The Whiskey Ring Podcast

Ep. 57: The Flatiron Room and Fine & Rare

This week we're celebrating the people who make your night better - the bar managers and whiskey/spirits guides who help you choose that next drink or the next thing to explore. 
Joining me are Darron Foy of The Flatiron Room and Jose Guzman of Fine & Rare, both part of The Goodnight Group in New York City. These are whiskey paradises, high-end speakeasies with whiskey literally lining the walls. 
My favorite part of this interview is learning about how they learn and how the establishments teach their staff. We've all been to liquor stores, bars, retail establishments, where the staff are undertrained on the range of whiskies/liquors available. That's not to disparage, it's just a fact, and it's a recognition that not every place has the resources, time, and interest in investing in their staff like that. 
Goodnight Group puts more into training their staff on what's behind the bar than any place I've heard of or been to. It's insane. They travel to distilleries, to different countries, to experience what they'll be serving. 
These are two of the finest whiskey houses in New York, and two of the best nights out you can have. Make sure to stop by!
_________________
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 and second boxes of samples have already been sent! 
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 Darron Foy and Jose Guzman of The Goodnight Group, The Flatiron Room, and Fine & Rare. 
The Flatiron Room
The Flatiron Room Website
The Flatiron Room Twitter
The Flatiron Room Instagram
The Flatiron Room Facebook
Fine & Rare
Fine & Rare Website
Fine & Rare Twitter
Fine & Rare Instagram
Fine & Rare Facebook
Thanks to our 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. 56: Van Brunt Stillhouse with Founder Daric Schlesselman

Episode 56 brings us back home to Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood, an industrial zone close to the Gowanus canal, to Van Brunt Stillhouse. 
I'm joined by founder and distiller Daric Schlesselman, whose vision for a distillery in Red Hook spans a decade and who has, over that decade, remained true to the small-scale distilling model. Daric is someone driven to experiment - look no further than the White Rye, a reposado-style rye made from 100% New York-grown Danko rye. 
Over all of Van Brunt's product portfolio, Daric uses a dozen different malt styles, multiple mashbills, and varied cask sizes to achieve a uniquely creamy, vanilla-forward flavor profile that I loved. That 10th Anniversary Bourbon linked below is like a cream soda float - heavily spiked, of course!
Check out my tasting notes on some of Van Brunt's products below.
_________________
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 and second boxes of samples have already been sent! 
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 Daric Schlesselman, Founder of Van Brunt Distillery.
Van Brunt Stillhouse
Van Brunt Stillhouse Website
Van Brunt Stillhouse Facebook
Van Brunt Stillhouse Instagram
Van Brunt Stillhouse Twitter
Van Brunt Stillhouse Reviews
Van Brunt Stillhouse White Rye Whiskey Review
Van Brunt Stillhouse 10th Anniversary Bourbon Review
Thanks to our 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. 55: Raj Sabharwal brings Bimber, Amrut, Waterford, Mr. Peat, and Blackadder

Episode 55 is a round-the-world journey with the one and only @whiskyraj, Raj Sabharwal. (It's also the first with our new sponsor, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society!) 
Raj is one of the nicest, most personable guys you'll ever meet in whisky. I met him at - you guessed it - Travel Bar in Brooklyn, NY, where we tasted through a set of Bimber Whiskies, Rest and Be Thankful Rums, and a pair of Japanese whiskies that had me begging for another ounce. 
For this podcast, Raj brought four countries' worth of whiskies - two Amruts from India, Waterford from Ireland, Bimber from England, and Mr. Peat and Blackadder Peat Reek from Scotland. Don't be afraid of those last two - peat can be friendly! Waterford shows off local Irish barley in ways not seen before, and Amrut is what I think of as the classic Indian Single Malt flavor profile. It's a thrilling journey and I know you'll enjoy listening along with us as we taste through. 
Check out my tasting notes on all six pours from Raj below and follow him everywhere @whiskyraj. 
A quick reminder - no episode next week! I'm traveling to Kentucky and Tennessee and will have lots of content (and samples!) to bring back to you the following week. 
_________________
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 and second boxes of samples have already been sent! 
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 the one and only Raj Sabharwal.
Glass Rev Imports and their Imported Brands
Glass Revolution Imports 
Amrut Distillery
Blackadder Independent Bottlers
Waterford Whisky
Mr. Peat
Episode 55 (Raj Sabharwal) Reviews
Amrut Indian Single Malt Review
Amrut Fusion Indian Single Malt Review
Waterford Whisky Organic Gaia 2.1 Review
Bimber London Single Malt Whisky Finished in Ex-Bourbon Casks Review (Coming soon!)
Mr. Peat Whisky Review (Coming soon!)
Blackadder Single Barrel Peat Reek Review (Coming soon!)
Thanks to our 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. 54: Old Line Spirits with Founder Mark McLaughlin

