Distiller's Corner

Texas is a hotbed for all things flavorful, but did you know the Lone Star State has tons of distilleries and alcohol manufacturers? Companies here don’t just include Just energy and BP, they encompass liquor producers as well so take a tour with us of some of Texas’ best alcohol plants…
Tito’s Handmade Vodka: One of the licensed distilleries in Texas is becoming world known for its smooth flavor and clean taste. A geologist turned alcohol maker is responsible for Tito’s and Texas Read More »

Wood is one of the most important ingredients utilized in the making of whiskey. Wood contributes 50 to 80 of the flavor and aromas of whiskey.The wooden barrels in which whiskey is aged in add some of the most desirable characterisitcs of whiskey. The wood adds color, flavor and depth to the spirit. For whiskey to mature properly Oak is the best choice of wood for aging. Although there are hundreds of Oak varieties only a few work well for maturation of spirits. In America the perfect cask Oak would be White Read More »

The age-old question of whiskey vs. whisky ought to have a simple answer. Unfortunately, this conundrum isn’t as straightforward as the drink. Anyone who loves the drink will tell you that Scots make whisky, and everyone else just makes whiskey. The problem is that many distillers choose to be reckless with their spellings, and now they’ve gone and confused everyone. The difference between the two is not a mere convention of local language or preference; if it were, far fewer whisky lovers would be offended when the NY Times chose to publish Read More »

Without being finished with the barrel aging process, whiskey simply isn’t whiskey. When the clear, sour, and highly potent unfinished liquor separates from the mash and is technically drinkable, it’s still raw and unappealing to all but the most devout alcohol fanatic! The wooden barrels that whiskey ages in for months to years add some of the most notable characteristics of the drink itself. Most notable of these characteristics are coloring, flavoring, and depth of taste.

Tannins from the wood, Read More »

I always thought whiskey was invented by moon-shiners in Tennessee, but in reality it was invented hundreds of years before the colonization of America. With that said, the Gaelic or Scottish word “usquebaugh” literally translates into “Water of Life,” this Gaelic word when sounded out phonetically sounded like “usky” which later was translated into “whisky” by the English. And if you are interested in investing in this particular water of life, Diageo (ticker symbol: DEO) is your stock, which also claims the Smirnoff Vodka and Guinness brands. Ironically, the stock is traded Read More »

The only way to find the best Scotch Whisky for you, is to try each one of them. Tasting the different Scotch Whiskies, will be a unique experience, because no two taste the same. The Scottish had a unique way of making their whiskey, using moss, by using this recipe, that’s how these whiskies simply got named ‘Scotch Whisky’, making them less sweet.

However there is nothing simple about making whisky, this is the most refined spirit to this day. It was initially used for health reasons, or medicines for slowing aging, calming pain, and later Read More »

For those looking to take their distilling diversion from a (legally frowned upon) at-home hobby to a full-blown occupation, men far wiser than we may be able to offer some advice as to how to get your budding business off the ground. These reads are not only easy on the eyes and minds but offer guidance in the various facets of the beverage business and distilling whiskey on a large scale.

• The Business of Spirits: How Savvy Marketers, Innovative Distillers and Entrepreneurs Changed How We Drink by Noah Rothbaum Whether an alcohol distiller, aspiring alcohol distiller, liquor drinker or general student of society and human relations, Rothbaum’s book lends valuable insights as to how alcoholic beverages and hard alcohol in particular have been transformed from a product often enjoyed in backrooms and with discretion to a its present day prominence in pop culture, proudly displayed front and center in licensed establishments. Learn from trends, strategies and consumer habits that have made millionaires many times over out of brands that are now household names or simply satisfy your curiosity as to why social drinking has arguably surpassed baseball as America’s favorite pastime. Read More »

You’ve probably tasted his life’s work, perhaps too much from time to time, but few people know the mysterious man behind one of America’s most celebrated whiskey labels. From his mysterious birth to his famous last words, “One last drink, please,” Jack Daniel lived a curious life with a long lasting legacy. For starters, fans of his beverage should note that the distiller’s actual name was “Jack Daniel,” as opposed to “Jack Daniels,” a common mistake likely resulting from years of packaging and marketing containing the phrase “Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey.”The exact date of Daniel’s birth is up for debate, as the original birth certificate and further documentation was destroyed in a courthouse fire. The official company website would have you believe that Jack Daniel was born in 1950, though some records suggest his mother died in 1947, and with no verified cases of posthumous birth on record, the 1950 claim has come into question. The company also claims its original distillery was opened by Daniel in 1966, meaning he was only 16 when he first set up shop. This date has also come into question as land and deed titles would indicate a 1975 official opening. It is commonly believed Daniel was in fact born in 1946. Depending on who you believe, or whether the distillery was operating unsanctioned for its first 9 years, Daniel began his now legendary whiskey operation at either the age of either 20 or 29. Daniel’s life would center around his work as he never married or had children of his own, though he was very close with his nephew, Lem Motlow, who he groomed to take over his distillery, and keep the business in the family. Read More »

When Bill Samuels Sr. sold the family distillery in 1943, one might think the bourbon business would be over for the Kentucky gentleman, but Samuels had no intention of getting out of the whiskey game entirely. What Samuels knew, and what the rest of America would catch up to decades later, is that whiskey needed a facelift, if not a complete reworking as a product. Back in the 40′s and 50′s, well frankly any time before the small batch bourbon revolution, whiskey was seen as a mere means to an end, not something to be enjoyed along the way. The taste was sharp, biting and downright nasty, but much to the chagrin of Samuels and other forward thinking whiskey enthusiasts, this is how the general public enjoyed their whiskey. Whiskey was for men, and not just regular men, manly men, a form of punishment to close out a day of hard work.Samuels, and probably a few others, had an idea in mind, “Why can’t whiskey taste good?” In 1953, Samuels set up shop in Loretto, KY, finally having found the perfect size distillery with which to carry out his whiskey reinvention operation. Allegedly taking a match to his family’s 170-year-old whiskey recipe (Samuels was a 6^th generation whiskey distiller, after all), he set out to tinker with the age old whiskey-making process. A full 5 years later, Samuels emerged with the first bottle of what would become Maker’s Mark whiskey, with its top dipped in the now patented red wax seal. Read More »

Call it “hooch,” call it “white lightning,” call it the original “Mountain Dew,” whatever you call it, Americans have been making moonshine, or illegally distilled liquor, dating back decades, with a particularly heightened interest in the process spiking during the Prohibition Era, from 1920 to 1933. Moonshining is a well known process in mainstream America, easily recognized by its iconic mason jars, used to bottle the product through much of its early years of production. Historically, moonshine has been particularly prevalent in the Appalachian region of the United States, where many people have traditionally operated small scale distilleries providing their very own, albeit contraband, whiskey. In fact, the name “moonshine” stems from the illegal nature of the products manufacturing as unlicensed distillers were forced to work at night time, or “by the light of the moon,” in order to produce their liquor without arousing the suspicion of local law enforcement. Read More »