Like so many of us, Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton has a fondness for Tequila, but also, like many of us, he understands the advantages of imbibing less. 

But finding a good non-alc Tequila is not as simple as it sounds. So Hamilton did the next logical thing - he created his own. 

In an endeavour to honour the tradition and craft of real Tequila, he partnered with Casa Lumbre, an innovative Mexican spirit company and its distiller and co-owner Ivan Saldaña. 

The two them crafted Almave, which is marketed as the first non-alcoholic blue agave-based spirit distilled in Jalisco Mexico. 

The liquid has been designed to provide an alcohol-free alternative without compromising traditional tequila's authentic taste and cultural essence.

To find out more, we talk to the distiller and co-owner of Casa Lumbre about Blue Agave and retaining the taste of Blue Agave without fermentation. 

What if you could capture the essence of a rugged Scottish island in a bottle? Join us as we journey to Islay, Scotland, with Adam Hannett, the head distiller at Bruichladdich Distillery, to explore the bold new expression of The Botanist gin—Distiller's Strength.

By increasing the alcohol content to 50%, this limited edition gin accentuates its juniper core while preserving the fine balance of 22 native botanicals. Hannett highlights the importance of exploration and innovation in cocktail creation, inspiring bartenders and gin enthusiasts to push the boundaries of their craft with Islay's finest.

Step into the enchanting world of Islay's botanicals with us as we uncover the nostalgic ties to plants and honor the legacy of master distiller Jim McEwan through the artistry involved in bottling Islay’s unique aromas and flavors.

This episode is not just a celebration of tradition but a testament to the endless possibilities of gin crafting, showcasing The Botanist's commitment to innovation and respect for the timeless beauty of Islay’s landscapes.

Whether you're a gin aficionado or new to the spirit, this conversation with Adam Hannett, Head Distiller at Bruichladdich Distillery, where the Botanist is made, promises a taste of something truly special.

To find out more go to thebotanist.com/

Or buy a bottle with our affiliate link 

New Orleans has a long tradition of being the gateway between US Bourbon and the rest of the world. And Chicken Cock, being one of the oldest Whiskey brands in the US, has had a long association with the city. 

Even before he started Chicken Cock Whiskey, original founder James A. Miller was shipping barrels of his coveted whiskey down to the ‘Big Easy’ in the 1830s. So it's no surprise that Chicken Cock has been shipping a very special expression down south for this year's New Orleans Bourbon Festival. 

A limited-edition, created in collaboration with the festival, the brand's Single Barrel Double Oak Kentucky Whiskey has been aged for nine years—the final two in new American White Oak with a level four char. 

We caught up with Master Distiller Gregg Snyder to discuss the expression and what it's like to create a liquid designed to live up to the legends of the city, the festival, and the brand. 

Bitters are often underrated and undervalued, but they are very much the work horse of any cocktail bar. 

Often paralleled with seasonings such as salt and pepper in cooking, bitters often add that perfect accent to the drinks in which they are included.

Canadian bitters company, The Bittered Sling, have recently released their bitters in a gift pack with 30-mL bottles of each of their six bitters. 

To discuss flavors, terroir, and all things bitters, but of course especially what cocktails they should be used in, we're here with one of The Bittered Sling’s founders and cocktailian extraordinary, Lauren Mote.

Although not as widely popular as her sister spirits, good quality rums are beginning to make an impact in the world of craft distilling. 

Utilising flavour and unique distilling methods, craft rum and cane spirits are re-introducing a new generation of drinkers to the spirit and encouraging them to think (and particularly drink) differently

To discuss craft distilling, the future of rum and the fact that you shouldn’t be afraid of their new Spiced Cane Spirit, we talk to Alexander Bell from Milton Rum Distillery. 

As the world of craft spirits continues to change and evolve, so has the world of craft mixers. 

The leader of the pack, Fever Tree has recently brought out three new flavours that centre on the humble Ginger Root. These new expressions, smoky ginger ale, spiced orange ginger ale and a ‘refreshingly light’ version of their premium ginger ale, open up a whole new subcategory. 

To discuss these developments and what they mean to your home bar, we talk with Fever-Tree USA CEO Charles Gibb. 

You might think there are enough Gins on the market but a new gin, Tod & Vixen's Dry Gin 1651, which has just been released by the Vale Fox Distillery in upstate New York, has done things a little bit differently. They have created a gin that has been specifically designed to be a good base for a cocktail. 

