Barrel-Aged Dreams: Inside Access Live’s Spirit Makers (S4 E6)

Transcript auto-generated

[00:00:00] All right. I am here at the WSWA Access Live opening night, and I'm here with Tim, who's representing The Lost Irish. Irish Lost. Lost Irish. Lost Irish. Tell. Tell all your friends to get lost. Get lost, Tim. Just get No, you get it. Get it. I do. And you know what, I love this. You just made me, what is this called?

The green machine. So we call it the Green Machine. It's lost Irish and freshly pressed green Apple, granny Smith, green Apple. It's almost good for. You. It's, it's not, but it's much good for you. I mean, I'm gonna say whiskey and apples. That's not bad. That's pretty, it's pretty good. Part of your five day.

Great. Tell me a little bit about last Irish and your part in it. Yeah, so I started a company a little over three and a half years ago. The whole idea behind it is it's the idea of 5 million people live in Ireland with 70 million worldwide claim, Irish ancestry. That's the lost Irish bit of it. And whether you're, that's me.

I'm lost Irish 30%. [00:01:00] Inspired by you. And then, um, what I do to make our liquid a little bit different, uh, is I source cast from all six continents, bring them back home to county loud in Ireland, and mature the whiskey in those casts to take on different accents of flavor of where Irish people and others have wondered before.

What gave you the idea to do this? I was doing a lot of traveling around the world, and it always comes back to flavor. So like, we'll, all. Is 70%, the whiskey's flavor comes from the cask. I wanted to see what that would look like if I got more interesting and flavorful casks and see what happens. Great.

And now you've, you've, uh, gotten all these casks from all around the world. Now. Where can you find the whiskey? Is it all around the world yet? Uh, it's, it can be lost at times depending on where you live, but now we're in 31 states in the US and then we're in 24 countries as well. So, so you got, are you, do you have a booth here?

Today, this, this week, uh, no, we're [00:02:00] just, uh, doing the opening party and uh, I have the pleasure of uh, bar backing for the great Pam with Schnitzer. So Pam has been on mini A show with us. She's fantastic. So are you here all week? Are you leaving tomorrow? All week? Yeah. Yeah. Great. Well maybe we can have a proper sit down with you later in the week.

Let's do it over a whiskey. We can do it. Sounds good. And I'll let you get back to it 'cause Pam can't hold down the floor too much longer. All right. Thank you so much. Amazing. Thank you so much. Well, here I am at the W-S-W-A-A-A Access Live here. I'm on the floor, uh, with Justin, who's the head distiller here at this beautiful Tennessee legend distillery, which I just now noticed, and I will get some B roll of all these bottles.

You guys gotta see how many products they have, like 30 skews or something crazy. Justin, tell me, gimme a little background about you and, um, how, how this. Company came to be? Uh, well, I, uh, my background's primarily in biology and chemistry. Um, graduated with a degree from Tennessee Tech. Uh, spent a while working with one of my buddies at a liquor store while trying to kind of figure out what I [00:03:00] wanted to do, looking for zoo jobs and things like that.

And, uh, my family over in east Tennessee, in the Sevierville area reached out. Uh, they were interested in starting a moonshine company but didn't have a distiller. Uh, so I, uh, did a lot of reading, did a lot of research, already kind of had a foot in the door with the, uh, liquor industry, and, uh, had an idea of.

Uh, you know, what, what the market was like and uh, ways you could do things a little bit better and decided to take the leap. So, uh, moved back to east Tennessee, started figuring everything out and put together a distillery and brought in, uh, my buddy at the time to run the sales for it. And we've just been growing ever since.

He's not your buddy anymore. Uh oh. He is, he's just not right now. 'cause he ran off and left me to do the interview alone. Yes, I saw that. Yeah, I talked to him first and he goes, okay. Bye. Um, so, uh, so tell me, um, out of all the things you make, which is your favorite? [00:04:00] My personal favorite, uh, is probably gonna be kind of a surprise.

It's not here tonight, it's our white rum. Oh, that sounds good. I am a big Rum fan. Uh, uh, when I got the opportunity to. To run my own space, I decided I'm gonna make the rum that I want. So it's a white rum, it's anco style, very light floral. Uh, it's, it's made from fresh cane rather than, uh, rather than molasses.

Okay. So it's a very herbal, uh, very light spirit and makes incredible cocktails. That's fantastic. And then how many whiskeys do you guys have versus, because I know you have rums and you have creams, and you have moonshine. How many whiskeys do you have? A lot. Um, if you include the flavored whiskeys, I think we've got 13 now.

Um, so straight spirits. We've got our, our classic bourbon. We've got a single barrel variant. Uh, we've got a honey barrel variant that I am very proud of. We won. Best in Show for the Honey Barrel today here. Great. Fantastic. Congratulations. And then we just released our Tennessee whiskey. So we [00:05:00] brought out a seven year Tennessee whiskey, uh, just came out right before Christmas and you did the Lincoln County process on that bad boy.

