Distiller's Perspective

Chicago’s Skeptic is a distillery that’s taken advantage of copacking as a way to add revenue when equipment would otherwise sit idle. After getting its start with vacuum-distilled gin and vodka, Skeptic has expanded in recent years to offer a range of white-label, contract-distilling, and copacking services. Here, founder Karl Loepke discusses some inherent challenges—and the importance of flexibility. As told to Gabe Toth.

There is more to Irish whiskey than the fact it’s made in Ireland. Here’s an explainer on the (mostly) simple rules that make it stand out from other whiskeys of the world.

Bitter herbal liqueurs can be polarizing, but they have an important place in the distiller's repertoire.

Fundamentals

Safety may not directly drive profits or quality, but it’s a critical priority for distillers to make sure everyone goes home healthy and unharmed at the end of the day.

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Traditional herbal liqueurs provide a foundation for small distilleries to tell stories and create flavors that communicate a sense of place.

Knowing where methanol comes from and how it’s created can help distillers make a better product.

Fundamentals

These flavors don’t exist only within a vacuum; they are created within it. While a little more high-tech, a vacuum still can open a range of options for bright, fresh, and unique botanical character.

Understanding how to best handle fruit helps ensure that its flavor and quality translate from the field into the bottle.

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It’s a challenging spirit to make well, but absinthe offers a wide variety of flavor directions from which you can choose—and it can make for a striking addition to your distillery’s product line.

In this clip from her video course, Heaven Hill lead distillery technician Sydney Jones discusses different methods and approaches to blending whiskey, whether it’s for an original product or to maintain a consistent one.

Stop thinking of the gin and tonic as a carved-in-stone cocktail. Think of it as a template that can accommodate a diverse range of flavor profiles.

While an old American tradition can help home distillers understand the processes involved in distilling, there’s no approximating the bureaucracy and red tape of going pro. A recent court ruling may lead to a clearer pathway.

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Citrus is a crucial part of gin. It’s also an opportunity to innovate and differentiate.

This ACSA Innovation Award–winning shochu brings the Japanese-style spirit into a cocktail-focused range with higher ABV and lighter flavor profile.

Fundamentals

Understanding the whys and hows of cleaning is crucial to quality and consistency in the distillery.

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Take your juniper seriously, consider flavor compatibility, keep safety in mind … and never be afraid to experiment.

Understanding a spirit’s flavor matrix can help distillers fine-tune their product by adding, subtracting, or enhancing what’s already there.

Using the barrel to get a more intense oak presence or caramel-forward flavor into your whiskey may not be as straightforward as you think. Sydney Jones, supervisor and lead distillery technician at Heaven Hill in Bardstown, Kentucky, lays out some recent findings on char and toast—plus, some tips on finishing whiskey in spirit casks.

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The growing segment of “good for you” consumables can help a distillery tap into a different customer base—but there are key legal considerations to know.

The sour cocktail is a time-honored approach that offers a universe of variations to explore.