In this episode focused on distilling in Florida—host Sydney Jones’ old stomping grounds—she reconnects with industry friends Ric deMontmollin and Zack Wildrick from St. Augustine Distillery and City Gate Spirits. The high-heat, high-humidity environment there poses challenges for barrel aging St. Augustine’s whiskey, while the flavored moonshines of City Gate aim to evoke experiential memories for both the locals and tourists who flock to the distillery in season.

Over the course of the episode, the three discuss:

• data-driven whiskey aging in Florida’s climate
• aging concerns where the barrels’ internal temp never falls below 78°F (26°C)
• avoiding excessive loss via evaporation
• visually identifying potentially great single-barrel picks
• making lean cuts for whiskey that ages well in the hot environment
• finding authentic regional expression in flavored spirits from a neutral grain base
• adjusting for year-to-year changes in the citrus crop
• finding the sweet spot between audience, passion, and competency
• building taste experiences for customers with specific spirit preferences

And more.

G&D Chillers: G&D Chillers understands that each distillery’s chilling requirements are unique. On every distillery project, G&D offers the front-end design and engineering your team needs at no cost to you. Hank Pressley, head distiller at Moon Drop Distillery says, “Early on, we made a decision to partner with quality American-made companies. One of those companies was G&D Chillers, and we are proud of that choice. Our equipment from them has run long and strong. We put our first barrel in our rickhouse in September 2021, and in the next 3 years we have put back more than another 540 barrels. What a great decision to team up with a company like G&D Chillers.” Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com.