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.
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.
Reade Huddleston’s career has bounced back and forth between the brewing and distilling worlds, picking up valuable lessons along the way. Here, he shares important perspectives on packaging RTDs for long-term stability, understanding the impact of water chemistry throughout the distilling process, and more.
Sensory scientist and experienced whiskey blender Ale Ochoa joins Molly to discuss the finer points of developing a palate, articulating flavor and aroma attributes, training a sensory team, testing and validating results, and more.
In this launch episode of the Craft Spirits & Distilling Podcast, hosts Sydney Jones of FEW Spirits and Molly Troupe of Freeland Spirits introduce the podcast and each other with a dive into their favorite distilling techniques.