Devon Trevathan is a freelance trade writer as well as the cofounder and co-owner of Liba Spirits, a nomadic distilling company. She has held a variety of positions related to beverage alcohol: bartender, server, writer, brand ambassador, marketing consultant, tour guide, wine manager. Follow her on Instagram @devlovesbev for updates on the journey of owning a distilling company but mostly pictures of her dog Gilberto.
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As small, independent distillers find more curious consumers, they’re learning how to communicate the technical side of their craft—and it’s driving interest in their spirits.
From mild but aromatic bells to fiery chiles, peppers in spirits can be an outlet for a distiller’s creativity while delivering a wide range of distinctive flavors.
Step aside beer-can chicken. Poultry is the special ingredient that lends a subtle touch to a traditional, distinctly flavorful, small-batch variety of mezcal—the problem is, nobody seems to know why.
There is immediate marketing appeal in having something—a worm, a bug, a piece of fruit, a sliver of wood—floating in a bottle of spirits. There’s also some history and tradition behind the practice … but there are risks.
In the second of a two-part series, we move beyond liqueur production to its context, looking for where these drinks might fit best (and more often) into North American drinking culture.
In this first of a two-part series, Devon Trevathan lays out the basics of what it takes to make a successful liqueur—from choosing a spirit base to flavoring and filtration. The most important ingredient, however, may be trial and error.