A Revolutionary War spy network, a family-owned Long Island distillery, and a Bourbon steeped with black tea.

This week, I'm joined by Mark and Ben Grindel of Spy Trail Distillery to explore the history behind their name and the business they've built around it.

Mark explains how a casual visit to a distillery in North Carolina eventually led him to sell his manufacturing business and pursue distilling. We discuss his Holstein still, sourcing and blending Bourbon while their own whiskey matures, using Hungarian oak barrels, and producing vodka from Long Island wine.

Ben introduces The Cipher Room, their separate cocktail lounge, where drinks inspired by the Culper Spy Ring incorporate local ingredients and historical stories.

We also discuss AMC's TURN: Washington's Spies, the mystery of Agent 355, the role of ordinary Long Islanders in George Washington's intelligence network, and ways to explore the history in person.

Plus, I taste Spy Trail's Black Tea Bourbon and discover how an experiment intended for a summer drink became a regular part of the lineup.

For show notes and more Whiskey Lore Interviews, visit whiskeylore.org/interviews.

What does it take to capture the flavors of Scotland in a bottle? In this episode, Drew Hannush sits down with Highland Park's Martin Markvardsen, who is celebrating 20 years with the Orkney distillery, to explore the history, people, place, and process behind one of Scotland's most complex single malts. From heather-rich Orkney peat and island maturation to the stories of illicit distillers and Martin's own unlikely journey into whisky, discover what makes Highland Park taste unmistakably like Highland Park.

• Why Orkney peat tastes different
• Peaty versus smoky: is there a difference?
• Why PPM doesn't tell the whole story
• Does sea air really affect aging whisky?
• How Orkney dramatically reduces the angel's share
• The illicit distiller behind Highland Park
• Why Highland Park still floor malts
• Can stainless steel replace wooden washbacks?
• Tasting whisky through memories, not flavor notes
• The best time to visit Orkney

SHOW NOTES: whiskeylore.org/interviews

JOIN THE SPEAKEASY: patreon.com/whiskeylore

Who was it that came up with the 51% rule and the modern rules for straight whiskey in America?

Meet today's legend on the latest episode of Whiskey Lore's Hall of Legends.

Episode 144: REDWOOD EMPIRE (Jeff Duckhorn and Lauren Patz)

What happens when a California whiskey maker approaches Bourbon, rye, and single malt with the mindset of a winemaker?

Drew Hannush welcomes Redwood Empire Master Distiller Jeff Duckhorn and Head Distiller and Master Blender Lauren Patz for a conversation about the distillery's evolution from a small operation in Sonoma County to a growing American whiskey producer. They explore the advantages of sourcing and blending whiskey from multiple distilleries, the influence of Northern California's climate on maturation, and why Redwood Empire favors a softer, more nuanced approach to American whiskey.

Along the way, Jeff and Lauren explain the stories behind their tree-inspired whiskey names, including Pipe Dream, Emerald Giant, Lost Monarch, and the new wheated Bourbon, Colonel Armstrong. They also discuss the growing American Single Malt category and their experiments with specialty malts.

The conversation culminates in a tasting of Hyperion, Redwood Empire's ambitious new blend of Bourbon, rye, wheat whiskey, and American Single Malt. Named for the world's tallest known living tree, Hyperion brings together some of the distillery's oldest sourced and self-produced whiskeys in a release designed to showcase the possibilities of blending.

• How Redwood Empire grew out of a Northern California wine business

• Jeff Duckhorn and Lauren Patz's different paths into whiskey production

• Why Redwood Empire embraced sourcing whiskey from the beginning

• The transition from its original Headframe still to a larger Vendome column still

• How California's relatively temperate climate affects whiskey maturation

• Why the distillery favors complexity, balance, and a softer drinking experience

• The living redwood trees behind the names Pipe Dream, Emerald Giant, Lost Monarch, and Colonel Armstrong

• How a four-state, four-grain blend creates the flavor of Pipe Dream Bourbon

• Why Colonel Armstrong uses 30% wheat in its Bourbon mash bill

• The role of wheat in softening and balancing Emerald Giant Rye

• How specialty malts are helping define American Single Malt whiskey

• Tasting Hyperion, a blend of four different American whiskey styles

• Redwood Empire's plans for tours, tastings, and educational experiences on Mare Island

Enjoy the complete 73-minute conversation with Jeff and Lauren, including additional discussions about maritime influence on maturation, barrel char and stave seasoning, and the role of wheat in whiskey.

The extended interview is available to Whiskey Lore Speakeasy members, with a seven-day free trial at Patreon.com/whiskeylore.

📍 Redwood Empire
Mare Island, Vallejo, California

Learn more about Redwood Empire's whiskeys and current visitor experiences at RedwoodEmpireWhiskey.com.

Hero on one side of the border, villain on the other. Meet the second inductee into the Whiskey Lore Hall of Legends.

Welcome to the conclusion of Chapter 3 of The Lost History of Bourbon. Today, we will conclude our investigation into Rep. Virgin Chapman's claim that Jacob Spears of Bourbon County built the first distillery west of the Alleghenies and made the first straight Bourbon whiskey.

We're on the edge of the Whiskey Revolution and a developing of markets for Bourbon whiskey. And we're still in the 18th century. Hold on folks. There is a lot of Bourbon history that has never been fully told. You'll hear it in these rough draft episodes from my upcoming book The Lost History of Bourbon.

Welcome to a new series, where we meet whiskey legends who helped bring us the spirits we know and love today.

Today, you'll meet our first inductee. Stay tuned for details on how you can help determine future Whiskey Lore Hall of Legend inductees.

Support my mission to bring real history to whiskey fans: patreon.com/whiskeylore

Welcome to another packed episode of whiskey knowledge from the origins of Bourbon. The frontier is being settled, the word Bourbon reaches Kentucke Country, and now it's time to dig deeper into early distilling. In the first part of Chapter 3, we'll dig into the story of one of the candidates for first distiller. If you know me, you know how I feel about claiming firsts, so expect a skeptical take. Then, we'll head toward finding a market for all of this whiskey as we arrive at the second half of the chapter.

It's a unique take on Bourbon history and a rare opportunity to hear the rough draft of a history book as it is being written.

Enjoy!

Drew Hannush