-69
Bushmills, 58 corn whiskey, 19,41, 45-46, 49, 51, 70 East Highlands, Scotland, 60
Byron, George Gordon, 92 County Antrim, Northern Ireland, 60 East Indies, 93
craft-brewing renaissance, 9 eau de vie, 80, 81, 90, 90-91, 123, 137
C craft distillers. See artisan distillers American, 90
California Cranberry Liqueur, 134, 159 blue agave, 105
artisan distillers in, 114-118 cremes, 106 resources on, 147-148
brandyin,87-88,90-91 Croatia, 75 economic distillers, 21
eau de vie in, 90 Crosby, Bing, 102 Edinburgh, Scotland, 55-56
tequila in, 105 Crusades, 93 Elemental Vodka, 120
Calvados, 32, 81, 84, 90, 91 Csanky, Ryan, 120,120 Eliason, David, 122, 122
Campbeltown, Scotland, 60 Cuba,98 Elijah Craig 18-year-old Kentucky Straight
campesinos, 102 Cuckold's Comfort, 73 Bourbon Whiskey, 43
Canada, 40, 51, 75, 88, 99. See also Canadian Cuervo, Jose, 101 Elizabeth I, 56
whiskey Cumberland Gap, 42 El Paso, Texas, 101
Canadian whiskey, 28, 40, 46, 49 cuts, making the, 38 end-cuts, 38-39
by region, 51 czars, 65 England, 13, 55, 56, 73-74. See also United
resources on, 151 Kingdom
Canary Islands, 93 D Epic of Gilgamesh, 12
cane juice, 96 Daiquiri, 97 Erenzo, Ral ph, 139, 139
cane spirit, 96 dark rum, 95, 95 espadin agave, 104-105
caramel, 97, 103 de la B08, Franciscus, 73 Esquire magazine, 17
the Caribbean, 70, 93, 94, 98. See also specific Delannoy, Bruno, 108 Essential Spirits, 115,115
nations Demerara rum, 96, 98 Estonia, 70
Casa Cofradia Distillery, 153 dephlegmators, 33, 35 ethanol, 24, 25, 26, 30
Cascade Peak Spirits, 122, 122 Depth Charge, 61 Europe, 14, 15, 40, 69, 95-96, 99, 108. See also
cassia bark, 75 DeVoto, Bernard, 72 specific regions and nations
Catalonia, Spain, 85 Dewar's, 54 vodka in, 70
catalyzers, 33, 35 Diaz, Porfirio, 101 Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Caucasus region, 88 Dikty, Alan, 8, 11 Whiskey, 43
Cedar Ridge Distillery, 110 direct fires, 33 Excise Act (United Kingdom), 55
Celebration Distillation, 92, 97, 142, 142 dirt track distilling, 16 excise taxes, 15, 55, 56, 60, 72
Central America, 98 distillates, 25 extract of wormwood, 108
cereals, 23 distillation, 13, 60 Extremadura, Spain, 84
charcoal filtration, 67, 68 accessibility of, 14
charring barrels, 47 amateur, 19 F
Chavlignac Prulho brandy stills, 114, 114, 116, ancient, 12, 13, 53 Family Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon
116, 117, 117 art of, 25 Whiskey, 42
chemistry, 24-26 batch-still process, 36-38 Farber, Daniel, 117, 117
Chenin Blanc grapes, 88 continuous-run process, 39 Farm Distillery Act, 139
cherry brandy, 90, 91 in the East, 13 feints, 37
Cherry Liqueur, 156 future trends, 15 fermentation, 18, 23, 24, 52,57,60, 123, 123
China, 13 history of, 12-23 Fields, w.e., 40
Chinese traders, 93 illegal, 55 Finland,70
Christian Carl pot stills, 137, 137 Medieval woodcuts depicting, 13 Flag Hill Distillery, 107, 134, 134, 159, 163
Churchill, Winston, 78 in the Middle Ages, 12, 13 Flame Tokay grapes, 87
cinnamon, 75 private, 14, 15 flat-top moonshine stills, 27
Cisco Brewery, 135 process of, 24-39, 36 flavor, 25
Classick, Dave, 115,115 small-scale, 15 flavoring agents, 75
Classic Margarita, 105 spread of, 13 Fleishman, Kent, 124, 124
Classic Martini, 78 technological advances in, 12, 13-14 Folle Blanche grapes, 88
Clear Creek Distillery, 88, 91,108,119,119,156 timeline, 57 Foreman, Brown, 79
coas, 102 in the West, 13 Forsyths of Scotland, 72
cocktails, 61, 67, 70, 74, 78, 91, 96, 97, 102, 105 distillaton, 9 fortified wines, 69
Coffee Liqueur, 106 distilleries, directory of, 158-167 Forty Creek Small Batch Reserve Whisky, 46
cognac, 32, 56, 82, 83 Distillerie Vinet Ege, 108 Four Roses Distillery's Single Barrel Kentucky
Cold River Vodka, 137 distillers. See also artisan distillers; stills Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 43
Colombard grapes, 88 economic, 21 fractionating columns, 26, 31
Colorado, 50, 126-127 technical, 21-22 framboise, 90
Colorado Pure Distilling, 67, 126, 126 distiller's beer, 33 France, 13, 14, 15, 32,81,82-83,87,88, 90, 107
Colorado Pure Vodka, 126 Domaine Charbay, 88, 114, 114 French, Jonathan, The Art of Distillation, 13, 13
Columbia Valley Syrah, 120 Domaine Coeur de Lion, 84 French Charentais alambic stills, 27, 32, 32-33,
Columbus, Christopher, 93 Dominican Republic, 93, 98 35
column stills, 22, 22, 35, 42, 55, 57, 58, 68, 73, dornkaat, 77 French colonies, 93
75,97 Double Barreled Bourbon, 109, 141 French Guyana, 98
compound separation, 34 double-jacketed steam-water system, 25 French Limousin oak, 86
condenser coils, 27 Dowe, Chris, 137, 137 Fris, Ben, 20
condensers, 24, 25, 26, 29, 33, 35 dried fruit, 23 Frisia, Germany, 77
congeners, 36-37, 75 Drouin, Christian, 84 Frozen Fruit Margarita, 105
continuous-run column stills, 27, 31, 39 Dry Fly Distilling, 124, 124 fruit, 23, 33, 34. See also specific fruit
continuous-run process, 39 dry gin, 77-78 fruit brandy, 41, 81, 87-88, 89-90
Cooley Distillery, 58 Dundalk, Ireland, 58 fruit eau de vie fermentation, 23
coopers, 47 Dundee, Scotland, 60 fruit mashes, 33, 34
copper, 35 Dunedin, New Zealand, 60 fusel alcohol, 32, 35
fusel oils, 25