Made in consultation with three top bartenders - gaz regan, Leo Robitschek, and Jeffrey Morgenthaler - the gin is made with botanicals including juniper and angelica root without chill filtration to “retain these robust flavours”.

We talk to founder Eral Gokgol-Kline about working with bartenders, the adventurers of foxes and what makes a good cocktail gin. 

While high-alcohol spirits have stolen the spotlight for the last century, Liqueurs are often  relegated to the dark corners. Yet Liqueurs are a crucial ingredient for bartenders and most well balenced cocktails. 

By using the produce of Australian farmers, Marionette are not only shining a light on the fine tradition of liqueurs but also the farmers that produce the fruits, nut, herbs and spices that go into them. 

The brand has six liqueurs, all designed with the modern bartender in mind. 

We speak to Nick Tesar from Marionette about their range, the farmers that grow their produce and some of the cocktails that work well with these fruity concoctions. 

If you’ve ever heard the expression 'Dutch Courage', it refers to the dutch national spirit Genever, which the English soldiers would swig just before battle when fighting alongside the Dutch in the late 1500s.

Often dismissed as just an old version of Gin, Genever is actually a distilled malted spirit so is actually closer to an unaged Whiskey. 

Genever is one of those spirits that could easily have been lost to history if it wasn’t for brands such as Old Duff that has revived two of the original recipes.  

To understand more about this spirit, we talk to the founder of Old Duff Genever, Philip Duff about the history of the spirit, what cocktails it works well in and why old Duff is worth having on your home bar. 

As you reach for your bottle of craft Gin this evening to make your G&T, it's more likely than ever that you'll also be reaching for a craft tonic water to go with it. With so many craft spirits on the market, craft tonic waters and mixers are now really coming into their own. 

As consumers look to better quality mixers to elevate their favour libation, a recent entry into the mixer category, Artisan Craft Mixers are looking to do things differently and are making quite a splash in the process. 

We talk to Mikey Enright from Artisan about tonic water, cocktails and their Violet Bloom expression. 

Inspired by stories of mystery, magic and mayhem from the historic Liberties area, the Dublin Liberties Distillery has created whiskey ingrained in the mythology of an area once known as Hell.

The two expressions that the distillery has just released in Australia tell stories as old as Dublin itself. Oak Devil takes inspiration from the carved figure that once stood watch over the entrance to the Liberties, while Copper Alley, refers to the oldest street in Dublin, named after the coin that was first minted there in the 17th century. 

To understand a little more about these expressions, we talk to Darryl McNally Master Distiller of The Dublin Liberties Distillery about the rersurgence of Irish Whiskey, whiskey cocktails and the future of what is now the fastest growing spirit in the world. 

It's a common misconception that all Vodka are created equal but with the release of their Single estate expressions, Bbelvedere Vodka are trying to show that this neutral spirit is anything but tasteless.

The two vodkas, made with Rye grown in the Smogóry Forest and Lake Bartężek areas of Poland, has been crafted to capture the distinctive character of these particular terroirs.

As the Vodka catagory begins to regain momentum, we talk to Brian Stewart from Belvedere Vodka to get a better understanding of terroir in Vodka, Vodka cocktails and the future of this neutral spirit. 

As El Mayor prepares to export its Tequila to Europe, we caught up with the brand's Master Distiller and Brand Ambassador, Grace Gonzalez, to find out more about its liquid. 
Grace, a guardian of her family's fourth-generation distilling wisdom, distills the essence of crafting tequila that resonates with aficionados and newcomers alike (and gives insight into how you can pair it with everything from sushi to steak). 
We traverse the landscape of agave fields, uncovering the meticulous care that goes into each bottle, and discuss how El Mayor's dedication to quality is capturing the hearts of an audience with an ever-refined palate. 
As we talk, you'll become privy to the nuances of their signature tequilas, from the crisp notes of the Blanco to the aged elegance of the Extra Añejo, each telling its own story of heritage and flavor.

Aperitivo hour is thought by Italians to be the most magical of the day. But it's not only Amaro liqueurs that Italian have been drinking in the twilight hours. Historically, Rosolio liqueurs were once extreamly popular but went out of fashion with the rise of Vermouth. 

Giuseppe Gallo wanted to bring this style of liqueur back and recerate it for modern taste. He therfore created Italicus. Promoted as a sip of Italy, Italicus is made from Italian Bergamot and selected Italian Botanicals in the style of a Rosolio.

