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.

Episode 144: REDWOOD EMPIRE (Jeff Duckhorn and Lauren Patz)

What happens when a California whiskey maker approaches Bourbon, rye, and single malt with the mindset of a winemaker?

Drew Hannush welcomes Redwood Empire Master Distiller Jeff Duckhorn and Head Distiller and Master Blender Lauren Patz for a conversation about the distillery's evolution from a small operation in Sonoma County to a growing American whiskey producer. They explore the advantages of sourcing and blending whiskey from multiple distilleries, the influence of Northern California's climate on maturation, and why Redwood Empire favors a softer, more nuanced approach to American whiskey.

Along the way, Jeff and Lauren explain the stories behind their tree-inspired whiskey names, including Pipe Dream, Emerald Giant, Lost Monarch, and the new wheated Bourbon, Colonel Armstrong. They also discuss the growing American Single Malt category and their experiments with specialty malts.

The conversation culminates in a tasting of Hyperion, Redwood Empire's ambitious new blend of Bourbon, rye, wheat whiskey, and American Single Malt. Named for the world's tallest known living tree, Hyperion brings together some of the distillery's oldest sourced and self-produced whiskeys in a release designed to showcase the possibilities of blending.

In This Episode

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How Redwood Empire grew out of a Northern California wine business

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Jeff Duckhorn and Lauren Patz's different paths into whiskey production

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Why Redwood Empire embraced sourcing whiskey from the beginning

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The transition from its original Headframe still to a larger Vendome column still

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How California's relatively temperate climate affects whiskey maturation

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Why the distillery favors complexity, balance, and a softer drinking experience

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The living redwood trees behind the names Pipe Dream, Emerald Giant, Lost Monarch, and Colonel Armstrong

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How a four-state, four-grain blend creates the flavor of Pipe Dream Bourbon

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Why Colonel Armstrong uses 30% wheat in its Bourbon mash bill

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The role of wheat in softening and balancing Emerald Giant Rye

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How specialty malts are helping define American Single Malt whiskey

•

Tasting Hyperion, a blend of four different American whiskey styles

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Redwood Empire's plans for tours, tastings, and educational experiences on Mare Island

Go Deeper with the Whiskey Lore Speakeasy

Enjoy the complete 73-minute conversation with Jeff and Lauren, including additional discussions about maritime influence on maturation, barrel char and stave seasoning, and the role of wheat in whiskey.

The extended interview is available to Whiskey Lore Speakeasy members, with a seven-day free trial at https://www.patreon.com/whiskeylore.

Visit Redwood Empire

📍 Redwood Empire Mare Island, Vallejo, California

Learn more about Redwood Empire's whiskeys and current visitor experiences at https://redwoodempirewhiskey.com/.

Who was it that came up with the 51% rule and the modern rules for straight whiskey in America?

Meet today's legend on the latest episode of Whiskey Lore's Hall of Legends.

GUEST: Martin Markvardsen (Senior Global Brand Ambassador, Highland Park)

What does it take to capture the flavors of Scotland in a bottle? In this episode, Drew Hannush sits down with Highland Park's Martin Markvardsen, who is celebrating 20 years with the Orkney distillery, to explore the history, people, place, and process behind one of Scotland's most complex single malts. From heather-rich Orkney peat and island maturation to the stories of illicit distillers and Martin's own unlikely journey into whisky, discover what makes Highland Park taste unmistakably like Highland Park.

In This Episode

• Why Orkney peat tastes different
• Peaty versus smoky: is there a difference?
• Why PPM doesn't tell the whole story
• Does sea air really affect aging whisky?
• How Orkney dramatically reduces the angel's share
• The illicit distiller behind Highland Park
• Why Highland Park still floor malts
• Can stainless steel replace wooden washbacks?
• Tasting whisky through memories, not flavor notes
• The best time to visit Orkney

SHOW NOTES: whiskeylore.org/interviews

JOIN THE SPEAKEASY: patreon.com/whiskeylore

Hero on one side of the border, villain on the other. Meet the second inductee into the Whiskey Lore Hall of Legends.

Welcome to a new series, where we meet whiskey legends who helped bring us the spirits we know and love today.

Today, you'll meet our first inductee. Stay tuned for details on how you can help determine future Whiskey Lore Hall of Legend inductees.