Yes, absolutely. Okay. Uh, so the, uh, yeah, those are our primary straight whiskeys, but then we also have a line of flavored whiskeys, and that's been our bread and butter since the day we opened. Uh, our salted caramels are bestselling product. Uh, it is rich and decadent and delicious and honestly. Too much for me most days, but I bet that that would be good.

Over vanilla ice cream. It is. Oh yeah. It's, it's, it's perfect for cocktails especially. Um, it's just such a bold flavor. Uh, and then we've got a bunch of other flavored whiskeys. Peanut butter cup is one of my favorites. Uh, I spent months working on that and trying to really just distill down a, a Reese's into a glass of whiskey and, uh, figure out how to make it perfect.

And I, I feel like I got pretty close. That's fantastic. Well, Justin, thank you so much. Um, and what are you guys, uh, hoping to accomplish here at the, at the conference? Uh, our goal this year is [00:06:00] just to spread our wings a little bit and acquire some new distributors. Uh, we've primarily been focused on our tasting rooms in, in Tennessee, and, uh, we've now got enough barrels.

Put away, we've got enough production capacity that we can start to really grow and branch out and get our products out there. So hopefully, uh, if we're, uh, talking again next year, we'll be nationwide by then. Fantastic. Well, Justin, thank you for taking the time out. Of course. And I appreciate, appreciate, uh, learning about all this good stuff and I'm gonna get some b roll real quick before I hit on to the next spot.

Sounds great. Thanks guys. My name is Tim Zza. I'm with Avalon Spirits and I'm domestic sales senior Vice president. Okay, so I'm here and we're looking at Whiskey Row Bourbon. For those of you at home who can read the sign behind me, um, and Tim is gonna tell me a little bit about this Whiskey Row. Whiskey Row.

We've got a bunch of really great, pretty looking bottles here. So, uh, Avalon Spirits purchased Whiskey Row Bourbon, which is, uh, produced at [00:07:00] Kentucky Artesian Distillery in Crestwood, Kentucky. Um. We purchased it in 2023, the end of 2023. Last year was our first year, uh, in the market, and we opened up about 12 states.

Um, and we're hoping to open up maybe 10 or 12 more this year. Our offerings are a regular bourbon at 88 proof, uh, a ball in bond at a hundred proof and a cash. Those up, let's see those. Uh, we offer our regular bourbon at 88 proof. Okay. Uh, also in a smaller size, which we sell a lot of, and. All the brands.

And then we have a bottled in V at a hundred proof. This is a 4-year-old. All our bourbons are at least a minimum of 4-year-old. And then we have a cash rent at one 11. Wow. Uh, retail. And then we have a triple wood, which we just came out with. This'll probably be our new package going forward. So all these products I just showed you will be this new package.

So this is a triple wood, uh, aged, uh, bourbon. 5-year-old. Um, [00:08:00] $49. $49. The a bottle and bond is 59. And. Cash Strength is 69, um, and, uh, we're doing very well. The bourbon business is good and, uh, we hope to have some, uh, age expressions as well coming this year. That's fantastic. And tell me like, how long has Whiskey Row been in existence?

So, whiskey Row is developed in 2021. Um, the man that developed it actually passed away and the fa uh, family put the brand up for sale and, uh, we purchased it in 2023. Um, so they did have some distribution. That's why this is the original label and we're gonna change it to the new label, uh, this year. Um, and, uh, was the, was the original guy, was it a sudden passing or was Yeah, it was a, it was an accident, yeah.

Oh, that's too bad. Um, so he did, and we're still using his same mash bills, you know, his bur, you know, his recipes. Um, so, uh, it's, it's good bourbon. We're doing very well with it and we're happy with it. Great. Well, [00:09:00] Tim, um, what states are you currently in right now? Oh, you're probably gimme a test. Or Well, how many, how many states?

Probably about, uh, 12 right now. 12 Right now. California, east Coast? No, as far west as Colorado. All right. So I could go to the store here and get it all right. Yeah. Available in Colorado. Uh, our bigger markets are Michigan, North Carolina. Um, Nashville, Tennessee is a great market. We're in the whole state of Tennessee and obviously Kentucky.

And did he, uh, name Whiskey Row after Whiskey Row in Louisville? Yes. That's, that's, he, uh, actually got the trademark for it. So we have the trade. Mark for the name Whiskey Row. And our story is about the development, how bourbon started in a whiskey row and how it developed, and we're sharing that story with our bourbon.