We talk to Haley Forest, the US brand ambassador for Italicus about the importantance of 
Aperitivo culture to modern cocktails, the botanicals in their Rosolio and what it was like to win Best New Spirits Cocktail Ingredient at Tales of the Cocktail on the liqueurs release. 

Nothing sums up the spirit of the Miami, better than the flavours of Coconuts and Rum, but most coconut rums have suffered from the stigma of tasting more like suntan lotion than a high quality sipping rum. 

Brother and sister team, Mike and Dani Zig, are turning the flavoured Rum world on its head by using high-quality, aged, Guatemalan Rum and Coconut Water to show just how good a coconut rum can taste. 

We talk to the duo about their brand Coconut Cartel, about Central American Rum and how their brand became a favourite of celebrities by smuggling coconuts in their luggage. 

Bartending has a long tradition of Brandy Cocktails and the new Brandy blend, Bertoux Brandy, is dubbed as a Brandy created specifically for cocktails. 
The brand has just been nominated in the top four at Tales Of The Cocktail within the Best New Spirit Or Cocktail Ingredient category.
We talk to Jeff Bell, whose name you may also know from legendary New York cocktail bar Please Don't Tell, about Brandy Cocktails and why it was time to blend a cocktail orientated Brandy.  

The heavy metal band Metallica may be best known for their music but their newly released whiskey, Blackened, is making some noise as well. Using a unique technique called 'sonic enhancement', the whiskey is gaining a solid reputation beyond its celebrity status. We talk to Rob Dietrich the newly appointed Head Distiller from Blackened about the band's involvement, taking up the mantle from a legend and of course the whiskey itself. 

Best known for its starring role in the Hurricane Cocktail, Fassionola Syrup is probably the best syrup you've never heard of. Used widely in Tiki drinks in the 1940s & 1950s, the recipe is commonly believed to be lost. We talk to Jason Crawley from Crawley's Simple Syrups about recreating an iconic syrup and how it can be used in cocktails today. 

If the trend for non-alcoholic cocktails becoming more socially acceptable and widely available, we talk to Claire Warner from the UK's Æcorn. Sister brand to Seedlip. Æcorn is a new Aperitif range that is based on 17th Century herbal remedies that have been reimagined for modern tastes. Using a base of verjus, with added herbs, roots and even acorns, the range has been designed to create pre-dinner drinks that awaken the appetite.

If you've ever had a Gin cocktail while on a plane and thought it didn't taste quite right, you're not alone. Pickering's Gin has created a new Gin (in conjunction with British Airways) that transcends this problem and is just as tasty on the ground as it is at 20,000 feet.  We ask Head Distiller, Matt Gammell, how they did it, why it works and what cocktails work with it really well.  

As coffee culture has given rise to some classy new coffee liqueurs, we talk to Vanessa Wilton, founder of Manly Spirits about their Blackfin expression. We ask about the name, discuss what makes Blackfin different from other Coffee Liqueurs and, of course, talk about what cocktails you can make. 

As the world's palettes become a little more bitter, we talk to Brendan Carter from Applewood Distillery about Økar. While some people may be confused by an Australian Amaro, Carter explains that are native botanicals are well suited for a more bitter taste. yet the cocktails that Økar works best with are, surprisingly, on the more Tiki side of the drinks spectrum. 

With so many Gins around, we talk to Adam Carpenter, from Australian Gin brand Prohibition Liquor Co, about their Bathtub Gin expression. We ask Carpenter to explain an overproof Gin, why it was created and in what cocktails it can be used. Additionally, we discuss Gin in South Australia, whether Australian Gin should be a category and whether consumers should buy spirits based on their awards. 

With Laws recently winning the title of 'World's Best Small batch Bourbon', we thought it was a good time to talk with founder, Al Laws, to talk about the very niche yet thriving world of heritage grain whiskey.  

While heritage grain may sound high brow, for distillers like Laws, who started Laws Whiskey House in Colorado more than a decade ago, heritage is all about unique flavour profiles.  

As Laws prepares to start the year with a series of new releases, we talk to him about grains, small-scale distilling and the faith required in every step of the whiskey-making process.

So whether you're a whiskey aficionado or a curious novice, you'll be enticed by the Colorado terroir at the heart of Laws Whisky House.