DISTILLING RESOURCES 169

 Hall, Robert, 25 Ivan the Terrible, 65
G Hamblett, Graham, 134, 134
galernum, 16 Hamilton, Ed, 109 J
Garrison Brothers Distillery, 118,118 Hangar One Vodka, 112, 112 Jackson, Michael, 110
General John Stark Vodka, 134, 163 Harman, Jay, 135 Jalisco, Mexico, 101
genever, 72-73, 75, 76, 77. See also gin Harris, Phil, 102 Jamaica, 96, 98, 99
Genevieve gin, 77 Hazelnut Espresso Liqueur, 160 Jameson Distillery (Ireland), 57
George Washington Distillery, 150 Hazelnut Spice Rum, 95, 121 Jan Olbracht, 66
Georgia, 42 heads, 25,31,36-37 Japan, 13, 40, 70. See also Japanese whisky
Georgia (country), 88 hearts, 36-37 Japanese whisky, 40, 58, 59, 60
Germain-Robin, 81, 88, 116,116 heather ale, 53 JB Wagoner, 114
Germany, 13, 40, 66, 70, 77, 90, 99, 107 Heaven Hill Distilleries, 43, 109 JB Wagoner's 100 percent Blue Agave Spirits,
gerrymandering, 14 helmets, 32, 33, 34, 73 105, 105
Gilbey's Gin, 77 Henry, John, 62 jenever. See genever
gin, 30,43,72-79 herbal liqueurs, 106 Jepson Vineyards, 32, 88, 117, 117
American, 77-78 herbs, 12, 75, 93, 106, 107 Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, 84
bathtub gin, 74 Herradura tequila, 102 Johnnie Walker, 54
in Belgium, 77 Heublein Company, 67 Johnny Ziegler Black Forest Style Apple Aux
bootleg, 74 Highball Distillery, 120, 120 Pomme Schaps Eau de Vie, 108
distillation of, 57, 75-76 Highland Park 12-year-old Single Malt Scotch Johnson, Junior. See Johnson, Robert Glen Jr.
dry, 73, 77-78 Whisky, 55 (Junior Johnson)
in England, 74, 76, 77 High Plains Inc., 51 Johnson, Robert Glen Jr. (Junior Johnson), 17
in Europe, 77 high-separation stills, 25, 26, 31 Johnson, Samuel, 80
flavoring of, 75-76 himbeergeist, 90 Johnson, Steve, 132, 132
in Germany, 77 Hispaniola, 93 jonge genever, 76
history of, 73-75 hobbyist distillers, 19-20 Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon, 17, 17
in Holland, 72, 73, 75, 76, 77 Hoga pot stills, 133, 133 juniper berries, 72, 73, 75-76, 140
"London dry", 73, 76, 77 Hogarth, William, Gin Lane, 73 Jura, Scotland, 60
in North America, 77-78 Hokkaido, Japan, 60
"Old Tom" styles of, 73, 76 Holaday, Duncan, 132, 132 K
Plymouth gin, 76 Holland, 70, 72, 73, 75, 76 Kahlua, 107
regions, 77-78 Hollands, 76 Karadesevic, Marko, 114,114
resources on, 148 Holstein stills, 65, 112, 112 Karuizawa Number One Single Cask Whisky,
sloe, 74 homebrewing, 15 58
styles of, 73, 76 legality of, 19-20, 21 Kassebaum, Sonja, 73
in the US, 74, 77-78 supply shops, 20 Kentucky, 41, 42, 43, 50
Gin Act (England), 73 honey wine, 65 Kill Devil, 94
Gin and Tonic, 78 Honshu, Japan, 60 Kintyre Peninsula, Scotlland, 60
Gin Craze, 14 House Spirits Distillery, 78, 120, 120 kir, 90
gin stills, 73 Howell, Gillian, 56 Kirsch brandy, 90, 91