Episode 54 is a trip to Baltimore! Old Line Spirits sits in Highlandtown, Baltimore, producing some of the best American single malt I've had yet. They're not afraid of both using friends to make their whiskey better - distilling the majority of their spirit at Middle West Spirits, where they operated out of for a time during their learning - and exploring new finishes that are familiar yet made new. 
Thank you to Mark McLaughlin and Arch Watkins, co-founders, for their hospitality during my visit and for providing their products for me to try. 
Check out my tasting notes on their Single Malt, Cask Strength Single Malt, and Sauternes-Finish Double Cask Single Malt below.
_________________
Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so. It's Episode 54! 
The $5 tier will have access to the new, Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk about a topic that’s under their skin in whiskey. 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 box of samples has already been sent! 
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 Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski, co-founders of Lost Lantern Whiskey.
Old Line Spirits
Old Line Spirits Website
Old Line Spirits Instagram
Old Line Spirits Facebook
Old Line Spirits Twitter
Old Line Spirits Reviews
Old Line Spirits American Single Malt Whiskey
Old Line Spirits Cask Strength American Single Malt Whiskey
Old Line Spirits American Single Malt Whiskey Sauternes Finish
Thanks to our Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter

Ep.53: Lost Lantern Whiskey

Episode 53 brings a new category to the Whiskey Ring Podcast: American Independent Bottlers. My guests are Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski, co-founders of Lost Lantern Whiskey and independent bottlers of American whiskey from all over the country. 
Both founders have deep whiskey experience, Nora from Astor Wine and Spirits in New York and Adam from Whiskey Advocate, and both wanted to bring the two-century-old Scottish tradition of independent bottling to America. But they're not content bottling the big guys - they want to bottle and bring to market less-known distilleries from underrepresented regions all over the US. 
Just a few of the distilleries they've bottled so far:
- Frey Ranch in Nevada
- Spirit Works in California
- Starlight in Indiana
- Cedar Ridge in Iowa
And, they have their own in-house blend, the American Vatted Malt Edition 1 that brings together 6 distilleries' American single malts into perhaps the first American Blended Malt to seriously enter the market. I loved it. 
Check out my tasting notes on four of their products farther down in this description.
_________________
Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so. It's Episode 53! 
The $5 tier will have access to the new, Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk about a topic that’s under their skin in whiskey. 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 box of samples has already been sent! 
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 Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski, co-founders of Lost Lantern Whiskey.
Lost Lantern Whiskey
Lost Lantern Whiskey Website
Lost Lantern Whiskey Instagram
Lost Lantern Whiskey Facebook
Lost Lantern Whiskey Reviews
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 
Thanks to our Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter

Bonus Update: State of the Podcast!

It's good stuff - All of it. Updates on the Podcast, Patreon, Under the Influencer, Sample Sets/Calendars, Events, Travel, and Sponsors.
 
Thank you to all patrons - you are the core of this engine and I couldn't do it without you.
 
Not a patron yet? Sign up today at patreon.com/whiskeyinmyweddingring

Ep. 52: Middle West Spirits with Co-Founder and Head Distiller Ryan Lang

Episode 52! We're jumping back to the Midwest with Middle West Spirits. Co-founder and head distiller Ryan Lang joins the Whiskey Ring Podcast to talk distilling in Ohio, heavy and light grains, and how to properly pronounce "Michelone".
Middle West puts out some spectacular whiskies, and my favorite of the core lineup might just be their Pumpernickel Rye. 
Don't miss out on the wheat whiskey or the wheated bourbon, though. Middle West Spirits is having the conversation about wheat that other distilleries are having about rye - what can wheat be and what can it bring to the table.  Check out my tasting notes on all their products farther down in this description.
Who knows - Wheat Whiskey might just be the next boom after Rye. 
Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so. It's Episode 52! 
The $5 tier will have access to the new, Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk about a topic that’s under their skin in whiskey. 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 box of samples has already been sent! 
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 listening! Now here’s Ryan Lang, co-founder and head distiller of Middle West Spirits.
Middle West Spirits
Middle West Spirits Website
Middle West Spirits Instagram
Middle West Spirits Facebook
Middle West Spirits Twitter
Middle West Spirits Reviews
Middle West Spirits Straight Wheat Whiskey
Middle West Spirits Straight Wheated Bourbon "Michelone Reserve"
Middle West Spirits Dark Pumpernickel Rye (Coming later today!)
Middle West Spirits Straight Wheated Bourbon "Michelone Reserve" TSR Pick Stagg Smasher
Thanks to our Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter

Ep. 51: Village Garage Distillery

Hey Whiskey Ringers, thanks for tuning in to another episode of the Whiskey Ring Podcast. This week's guests are Glen Sauer and Ryan Scheswohl of Village Garage Distillery in Vermont. 
Village Garage is located in Bennington, VT, within 3 hours of multiple major markets. Despite this, they're starting small and want to stay small, producing what they like and experimenting how they want to. This was a super fun interview - we chat about starting a distillery, operating in a liquor control state, and much more. 
Before we jump into the interview just a few quick notes:
If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so. It's Episode 51! 
The $5 tier will have access to the new, Patreon-only segment called “Under the Influencer”, where some of your favorite YouTubers/Instagrammers/Podcasters and more join me to talk about a topic that’s under their skin in whiskey. 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. 
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 listening! Now here’s Glen and Ryan of Village Garage Distillery.
Village Garage Distillery
Village Garage Distillery Website
Village Garage Distillery Instagram
Thanks to our Sponsor, ImpEx Beverages
https://impexbev.com
ImpEx on Instagram
ImpEx on Facebook
ImpEx on Twitter