As Vermouth comes back into favour, we talk to Mark Ward, from Australian Vermouth brand Regal Rogue, about their Bold Red expression. As a 'dry' red vermouth, Bold Red often has people a little confused, so we ask Ward to explain why it was created, what flavours dominate it and in what cocktails it can be used. Additionally, we discuss the future of Aperitifs, new world Vermouth and the brands' soon-to-be-released organic wine based Vermouth. 

Join the conversation as we uncover the craft behind Seedlip's new groundbreaking non-alcoholic spirit, Notas de Agave, with none other than the visionary founder himself, Ben Branson. 

Tune in as Branson discusses the meticulous creation process, the hurdles the brand faced to achieve the perfect harmony of lime, prickly pear, and peppercorn. 

Tailored to, and available exclusively in, the US, Notas de Agave is a versitile  non-alc , that works equally well in a Margarita, as it does a Sour or Tiki style drink. 

With the likes of Regé-Jean Page adding a splash of celebrity allure to the Seedlip experience, this episode a must-listen for anyone intrigued by the evolving landscape of non-alcoholic spirits.

We thought we would start our podcast year off by talking to one of Scotland's best-known no-alc distilled spirits, Feragaia. 

You've probably seen a lot about no and low-alc spirits through dry January, but if the 2024 Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report is to be believed, you're about to hear a lot more. 

The report predicts that the sector will skyrocket by 67% to a value of 359 million by 2026 and that consumers will increasingly seek no and low alternatives year-round. 

So, with that in mind, we talked to Bill Garnock, one of the founders of Feragaia, about botanicals, experimentation and what it means to distil the wild earth.

There can be no argument that Tequila is having a moment. There are so many brands competing for shelf space that it's fair to say that there is a Tequila out there for everyone. 

In fact, according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, Tequila’s popularity has risen to such an extent that they predict it is set to overtake Vodka this year. 

But what does it take to set up a tequila brand in 2023? And is there still room for new brands to make an impact in the market?

To find out more, we talk to Drake Screws, founder of the Tequila brand La Caza about establishing a brand, the insatiable consumer appetite for the spirit and fermenting to classical music. 

To find out more, go to https://lacazaspirits.com

Many a Bourbon distillery has found favour with the public through the stories they tell. 
And considering that many of those distilleries are located in Kentucky, it’s unsurprising that those stories often involved a horse. But when you combine bourbon, a horse and a sea journey across the Atlantic to the UK, there is only one distillery that can tell that particular story, and that’s Never Say Die. 
You see, while Never Say Die is distilled and initially aged in Kentucky, its whiskey-laden barrels are then sent across the sea for a final maturation in England. 
And where does the horse come in? Well, that ocean journey follows in the hoof-steps of the brand’s namesake, the first American-bred colt to win the Epsom Derby in 73 years back in the mid-1950s. 
To find out more, we talk to Never Say Die co-founder Martha Dalton about tariffs, thoroughbreds and ageing whiskey at sea.
For more information on Never Say Die, go to  https://neversaydiebourbon.com

With nature as its backdrop and the exploration of flavour as its aim, Sweden's Purity Distillery is gaining a reputation for creating liquids that are as flawless as its name implies. 

The brand, probably best known for its Vodka, has just added adds Organic Craft Nordic Dry Gin to its portfolio. Offering a long flavour profile that lasts in the mouth, the gin pushes boundaries with a unique blend of juniper, thyme, basil, coriander, lingonberries, blueberries, lavender, cardamom and angelica. 

 So, crack open a bottle of your favourite tonic and join us as we chat with the master blender and CEO of Purity Distillery, Mathias Tönnesson, as he discusses flavour, organic farming and the love that goes into every bottle they produce. 

For more information, go to https://www.puritydistillery.com

Get set for an Irish whiskey-laden adventure with Alex Chasko, the master distiller at Teeling Whiskey. 

Discover the Wonders of Wood series, an exploration of how different woods, from American Chinkapin Oak to European Portuguese oak, influence whiskey flavours. 

Alex pulls the curtain back on these stunning flavour profiles, giving us a tantalizing glimpse into the fascinating world of whiskey making. 

And it's not just about the flavours - we tackle how online tastings during the COVID-19 lockdown broke down barriers and opened up whiskey lovers to more adventurous experiences. 

In our chat, we also touch upon Teeling's commitment to environmental stewardship through its partnership with the Tree Council of Ireland. With an eye on sustainability, Alex shares the company's efforts in returning forests to areas around Dublin. 

