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.

Sydney Jones Apr 2, 2024 - 3 min read

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

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Master distiller Lisa Wicker may have taken an unconventional path through her career, shifting from wine to distilled spirits, but that’s hardly the only decision she’s made that some might deem unusual. For Wicker, spreading out and exploring adjacent but interesting fields has improved her approach to distilling and blending more than intense focus could’ve done. Now, she pulls on all that background to hone fermentations with atypical grains, tighten distillations, and blend with identifiable character in mind.

In this episode’s conversation with Sydney Jones, Wicker discusses:

  • cold-mashing corn for more characterful distillation
  • using malted rye and barley
  • testing heirloom corn varieties for distilling potential
  • lessons learned from winemaking
  • building through notes in whiskey brands for flavor identities
  • blending with partial barrels to achieve flavor balance
  • blending strategies to soften the edges of younger, wilder whiskies

And more.


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Sydney Jones is the Head Distiller for FEW Spirits in Evanston, IL, and has been working in the distilled spirits industry since 2016. Sydney is also a regular contributor to Artisan Spirit Magazine and American Craft Spirits Association publications, including the newly released e-book, “The ACSA Guide to Starting and Operating a Distillery.”

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