gin toddies, 73 Huber, Ted, 106, 129, 129 kirschwasser, 90
glass stills, 126, 126 Huber's Orchard and Winery, 129, 129 Kittling Ridge Estate Wines & Spirits, 46, 51
Glenora,51 Huber Starlight Distillery, 129, 129 Klinglesmith, Michael, 120, 120
Gold Agave, 105 Hudson Baby Bourbon, 42 Knickerbocker Hotel, 78
golden rum, 95 Hudson Manhattan Rhye Whiskey, 44 Koenig, Andrew, 125, 125
"good beer" movement, 119 Hudson River Rum, 93 Koenig Distillery and Winery, 70, 125, 125
gooseneck stills, 27, 28-30,29,30, 72, 140 Hudson Valley, New York, 139 Koenig's Famous Idaho Potato Vodka, 70
Gordon's Gin, 77 Hurricane Rum, 135 Korbel, 87
Graber, Jess, 127, 127 Krakow, Poland, 66
Graham, Randall, 88 I
grain mashes, 18, 34, 41 Idaho, 125, 125 L
grains, 70, 75. See also specific grains Illinois, 42, 51 Labrot & Graham Distillery, 42
grain spirits, 72, 73 Indiana, 42, 51, 93, 129 Laird & Company, 90
grain whiskey, 60 Indians, 100-101 Laird's Distillery, 91
Grand Marnier, 107 Indonesia, 93 La Mancha, Spain, 84
Grand Prince of Kiev (Ukraine), 64 industrial revolution, 55 Lancut Distillery, 107
Grand Traverse Distillery, 131, 131 ingredients, 23, 23, 25, 33. See also specific Laphroaig 10-year-old Single Malt Scotch
grape brandy, 81, 87-88 ingredients and spirits Whisky,54
grape pomace, 33 inlander rum, 99 The Last American Hero, 17
grapes,81,84,87,88 Integrity Spirits, 121, 121 Latin America, 15
grappa, 33, 81, 81, 88. See also pomace brandy the Internet, 19, 20, 21 Latvia, 70
Great American Distillers Festival, 119, 122, Ireland, 13, 40, 56, 57. See also Irish whisky legality, 16, 19-20
122 under British rule, 56-57 legislation, 14
Great Barrington, Massachusetts, 79 emigration from, 41 Leiden, Holland, 73
Great Britain. See United Kingdom Irish Distillers Company (IDC), 57-58 Lenell's, 71
Great Depression, 57 Irish monks, 53 Leopold Bros., 88
Great Lakes Distillery, 76 Irish whisky, 28, 40, 53, 56, 59, 60 Leopold Brothers Distillery, 107, 108,126, 126
Greece, 13,88, 107 basis of, 60 Le Tourment Vert, French Absinthe, 108
Greenock, Scotland, 60 distillation of, 60 levers, 35
grenadine, 16 grain, 60 Libya, 13
Greylock Gin, 77, 79 history of, 56-58 licensing, 16, 55
grog, 93 malt, 59, 60 Limousin oaks, 88
Grundig beer tanks, 32 pot still, 59 liqueurs, 92, 93, 106-107
Guadalajara, Mexico, 101 by region, 60 generics, 106-107
Guadeloupe, 96 resources on, 152 proprietaries, 107
gunspowder, 66 Isaiah Morgan Distillery, 45 resources on, 148
Guyana, 92, 96, 98 Isaiah Morgan Rye Whiskey, 45 liquors, 93
Islay, Island of, 54, 60 Lithuania, 70
H Islay Scotch Whisky, 25 Lodz, Poland, 66
Hafen, Stefan, 99 Israel, 88 London, England, 73
Haiti, 93, 96, 98 Italy, 13, 75,88, 107 London dry gin, 73, 76, 77