That's fantastic. Tim. Thank you so much. Enjoyed it. And, uh, enjoy your day. Good luck here today and hopefully you get some distribution. And would you like some bourbon or chocolate? Um, yes, but it's a little early in the morning. I gotta, I gotta pace myself today, but I'll be back this afternoon. Okay. I'll be here.

All right, thanks. Thank you for stopping by. [00:10:00] Ah, my name is Jared Stead. I'm the head distiller at Balcones Distilling in Waco, Texas. Fantastic. I've heard so many things about you, Jared, over the years. Um, big fan of Belcon. I've gone to a bunch of tastings in Los Angeles, um, and I'm so glad that you are actually the person here that I get to run into in just chat with.

So, uh, Jared, tell me a little bit about your whiskey journey. How did you end up the head distiller at Belcon? Oh, it went from loving Beer, home brewing beer. It's a loving whiskey to, um, just, yeah, feeling like I have to try my hand at, at making it to understand it better and to change how I appreciate.

Um, it wasn't very intentional and that just turned into more and more then eventually needed to quit my job. And yeah, I just kind of one foot in front of the other. Um, just kind of following, you know, what makes you feel alive, you know? And did you start your dis. Still in career at Belcon or So you just worked your way up from the bottom up?

Yep, [00:11:00] yep. Just been there. I, I'm one of the founders. I'm, um, been there the whole time. We're all self-taught. We have, I don't think we have anybody that's really ever worked anywhere else and kinda like it that way. Then we get to teach 'em how we do it, you know? Yeah, yeah. So, um, you guys. Been around a while now.

What year did you begin? And, um, how, I mean, I know you're here at the conference. Does that mean you're still looking for more distribution or are you just, uh, showing off that you're belcon is, uh, so yeah, we started in 2008, started releasing whiskey in 2009. So this is my 16th year. Um, but yeah, no, we're here partly just to celebrate the rat.

Vacation, um, a few weeks ago of, um, American single malt finally being a thing. Eight, eight years of work, um, with the commission trying to get that done. So just trying to plant the flag as many opportunities as we can to like preach the good word about American single malt. So, um, now, now that we have this American single malt, I'm [00:12:00] a little concerned about.

All this tariff talk that's going on. And um, were you guys already exporting single malts to other countries? And if so, were they all in the under? What's the current compliance, the current rules and are you worried that now, uh, the export is gonna slow down and or stop it might. Last round of this was, was hard on people that had a larger chunk of their air distribution exported.

We're not doing a lot right now, and even when we do, it's usually kind of. Some one-off things, like we'll do a blend for Australia, or, you know, we'll, we'll kind of have a specific arrangement with someone that wants something unique and we'll put something together and send it to them. Um, so we don't count on a lot of export, um, like a lot of craft brands do.

Um, the last few years of, honestly, it worked out good for us right now just because we, we've been trying to kind of pull back a little bit and go deeper in markets where we already are instead of shallow and really wide. Got it. [00:13:00] Um, but. I know, I know other small producers that, you know, their export business is 20, 25% of their business if they're rightfully a little worried about what that means for the next few years, but we'll see.

So are you currently in all 50 states? I don't think we're in all 50. We're probably pretty close. I wanna say probably low forties right now. Um, and that was those a little bit intentional. We've done this multiple times. It's like breathing you, you cast. Than that. A few years later you kind of pull back and, or you kind of find where things take root.

Yeah. And then you support that really well here and here and try to just do that better and spend that energy where things are already moving, you know? Um, and every state's weird. You just never know what people are gonna like. Yeah. And something just catches on and you're like, okay, that's not even one of our main products, but Illinois loves the rye or something.

And so you focus on that. But, um, very cool. And then what is your main goal of being at the, at the, uh, conference this year? Once again, I think that. Little, tiny 1%, obviously whiskey, podcasters, people that have like me, hundreds of bottles open at [00:14:00] home, that buying all the special releases, they hear the news of what's coming out.

I don't think any of us are worried about that group. Um, but it's that the next couple of percentage points down on that bell curve, like how do you get just that next layer down of, of drinkers and whiskey lovers to, first of all these days, they need to even know that American single malts a thing.

They need to know what it is, and then we need to get. All of these awesome whiskeys in front of people, um, door to door to door conversion, you know, and just get people turned on to what's possible. So. Sounds good. Well, Jared, thank you so much for taking the time. It was great getting to meet you in person and, uh, uh, good luck at the, at the conference.

Thank you. My name is James Bent. I am the sales director for the Eastern US for Virginia Distillery Company. All right. So James, tell me, uh, a little bit about, uh, Virginia distilling and all of these beautiful whiskeys, and I noticed that they all say single malt. Yes. Is everything you do. Single malt.

Everything that we do is American Single Malt. Uh, we're, we've been kind of pioneering [00:15:00] the space along with the other members here, the American, uh, single Malt Whiskey Commission, uh, help really get that up and running to lobby for definition recognition of this category, which we're really excited, you know, got announced in December and then.

