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CS&D Podcast Episode 4: Reade Huddleston of Monster Brewing Shares Perspectives on RTDs, Water Quality, 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.

Distiller’s Perspective: Making Craft Whiskey from Craft Beer at Berkshire Mountain

William Winn, operations manager at Berkshire Mountain Distillers in Sheffield, Massachusetts, explains how they got into making whiskey out of beer—eventually leading to their Craft Brewers Whiskey Project—and what they’ve learned from the process. As told to Ryan Pachmayer.

Video Tip: Germinating and Kilning Malt for Craft Distillers

Root Shoot founder Todd Olander and head maltster Mike Myers describe the slow, careful germination process and the kilning temperatures involved in producing high-quality malt for distillers.

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Hedonic Testing: Gauging the Liking of Spirits

While there are limitations—and scoring high on likeability is no guarantee that a product will succeed—properly conducted hedonic testing can be a powerful tool for distillers and others in the beverage business.

Beyond the Burn: Getting Spicy with 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.

Case Study: It’s Grain-and-Grape Ingenuity at Calgary’s Bridgeland

From whiskeys whose grains they can trace to specific Alberta fields to a wine program that feeds ports, brandies, and grappa, Bridgeland Distillery’s DIY flywheel is gaining momentum.

CS&D Podcast Episode 3: Lisa Wicker, Itinerant Distiller, Considers Lessons From Her Past While Looking to the Future

The former president and master distiller for Brooklyn’s Widow Jane took a circuitous route before ending up in distilling, but the lessons in blending, flavor development, and agricultural integration she picked up along the way have informed her approach to distilled spirits to this day.

Zooming in on Craft Shochu

In the second of two articles on the making of soju and shochu, we take a closer look at the all-important koji mold, and we hear from three different producers of shochu—the light spirit that’s been outselling sake in Japan since 2003.

Soju and Shochu: Cousins in Craft Distilling

These two lighter spirits from East Asia have long traditions and remain popular in their home countries, but they are not the same. American drinkers are catching on. In the first of two articles, we look at the differences and then zoom in on craft soju.

CS&D Podcast Episode 2: Ale Ochoa Takes a Scientific Approach to Sensory Evaluation and Whiskey Blending

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.