Sydney Jones
Podcast Episode 42: Alex Castle of Augusta Distillery Embraces New Challenges in Old BourbonBy Sydney JonesFrom distillery build-outs in historic buildings to process concerns with calcium-rich water and building a flavor through-line in sourced-bourbon releases, Castle shares lessons learned over 15 years of distilling in Kentucky and Tennessee.
S&D Podcast Episode 40: Joe O’Sullivan of Minden Mill Controls the Variables in Dry-Climate Whiskey MaturationBy Sydney JonesWith estate grain and a climate-controlled rickhouse, Minden Mill’s team is exploring the impact of terroir on their spirits while taking a slow, measured approach to predicting how the environment impacts their maturation and flavor-focused blends.
S&D Podcast Episode 38: Jonathan Goldberg of Black Velvet Seeks Harmony through Thoughtful BlendingBy Sydney JonesThe master distiller for Alberta, Canada’s Black Velvet embraces the challenge of blending dynamically different distillates into a cohesive whole, with a process focused on consistency, quality, and repeatability.
S&D Podcast Episode 37: Staying Sane and Happy in the Spirits Industry—a Panel Discussion with Maggie Campbell and Jennifer WrenBy Molly TroupeGet your bugout bag ready! In this special episode, co-hosts Molly Troupe and Sydney Jones reunite to swap advice with American Cane CEO Maggie Campbell and Jennifer Wren, an industry veteran who now specializes in coaching women on professional development.
S&D Podcast Episode 36: Todd Leopold Designs and Distills Spirits that Have Something to SayBy Sydney JonesTodd Leopold of Leopold Bros in Denver is part historian, part tinkerer, part creative muse, and part sounding board for the broader craft-distilling world—and his multi-stream approach to experimentation in the service of flavor over style is more relevant than ever.
S&D Podcast Episode 34: Brent Looby of Desert Door Summons the Spirit of SotolBy Sydney JonesAgave may get the lion’s share of distillers’ love, but it’s far from the only game in town when it comes to distilled Mexican and Southwestern spirits. Desert Door, on the outskirts of Austin, is out to show the beauty and range in sotol—made from the desert spoon plant and sustainably harvested from wild plants.
S&D Podcast Episode 32: Aged Whiskeys and Citrus-Flavored Spirits Heat up for St. Augustine Distillery and City Gate SpiritsBy Sydney JonesDistilling in Florida’s hot and humid environment, and producing spirits specifically tuned for cocktails in a tourism-driven locale—those are the major guideposts for the creative direction of these sibling distilleries, as well as for their methods of barrel aging and adding flavor.
S&D Podcast Episode 30: Bob Dillon of Dismal Harmony Refines Flavors with Creative FlairBy Sydney JonesBob Dillon joins the podcast to discuss the technical and artistic vision behind his more familiar spirits as well as his ACSA best-in-show-winning Vidisha’s Masala liqueur.
S&D Podcast Episode 28: Brett Steigerwaldt of Lyon Rum is Crafting Contemporary Expressions with Timeless MethodsBy Sydney JonesRum with distinctive character and refined expression is key for this Maryland distillery, and head distiller Brett Steigerwaldt doesn’t leave flavor up to fate.
S&D Podcast Episode 26: Caley Shoemaker of As Above, So Below Explores Character and Texture in Vodka DistillationBy Sydney JonesCharacter and expression in “simple” vodka distillations? Is it really possible? The cofounder and master distiller behind this Santa Fe, New Mexico, craft distillery not only thinks so, but she walks through her process of using atypical grains and other ingredients to produce vodka with spirit and verve.
S&D Podcast Episode 24: Eli Breitburg-Smith Is Ushering in the Epoch of Rye in BaltimoreBy Sydney JonesThe cofounder and head distiller of Baltimore Spirits discusses their approach to producing distinctive rye whiskeys—such as the award-winning Epoch—as well as other unusual spirits, from a pechuga-inspired apple brandy to a smoked-tea whiskey collab with Ja Rule.
S&D Podcast Episode 22: Spirits & Distilling Year in Review SpecialBy Sydney JonesHosts Sydney Jones and Molly Troupe recount some of the most intriguing and thought-provoking episodes of the past year, discuss developments such as the American Single Malt designation, and look toward what 2025 has in store.