Just ratified a few weeks ago. So, uh, family owned, uh, started with truly, uh, kind of the American dream. Uh, Dr. George Moore came over from Ireland. Oh wow. Got into tech and finance. Started a company, did really well. Sold it, had a passion for whiskey and wanted to, to start a, a dis, a distillery here in the us.

And passion for single malt and saw what was going on. So, started the distillery, um, in 2011, unfortunately passed of a heart attack. Uh, and his, his wife Angela, and son Gareth. Um, you know, as they're figuring out, kind of going forward, came down to check out what, uh, George had started and, and we say we have his inherited vision to help build up, you know, the preeminent American single malt.

So that's all that we do, all that we've been doing for the better part of a decade. Um, and we're really excited that the category is now here. How long, uh, after he started. Did he pass? Uh, two years after [00:16:00] the distillery started. So two years before our first, uh, whiskey came off the Steels in 2015. So he passed away in 2013.

The first whiskey that we came out was, uh, a blended malt that we had. We sourced some space ice scotch along with our own distillate. We didn't have enough of ours at the time. Uh, finished it in port, uh, pork cast. Then cider cast and then eventually came out with our, uh, kind of higher end, fully matured line called Courage and Conviction, which is, uh, a phrase that Dr.

Moore had, uh, to have the courage of your conviction. So that's kind of a, a tribute to him, uh, courage of convictions to pave the way in American single malt and develop this world class whiskey, uh, portfolio. That's great. And does it have, I mean, he was Irish. Do you guys do any, um, well you don't do any pot still, but do you do any triple distilling?

So we, all of our stuff, we actually have two copper pot stills that we. Brought over from Elgin, Scotland. So everything that we do is past sealed. Everything that we do is, um, uh, primary maturation. So first, uh, first fill barrels either using, uh, first fill bourbon, ex bourbon barrels, uh, premium European red wine, which we call cuve or, [00:17:00] uh, sherry bar barrels, which all of them are fully matured.

And we use three different types. And pheno OSA and Pager Jimenez. That's great. So what, how, which ones do you have here today? So, right here, uh, we're showcasing our newer line that we just launched last year called Our House Brand, Virginia Distillery Company, American Single Malt. The biggest difference between that and the encouraging.

Conviction, courage and conviction is new. Makes dis, uh, spirit goes into one of those three different barrels that we talked about. The Virginia Distillery line, uh, all starts off in x uh, bourbon barrels first for a minimum of four years on our core line up here before being finished in a variety of other barrels over a course of the next year or so.

Uh, the Brewers Coalition we just came out with, it's a really fun, uh, limited time only product that we offer, uh, at five years in ex bourbon barrels. Then finish in leading stout beer producers from around the country. So the first release is we partner with Goose Island and their Bourbon County Stout.

Which is very well known. And then Hardywood, uh, uh, Hardywood Park Brewery outta Richmond, Virginia has a, a har uh, uh, gingerbread stout. Uh, and we actually finished, uh, whiskey Advocate's, uh, top 20 Whiskeys of the Year. Finished number 17 on that list with, [00:18:00] with that release. So does it have a little gingerbread flavor in it?

It's got those, you know, fall baking spices, little ginger, a little nutmeg, clove, very. Subtle, not, you know, cloyingly sweet or flavored, like a lot of the other ones, but very nice to sip on its own or pair with a nice dessert for sure. Uh, I think I might have to try that. So how many expressions do you have all together?

All together we have two brands. Uh, we have the Courage and Conviction brand, and then the Virginia Distiller Company brand. Uh, all together right now, uh, we have five, uh, nine 11, about 15 different offerings. We have. Single barrel capabilities. The Brewers Coalition we're expanding this year, so there's a few more that are gonna be coming out over the course of this year that you'll see, but it's really the two brands in that spirit.

One's fully matured, it doesn't rest until, you know, comes outta those barrels and the other, that's more about finishing in a variety of other barrels. That's great. Now, out of the ones you have here today, which ones your favorite? Uh, that's a great question. Um, I, I'm a little bit partial of the courage and conviction line.

The, we call this our signature malts. So it's single malt, but it's a, it's a blend of those three different barrel finishes. So 50% bourbon cask, [00:19:00] 25% covet, 25% sherry. So you get kind of the best notes of all of those different, uh, premium barrels. So we source high quality barrels. That's, uh, we're the most awarded American single malt distillery, uh, as the, you know, one of the only family owned, privately held ones.

We take a lot of pride in that really because of the quality of the barrels we're at. Uh, we use, but also where we're at in the, the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, four Seasons, and then seasons within season. So we get a rapid maturation. On our distill it and it and it, and the encouraging conviction line that sits in those barrels until it's bottled.

