✈️ WF083 to Vermont: VERMONT SPIRITS - The Fascinating Things You Can Do With Maple

Vermont Spirits (Quechee, VT) WF083 While reaching out to distilleries across the country for my new book Whiskey Lore's Travel Guide to Experiencing American Whiskey, quite a few caught my ear in terms of the techniques they were using to make spirits. Vermont Spirits was one of the few that caught my ear because of something other than whiskey. Yes, they make a Maple-infused Bourbon, but it was their distillation of maple syrup for their vodka and gin that fascinated me. The natural inclination would be to make rum. So, what is it that pushed Vermont Spirits to construct a distillery to focus on distilling vodka? We'll also dive into their Bourbon and barrel-aged gin that could easily pass for a rye whiskey. Join me as we visit the last of our New England distilleries on this amazing Great 48 Tour. Cheers and slainte mhath, Drew

Flag Hill Distillery and Winery (Lee, NH) WF082 Join me as I continue the Great 48 Tour across New England, with a scenic stop at the Flag Hill Distillery and Winery. Originally hired as a distiller, Brian Ferguson had thoughts of going back to his native Pennsylvania to make whiskey. Then the owner made him an excellent offer to stay and take over Flag Hill. It's a unique story and we'll dive into it. We'll also talk about some of the projects he's got going on. We'll learn what Heavy Rum and Breakfast Bourbon are, learn about the distillery's grain growing practices, and how the winery fits into whiskey tastings. There will be a photo from my visit to Flag Hill in my upcoming book Whiskey Lore's Travel Guide to Experiencing American Whiskey. It's quintessential New England.

Are you ready to find out who number one is? I've gathered conversations from the distilleries I've talked with and pieced together the 24 biggest fan favorite distilleries as voted by Instagram and Patreon followers of Whiskey Lore. Thanks to everyone who voted this year. Friday, we will be starting all over again, but with some changed, which I describe in the podcast. In 2026, we are going to engage every distillery in the upcoming book Whiskey Lore's Travel Guide to Experiencing American Whiskey. Time to stir the pot and get these distilleries noticed. Medal winners will first dibs on having profiles written about them in Experiencing American Whiskey: 2027 Edition - so this vote will matter! Happy New Year to all, be safe and have fun. Cheers and slainte mhath in 2026. Drew

WARNING: DJ Voice Enabled Welcome to a year end countdown of the Top 40 independent craft distilleries as voted on by you. We'll count down from #40 to #1 and I'll share bits of interviews, personal notes, distillery insights from the new book Experiencing American Whiskey, and a few interesting side-bits, like what are the top 10 states for whiskey distillery experiences. It's a fun hour to round up an amazing year and to reward these great distilleries with some extra coverage on the Whiskey Lore Podcast. Enjoy and happy holidays to you all! Drew For pre-orders of Whiskey Lore's Travel Guide to Experiencing American Whiskey whiskeylore.org/shop (US only)

Boston Harbor Distillery (Dorchester, MA) WF081 Meet the co-founder of Samuel Adams, whose real passion was whiskey. Rhonda Kallman helped craft beer get on its feet, so why not craft whiskey? We'll talk about her background, the historic building she found to house the distillery, the legend who helped get her on the right foot with distilling, and we'll taste rye, single malt, and something called Demon Seed. It's a fun conversation and (if you haven't noticed) I've been putting out longer versions of the podcast for free members on Patreon. It's kind of a holiday thing, but I am also excited about the release of my new book Whiskey Lore's Travel Guide to Experiencing American Whiskey. If you're in the U.S. you can pre-order your copy at whiskeylore.org/shop I'll be putting an order in for them in the next few days and hope to have them by the end of December (although the holidays have a way of stalling things). I'll send them out with free shipping and a signature, if you order now and you should receive it before the January 13th release date. Thanks for listening and hope you enjoy this fun conversation. Cheers and slainte mhath, Drew