170 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

Loughlin, Cheri, 110 Most Wanted Kansas Whiskey, 51 Oro di Mazzetti, 88
lower-separation stills, 32 Mountain Moonshine, 18 Osocalis Distillery, 88, 117, 117
Lowlands, Scotland, 60 Mount Gay Distillery, 98 oude genever, 76
low wine, 37 Mount Vernon Distillery, 14, 14 ouzo, 107
lyne arms, 25, 26, 28-29 Moylan, Brendan, 105 Ovid,13
Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Owen, Richard, 64
M Management, 74 Owens, Bill, 8, 9, 10-11
maguey, 102. See also agave Mull, Scotland, 60 Craft Whiskey Distilling, 11
Maine, 137, 138 Muscadine brandy, 88
Maine Distilleries, 137, 137 My Lady's Eye Water, 73 P
malted barley, 55, 60 Mystic Mountain Distillery, 18 Pacific Northwest, 119-124. See also Oregon;
malt whiskey, 54, 55, 56, 58, 60 Washington
malt wine, 75 N Palomino grapes, 88
Manhattan, 61 nano-distilling, 16, 21 Pappy Van Winkle, 42
Manhattan Rye, 71 Nantucket Chamber of Commerce, 135 pastis, 107, 108
Manitoba, 51 Nantucket Vineyards, 135 Paulson, Diane, 122, 122
marc, 33, 81, 88. See also grappa; pomace Napolean, 15 Payne, Don, 114, 114
brandy NASCAR, 17 peach brandy, 87
marc de Gewiirztraminer, 88 Nashoba Distillery, 149 Peach Street Distillers, 127, 127
margaritas, 102, 105 necks, 28 pear brandy, 90
Martin, Erik, 120, 120 Nepal, 40 pear-in-bottle brandy, 82
martinez cocktail, 78 neutral grain spirit (NGS), 67, 68, 69, 70 peat, 60
Martinique, 96, 98 neutral spirits, 30 peat fires, 55, 60
martinis, 74, 78 New Deal Distillery, 15, 107 Penderyn Whisky Distillery, 53, 55, 56
Martin Ryan Handmade Vodka, 120 New England, 94--95. See also the Northeast; Penedes Brandy, 85-86
Maryland,41 specific states Penn 1681 Vodka, 140
Mascaro, 86 New England Cranberry Liqueur, 126 Pennsylvania, 41, 42, 140
mashes, 30, 33, 52, 52. See also specific kinds Newfoundland, Canada, 99 Pepys, Samuel, 73
of mashes New Galicia, 101 Peregrine Rock Single Malt Whiskey, 50
mash stills, 143 New Holland Brewing and Distilling, 20, 131, perevara, 65
Massachusetts, 41, 135 131 Pernod, 107
mass drunkenness, 73 New Jersey, 87 personal distilling, 19
Masters, Rob, 126, 126 Newport Distilling, 136, 136 Philadelphia Distilling, 72, 74, 75, 140, 140
Maytag, Fritz, 73, 113 New York, 71, 139 Philippines, 99
Mazama Infused Pepper Vodka, 70 New York Sour Apple Liqueur, 126 Philips, Rich, 121, 121
McCarthy, Steve, 119, 119 New Zealand, 15, 19, 20-21. See also New phylloxera, 55-56, 87
McCormick Distilling Co., 46 Zealand whisky Picts, 53
McMenamins Edgefield Distillery, 78,87, 106 New Zealand whisky, 59, 60 Piedmont Distillers, 17
McNally, Steve, 128, 128 Nikka Whisky Distillery, 58 Pierre Ferrand Reserve Cognac, 84
mead,65 non-neutral spirits, 30 Pilgrims, 41
"medicinal spirits", 73 Normandy, France, 90 pimento dram, 16