You get so much complexity from it. Uh, this one actually won Whiskey of the Year, last year's, uh, or 2020 three's. London Spirits Competition. Nice. And our distillery won Distillery of the Year, the same competition. So a lot of, uh, a lot of fun with this whiskey. The, uh, we actually, if I can talk about it, we came out with, uh, a concept called the Draftsman, which is, uh, an account, uh, or, uh, a single account or a chain account's ability to have their own customized blend of our whiskey, of the.

Years. So where I said we, we, our percentages are 50% bourbon, 25% sherry, [00:20:00] 25%. Ve a draftsman allows an account if they really love the bourbon influence, they want 80% of it. They can do 80% bourbon, 10% cuve, 10% sherry. So it's not a single barrel, but it kind of behaves like one from the customization standpoint.

That's really cool. Yeah. Um, I think I'm gonna need to try that. You got, you got, I see you got little, the little baby cups for sure. Have some, have some samples? No, I can't get it off. There we go. I'll try that back boy. And then I may wanna try the, uh. The gingerbread. 'cause that sounds the gingerbread for sure.

Oh, that's got a beautiful nose. Yeah. So the bourbon, uh, influence, you know, it actually is the lightest influence. It really mellows out the, the, the single malt. The single malt definitely shines. So that malted barley, uh, we use two row spring barley, a little bit higher quality grade. Um, but you get the, the caramel, uh, vanilla custard, kind of the end of it.

But the covet, we use a process that, uh, Dr. Jim Swan, who's a pioneer in single malt. Right. Uh, uh, called S. TR with those premium European, uh, barrels. So we shave out the inside toast and chart caramelize those red wine sugars. [00:21:00] So really what it ends up doing is it's a way to introduce a sweet element to a hundred percent, uh, malted barley mash meal that you otherwise wouldn't get unless you blended in, you know, corn, wheat.

And then the sherry obviously those, those, you know, uh, classic notes of, uh, orange marmalade, candied orange peel, uh, golden raisins that you get from that, uh, that just add a depth and complexity to that. Overall, it's definitely got depth and complexity and I can actually. Taste all those finishes. This is really, really good.

Um, I'm very impressed with this. Now let's try this. Is this one That's the gingerbread.

I've never had a gingerbread. So the other whiskey, the other thing with these whiskeys, uh, are our courage and conviction line, for the most part is 92 proof. Our VDC line is 93. The Brewers Coalition is our first bottle and bond release. So a hundred proof, uh, so a little bit higher proof, but again, doesn't overwhelm you because of the, the, those stout finish it as adds a nice.

Uh, layer of complexity, but the single malt still shines through. And that's something that we, you know, are passionate. We don't want to cover it up. [00:22:00] We don't, we're not trying to, you know, have it get lost. We definitely wanna showcase what we believe is, is our exceptional single malt, uh, but has those nice fall baking spices to compliment it on the finish.

It does, it has, I can taste the, the baking spices, but I can definitely also taste the beer influence too. It's just great. Yeah, absolutely. That's great. Alright, well, uh, Jim James. James, James, whatever you want. Jim. Jimmy, Jim. Jimmy. Jim bought them. Uh, James, it was so great to, uh, get to taste these and meet.

You and you are a plethora of information. I love it. And, uh, what do you, what is your, uh, your main goal at the conferences here besides letting people know, Hey, single malts official. Yeah, for sure. Uh, so really it's, it's elevating the, the whole field of American single malt to let people know, uh, obviously partnered with distributor partners and solidify the partnerships we have.

Let other, uh, potential wholesaler partners know what we're doing and, and we're leading in the space even though we're not, you know, part of one of the, the larger spirit companies, uh, that we're doing some exceptional things. We also have, uh, bolt capabilities that we wanna make sure people know about.

Uh, especially with our differentiated [00:23:00] product being only coming from, uh, copper, uh, pot stills only being, uh, primary maturation. We don't, uh, use any first new, new oak. We do some secondary finishing with new oak, but we don't use any column stills, anything like that. So we have some bulk capabilities, uh, that, that there's opportunity for as well.

And how many states are you in right now? We're in just a little, just over 30. States, uh, in the US uh, expanding rapidly for export markets as well. So there's a, uh, you know, there's a lot of interest and attention not just in single malt in general, but with American single malt as well. That's great.

James, thanks again. Thank you so much and uh, good luck at the conference. Thank you very much. Take care. Don't touch that device. We'll be right back with whiskey. Whereabouts.

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Ah. Hello. Hello, how are you? I am here at the WSWA with Aiden? Yes. A returning, uh, guest on the show. Um, so we're gonna do our little whiskey whereabouts with you today. How are you Aiden? I'm amazing. Thanks. Really, really good. So, so we're here with the natter Jack Irish whiskey, and, uh, [00:25:00] I have tried all three of these in the past.

