With a Bachelor degree in Chemistry (with an emphasis in forensics) and a Master degree in Brewing and Distilling from the legendary Heriot Watt University, Molly Troupe uses her education and experience to create products focused on localized ingredients and masterful flavor combinations. As Master Distiller and Partner at Freeland Spirits in Portland, Oregon, she has released six different products ranging from gin to whiskey to canned cocktails.
She’s not one for hard and fast rules, instead employing the deep strategies of fine fragrance makers and molecular gastronomy chefs to understand the chemical underpinnings of the layered, nuanced aroma and flavor compounds in her spirits.
Hosts Sydney Jones and Molly Troupe recount some of the most intriguing and thought-provoking episodes of the past year, discuss developments such as the American Single Malt designation, and look toward what 2025 has in store.
The senior spirits blender at Sydney's award-winning Archie Rose shares his perspectives on sensory analysis, blending, and producing distinctive spirits with Australia’s ingredients and climate.
The world of gin, from the creative and technical side to marketing and sales, is experiencing the same flux that’s affecting the broader craft-spirits world. But Ward—veteran spirits journalist, brand builder, and consultant—offers a broad look at the category, from evolving definitions and flavors to breakthrough marketing.
The president of Corning & Company reimagined and reconfigured Sonoma Distilling into a house of brands—some are owned, others are partnerships—but quality and experimentation are still top of mind for this award-winning master distiller.
As blender and manager of blending operations for Barrell, a brand committed to sourcing and blending rather than distilling, Christiansen finds creative ways to marry distinct flavors in whiskey without muddling their individual characters.
Few acquisitions of spirit brands have been as high-profile as Ryan Reynolds’ purchase of the Aviation Gin brand, followed by its sale to Diageo. Yet even before the celebrity-fueled spotlight turned its way, Aviation was the work of an earnest distiller seeking to make the perfect pre-Prohibition-style gin for classic cocktails.
Launching a whiskey distillery is not for the faint of heart. Balancing the timing, financing, logistics, brand building, quality, creative expression, distillery construction, and legacy has left Andy Nelson feeling as much like a jack-of-all-trades as he does a head distiller.
Distilling fruit brandies from whole fruit is a technical and logistical challenge, but for Caitlin Bartlemay, it’s nowhere near as difficult as educating consumers about the process, ingredients, and history of this storied spirit.
The self-styled maker of “irrational fever dreams” and “peasant indulgences” shares his principled yet technical approach to making spirits from unusual ingredients such as carrots, ramen noodles, and more.