Medley Company, 45 Norris, Jake, 127, 127 pinas, 102
Medoff, Lee, 120, 120 North Africa, 13, 93 Pipeline Brand Agents, New York, New York,
melazas, 93 North America, 40, 41. See also North 62
Mellow Corn Kentucky Straight Corn American whiskey; specific nations Pisco Style Brandy, 88
Whiskey, 45 British colonies in, 41--42 Planter's Punch, 97
methanol, 25 British settlers in, 41 Platte Valley Straight Corn Whiskey, 46
Mexico, 88,100-105 gin in, 77-78 plum brandy, 90-91
mezcal, 100-105 rum in, 99 plums, 23, 123, 123
mezcal distilleries, 100-101 vodka in, 67,68, 70 Plymouth gin, 76
Michigan, 50, 91, 130, 131 whiskey regions in, 50-51 Poffenroth, Don, 124, 124
microdistilleries, 15, 19 North American whiskey, 47-50 poire, 90
microdistilling, 71 North Carolina, 42 Poland, 13, 66, 66
the Middle East, 13, 93 the Northeast, 132-139. See also specific states Poli Bassano del Grappa, 88
Midleton, Ireland, 58 Northern Comfort Massachusetts Liqueur, 149 Polish vodka, 66, 68, 69, 70
the Midwest, 129-131. See also specific states Northern Ireland, 58, 60. See also Ireland; the politics, 14
Miller, Chuck, 19 United Kingdom Polmos Bialystocka, 69
mirabelle, 90 North Highlands, Scotland, 60 Polmos Lodz, 66
Mirabell Eau de Vie, 158 North Shore Distillery, 73, 108 pomace brandy, 81, 87-88
Missouri, 42, 51 "Notch" (Not Scotch) Single Malt Whiskey, 135 the Porfiriato, 101
mixed drinks. See cocktails Nova Scotia, Canada, 51, 99 port, 56, 69
mixto tequila, 101, 102-103 portable alambic armagnacais, 84
molasses, 41, 68, 70, 92-96, 109 o portable stills, 84, 84
monastic traditions, 13, 53, 56, 88 oak casks, 42, 77, 88 Portland, Oregon, 91, 119-123
moonshine, 16-23,43,49, 55, 60, 74 oak essence, 85 Portuguese colonies, 93
definition of, 21-22 Oaxaca, Mexico, 101, 104-105 Portuguese explorers, 13, 93
legality of, 19-20 octili poliqui, 100 potatoes, 68, 68, 70
modern "moonshiners", 19-20 Ohio, 42 poteen, 56
moonshine stills, 16 oil of fennnel, 107 pots, 25-26
production of, 18 okowita,66 Pot Still Brandy, 87
resources on, 151-152 Old Gristmill Authentic American Corn pot stills, 22, 23, 26, 27, 27, 38, 42, 67-68, 70, 75,
secrecy of, 19 Whiskey, 61 97,103-104,115, 115. See also moonshine
moonshine stills, 27, 27. See also pot stills Old New Orleans Crystal Rum, 97, 142 stills; specific kinds of pot stills
Moors, 13 Old Potrero 18th Century Style Rye Whiskey, artisan, 33-35, 33-35
Moor's cap, 35, 115, 115 45 Christian Carl, 137, 137
Morgantown, West Virginia, 16 "Old Tom" gin, 73, 76 Hoga, 133, 133
Mosby, Bill, 115, 115 Oliver, 73 Irish, 57
Mosby Vineyards, 88 Ontario, 51 Powers Distillery, 57
Mosby Winery, 115, 115 orange peel, 75 pre-heater, 32-33
Moscow mule, 67 Oregon, 50, 90, 91, 119, 120-123 Prezydent Vodka, 66
"Moscow vodka", 65 Orkney Tlses, 60 Prichard, Benjamin, 42