Okay. Um, but I think if I recall, the one with the three dimensional toad was my favorite. The cast strength is. Uh, it's a wonderful Whiskey one Irish Whiskey of the year. It beats all of our friends at, uh, at uh, Bushmills the 30-year-old whiskey can't even get in a room with it, so That's awesome. And I see you also have, uh, traverse City Whiskey Company premium cherries.

Those are, we've had them on the show too, and they're great. Great cherries. Alright, so you are here at the WSWA and, uh, I'm assuming you're here to get wider distribution. Tell me your goals for, for your, your visit here. Yeah, um. So, I suppose, I suppose, uh, what I, what I really want to do is conquer the whiskey world and you're gonna take it over, baby.

Right? And, and the, and the only way to do that is to continually show up, [00:26:00] day in, day out, come to shows, meet people like you meet, meet these guys, and, and tell our story repeatedly. And so, so. There is no, um, there's no roof. There's no roof. Well, that's good. 'cause up there you got a frog. Yeah. So there's, we're gonna get that on the camera here in a second, but, uh, he wouldn't fit if there was a roof.

So my plan is to be in 192 countries and all 52 states. 50. 50 50 with some territories. Okay. 50 and some territories, you know, I mean, or possibly. Green Greenland in the Panama Canal soon. I don't know. Who knows? But, but, but more than that, Kerry, I want to, I want to, I wanna have the best company I want, I want everyone to want to work here.

And I, I think they do. I think they, I wanna work here. You, you hiring I, I'll do your [00:27:00] LA market for you. My job. So I want, I want to create the best company we can and, and sell the best whiskey. Alright, so you. Still is. Do you have any more of the expressions or it's still just the, the main three? No, just those three.

I think, uh, I think, I think you can lose focus if you, if you continue to

for, for the sake of releasing something new. Releasing something new. I don't want to do that. I only, we should only release something if it's incredible. I, I agree with that. And then I, I've noticed here you've got some moss. Here, but you have these little baby toes that's actually the size Jack toes that is tiny.

Like the, uh, the size is a little different from, from the big guy up there, which I have to get a picture, uh, with you in that because the picture we have on our website is you sitting on that guy. Oh, is this? Yes, it's sitting on it. Yeah. So, um, so this is the matter and this is what it [00:28:00] looks like. It's got the yellow stripe down the back, yellow stripe down the back.

And then I see you've got the QR code here and this is QR code on the back. Yeah. All right. This, this is a really clever way to get your QR code out there, I must say. Oh yeah. This is a great bar mat too. You got a big tote on here. You got, it's a great setup. Great setup, guys. The guys have done an incredible job.

I was, I, I'm, I'm like, I was really proud when I got here today. Really proud of the effort that everyone has done and it's, um, it's. That's what I, that's the company I wanna create. Well, you know what, it's one of the nicest looking booths, I must say. And of course I am partial to green. Yes. So that's, that's great.

So, okay, so, um, how many states, how many states are you in currently since we last spoke? Uh, one. Second grant, how many states are we in? We're in 16 states, in 18 global markets. Nice. Yeah, so 16 states and 18 global markets. Because I make says grant over there off camera all fucking time. Yeah. I make it up.

I'm like 25. [00:29:00] 172. 2 22 21. Yeah. We're in all, we're, we're in all of the worlds and all of the seas and all of the Antarctica 16 seats. Grants a details man. Alright. And then how big is your company? Uh, employee status or, um, number, how many employees do you have in the states now? Six in the States and three in Ireland.

So, yeah. Okay. And remind the audience, uh, where you produce your spirit. Two hours north of Dublin in a town called Dun Dock. It called. Called what? Dun Dock. Oh, Dak? Yes. Ddoc. And how far is that from Scaries? Oh, you put me on the spot here, Kerry? Uh, pretty far. Oh yeah. Yeah. Pretty far. Gary's. Gary's, it's about an hour and a half north of Dublin.

Uh, yeah, it's beautiful little town. Scaries is lovely. Don't do yourself. I I got a parking ticket there. I'm kind of afraid to go back now 'cause they're gonna hunt me down and I had no idea how to pay it. [00:30:00] I, I'll get you off here parking ticket. Don't worry about that. I, I, I know some people. Well that's good.

Alright, Aiden, well it was great to meet you in person. You're, you're doing really great and I, I'm glad to have you here on Whiskey whereabouts, and, uh, good luck to you. Thank you. I really enjoyed the podcast. We did like, I really enjoyed it. Uh, and thank you for coming back and saying hi. Well, thanks for having me.

Okay. Bye bye. Bye. Well, miss Tracy Franklin, how are you? I am fantastic here at WSWA in Denver, Colorado. So the last time I saw you was in Kentucky at the, uh, women of Whiskey Awards, and, um, I interviewed you and for some reason the sound did not come on. Not meant to be, not meant to be because you couldn't tell me about what's going on here today, but now that's not true.

