The Whiskey Ring Podcast

Ep. 78: Tasting Panels! with Monique Huston and Lauren Patz

This week two Whiskey Ring Podcast veterans join me for an all-out chat about tasting panels, spirits competitions, and the stupid and not-so-stupid things producers will put in a competition. 
Here's the winning formula: use water you like, decide on number vs medal beforehand, and trust your palate more than the entrant - you might just know more than they do about their own product. 
Make sure to take a throwback listen to Monique on Episode 60 (all about Sherry) and Lauren on Episode 66 (Redwood Empire)!
_________________
Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so! Only 5 Spots Remain in the Barrel Club.
The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks.
The $25 tier - for people who really want to propel the pod and website forward - will have the same benefits as the $5 tier plus right of first refusal to join me on future barrel picks, access to bottles I'm sent to taste and review, and more. Only 5 spots remain! 
You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up. 
Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings. 
If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website. 
Thanks for reading! Now here’s Monique, Lauren, and I talking all about tasting panels and spirits competitions. 
Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter
Thanks to our Sponsor, Scotch Malt Whisky Society
SMWS Website
SMWS of America Website (Use code WRP for 20% off your membership!)
SMWS/A Facebook
SMWS/A Instagram
SMWS/A Twitter
SMWS/A YouTube

Ep. 77: Liberty Pole Whiskey with Founder Jim Hough

Liberty Pole Spirits - also known as Mingo Creek Distillery - is producing traditional-style bourbons and ryes with the spirit of the Whiskey Rebellion in its veins. Centered around the idea of a liberty pole, the only thing associated with the Rebellion that wasn't already copyrighted, according to founder Jim Hough.
Liberty Poles are symbols of dissent, freedom, and independence, dating back at least to the assassination of Julius Caesar. They were used heavily during revolutions and rebellions throughout the subsequent centuries, including the refusal to pay Hamilton's Whiskey Excise in the 1790s. 
Liberty Pole Spirits leans heavily into the history of the Rebellion and of what is now Washington County, PA (the name, understandably, came later) while incorporating some new themes into their whiskies (peat, anyone?) Between the Bassitt Town whiskey, aged as long as it took to get from Mingo Creek to Pittsburgh (about 12 hours by horse), peated and unpeated bourbons and ryes, and a healthy dose of history, Liberty Pole pays homage to the stories of those who came before. 
Plus, the whiskies are pretty damn good, too. 
_________________
Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so! Only 5 Spots Remain in the Barrel Club.
The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks.
The $25 tier - for people who really want to propel the pod and website forward - will have the same benefits as the $5 tier plus right of first refusal to join me on future barrel picks, access to bottles I'm sent to taste and review, and more. Only 5 spots remain! 
You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up. 
Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings. 
If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website. 
Thanks for reading! Now here’s Jim Hough of Liberty Pole Spirits. 
Liberty Pole Spirits
Liberty Pole Spirits Website
Liberty Pole Spirits on Twitter
Liberty Pole Spirits on Instagram
Liberty Pole Spirits on Facebook
Liberty Pole Spirits Reviews
Liberty Pole Rye Whiskey Review
Liberty Pole Bassitt Town Corn Whiskey Review (coming soon!)
Liberty Pole Peated Bourbon Whiskey Review (coming soon!)
Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter
Thanks to our Sponsor, Scotch Malt Whisky Society
SMWS Website
SMWS of America Website (Use code WRP for 20% off your membership!)
SMWS/A Facebook
SMWS/A Instagram
SMWS/A Twitter
SMWS/A YouTube