DISTILLING RESOURCES 171

Prichard, Phil, 109, 109, 141, 141 North American, 99 single-run distillation, 38
Prichard's Crystal Rum, 94 pot stills and, 97 Skye, Scotland, 60
Prichard's Distillery, 42, 94, 99, 109, 109, 141, Puerto Rican, 92, 98 Skyrocket Distillers, 105, 115, 115
141 by region, 98-99 "slavery triangle", 95
Prichard's Fine Rum, 94, 109 resources on, 148-149 Slavs, 65
prohibition, 73 rum verschnitt, 99 slivovitz, 23, 91
Prohibition Era Whiskey, 18 South American, 98-99 sljiva plums, 91
Prohibition (National), 16, 18,43,57,67, 74, 87, spiced,95 sloe gin, 74
95, 141 styles of, 95 small batch bourbon, 48
Puerto Rico, 92, 98 in the UK, 99 Smirnoff, 67
pulque, 100 in the US, 95, 99, 141-143 Smothers, LeN ell, 71, 71
white, 95, 96 Snake River Stampede Blended Canadian
Q Rum and Coke, 97 Whisky, 46
Quady, Andy, 71 rumbullion, 94 solera method, 84-85, 86, 87
Quady Winery, 71 rum cocktails, 97 sour mashes, 42, 52
Quakers, 73 rummagers, 30 "sour mash" grain conversion technique, 42
Quebec, 51 rum verschnitt, 99 the South, 42-43,141-143. See also specific
Quint, Jeff, 110 Rupf, Jorg, 112, 112 states
Russell, Jimmy, 71 South Africa, 88
R Russia, 13, 65, 68-69 South America, 88, 98-99
Ragged Mountain Rum, 97 Russian vodka, 68-69 South Carolina, 67
raspberry brandy, 90 Rusty Nail, 61 Southern Comfort, 107
Raspberry Liqueur, 159 Ryan,Bob,94 Soviet Union, 65
recipe books, 13 Ryan, Brett, 136, 136 Spain, 13, 69, 84-86
recipes (cocktails), 61, 70, 78, 91, 97, 105 Ryan and Wood Distilleries, 94 Spanish colonies, 93, 100-101
rectification, 25, 26, 34, 51, 67, 68, 75-76 rye, 41, 68, 69 Spanish explorers, 93, 100
Red Hook, Brooklyn, 71 rye mash, 68 Speyside, Scotland, 60
redistillation. See rectification rye whiskey, 41, 43, 44-45, 48, 51 spiced rum, 95
reflux, 29, 35 spices, 73, 75
reflux columns, 25 S Spicy Ginger, 107
regional flavors, 51 Sagatiba Pura Cacha<;:a, 98 spirits, resources on, 145-147
regulation, 14-15 sambuca, 107 Spirits Journal, 137
Rehorst, Guy, 76 San Francisco, California, 114 Spirits of Maine Distilleries, 138, 138
Reinhold, Frank, 134, 134 San Francisco International Wine and Spirits spirit stills, 37
Remy Martin, 88 Competition, 140 Spruce Gin, 75
Rendezvous Rye Whiskey, 44 San Francisco Wine and Spirits Competition, Stanford, Leland, 87
Repeal, 43, 57, 67, 74, 87 137 steam jackets, 30, 33
resources, 143-153 San Luis PotosI, Mexico, 101 St. George Spirits, 11, 88, 105, 108, 108,112,
Revere, Paul, 73 Santa Cruz Mountains, 88, 117, 117 112,148
Reynolds, Burt, 17 Sarticious Gin, 78 stills, 12, 103, 111, 113,113
Rhine River, 90 Sarticious Spirits, 78 alambic, 35, 115, 115, 117, 117, 120, 120
Rhode Island, 136 Sauvignon blanc vines, 116,116 batch,31
rhum, 96, 98 Sauza family, 101 blueprint of, 14, 22, 23
rhum agricole, 98 Saveur magazine, 137 Chavlignac Prulho brandy, 114, 114,116,
rhum industriel, 98 Sazerac,61 116,117,117
rhum vieux, 98 Sazerac Rye Whiskey, 61 column, 22
RMS, 87-88 Scandinavia, 65, 107. See also specific nations continuous-run column, 27, 31, 39
Rocky Mountain Blackberry, 107 schnapps, 30, 34,92, 107 craft whiskey, 28
Rogue Distillery, 99, 99, 121, 121 Scotch whisky, 40, 53, 58, 60 design of, 13-14, 25-26, 27-35, 28
Rogue Distillery and Ale House, 75, 95 basis of, 60 double-jacketed steam-water system, 25
roots, 107 blended, 54, 57 French Charentais alambic, 27, 32, 32-33,
Rosolis Ziolowy Gorzki, 107 distillation of, 60 35
rotgut, 16, 25 grain whisky, 59, 60 glass, 126, 126
Rothes, Scotland, 58 history of, 53, 55-56 gooseneck, 27,28-30,29,30,140
rum, 30,41, 73, 79, 92, 92,93-99, 109 malt whisky, 28, 30, 54, 55, 60 high-separation, 25, 26, 31
aged rum, 96, 97 by region, 60 Holstein, 112, 112
Asian, 99 resources on, 152-153 lower-separation, 32
Australian, 99 single malts, 59 mash,143
basis of, 96 vatted malt, 59 moonshine, 16,27
Blanco, 92 Scotland, 13,40, 41, 53, 56, 60 optional components, 35
in the British colonies, 93, 94-95 Scottish Highlands, 55, 58, 60 parts of, 25-26, 27
in Canada, 99 screech,99 personal, 16
Caribbean, 98 Screwdriver, 70 physics of, 21
in Central America, 98-99 sealed pots, 13 portable, 84, 84
column stills and, 97 separation, 24-25, 29, 34 pot, 22, 23, 26, 27, 33-35, 33-35, 38, 115, 115
Cuban, 98 Sercial brandy, 88 spirit, 22
dark,95 Settles, Kevin, 125,125 traveling, 15
Demerara, 92, 96, 98 Sex on the Beach, 70 vendome, 114, 114, 141,141
distillation of, 97 sheepskin, 12 Stillwater Spirits, 114, 114
distilling timeline, 57 sherry, 69 Stinger, 91
European,95-96,99 shochu,58 stirring paddle, 48
Filipino, 99 siddqui,23 St. James Spirits, 50, 105
golden, 95 Sidecar, 91 St. Julian, 91
Guyanan, 92,96,98 Sienkiewicz, Kieran, 121, 121 Stoutridge Vineyard, 38
Haitian, 98 sieve trays, 33 straight whiskey, 52
history of, 93-96 sight glasses, 25-26 Stranahan, George, 127
increasing popularity of, 96 Sinedrius, Libya, 13 Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey, 40, 127,127,
inlander rum, 99 single barrel bourbon, 48 151, 160
Jamaican, 96, 98, 99 single malts, 54, 59 Stringer's Orchard Wild Plum Winery &
in Martinique, 96, 98 single malt Scotch whisky, 59 Distillery, 23, 123, 123