We delve into the future of Teeling and explore how the brand is flipping the script on this traditional spirit and looking to change perceptions around Irish Whiskey. 

So join us for this captivating journey and don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe on iTunes!

When you think of the terroir of the Speyside region in Scotland, your mind very easily goes to the flavours and terroir of Whisky, but what if those same notes you love could actually come through in a Gin? 

That's what we talk about with Kara Anderson, Global Brand Lead for Tulchan Gin.  A recent addition to the Gin market, Tulchan has been created on the banks of the River Spey in the grounds of Tulchan Estate. 

She shares the fascinating story of how a team of flavour experts walked the land of the Estate to create a bespoke list of botanicals that not only reflect the terroir of the land and also make this gin simply extraordinary. 

She goes on to talk about the distillation process and shares some of the cocktail recipes created for the brand by renowned bartender Salvatore Calabrese. 

So, don't miss this intriguing conversation about the world of Tulchan Gin and the distinct flavours of the Speyside region. 

While we’d be hard-pressed to believe that cocktail syrups are the Elixir Vitae or ‘elixir of immortality,’ spoken about in ancient Alchemy, for lovers of tropical drinks, Falernum is not far off. 

So it’s unsurprising that US Premium Cocktail Syrups brand, Liquid Alchemist has just launched their own Falernum, the most recent addition to their stable of flavours. 

To find out more, we talk to a modern version of an alchemist, former bartender and Liquid Alchemy founder Randy Tarlow about flavour, tropical cocktails and the importance of Syrups to the balance of a good drink. 

Ready to immerse yourself in the luxurious world of Camus Cognac? Join us and our guest, US Ambassador Arya Wright, as we journey into the realm of quiet luxury, embracing the heritage and rituals of cognac that evoke old world elegance. 

Arya gives us an exclusive glimpse into Camus's latest XO offering, designed to bring cognac back to the center of the dining table and exemplify the art of fine dining, or Art de la Table.  And she suggest in the middle oif that table should be the XO's exquisite Baccarat crystal bottle.  

Discover the captivating experience of drinking Camus Cognac and how it can help you slow down and savor the moment. Arya shares why the XO expression is an excellent entry point for new drinkers to the cognac category and how the beauty, elegance, luxury, and art that comes with drinking Camus appeals to a variety of ages. 

No matter whether you're distilling spirits or drinking them, we're all in search of flavour. But for distillers, there has been an increased movement that blurs the lines of their spirit by finishing them in the barrels of other spirits. 

We see Whiskey finished in Port barrels, Gin finished in Whiskey barrels and, as in the case of Pappa's Pilar's latest release, Rum that is aged in Rye barrels. 

Pappa's Pilar, the ultra-premium rum brand inspired by the legendary novelist, Ernest Hemingway, has just released its fourth expression within its flagship fleet. 

Mixing master distiller Ron Call's two great loves, whiskey and rum, this rye-finished expression is very close to his heart. A seventh-generation distiller who made his name along the Bourbon Trail, Cole brings his roots in the whiskey industry and his nuanced passion for rum to bear. 

To find out more, we talked to Cole about barrels, blending flavours, and how experimentation changes the nature of spirits. 

When we think of cocktails, we often think of the spirits that we use to make them, but the modifiers, the Liqueurs, the Cremes, the Vermouths, and the Amaris, that balance the drink, often become an afterthought. 

But one brand not only seeks to bring those liquids into the spotlight but also explore the history and seek out modifiers that may have been lost over time. 

Tempus Fugit, a Latin term that means time flies, is a brand that has been digging through the annals so as to source and recreate rare spirits and cures and their latest release. Creme De Moka is a perfect example of this. 

To find out more, we talked to John Troia from Temps Fugit about history, cocktails, and the archaeology of liquids. 

We are now all used to hearing about culinary influencers being utilized in cocktails, both in terms of flavour and approach, but what if that same idea was applied to the making of the spirits that go into them? 

Gin, which is one of the few spirits that utilizes botanicals and spices in its production, would seem like the perfect candidate for this. And it is from that premise that distiller Andrew Thomas established the Brooklyn-based craft brand, Halftones Spirits.

Born during the Pandemic, the distillery, which also produces Aquavit and Vodka, is looking to embrace the sensors in terms of flavour, aroma, and colour, while providing a tactile approach to the breadth of tastes around us. 