Ep. 76: Eifel Whisky with Fred Barnet

In episode 76, we're going back to Continental Europe, somewhere not visited on this podcast for some time. For the first time ever, Germany is now in our sights. 
I first came across Eifel Whisky by pure chance about two years ago. Finding a bottle on an auction site, I tried it, liked it a lot, then put it aside. I can't really remember why I didn't pursue it, but I didn't. Then, in November, again by chance, I found a few bottles on shelves in California. I didn't hesitate a second time. 
Down the rabbit hole I go: I found Fred, who joined to talk about distilling in Germany and the mad scientist Stephan and the cask management miracles he pulls off. There's so much more to explore in German whisky - where better to start than at the far-western edge, and just move east from there?
For more info/questions about Eifel, feel free to reach out to Fred and Anthem Imports at fred@drinkanthem.com!
_________________
Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so! Only 5 Spots Remain in the Barrel Club.
The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks.
The $25 tier - for people who really want to propel the pod and website forward - will have the same benefits as the $5 tier plus right of first refusal to join me on future barrel picks, access to bottles I'm sent to taste and review, and more. Only 5 spots remain! 
You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up. 
Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings. 
If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website. 
Thanks for reading! Now here’s Fred Barnet to chat about Eifel Whisky. 
Eifel Whisky
Eifel Whisky Website
Eifel Whisky on Twitter
Eifel Whisky on Instagram
Eifel Whisky on Facebook
Eifel Whisky Reviews
Eifel German Single Malt Whisky Edition 2021 Review
Eifel German Rye Whisky Edition 2021 Review
Eifel German Duo Malt Peated Whisky 2021 Review (coming soon)
Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter
Thanks to our Sponsor, Scotch Malt Whisky Society
SMWS Website
SMWS of America Website (Use code WRP for 20% off your membership!)
SMWS/A Facebook
SMWS/A Instagram
SMWS/A Twitter
SMWS/A YouTube

Ep. 75: Smashing the Liquor Machine: A Global History of Prohibition with Prof. Mark Lawrence Schrad

Prohibition is a dirty word in our country. It evokes government overreach, failed social legislating, the rise of underground crime and the excesses of the Roaring '20s. As Americans, we also tend to believe that prohibition - lowercase 'p' - was exclusively an American experience. 
In his book, Smashing the Liquor Machine: A Global History of Prohibition, Professor Mark Lawrence Schrad, Director of Russian Studies and Professor of Political Science at Villanova University outlines how this uniquely American experience was anything but. Weaving through the histories of vodka-soaked Russia, beer and schnapps-drinking Central Europe, and the United States, Prof. Schrad demonstrates time and again that American Prohibition was a culmination, not a one-off.
Told through the lenses of the European continent and the many colonies and imperialist conquests forever by alco-colonialism and alco-imperialism, Dr. Schrad's work also reintroduces us to some of history's most famous figures in a new light, now with their prohibitionist and temperance-minded biographies intact. 
In this fascinating interview that despite clocking in at under two hours could've gone three, we explore the themes of the book, what it says about the global history of drinking, and what lessons we must learn from it to truly understand both American and world history. 
_________________
Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so!
The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks.
The $25 tier - for people who really want to propel the pod and website forward - will have the same benefits as the $5 tier plus right of first refusal to join me on future barrel picks, access to bottles I'm sent to taste and review, and more. The first eight boxes of samples have already been sent and only 4 spots remain! 
You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up. 
Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings. 
If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website. 
Thanks for reading! Now here’s my interview with Dr. Schrad on Smashing the Liquor Machine. 
Mark Lawrence Schrad
Smashing the Liquor Machine: A Global History of Prohibition
Dr. Mark Lawrence Schrad | Villanova Profile
Dr. Mark Lawrence Schrad on Instagram
Dr. Mark Lawrence Schrad on Twitter
Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter
Thanks to our Sponsor, Scotch Malt Whisky Society
SMWS Website
SMWS of America Website (Use code WRP for 20% off your membership!)
SMWS/A Facebook
SMWS/A Instagram
SMWS/A Twitter
SMWS/A YouTube