Support my mission to bring real history to whiskey fans: https://patreon.com/whiskeylore

Did Bourbon get its name from barrels stamped "Old Bourbon"? Was charred oak the secret that transformed ordinary frontier whiskey into something new? And did Kentucky's earliest distillers really have a thriving market waiting for them in New Orleans?

As we conclude Chapter 3, we'll examine the barrels at the center of several familiar Bourbon origin stories. From eighteenth-century distilling practices to Virginia's surprisingly specific barrel inspection laws, we'll discover how differently early Americans thought about whiskey. And a journey into Spanish-controlled Louisiana raises new questions about the supposed inventor of Bourbon and the markets available to him.

This is Chapter 3b 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/x03b-the-lost-history-of-bourbon-between-truth-and-lore-part-2

MORE WHISKEY HISTORY: https://www.patreon.com/whiskeylore

In 1935, a Kentucky congressman interrupted a government expert during a hearing on Capitol Hill to correct what he believed was a serious mistake about Bourbon's history. He confidently named the man responsible for making America's first Bourbon whiskey. But how much did he really know?

In this chapter, we'll travel back to the distilleries, farms, and gristmills of 1780s Bourbon County, examining the people who made whiskey before the industry had recognizable brands or even familiar definitions. Along the way, we'll encounter an unlikely collection of early distilling candidates, the realities of frontier whiskey production, and a question that may matter more than who came first.

This is Chapter 3a 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/x03a-the-lost-history-of-bourbon-between-truth-and-lore

MORE WHISKEY HISTORY: https://www.patreon.com/whiskeylore

Kentucke Country is changing. The old frontier stockades are giving way to permanent farms, new roads, and growing communities. At the center of this transformation is James Garrard, a Revolutionary War veteran and Baptist preacher helping establish a new county with a name that will someday become synonymous with American whiskey.

But what does it take to turn a frontier settlement into a place where whiskey can flourish? From the surprising prices on an early tavern menu to the rush to build water-powered gristmills, we'll discover how the foundations of Bourbon's future were being laid, sometimes in places you might least expect.

This is Chapter 2 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/x02-the-lost-history-of-bourbon-the-birth-of-bourbon

MORE WHISKEY HISTORY: https://www.patreon.com/whiskeylore

By 1780, Kentucke's frontier settlements were beginning to offer something their earliest inhabitants had struggled to find: a chance to build permanent homes, raise families, and grow enough corn to survive. Captain Isaac Ruddell believed his station along the Licking River might finally provide that security. But while settlers worked their fields and strengthened their stockades, a British military expedition was making its way toward the Kentucke frontier. What happened when the two forces met would leave families scattered, reputations questioned, and an entire region struggling to recover. Through the experiences of Ruddell, the Miller family, and other frontier settlers, we'll discover how Kentucke's turbulent beginnings helped shape the world in which Bourbon would eventually emerge.

This is Chapter 1b 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/x01b-the-lost-history-of-bourbon-the-wilds-of-kentucke-country

MORE WHISKEY HISTORY: https://www.patreon.com/whiskeylore

GUEST: Jeremy Buchanan (Owner & Distiller, Hartfield & Co.)

What does it mean to make Bourbon in Bourbon County? For Jeremy Buchanan, it means more than putting whiskey in a bottle, it means reconnecting with a forgotten distilling tradition that helped give Bourbon its name. In this episode, Drew Hannush sits down with the owner of Hartfield & Co. Distillery to explore the county's lost whiskey legacy, the philosophy behind Hartfield's pre-Prohibition approach to distilling, and why local grain may be just as important as the limestone beneath it.

In This Episode

• Bringing bourbon back to Bourbon County
• Why the county forgot its own whiskey history
• The story behind Hartfield's "pre-Prohibition" bourbon
• Does grain matter more than the barrel?
• Sourcing every grain close to home
• Why six-gallon barrels became an advantage
• Rethinking modern distilling techniques
• Gravity-fed whiskey making in a historic building
• How small distilleries preserve big ideas
• Reclaiming Bourbon County's forgotten legacy

JOIN THE SPEAKEASY: https://patreon.com/whiskeylore

The story of Kentucky Bourbon often begins with settlers arriving on the frontier, planting corn, and turning their surplus grain into whiskey. But that familiar picture skips over a rather important question: how did those settlers survive long enough to build farms, let alone distilleries? As John Miller and his family venture into the dangerous wilderness of Kentucke, we discover just how uncertain life was for the people who first attempted to settle the region. Before there could be a Bourbon industry, there had to be communities, working farms, and people willing to risk everything to establish them.