To hear more, we talked to Thomas about flavour global flights and the value of agility in a fast-moving world. 

For more information on Halftone Spirits, go to https://www.halftonespirits.com

Through the 18th and 19th Century Irish whiskey went from strength to strength, but at the beginning of the 20th century, legislation enacted across the sea in the United States practically brought the whiskey industry in Ireland to its knees. 

The United States was the biggest international market for Irish whiskey, and that country's enactment of prohibition forced the steals to stop and the distilleries that housed them often to close their doors. 

One such distillery was JJ McConnell's, a brand that was the darling of Belfast and had existed since 1776. In the decades that followed, the brand lived on only as a memory, a whiskey from another time. But luckily, the brand's story doesn't end there. 

In 2020, the newest and yet one of the oldest names in Irish whiskey started to be seen again from across bars from Belfast to Boston. 

To find out more, we talked to global brand ambassador, Sarah Kennedy, about legacy, rebirth, and what it takes to recreate a fabled brand. 

Nearly 43 years ago, a mass immigration of Cubans travelled from Mariel Harbor near Havana to the United States, known as the Mariel Boatlift. 

The exodus, which happened over several months, saw more than 125,000 Cubans make the journey across the Florida Straits. 

One of those people was a six-year-old girl, Janet Diaz-Bonilla, who travelled with her parents towards a new life. But it was a journey that would impact not only Janet's life, but also, the fabric of her adopted homeland. 

While many have looked back on these journeys to freedom through art writing, Janet, a writer herself, decided to tell her story through liquid, releasing La Marielita to rum at the end of last year. 

To find out more, we talked to Janet about perception, legacy, and how liquid can really tell stories in a very new way.

You may not think that liquids can tell stories, but when you look at Laure like Sorel, which has basically traveled from West Africa through the Caribbean, into Harlem, and then across the river to Red Hook, you can bet that there are some stories to tell. 

There are stories of commerce both through the slave and spice trade. 

There are stories of tradition as displaced peoples kept the original sorrow liquid alive, and there are stories of migration as many went to New York seeking a better life. 

Additionally, there are stories of family as recipes got passed down from one generation to the next. 

There are stories of creation as the non-alcoholic Sorrel is transformed into a liqueur. 

And there are stories of determination as the brand starts on its mission to re-establish itself and communicate everything that has come before. 

To hear some of these stories, we talk to self-proclaimed custodian of the brand. Jackie Summers about flavour, identity, and the origin of the red drink. 

While you might think the use of hemp and cannabis for medical use is fairly new, it has a long history that goes back centuries. 

In the 1800s in the United States, although they weren't called that at that stage, physicians started to prescribe hemp-derived concoctions for all sorts of maladies and afflictions, and elixirs could be readily purchased in general stores. 

But then came the 20th century with its inclination to basically prohibit everything. And hemp and cannabis products found themselves lumped in with opioid drugs. And well, you know, the rest. 

Yet as the attitude towards hemp and CBD products has changed, there has been renewed interest in the elixirs from the past and the flavour as well as the health benefits that can be imparted. 

One brand that is fully exploring what this means is the Seattle-based fermented and distilled non-alcoholic hemp liquid brand, The Pathfinder. 

To find out more, we speak to global brand Ambassador Kraig Rovensky about alchemy, blazing new trails and being a destroyer of bad vibes. 

When you think of agave spirits, your mind naturally goes to places like Lesko and its surrounding areas in Mexico. 

But what if, instead, it went a little further north of the border? That is what mean mule distilling wants your mind to do when you think of the agave spirits that they are producing in Kansas City, Missouri, located slap bang in the Heart of America. 

Mean Mule was born of generations of distilling tradition, but this time all above board and legal and with a whole new ingredient. But what does it mean to be an American agave spirit? 

To find out more, we talked to Jeff Evans about moonshine and agave gin. 

While you might have heard of the Spirit Pisco, there's a fair chance that you don't really know a lot. 

Sure, you might know that Pisco is basically a young brandy. You might even know that it's mainly produced in Peru or Chile. 

But you probably didn't know that there are eight approved grape varietals that range in taste from pepper and smoke to almond and roasted walnut. 

You also probably didn't know that there are five different Pisco growing regions with 42 valleys and over 500 producers, most of whom are small batch. 

And in the midst of all that liquid is the Peruvian Pisco brand Suyo that aims to help you understand a little more about what Pisco can offer. 

