Working with a spirit of innovation involves a constant process of unlearning and relearning. You want to refine what has worked in the past and trim away what is not needed within your new process. When you lay that new template over the business of whiskey production, you also have to factor in the idea of “hurry up and wait” before you can make more changes and move a new product into its final form.

On this episode, we talk once again with Master Distiller Chris Fletcher about the brand-new global travel retail (GTR) product American Single Malt finished in Oloroso sherry casks, about how the word “single” doesn’t always correlate with the word “simple,” and about how this new endeavor just might bring about a new set of frequently asked questions, Around the Barrel. 

It's been said that genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. To develop an understanding of the genius of the spirits space, you’ve got to factor in distillation, fermentation and maybe a little repetition too. On this episode we talk with San Diego-based whiskey influencer Sarah Jeltema, the woman behind the social media handle @whiskynomad, about how asking the right questions of bartenders and distillers spawned her current pursuits, about how the idea of service through spirits has made an impact on the world of first responders and about how sharing the science can enhance the enjoyment of sitting and sipping Around the Barrel.

As much as tradition is a component of what comes out of the  Jack Daniel Distillery, the motto “Every day we make it, we’ll make it the best we can,” absolutely encompasses using new tools as they become available. On this episode, we talk with Melvin Keebler and Donna Willis, two key leaders on the Distillery’s operations team, about new technology the company is using to continue its sustainability climb, about how opportunities for changing processes can still benefit long-time partners who have been comfortable with the way things currently are and about how the wide world of whiskey needs geeks of all kinds, Around the Barrel.