This is Chapter One, Part One 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/x01a-the-lost-history-of-bourbon-the-wilds-of-kentucke-country

MORE WHISKEY HISTORY: https://www.patreon.com/whiskeylore

GUESTS: John Kelly (CEO) & Graeme Millar (Master Distiller), Belfast Distillery Company

Belfast was once one of the world's great whiskey capitals, but for decades its distilling heritage lay dormant. In this episode, Drew Hannush reunites with Belfast Distillery Company CEO John Kelly and Master Distiller Graeme Millar to explore the rebirth of McConnell's Irish Whiskey, the remarkable transformation of Belfast's historic Crumlin Road Jail into a working distillery, and the philosophy guiding one of Northern Ireland's most ambitious whiskey projects. Along the way, they discuss McConnell's rich past, the future of Irish single malt, and why Belfast is once again becoming a destination for whiskey lovers.

In This Episode

• The revival of Belfast's legendary McConnell's brand
• Why Crumlin Road Jail became a distillery
• Restoring a prison while preserving its history
• Belfast's forgotten role in Irish whiskey
• The rise and fall of McConnell's in the 1800s
• Graeme Millar's vision for triple-distilled single malt
• Creating a distinctive Northern Irish whiskey style
• Building flavor through careful distillation and maturation
• Behind the scenes of McConnell's visitor experience
• Belfast's growing reputation as a whiskey destination

SHOW NOTES: https://whiskeylore.org/interviews

JOIN THE SPEAKEASY (AND GET THE COUPON CODE): https://www.patreon.com/whiskeylore/posts/ep-141-irish-new-164366456

GUEST: Jason Fruits (Old 55 Distillery CEO & Co-Founder)

Some distillers inherit tradition. Others build their own path from the ground up. In this episode, Drew Hannush sits down with Old 55 Distillery co-founder and distiller Jason Fruits to explore how a family grain business became one of America's most distinctive estate distilleries. From growing the grain to questioning nearly every accepted practice in whiskey making, Jason shares why he believes there are better ways to craft exceptional bourbon—and why being in the middle of Indiana corn country may be his greatest advantage.

In This Episode

• Why "farm-to-glass" changes everything
• The business behind an estate distillery
• Choosing a hybrid still over convention
• Distilling on grain instead of beer
• Why Jason takes such a narrow hearts cut
• Can cool aging outperform Kentucky heat?
• The surprising role of enzymes
• Building a 100% sweet corn bourbon
• Why he calls his whiskey "Ferraris, not Fords"
• How family legacy shaped Old 55

SHOW NOTES: whiskeylore.org/interviews

JOIN THE SPEAKEASY: patreon.com/whiskeylore

Ask where Bourbon got its name and you'll probably hear one of two stories: Bourbon County, Kentucky, or Bourbon Street in New Orleans. But what if neither familiar explanation tells us much about how Bourbon actually became America's Native Spirit? After years of researching nineteenth-century newspapers, courthouse records, and forgotten distillers, I've come to believe that a crucial part of Bourbon's history has been overlooked. This introduction to my developing book, The Lost History of Bourbon, explains how a simple question about the whiskey's name turned into a much larger investigation, and why the answers may challenge some of our most familiar Bourbon stories.

This is the Preface 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/x00-the-lost-history-of-bourbon-preface

MORE WHISKEY HISTORY: https://www.patreon.com/whiskeylore

GUEST: Nora Ganley-Roper & Adam Polonski (Lost Lantern Founders)

Independent bottlers have long helped whiskey lovers discover hidden gems in Scotland, but the concept is only beginning to take hold in America. In this episode, Drew Hannush sits down with Lost Lantern founders Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski to explore how they're introducing craft distilleries from across the country to new audiences—and we'll go behind the scenes to find out why blending Bourbon from all 50 states was such an ambitious project.

In This Episode

• The weakness of warehouse tasting
• Does a whiskey change during shipping?
• Building a blend that doesn't become a muddle
• The challenge of finding Bourbon in every state
• Why some barrels have "sharp elbows"
• How they map flavor before blending
• Which is harder, 13 states or 50
• The hidden psychology of tasting whiskey
• What makes a whiskey worth bottling

SHOW NOTES: whiskeylore.org/interviews

JOIN THE SPEAKEASY: patreon.com/whiskeylore