Episodes

This week's guest on Spirits of Whisk(e)y is Seth Benhaim, Founder & CEO of L.A.'s Infuse Spirits, makers of Broken Barrel Whiskey. Listen and learn how this inveterate entrepreneur went from infusing premium vodka with fresh and dried whole fruit to creating a range of whiskeys that employ broken barrel staves in an oak bill unique to each expression. Plus we catch up on what's new with past guest Matt Hofmann, Master Distiller at Seattle's Westland Distillery, in the first edition of "Whiskey ...

This week's guest on Spirits of Whisk(e)y is Daniel Szor, Founder & CEO of The Cotswold Distilling Company, operators of Cotswolds Distillery in Shipston-on-Stour, a small town in Warwickshire, England. Listen and learn how this native New Yorker went from managing currency investments in Paris and London to making exceptional English single malt whiskies, as well as a range of distinctive gins, in the British Midlands. You can even read about his story in Daniel's 2020 autobiography, Spirit Gui...

This week's guest on Spirits of Whisk(e)y is Dr. Don Livermore, Master Blender at Hiram Walker & Sons Limited. Located in Windsor, Ontario, just across the Detroit River from Motor City, the historic Hiram Walker & Sons Distillery is Canada's oldest—and North America's largest!—and home to a vast range of spirits and brands, including a distinguished quartet of Canadian whiskies: J.P. Wiser's, Lot No. 40, Pike Creek, and Gooderham & Worts. Listen and learn how "Dr. Don," who this year celebrates...

This week's guest on Spirits of Whisk(e)y is Rob Arnold, Master Distiller at Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co., in Fort Worth, Texas, makers of TX Whiskey. Fort Worth, aka Cowtown, was at one time home to the world's largest horse and mule market. Now, however, thanks to the pioneering work of this third-generation whiskey professional and bona fide Renaissance man, it's a center of whiskey innovation. Listen and learn how the author of Shots of Knowledge: The Science of Whiskey (2016) and Th...

This week's guest on Spirits of Whisk(e)y is Robin Robinson, author of The Complete Whiskey Course: A Comprehensive Tasting School in Ten Classes. This veteran of the spirits sector has led a full and colorful life in whiskey, traveling the globe as both brand ambassador—Compass Box, anyone?—and whiskey educator, and now he's compiled that expertise and that experience into one handy and remarkably thorough tome. Listen and learn how Robin went from trodding the boards—because he's an actor, of ...

Over the past year, Kerry Moynahan & Philip Dobard have interviewed more than four dozen Spirits of Whisk(e)y—the people who make, blend, write about, and otherwise evangelize for the water of life. In this, our 40th episode, we look back on our debut season, one filled with both spirit and spirits from around the world. Listen and learn from whiskey legends and whiskey newcomers alike, plus take a tasty lesson in pairing and cooking with whiskey from our very own Chef Louise Leonard. Please vis...

This week's guest on Spirits of Whisk(e)y is Lisa Roper Wicker, President, Head Distiller, and Blender at Widow Jane Distillery. Located in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, Widow Jane, in addition to making and laying down its own distillates, affectionately named "Baby Janes," sources and blends straight bourbon and rye whiskeys from Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and then proofs them with limestone mineral water from New York's Hudson River Valley, home of the historic Widow...

This week's guests on Spirits of Whisk(e)y are Woody Kane and Chris McGowan, Global Ambassador and Director of Marketing, respectively, at The Busker Irish Whiskey. Distilled in County Carlow by Royal Oak Distillery, The Busker is a "new to world" Irish whiskey, designed to demonstrate Ireland's three signature styles of whiskey—Single Grain, Single Malt, and Single Pot Still—and leverage its relationship with Disaronno International through its Triple Cask Triple Smooth expression, aged, in par...

This week's guest on Spirits of Whisk(e)y is David DeFazio, Founder of Wyoming Whiskey. Located in Kirby, a four-hour drive east of Jackson Hole, Wyoming Whiskey produces a range of outstanding whiskeys, including Double Cask—a straight bourbon finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks—and Outryder, a rye-forward, bottled-in-bond, straight American whiskey that's neither rye nor bourbon. Listen and learn how David, an attorney and native of upstate New York, turned a passion for whiskey into a life...

This week's guest on Spirits of Whisk(e)y is Lauren Oliver of Glengoyne Distillery in Dumgoyne, Scotland. Dubbed the "Mash Lass," Lauren is the first woman to serve as Mashhouse Production Operator at Glengoyne and, for that matter, one of comparatively few women working in Scotch whisky. Listen and learn how Oliver, a native of Greater Glasgow, transitioned from a planned career in graphic design to a life in whiskey. Then hear how Glengoyne's 21-Year-Old Single Malt got Chef Louise "Weezy" Leo...

This week's guest on Spirits of Whisk(e)y is Mark Gillespie, Host & Executive Producer of WhiskyCast, the world's longest-running whiskey podcast. Listen and learn how Mark, who enjoyed a long career in radio news before blazing a podcasting trail for all who followed, went from journeyman broadcaster to the Internet's most recognizable voice of whiskey. Then hear how Seth Benhaim, Founder & CEO of Infuse Spirits and Broken Barrel Whiskey, started his own successful podcast, The Cartel Hour, wit...

Spirits of Whisk(e)y explores the wide world of whiskey through high-profile and out-of-the-way makers, blenders, writers, ambassadors, innovators, and pioneers. And Kerry & Philip have been traveling the world virtually to bring these people—and their whiskey journeys—to you. As season one of our podcast approaches its finale, we realize just how many great stories we've put aside to share with you at a later date—and that date is here! Beginning in March, Spirits of Whisk(e)y is offering acces...