I have, I have the tea as the kids say. Yeah. All right. So tell me Tracy, what, what am I looking at? What is this? Yeah, so actually at that, those awards, I actually was running around with a little sample for some folks. Like, so it was undercover. I wasn't allowed to talk about this, [00:31:00] but I had been working on this brand for a year and a half, almost two years.

It is called Edmund's Honor. It's in honor of Edmund Alius, who, uh, was a botanist who created the hand pollination technique for vanilla. So vanilla starts out as an orchid. So we've got this orchid on our bottle, and then through hand pollination, you're able to get the pollens actually go. Into the inside of the, the flower to turn into a vanilla bean.

Wow. Now, in Mexico and Central America, there's an insect that does that. But once you take that plant out of those areas, the insects don't know what to do. 'cause it's really difficult. So this 12-year-old botanist figured out how to do this. And so we still use that same technique today. This wait, yes.

12-year-old as in years old of age, he was 12 years old on the island of Rayon, which was called bourbon at the time. Love it. Right. Um, so what we did. Because the island at the time was called ba boom. I wanted to make sure we were using real bourbon. So we are starting out with a minimum four year age straight bourbon that is finished in cognac casks [00:32:00] that previously held Madagascar vanilla.

Oh, that sounds lovely. I think. I think we'll have to try that. Yes, I. So I'm blending that and then adding just a little bit more, uh, Madagascar vanilla and the touch of Tahitian. I wanted to lean into the vanilla, right? We're talking about vanilla and our entire label has like vanilla vines on it. It's got the vanilla, you know, like the vanilla flow orchid.

So this is something that doesn't quite exist, right? Because it is still 43%. It's got enough, uh, it's got a really nice base to it with all of that well aged bourbon. But it also has this really lovely, complex, diverse flavor of vanilla. It's not just a OneNote. I wanna ensure we were getting the florals and we're.

Cocoa and we're getting all that caramels and beautiful things in between. That is, I mean, you, I feel like you practiced the speech. You're just like, got it down girl. I didn't, so let me, so let me ask you, how did this whole idea company come to be? Like, how did you get involved? Was it your idea? Yeah, so this was not my idea.

I was actually brought in by Pronghorn as a consultant and they had, um, actually purchased this idea, um, from another [00:33:00] company and thought this is a brand that we can build. So what Pronghorn does is invest in small black owned brands as well as is now because. Of Edmonds on are building their own brands from scratch.

So they are taking ideas that they think will work in the market, and as we build those up and make money from those, we're able to then take that and invest it back into more small brands. Love that. Right? So I know that right now I get to give my energy into this brand, but also into all of the brands that they are investing in.

And for me, this is the most rewarding thing I've ever done. So every brand that you see here today, I get to be a part of their journey and help them with their cogs and help them with their production plans. And you've got this whole row down here. I have the whole row. I'm gonna have to. Get some B roll of that.

Yeah. Alright, so Tracy, um, so what are your, what's, what's the goal, uh, for A-W-S-W-A for this particular bottle today? Um, the goal is really, I think more than anything just represent like, I guess the goal really is yes, broader distribution. We're currently only in Georgia and New Jersey, but we are also just awareness, right?

Like this is a story we get to tell about a 12-year-old enslaved person who created [00:34:00] this incredible technique. And so for me, the opportunity to be able to create this liquid that I think is really lovely and. Very approachable as well as tell that story every single time. Like, why wouldn't I wanna be here?

Right. I hope everybody leaves knowing about Edmund Alius. Well, I think, I think you and I need to have a toast to this. Can we do that? Let's do it. Let's do it. Do it. All right. So let's taste this bad boy. Cheers. All right. Cheers. Um, sip, saver and share. That is the goal. Oh, wow. Tracy. So, I think what a lot of people are expecting when I talk to them about this is an overt sweetness.

Mm-hmm. Hmm. And I couldn't, right? Because I wanted to drink this too. And so it's really about finding that balance of the vanilla, the whiskey, and that approachable sweet caramel vanilla flavor profile. So yeah, it's definitely not a vanilla flavored whiskey, right? It's a whiskey that has really good vanilla notes and they feel like they taste really natural.

Great. Like, yes. Great. So I wanted this to be a [00:35:00] whiskey that is enhanced a vanilla enhancements. Oh, that is so good. All right. You guys need to get yourselves in California. Me like ASAP because I need to be able to buy this. We can, we actually do have distribution. Like if your store wants to bring it in, we're with MHW, so we can Great.

Need Ms. W. You heard it? Get it in LA right now. They're over here. They better get it in California. Yeah, we can absolutely deliver to any liquor store you want. Fantastic. All right, Tracy Franklin. Until next time. Cheers. Cheers.