Ep. 74: Stranger & Stranger with Founder Kevin Shaw

Have you ever stood in a liquor store just looking at the labels? How about watching your favorite show and knowing what bottles are what based on shape alone? Have you ever bought a bottle based on the aesthetics alone? How about decanters and the like? 
We usually talk about what's inside the bottle on this podcast, but today we're flipping the script. Companies like Stranger & Stranger are responsible for bottle design, labels, and the overall packaging that make products stand out on shelves of hundreds of competitors. 
Kevin Shaw, Stranger & Stranger founder, talks through brand formation, creating a look that's iconic and representative, and the briefings from Snoop Dogg. Need a list of companies they've worked with? Try this: Compass Box, Jack Daniels, El Tesoro, Dewars, Howling Head, Powers, Ferrand, Hirsch, Bakers, Castle & Key, Beefeater, Don Papa Rum, Aberfeldy, and 19 Crimes, just to name a few of the 7,000 products they've worked on. 
_________________
Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so!
The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks.
The $25 tier - for people who really want to propel the pod and website forward - will have the same benefits as the $5 tier plus right of first refusal to join me on future barrel picks, access to bottles I'm sent to taste and review, and more. The first eight boxes of samples have already been sent and only 4 spots remain! 
You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up. 
Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings. 
If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website. 
Thanks for reading! Now here’s Kevin Shaw of Stranger & Stranger.
Stranger & Stranger
Stranger & Stranger Website
Stranger & Stranger on Instagram
Stranger & Stranger on Facebook
Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter
Thanks to our Sponsor, Scotch Malt Whisky Society
SMWS Website
SMWS of America Website (Use code WRP for 20% off your membership!)
SMWS/A Facebook
SMWS/A Instagram
SMWS/A Twitter
SMWS/A YouTube

Ep. 73: Lochlea Distillery with John Campbell

Lochlea Distillery sits on the Lowlands in Ayrshire, Scotland, producing whisky on the same farm Robert Burns tended over two centuries ago. For now, it's small scale, but behind that small scale is a world-class team. 
When Lochlea was founded, the team brought in Malcolm Rennie, a long-time Islay veteran to build and design the internal functions. They played around with multiple fermentations, multiple yeasts, and more, searching for the house character they wanted to achieve. 
Towards the end of 2021, Lochlea scored another win, bringing Laphroaig's former Master Distiller John Campbell in to oversee the next phase of Lochlea's growth. They're down to one fermentation, one yeast strain, and are playing with cask finishings to enhance their whisky. 
In writing my first review of the Sowing Edition, I was skeptical of how the whisky could be that good that soon, but there it was. In talking with John, it's clear he has a vision for Lochlea long into the future (we're talking 10-15 years) - if it's that good at three years, I can't wait to see what happens next. 
_________________
Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so!
The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks, including one coming up in partnership with the This is my Bourbon Podcast. 
The $25 tier - for people who really want to propel the pod and website forward - will have the same benefits as the $5 tier plus right of first refusal to join me on future barrel picks, access to bottles I'm sent to taste and review, and more. The first eight boxes of samples have already been sent and only 4 spots remain! 
You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up. 
Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings. 
If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website. 
Thanks for reading! Now here’s John Campbell of Lochlea Distillery.
Lochlea Distillery
Lochlea Distillery Website
Lochlea Distillery on Instagram
Lochlea Distillery on Facebook
Lochlea Distillery on Twitter
Reviews
Lochlea Distillery Sowing Edition First Crop
Lochlea Distillery Our Barley First Edition 
Lochlea Distillery Harvest Edition First Crop
Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter
Thanks to our Sponsor, Scotch Malt Whisky Society
SMWS Website
SMWS of America Website (Use code WRP for 20% off your membership!)
SMWS/A Facebook
SMWS/A Instagram
SMWS/A Twitter
SMWS/A YouTube