This week's guests on Spirits of Whisk(e)y are Patrick Fee and Kyle Merklein of McCormick Distilling Co., home of the historic Holladay Distillery in Weston, Missouri, just outside Kansas City. Vice President of Marketing Patrick and Master Distiller Kyle are responsible for making and marketing an expansive portfolio of spirits, including gin, rum, and vodka, plus several house whiskeys, including their latest, a spicy pickle-flavored expression called Whicked Pickle. Listen and learn how Whick...

This week's guest on Spirits of Whisk(e)y is Sean Josephs, Founder & Master Taster at Pinhook Whiskey, a brand that blends select straight bourbon and straight rye whiskeys produced by the Castle & Key Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, naming each distinctive result in honor of a promising young thoroughbred racehorse. After a special at-the-races edition of "Whiskey Chronicles," featuring Brooklyn Spirits author Peter Fornatale, listen and learn how Sean, a certified sommelier and cocktail exp...

This week's guest on Spirits of Whisk(e)y is Nicole Austin, General Manager & Distiller at Cascade Hollow Distilling Co. in Tullahoma, Tennessee, makers of George Dickel Whisky. Listen and learn how Nicole works to honor the brand's storied past—150 years and counting—with new Bottled-in-Bond and 15-Year Single Barrel releases while driving innovation with the first two editions of her hand-selected, "Mellow as Moonlight," Cascade Moon blends. Then hear Chef Louise Leonard's suggestions for pair...

This week's guests on Spirits of Whisk(e)y are Michael Scully and Paul Corbett of Clonakilty Atlantic Distillery in County Cork, Ireland. The Scully family has farmed this windswept land on the country's southwest coast for nine generations, and in 2018, they introduced whiskey to what had been a largely milky affair. Listen and learn how Founder Michael, along with Head Distiller & Blender Paul, fired up the newly built distillery's three copper pot stills and started turning out award-winning ...

This week's guest on Spirits of Whisk(e)y is Denny Potter, General Manager & Master Distiller at Maker's Mark Distillery in Loretto, Kentucky. Among the American national spirit's more revered brands, Maker's Mark Straight Bourbon Whisky—yes, no "e"—enjoys a large and dedicated following. Listen and learn as Denny shares memories of a life in whiskey (and rum!), tells the remarkable origin story of Maker's signature bottle and label design, and discusses the challenges of maintaining the delicat...

Spirits of Whisk(e)y explores the wide world of whiskey through its many colorful personalities—from high-profile makers, blenders, and ambassadors to out-of-the-way innovators and remote pioneers. Join Kerry & Philip each week as they showcase the people and elements that give whiskey its spirit. The first three episodes, featuring Simon Brooking, Martin Duffy, and Doug Stone, will be released soon. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/barrel-room-chronicles/message Support this podca...

This week's guests on Spirits of Whisk(e)y are Jacob Call and Terry Lozoff, creators of Wheel Horse Whiskey, a collaboration between Green River Distilling Co. and Latitude Beverage Co. Listen and learn as Master Distiller Jacob Call shares the process of resurrecting the Green River distillery, literally from the ashes of a devastating 1918 fire, and Latitude's Spirits Director Terry Lozoff discusses the journey of creating Wheel Horse, a new whiskey brand that's been turning heads—and palates—...

This week's guests on Spirits of Whisk(e)y are Brendan McCarron and David Blackmore of The Glenmorangie Company, producer of several globally-revered Scotch whiskies, including Glenmorangie and Ardbeg. Listen as the iconic brand's Head of Maturing Whisky Stocks and Global Master Ambassador, discuss A Tale of Cake, Glenmorangie's newest limited-release bottling, finished in Hungarian Tokaj dessert-wine casks, plus Signet, one of the distillery's more celebrated—and rarer—expressions. Finally, hea...

This week's guest on Spirits of Whisk(e)y is Julian P. Van Winkle III, President of Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery, makers of Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve Bourbon and Old Rip Van Winkle Bourbon and Rye, easily the world's most sought-after whiskeys. Listen and learn how this third-generation distiller revived the fortunes of a struggling distillery and, in the process, honored his legendary grandfather, the now-revered brand's namesake. Hear Julian share details of a colorful life in whiskey...

This week's guests on Spirits of Whisk(e)y are Brittany Curran, Trevor Jones, and Greg Swartz—Executive Producer, Producer, and Director, respectively, of The Water of Life, a new film that looks at the craftsmen, chemists, and renegades who saved scotch whisky and started a creative revolution in Scotland. Listen and learn how these whiskey-passionate filmmakers set about developing, funding, and shooting a feature-length documentary about uisce beatha and its journey from a humble agricultural...

This week's guests on Spirits of Whisk(e)y are whiskey farmers Ashley & Colby Frey, Co-Founders of Frey Ranch Farmers + Distillers in Fallon, Nevada. Founded in 1854, a full 10 years before Nevada was granted statehood, Frey Ranch has been farming in the region for over 165 years. In 2014, Frey Ranch Estate Distillery, the first licensed distillery in Nevada since the advent of Prohibition, began making whiskey. Listen and learn how Master Distiller—and Master Farmer—Colby Frey set to work produ...

We are taking a break for the Thanksgiving holiday but join us next week when we speak with Colby and Ashley Frey of Frey Farms. www.spiritsofwhiskey,com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/barrel-room-chronicles/messageSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/barrel-room-chronicles/support