To find out more, we talked to Alex Hildebrandt and Ian Leggett from Suyo about small batch producers, grape varietals, and creating an impact in the US market. 

When people talk about Bourbon, they usually talk about the barrels - they go on about the char levels and whether there was any toasting. 

After that, they might discuss the age and the time the liquid spent in those nicely charred barrels because, for most people, that time and those barrels denote the liquid's flavour. 

Occasionally, the conversation may turn to the makeup of the mash bill, such as the percentage of corn, to rye, to barley, or wheat. 

But very rarely do they ever talk about yeast. 

That is until Pat Heist and Shane Baker started Wilderness Trail in 2012. Unlike most other Craft distilleries that started during that period, Wilderness Trail had a unique advantage in its founders. 

It has two people who made a career out of supplying yeast strains and fermentation products to breweries and distilleries with their company FirmSolutions. 

Over ten years after they lay down their first distillations, we talk to Heist about fermentation, wheated whiskey and whether yeast really is the key to Bourbon’s flavour 

For more information, go to https://www.wildernesstraildistillery.com/

We're all used to whiskey being made from barley, corn, rye, and even wheat. But what about rice? 
Rice is the world's third most abundant cereal crop, and yet historically, you would be hard-pressed to find a whiskey distiller that used it as the base of their spirits outside of Japan. 
But recently, that has all changed. Distillers like Louisiana-based JT Meleck are amongst a small number of US producers who are crafting a contemporary image of what rice whiskey can offer. 
And the subsequent liquid is distinctly different from what is being created by their Japanese counterparts. 
To find out more, we talked to Mike Fruge from JT Meleck about fermentation, flavour and the future of rice in a country where corn is king. 

Whether you grew up with one or only read about them in books, secret gardens have always promised a world of possibilities. And there is one such secret garden at the foot of the Pentland Hills on the outskirts of Edinburgh that fulfils some of that promise by not only providing a refuge for nature but also a location to distil gin.

Rooted in nature, Secret Garden Distillery was conceived as a place where nature would not only allow the brand to create liquids, seed to sip, but also inspire everything they do.

To find out more, we talked to Daniel Cunningham from Secret Garden Gin about sustainability, botanicals, and, of course, a little Christmas gin. 

As happens when any particular spirit booms, the US saw a barrage of sourced whiskey come onto the market when the interest in Bourbon began to peak. But one brand, Old Elk, decided to turn sourcing on its head. 

They went, as a lot of sourced Bourbon brands had before them, to the massive Lawrenceberg, Indiana distillery, MGP but rather than just accept a little bit of tweaking on the liquid, they engaged Master Distiller Greg Metze to create a whole new mash bill. 

That collaboration would not only see a unique spirit produced but also ended up with Metze taking the reins as the brand's master distiller. 

We talk to the man who has really been at the helm of old elk since its inception about smooth Bourbon, malted barley, and the legacy that comes from Infinity.

Many of us have heard stories about property or businesses that our not-too-distant ancestors owned, and if you have, you probably thought, ‘what a shame that got closed down or sold', but what if you could resurrect the past and re-establish what had been lost? 

This is exactly what the descendants of P&H Egan, an old Irish Whiskey brand from Tullamore, in county Offaly, decided to do. 

Known to produce some of the finest Irish whiskey in the world for over 100 years, Egan’s (which also dealt with general groceries) was forced to close at the end of the 1960s due to the advent of retail supermarkets. 

But back in 2013, fifth and sixth-generation family members got together to reprise the dormant enterprise and have since been sourcing and ageing expressions that celebrate their lineage. 

To find out more, we talk to Egan’s Master Bonder, Rupert Egan, about legacy, conviction and how to plan your future after resurrection. 

As the summer in the Northern hemisphere progresses, most of us will at some stage, indulge in an aperitivo hour or even afternoon with friends and family. 

The perfect time to unwind, the aperitivo moments are ideal for socialising as they are light, refreshing, and come with a low ABV. 

And to make the moments more special, the Cucielo brand denoted with its brilliant blue migrating cuckoo has just introduced a new expression, a dry Vermouth di Torino that embodies all the flavour and craft essential for capturing the essence of golden hour, an Italian aperitivo culture.

To find out more about this new martini orientated liquid. We talked to founder and artisan spirit CEO, Andy Holmes about herbs, Italian vermouth and the perfect aperitivo cocktails.