Ah, I am over here at the pronghorn main bar, uh, after talking with Tracy Franklin, who just told us about where is it? Yep. Edmonds are this wonder and it's yes. Fantastic. The very first one ever produced by pronghorn. It's themselves. Yes. No, and it's great. Alright. Now you were just telling me a story about this guy.

Yes. So first of all, we've got Chet Lemon. Yes. Is it Limon? Lemon. Lemon. I'm not French. Well, when you go to New Orleans for, uh, tales of the cocktail, lemon, I will be she [00:36:00] Lamon sha she Limon. Right. So Shay Lamon, uh, you are, what is your, what is your job? I work in marketing and in bartender. So I'll be doing all the POS today 'cause I have a bartending background, but I also work in marketing.

So I help people, uh, do the research before they actually get into the bottling process. So we get the gang studies, have people do the tasting, so. On and so forth. Okay. Um, so show this bottle to the guys here at home and I mean this bottle, I mean, look at this label. It's so fun. Uh, tell me a little bit about this story and this whiskey and this gentleman on the cover here.

Yes. Okay. Cover. It's not a book, I mean, but it's gonna be a book. The way you're talking about. It's gonna be a book. Exactly. So we have, is there a book? There is a book. There is a book. There's a book. There is a book behind this story. So we have the Tom Bullocks, which the story behind Tom Bullock is, he was a young African American man back in 1917.

So shortly after war. He was only a, a young American, uh, African American in 19. He was in any other time. Oh, he was before that. But when he [00:37:00] became well known was in 1917 because he was the first African American to have a published cocktail book That is amazing in and of itself. And then what was the name of that book?

Well, the name of the book actually, that alludes me. I do not know. That is a good question. I should know that. You've gotta find this. Book, I can definitely Google it. And it is definitely something that still is in publication today. Oh, that's fantastic. So you can still get it. Um, but the little bit further of the history, obviously African American men at that point in time couldn't have books published without having a publishing company have a written letter from someone to basically vouch for that person.

And they're, and they're studying from some single white man. Exactly. But that single white man just so happened to be the great, great grandfather of George Bush. Really? Yeah. Now that this story is getting more interesting. Yep. They met, they met in St. Louis at the sports club, and after they met, they got to know one another.

He understood his great belief and [00:38:00] understanding of actual becoming like a mixologist. And he assisted him by writing a letter so that he can have his book published. That's very cool. So, uh, how many different expressions does this one have and how long has it been, um, being produced? This one right here is, if I remember correctly, it's.

Henderson Spirits, which is a former NBA player. Um, he is actually here today. Okay. Um, started in Indiana and all of these, um, cocktails that you see, I liquors that you see here are all his. And if I remember correctly, it's five years, but don't quote me on that. I think it's five years. Don't, we don't quote.

We're gonna have to Google. Yes, we're gonna have to Google that as well. But as far as what pronghorn does is we just help. Bring to the forefront these individuals that have these alcohol, uh, own these companies, 27 predominantly African American owned businesses. And we get them into [00:39:00] situations like this convention so that it can get more of a visual presence and tasting so people can see them and maybe have the opportunity to try something they've never been introduced to.

All right. Well, um, Adam. Out of all of his, let's see, you've got two, you've got a gin and, and a Bour. Oh, oh, Tom Gin. Yep. So this gin is, uh, in London. Okay. Is where they, uh, have the distillery for this one. This one is in Kentucky. Okay. This one is in Montana. So a birdie brown was, uh, African American woman as well during pro prohibition that was using her grain forward, her wheat grain forward taste.

So now that, um, corn mash and it gives it a little more. It's, uh, sweeter, I would say, and more floral notes, but it's named after her. That's great. I think I'll have a little taste of this one so I can see how, how, uh, old Tom made his his stuff here. Oh, that's [00:40:00] good. That's good. Got a lot of tasting to your day.

You gotta survive. Ooh, that's lovely. That'd be really good. In um, in a, in a, yes. Thank you. I was gonna say Manhattan. And I'm like, that's not it. That's not it. Yeah. Or because you got that. Yeah. You got that orange. Yeah. Yep. That burnt orange, which is what they, uh, in the barrel. This will be really good over ice on a hot day also.

Oh yeah, definitely. Summer, winter, whatever you need it. It's gonna be good. Alright. Thank you so much for your time. My pleasure. Thank you Lemon. She, uh, it was great to see you and, uh, good luck today at the conference and I hope you get a lot of, uh, things shining on all your whiskeys and your gins and your, you have any vodkas?

No. No vodka. Okay. No vodkas good. I'm all about the whiskey and Jim, myself. Perfect. That's exactly where I'm at. Vodka's a younger man's drink, I think. All right. Thank you. Thank you.