172 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

sucker punch, 16 U by region, 68-69
sugar, 93-94, 95, 96 Ugni Blanc grapes, 86, 88 resources on, 149
sugar beet, 95 uisce beatha, 56 Russian, 65, 68, 69
sugarcane,92,93,95,96 Ukraine, 69 standard (z;vykly), 68
Sugar Maple Liqueur, 107, 134, 159 Ulster, Ireland, 60 starka,69
Sule, Chris, 142,142 Uncle John's Fruit House and Winery, 130, 130 Swedish, 66-67, 70
Suntory company, 58 the United Kingdom, 14, 41, 56-57, 70, 73, temperature and, 65
Surinam, 98 94, 99. See also England; Northern Ireland; in the UK, 70
swan necks, 25, 26 Scotland; Wales Ukranian, 69
Sweden, 13, 66-67, 70 the United States, 15, 40, 42, 57, 75. See in the US, 67, 68, 70
Sweetgrass Farm Winery and Distillery, 133, also American whiskey; North American in Western Europe, 70
133,162 whiskey; specific regions, states, and cities zubrovka, 69
Sweet Lucy, 141 absin in, 108 vodka cocktails, 70
agave spirits in, 105 Vya, 71
T apple brandy in, 91
tails, 25, 31, 36-37 brandy in, 88 W
Taketsura, Masataka, 58 Calvados in, 91 Wales, 53, 55
Talisker 18-year-old Single Malt Scotch craft distillers in, 51 War of 1812, 15
Whisky, 54 eau de vie in, 90 Washington, 49, 50, 124
Tangerine Cello, 107 gin in, 74 Washington, George, 14, 15, 41, 73, 141
tariffs, 73 regional flavors in, 51 Wasmund, Rick, 51, 143, 143
Tasmania, 60 rum in, 95,99, 141-143 Wasmund's Single Malt Whiskey, 51
tasting rooms, 86 tequila in, 101, 102, 105 water, limestone filtered, 42
taxation, 14-15,41, 55, 56, 60, 72, 73, 100-101, vodka in, 67,68, 70 water jackets, 35
105 whiskey regions in, 50-51 weinbrand, 86
Taxila (modern Pakistan), 13 University of California at Davis Department Weld, Chris, 79, 79,96
technical distillers, 21-22 of Viticulture and Oenology, 87 Weld, Tyler, 79
technological advances, 12-14 Western Islands, Scotland, 60
temperance movement, 42-43 V Westford Hill Distillers, 137, 137
temperature, 25, 26, 34, 65 vapors, 12, 13, 25 West Highlands, Scotland, 60
Templeton Prohibition Era Recipe Small Batch vatted malts, 59 wet dog bouquet, 25
Rye Whiskey, 44 vatted malt Scotch whisky, 59 Weyermann Distillery, 66, 99
Templeton Rye, 18,44 vendome stills, 141,141 wheat, 69, 70
Tench, Keith, 56 Verdelho brandy, 88 whiskey, 30, 32, 33, 40-63. See also specific
Tennessee, 42, 43, 51, 109. See also Tennessee Vermont, 132 national whiskies
whiskey Vermont Spirits, 70, 132, 132 aging of, 53
Tennessee whiskey, 44, 48, 50, 51, 150-151 Vermont White and Gold Vodka, 70 distilling timeline, 57
tequila, 92, 93, 100-105 vermouth, 71, 78 homeade,53
aging of, 103-104 Very Fine Whiskey, 12 international varieties of, 53-61
afiejo (aged), 104 Veudome stills, 114, 114 resources on, 149-153
basis of, 101-103 Vieux Carre Absinthe Superior, 140 whiskey cocktails, 61
blanco, 104 Vin & Sprit, 67 whiskey lexicon, 52
in California, 105 vineyards, 116, 116 Whiskey Rebellion, 8-9
classification of, 104 Viognier wine, 81 Whiskey Rebellion of 1791, 15
distillation of, 57, 102-104, 103 Virginia, 41, 51, 87, 91 Whiskey Sour, 61
fermentation of, 102-103 Virginia Lightning, 19 whisky. See whiskey
gold, 104 Virginian whiskey, 19 white dog, 49. See also moonshine whiskey
history of, 100-101 Virgin Islands, 98 White Lightening, 17
mixto, 101, 102-103 vodka, 30, 35,43, 64,64-71, 67 white lightning, 49. See also moonshine
reposado (rested), 104 in Asia, 70 whiskey
resources on, 149 in Australia, 70 White Rum, 95
silver, 104 in the Baltic States, 70 white rum, 95, 96
in the US, 101, 102, 105 basis of, 68 white spirits, 43, 75
Tequila, Mexico, 101 Belorussian, 69 Wild Turkey, 71
tequila cocktails, 102, 105 in the Caribbean, 70 William of Orange, 73
tequila sour, 102 class and, 66 wine, 33, 69. See also specific wines
tequila sunrise, 102, 105 classification of, 68 Wine Enthusiast, 137
Tequila Sunrise (recipe), 105 column stills and, 68 Winegarden Estate, 108
terra-cotta distillation system, 13 craft distillers and, 67, 70 Winters, Lance, 112, 112
Texas, 101, 118 deluxe (luksusowy), 68 Wisconsin, 130
Thailand, 99 distillation of, 57, 68 witblits, 88
Thomas Tew Rum, 93 in Eastern Europe, 68-69 Wolfe, Tom, 17
Thompson Seedless grapes, 87 flavored,69 Women's Christian Temperance Union, 42-43
Three Pins Alpine Herbal Liqueur, 126 in Germany, 70 Wood, Dave, 94
thujone, 108 history of, 65-67 Woodford Reserve Distillery, 50,152
Ticuilas Indians, 101 in Holland, 70 World War II, 87
Tito's Handmade Vodka, 67 "Hunter's" vodka, 69 worms, 104-105
Todd, Dennis, 118,118 ingredients in, 68 wormwood,108
tombstones, 16 in Japan, 70 Wyoming, 128
Tom Collins, 78 krepkaya, 68 Wyoming Whiskey, 128, 128
Torres, 86 kubanskaya,69
trade embargoes, 57 limonnaya, 69 x
traveling stills, 15 as a neutral spirit, 69 X.O. brandy, 116,116
Trinidad, 98 in North America, 67, 68, 70
Triple Eight Distillery, 99, 135, 135 okhotnichya, 69 Y
Troncais oaks, 88 "old" vodka, 69 Yamazaki Distillery (Shimamoto, Osaka, Japan)
Tudor kings, 56 osobaya, 68 12-year-old Single Malt Whisky, 58
Tuthilltown Spirits, 42, 44, 61, 71, 93, 139, 139 pertsovka, 69
two-run distillation, 37 Polish, 66, 68, 69, 70 Z
pot stills and, 67, 68, 70 Zubrowka vodka, 69
premium (wyboro;vy), 68

