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Why Distilling a Dairy By-Product May Be a Whey Forward
It may sound cheesy, but some American distillers are joining a trend from overseas—fermenting and distilling spirits with whey.
It may sound cheesy, but some American distillers are joining a trend from overseas—fermenting and distilling spirits with whey. <a href="https://spiritsanddistilling.com/why-distilling-a-dairy-by-product-may-be-a-whey-forward/">Continue reading.</a>
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Photo: Courtesy TMK Creamery and Distillery
Wheyskey, anyone? Or perhaps some Cowcohol?
It’s not the most obvious ingredient for spirits, but distilling with whey—the watery liquid left once curds have formed from milk, a key step in the cheesemaking process—is a more established practice than many people realize.
A variety of whey-based spirits have been appearing in recent years on store shelves and in online shops, from vodka to aquavit to, yes, Wheyskey, a barrel-aged spirit from Oregon-based brand Wheyward Spirit. While some small distilleries in Europe and Down Under have been using whey over the past several years, it appears to be only recently catching on in the United States.
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Louis Livingston-Garcia has worked as lead storyteller for Crafted for All, a consulting firm and professional development platform that fosters inclusive, equitable, and just spaces and experiences in the craft-beverage sector. He also helms the Tulip and Schooner beer and spirit newsletter for Heavy Table, which creates culinary stories for Minnesota and beyond.