Ep. 72: Traverse City Whiskey Co. with Founder Chris Fredrickson

Traverse City Whiskey Co. (TCWC) was started as both a hobby and a business by Chris Fredrickson and a couple of friends. They started as many do, by buying aged MGP and selling it while building their own distillery. 
A decade later, depending on the product, the MGP percentage is at 10%, or even lower. What they are buying from MGP - when they buy - is unaged distillate to their own specifications and needs. Their rye blends their own Michigan-distilled 100% rye with MGP's 95/5, for example. 
Traverse City is also the cherry capital of the world, something Chris knows as a third-generation cherry farmer. Montmorency, Balaton, sour or sweet, Chris and TCWC know their cherries. The cocktail cherries are an in-house recipe and the only cherries I use in my cocktails, and the annual Cherry Whiskeyfest they throw is not to be missed. 
The best part - my favorite part - of TCWC is that each product is for a different audience. The Barrel Proof whiskies aren't simply out-of-the-barrel versions of the lower proof ones; they're aged longer and in different parts of the warehouse. Their North Coast Rye is closer to a 50/50 mix of MGP and TCWC distillate, not a proofed-down Barrel Proof Rye. Targeting consumers is nothing new - targeting them in a way that differentiates you is. 
_________________
Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so!
The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks, including one coming up in partnership with the This is my Bourbon Podcast. 
The $25 tier - for people who really want to propel the pod and website forward - will have the same benefits as the $5 tier plus right of first refusal to join me on future barrel picks, access to bottles I'm sent to taste and review, and more. The first seven boxes of samples have already been sent and only 4 spots remain! 
You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up. 
Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings. 
If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website. 
Thanks for reading! Now here’s Chris Fredrickson of Traverse City Whiskey Company.
Traverse City Whiskey Co.
Traverse City Whiskey Co. Website
Traverse City Whiskey Co. on Instagram
Traverse City Whiskey Co. on Facebook
Traverse City Whiskey Co. on Twitter
Reviews
Traverse City Whiskey Company Barrel Proof Rye
Traverse City Whiskey Company Barrel Proof Straight Wheat Whiskey
Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter
Thanks to our Sponsor, Scotch Malt Whisky Society
SMWS Website
SMWS of America Website (Use code WRP for 20% off your membership!)
SMWS/A Facebook
SMWS/A Instagram
SMWS/A Twitter
SMWS/A YouTube

Bonus Episode 4: 2022 Craft Whiskey Roundtable

It's the end of the year, the beginning of a new one, and time for some (maybe) accurate prognostications for what's coming down the line. 
At the suggestion of Devin Ershow from American Mash & Grain and Borrowed Page Whiskey, John Hughes of EmbellishPod and I co-hosted a roundtable to talk about what's happening now in Craft Whiskey (you'll need to listen to find out what our guests think this means). We were joined by: 
Devin Ershow and Chase Langdon of American Mash & Grain and Borrowed Page Whiskey
Nora Ganley-Roper of Lost Lantern
Blake Riber of Seelbach's
Colin Spoelman of Kings County Distillery
To watch the video version, head over to EmbellishPod's YouTube channel. 
____________________________________________________________
Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so!
The $5 tier has access to the Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk whiskey, life, and influencing. This tier will also have priority access to upcoming barrel picks, including one coming up in partnership with the This is my Bourbon Podcast. 
The $25 tier - for people who really want to propel the pod and website forward - will have the same benefits as the $5 tier plus right of first refusal to join me on future barrel picks, access to bottles I'm sent to taste and review, and more. The first seven boxes of samples have already been sent and only 4 spots remain! 
You can still support for as little as $1 a month if you’d like to stay up to date with these changes and news about what we’ve got coming up. 
Finally, please do like and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you’re listening - it really helps the Whiskey Ring Podcast move up the rankings. 
If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website. 
Thanks for reading! Now here’s 2022's Craft Whiskey Roundtable.
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Co-Host: 
John Hughes, EmbellishPod
@EmbellishPod on all social media platforms
Embellish Podcast on Youtube
Guests: 
American Mash & Grain
American Mash & Grain Website
American Mash & Grain on Facebook
American Mash & Grain on Instagram
American Mash & Grain on Twitter
Borrowed Page Whiskey Volume 1 Review 
Lost Lantern Whiskey
Lost Lantern Whiskey Website
Lost Lantern Whiskey Instagram
Lost Lantern Whiskey Facebook
Lost Lantern American Vatted Malt Whiskey Edition No. 1
Lost Lantern 2022 Single Cask #4: Spirit Works California Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in a Sloe Gin Cask
Lost Lantern 2022 Single Cask #6: Frey Ranch
Lost Lantern 2021 Single Cask #1: Cedar Ridge 
Blake Riber
Seelbachs and Bourbonr
www.bourbonr.com
@bourbonr on all social media platforms
www.seelbachs.com
____________________________________________________________
Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter
Thanks to our Sponsor, Scotch Malt Whisky Society
SMWS Website
SMWS of America Website (Use code WRP for 20% off your membership!)
SMWS/A Facebook
SMWS/A Instagram
SMWS/A Twitter
SMWS/A YouTube