DISTILLING RESOURCES 173

 LTHOUGH it may seem that ognized as the primary techni- ed on distilling-related broadcasts
A Alan Dikty wrote every word
in this book, and that Bill Owens
cal publication concerning all
aspects of small-scale distillation.
for the FOX network and the Na-
tional Geographic Channel in the
took every photograph, that is not McCaw now spends most of his United States and RTE in Ireland.
the case. The following collection time consulting with start-up craft Rowley lives in San Diego,
of the usual suspects had a hand and microdistillers and designing California, where he maintains a
in it all, for which we are very and building equipment for their two-thou sand-volume culinary
grateful. operations. His current research is library open to chefs, bartenders,
on further increasing the efficiency distillers, historians, journalists,
ANDREW FAULKNER and lowering the carbon and and students. He is the author of
water footprints of distilling pro- Moonshine! (2007), a small batch
Andrew Faulkner didn't drink cesses. A book is in preparation distilling history/practicum for
at all in high school, but he did detailing some of these techniques. novices and publishes Rowley's
photograph and learned much He is working to create a series of Whiskey Forge (www.whiskey
from his friend Ansel Adams. hands-on workshops for aspiring forge.com), a blog devoted to the
He was introduced to the joy of distillers, and also on stirring up history and practice of distilling,
liquor in his early twenties, by an grassroots interest in legalization mixology, and good eats.
alcoholic girlfriend. His drinking of private, noncommercial distilla-
education continued through his tion in the United States.
thirties, playing loud music and IAN SMILEY
dealing with various band mem- Ian Smiley, BSc, is a research
bers' chemical dependencies. He MATTHEW B. ROWLEY distiller and the author of the
was the photography editor of Matthew Rowley is an adver- book Making Pure Corn Whiskey,
the Warsaw Business Journal, and tising executive, former museum an Amphora Society publication,
during four Polish winters, he curator, and past board member and the owner of Smiley's Home
did serious research into Eastern of the Southern Foodway Alliance. Distilling at www.home-distilling.
European distillates, or research He has traveled extensively in com, a Web store dedicated to
into serious Eastern European search of amateur and craft distill- home and laboratory distillers. He
distillates. The photography and ers to uncover local liquor and, has been exploring small-scale
drinking came together when he when possible, promote those beverage-alcohol distillation all
met Bill Owens and started work- who make it. his adult life, and he is a card-
ing for the American Distilling He has spoken on distilling and carrying member of the American
Institute. He has tasted most of the cocktail culture for universities, Distilling Institute (ADI). He's
liquors pictured in this book. radio, television, and the annual written articles for their magazine,
Tales of Cocktail in New Orleans. The American Distiller, and was a
MIKE MCCAW His essays and recipes have been major contributor to the recently
published by the University of published ADI book, Craft Whis-
Mike McCaw is a cofounder North Carolina Press, the Univer- key Distilling. He is now part own-
and director of the Amphora sity of Georgia Press, Simon & er of a whiskey distillery in China,
Society and the coauthor of The Schuster, the Taunton Press, Lark L.S. Moonshine, which is current-
Compleat Distiller, widely rec- Books, and others. He has consult- ly producing a corn whiskey white

174 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS

dog to satisfy the Chinese people's He was raised in the moun-
curiosity for traditional American tains of Virginia, and has worked
moonshine. L.S. Moonshine has as a cook, a farmer, a silversmith,
other spirits planned for the Chi- a tutor, a greenskeeper, and a
nese market. In the future, Smiley warehouseman. For a short time
plans to write books on making he taught goat milking. He was
schnapps, brandy, and rum, and to educated at many schools, and
continue his activities in commer- managed to graduate from Vir-
cial artisan distilling. He lives in ginia Commonwealth University
Nepean, Ontario, Canada. and Columbia University.
In 2008, Waxman was awarded
MAX WAXMAN a National Endowment for the
Arts literary fellowship.
Max Waxman is the author
of Chasing the White Dog: An
Amateur Outlaw's Adventures
in the Moonshine Trade, which
will be published by Simon and
Schuster in early 2010. His book
Race Day: A Spot on the Rail with
Max Watman (Ivan R. Dee) was
called" a great tribute to American
thoroughbred racing" and was an
Editors' Choice in the New York
Times Book Review.
He was the horse racing cor-
respondent for the New York Sun,
and wrote frequently on books,
music, food, and drink for their
Arts & Letters pages. He has
written for the New York Times,
the New York Times Book Re-
view, Forbes FYI, The Wall Street
Journal, Fortune Small Business,
Gourmet, and Parnassus.

175
 E ARLIER VERSIONS of some of the text in this book previously
appeared in various publications of the Beverage Testing Institute,
and it is used here with the permission of BTl director Jerald O'Kennard,
and our grateful thanks.
Bill Owens cannot draw worth a damn, so we had Catherine Ryan
redo his primitive sketches in a much more polished manner. They look
great.
Amber Hasselbring serves as Bill's assistant and caregiver. Whatever
he is paying her, it is not enough. The woman is a saint.
Mixing a proper drink is truly an art, and Mark Gruber of Southern
Wine & Spirits, Illinois, confirmed his artistic talent by reviewing and
correcting our mixed drink recipes as needed. The man even writes
tasty.

A LAN S. DIKTY is the author of The Buying Guide to Spirits and

numerous articles on distilling and brewing. In his spare time
he manages Allied Beverage Tanks, Inc., a company that builds craft
breweries and distilleries. His current choice for a desert island dram is
either Macallan 18 Year Old Scotch Whisky or Rittenhouse 23 Year Old
Rye Whiskey, but he is open to alternatives.

B ILL OWENS, when he was not busy being an award-winning pho-

tographer or the founder of the brewpub industry in the United
States, somehow also found the time to be the author of an assortment
of books and pamphlets on brewery and distillery operations, includ-
ing, most recently, Craft Whiskey Distilling, published by the ADI. In his
spare time he tries his best to avoid personal responsibilities. www
.distilling .com
Bill Owens and Alan Dikty

176 THE ART OF DISTILLING WHISKEY AND OTHER SPIRITS