The Whiskey Lore® Podcast

What happens when a man's name becomes more famous than the principles he stood for? In this edition of Whiskey Lore's Hall of Legends, a legendary figure from Kentucky whiskey history returns to tell his story. He watched an industry increasingly embrace speed, efficiency, and profits, often at the expense of the methods that had established Kentucky Bourbon's reputation. He believed that careful fermentation, deliberate distillation, proper maturation, and even the water used in production made the difference between ordinary whiskey and something worth defending. Today, his name remains familiar to whiskey enthusiasts. But how many understand what he actually stood for? Drawing extensively from his historical writings, this unique first-person episode explores the man's convictions, his disagreements with other Kentucky distillers, and a blueprint of how Kentucky sour mash whiskey SHOULD be made to keep its reputation. Can you identify the latest member of the Whiskey Lore Hall of Legends before the final reveal? For more about the historical research and unexpected discoveries behind this episode, visit the Whiskey Lore Speakeasy at patreon.com/whiskeylore.

Episode 1: Talking Eastern Light Distilling Company Does Kentucky really need another major distillery when whiskey production is slowing and millions of barrels are already aging in warehouses? In the debut of The Whiskey Six, six whiskey industry voices discuss Eastern Light Distilling's ambitious new Kentucky operation and what it says about the future of Bourbon. Is contract distilling still a smart investment? Have whiskey prices pushed consumers away? Are new brands finding opportunities while established producers pull back? And could the industry's gloomy headlines be making matters worse? Plus, a historical look at Canadian whiskey tariffs and their connection to the Bottled-in-Bond Act, a discussion of Kentucky's resilient Bourbon tourism market, and some surprising confessions about famous distilleries our panelists have never visited. The Whiskey Six: Host: Bo Cumberland (My Journey Through the American Spirits) Todd Ritter (The Bourbon Road), Amzi Winning (Frankfort Bourbon Society), Jerry Daniels (Stone Fences Tours), Drew Hannush (Whiskey Lore), and Jim Shannon (The Bourbon Road). Video and transcript: https://www.patreon.com/whiskeylore

Why would an established Pennsylvania distiller leave behind a thriving network of farms, mills, and family connections to start over in Kentucky? As we follow Jacob Spears from the Monongahela River to Bourbon County, an unexpected collection of marriages, land transactions, and family migrations begins to challenge a familiar explanation for how Pennsylvania whiskey makers arrived in Kentucky. Meanwhile, the young United States is struggling to supply its frontier armies. We'll follow the merchants who connected Pennsylvania and Kentucky's agricultural economies, uncover evidence of whiskey production for military contractors, and return to the disastrous battle that opened Chapter 4. Along the way, the relationship between war, commerce, and whiskey becomes increasingly difficult to ignore. This is Chapter 4b of The Lost History of Bourbon, presented as a reading from an early manuscript draft. Unlike regular Whiskey Lore Stories episodes, these chapters are presented without music or sound effects. The manuscript is a work in progress, and some details may change. READ THE TRANSCRIPT: https://www.whiskeylore.org/episodes/bourbon-4a-did-americas-first-army-help-spread-american-whiskey  MORE WHISKEY HISTORY: https://www.patreon.com/whiskeylore

In the years following the American Revolution, the United States found itself fighting another war, this time against a powerful confederacy of Native nations determined to defend their lands north of the Ohio River. But how could a nearly bankrupt government feed, equip, and supply an army on the distant frontier? The answer leads us to an unlikely chapter in whiskey history. From military rations (that included whiskey) and struggling government contractors to the farms, mills, and distilleries along Pennsylvania's Monongahela River, we'll discover how war helped create new opportunities for frontier whiskey makers. And we'll follow a remarkable web of family connections that leads back to a familiar name from Bourbon County's earliest history. This is Chapter 4a of The Lost History of Bourbon, presented as a reading from an early manuscript draft. Unlike regular Whiskey Lore Stories episodes, these chapters are presented without music or sound effects. The manuscript is a work in progress, and some details may change. READ THE TRANSCRIPT: https://www.whiskeylore.org/episodes/bourbon-4a-did-americas-first-army-help-spread-american-whiskey  MORE WHISKEY HISTORY: https://www.patreon.com/whiskeylore

A Revolutionary War spy network, a family-owned Long Island distillery, and a Bourbon steeped with black tea. This week, I'm joined by Mark and Ben Grindel of Spy Trail Distillery to explore the history behind their name and the business they've built around it. Mark explains how a casual visit to a distillery in North Carolina eventually led him to sell his manufacturing business and pursue distilling. We discuss his Holstein still, sourcing and blending Bourbon while their own whiskey matures, using Hungarian oak barrels, and producing vodka from Long Island wine. Ben introduces The Cipher Room, their separate cocktail lounge, where drinks inspired by the Culper Spy Ring incorporate local ingredients and historical stories. We also discuss AMC's TURN: Washington's Spies, the mystery of Agent 355, the role of ordinary Long Islanders in George Washington's intelligence network, and ways to explore the history in person. Plus, I taste Spy Trail's Black Tea Bourbon and discover how an experiment intended for a summer drink became a regular part of the lineup. For show notes and more Whiskey Lore Interviews, visit whiskeylore.org/interviews.