🎉 WF2025 - TOP 40 Countdown: Whiskey Lore's Fan Favorite Independent Craft Distilleries (2025 Edition)

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

Brush Creek Distillery (Saratoga, WY) WF0077 As we reach the end of the western swing of the Great 48 Tour, I reach the most sprawling and scenic distillery of the trip. Out in the wilds of Wyoming, isolated from the rest of the world stands a 30,000 acre ranch and luxury resort with a distillery, underground speakeasy, and some unique ways to reuse elements of its whiskey barrels. Join me as I chat with the Managing Director of the distillery Andrew Wason. We'll talk about who turned him onto this job, how that same person inspired him to put whiskey on the rails, and the "blank slate" in began with, and the industry veteran he leaned on for to get things going in the right direction. It's a fascinating conversation talking about an incredible destination. Patreon paid subscribers, get an extra 20 minutes of conversation---commercial free. 

Headframe Spirits (Butte, MT) WF076 Today, a bit of a hybrid episode. As part of the Great 48 Tour, I decided to revisit a distillery in the mining town of Butte, Montana. It's a distillery that tells the story of Butte America and the town's mining legacy through its spirit names. So, not only was I fascinated by it's storytelling, I was also intrigued by the fact I've seen stills around the country with Headframe's logo. So, I wanted to dive a little deeper with founder John McKee, who not only has a passion for making a unique (for America) style still, but also is a great ambassador for the town of Butte. A good bit of history, some talk about whiskey, and a wee bit of a technical deep dive into what makes his stills different from the pot stills and column stills we see throughout the industry. Enjoy this interview/flight with an additional 5 minutes of content as a member of the Whiskey Lore Speakeasy: patreon.com/whiskeylore  Cheers and slainte mhath, Drew

Up North Distillery (Post Falls, ID) WF075 Occasionally I visit a distillery that stretches the imagination of what spirits can be. Randy and Hilary Mann have just such a distillery in the upper reaches of the Idaho panhandle. Up North not only makes a delicious single malt (featuring one of my favorite tasting notes) they also make barrel aged and barrel finished honey spirits, brandies, and a fascinating spirit that was inspired by a Bavarian spirit. Join me as we taste through some of these unique spirits and learn what it takes to distill honey, turn people on to brandy, and taste through a wide spectrum of spirits. Whiskey Lore Speakeasy fans get an extra 12 minutes of interview time. Join on a 7 day free trail at patreon.com/whiskeylore