Working Man Distillers (Pawtucket, RI) WF080 Quite a day in New England, I'll be conquering five states! Leaving Connecticut, I head to Pawtucket, Rhode Island to meet John and Kelly Lendall, the owners of Working Man Distillery. I sit down with John to discuss the evolution of the distillery, the move from Massachusetts, and the marriage proposal that hinged on distilling. I wish I had some time to hang around, John tells me about a Family Guy experience in Providence. Enjoy our conversation and if you want to add this distillery to your Whiskey Lore Wish List, head to whiskeylore.org/rhodeisland and add some other distilleries to your list. This is a small state just itching for a trail. Also, this is the last week to get a discount and signed Whiskey Lore books (US only) for your favorite whiskey fan. whiskeylore.org/shop

Litchfield Distillery (Litchfield, CT) WF078 Join me as I enter New England as part of the Great 48 Tour. Today I chat with Peter Baker, a co-founder of Litchfield Distillery in Connecticut. Along with his two brothers they made a decision to expand beyond their three-generation family bottled water business and get into the world of whiskey. We'll talk talk about their development of an American single malt, their use of Connecticut grain, taste a couple of whiskeys including their oldest release to date. And we'll dig a little into the history of bottled water (no, it isn't a recent phenomena). We'll also hear the story behind their logo and tagline, and the importance of legislative changes that allowed them to offer tastings and on-site sales. And, if you'd like to gift a signed copy of Whiskey Lore's Travel Guide to Experiencing Kentucky, The Lost History of Tennessee Whiskey, or Experiencing Irish Whiskey for Christmas, make sure to order at whiskeylore.org/shop before December 12th to get them for a great low price and free shipping. Cheers and slainte mhath, Drew

Milk Street Distillery (Branchville, NJ) WF0078 On the way to New England for the Great 48 Tour and I took a few backroads through northern New Jersey to discover unexpected scenery, the influence of unmalted barley, and two brothers who left construction jobs to take advantage of New Jersey's evolving laws on distilling. Join me for a laid back conversation with Mike and Gordon Geerhart, founders of Milk Street Distillery. We'll find out the story behind the names Murder Bourbon and War Penny, I'll test my palate on rum, and we'll find out what wild and crazy things happen here on Saturday nights.  Don't forget, there are 20 more minutes available in this interview to members of the Whiskey Lore Speakeasy. Try a 7-day free trial at Patreon.com/WhiskeyLore and find the perfect book for the whiskey lover on your holiday list at whiskeylore.org/shop (discounts and free U.S. shipping).

Welcome to a surprise tasting event. Today I'll be joined by Greg King of Proof, who is going to introduce us to the 2025 lineup of Diageo Special Releases. In this episode we'll dive into the history of this series and Greg and I will taste the new Oban and Lagavulin releases and I'll toss in a couple wildcards as well. We'll talk a little about the distilleries and flavor characteristics. There are some nice surprises in this pack that includes: ● Lagavulin 12 Year Old 'Grain & Embers' ● Oban 12 Year Old 'Heart of the Harbour' ● The Singleton of Glen Ord 17 Year Old 'Into the Blue'  ● Talisker 14 Year Old 'Molten Seas'  ● Dailuaine 21 Year Old 'Marbled Treasures' ● Roseisle 14 Year Old 'Harmonic Grace'  ● Clynelish 18 Year Old 'Waxen Sun'  ● Teaninich 8 Year Old 'Daring Rye'  ‼️ DISCLOSURE ‼️ Whiskies supplied by Proof for this tasting. Opinions are my own. for this tasting. Opinions are my own.

Today, we're taking the week off from the Great 48 Tour and giving some much needed time to Scotch whisky and history. Join me as I chat with Stewart Walker, longtime Distillery Manager of Fettercairn in the Highlands of Scotland. We're going to dive back into the the origins of the distillery, the Prime Minister whose family owned Fettercairn at one time and his impact on Scotch whisky, the distillery's distinctive flavor profile, and how to make a 40 to 46 year old whisky wake up before it's bottled. Enjoy this commercial-free version on both Patreon and the regular Whiskey Lore podcast feed. I'm celebrating, as I close in on the completion of my next book Whiskey Lore's Travel Guide to Experiencing American Whiskey. We'll get back to whiskey travel next week and I may even have the book ready for pre-orders. Cheers and slainte mhath, Drew