The Whiskey Lore® Podcast

Drew Hannush
  • 4.9 (56)
  • Places & Travel
  • Updated Weekly

The Whiskey Lore Podcast, hosted by best-selling travel author Drew Hannush, is a captivating exploration of whiskey's rich history, myths, and modern craft distilling culture, appealing to both enthusiasts and curious newcomers. Covering bourbon, Scotch, Irish, rye, and more, the podcast offers three formats: Stories, which delve into historical narratives like the origins of Bottled-in-Bond or Ireland's whiskey rebirth, Interviews which documents whiskey history and the people making it, and Whiskey Flights, a weekly series focused on craft distillery travel. Whiskey Flights transports listeners to craft distilleries worldwide, offering virtual tours that highlight unique operations, local grains, and innovative spirits. Episodes feature chats with founders—like Brian Cummings of Great Northern Distilling or Guy Whitehead of Lucky Guys Distillery—covering topics from potato vodka to bitters crafting. Each Flight emphasizes the pleasures of distillery visits, sharing practical travel tips and cultural context, such as Wisconsin's supper club scene or Tasmania's whiskey boom. Hannush's warm narration and curiosity bring distilleries to life, making listeners feel like they're sipping alongside him.

  1. 18h ago

    🎙️ Redwood Empire: The building of whiskey flavor in California's wine country

    Episode 144: REDWOOD EMPIRE (Jeff Duckhorn and Lauren Patz) What happens when a California whiskey maker approaches Bourbon, rye, and single malt with the mindset of a winemaker? Drew Hannush welcomes Redwood Empire Master Distiller Jeff Duckhorn and Head Distiller and Master Blender Lauren Patz for a conversation about the distillery's evolution from a small operation in Sonoma County to a growing American whiskey producer. They explore the advantages of sourcing and blending whiskey from multiple distilleries, the influence of Northern California's climate on maturation, and why Redwood Empire favors a softer, more nuanced approach to American whiskey. Along the way, Jeff and Lauren explain the stories behind their tree-inspired whiskey names, including Pipe Dream, Emerald Giant, Lost Monarch, and the new wheated Bourbon, Colonel Armstrong. They also discuss the growing American Single Malt category and their experiments with specialty malts. The conversation culminates in a tasting of Hyperion, Redwood Empire's ambitious new blend of Bourbon, rye, wheat whiskey, and American Single Malt. Named for the world's tallest known living tree, Hyperion brings together some of the distillery's oldest sourced and self-produced whiskeys in a release designed to showcase the possibilities of blending. In This Episode How Redwood Empire grew out of a Northern California wine business Jeff Duckhorn and Lauren Patz's different paths into whiskey production Why Redwood Empire embraced sourcing whiskey from the beginning The transition from its original Headframe still to a larger Vendome column still How California's relatively temperate climate affects whiskey maturation Why the distillery favors complexity, balance, and a softer drinking experience The living redwood trees behind the names Pipe Dream, Emerald Giant, Lost Monarch, and Colonel Armstrong How a four-state, four-grain blend creates the flavor of Pipe Dream Bourbon Why Colonel Armstrong uses 30% wheat in its Bourbon mash bill The role of wheat in softening and balancing Emerald Giant Rye How specialty malts are helping define American Single Malt whiskey Tasting Hyperion, a blend of four different American whiskey styles Redwood Empire's plans for tours, tastings, and educational experiences on Mare Island Go Deeper with the Whiskey Lore Speakeasy Enjoy the complete 73-minute conversation with Jeff and Lauren, including additional discussions about maritime influence on maturation, barrel char and stave seasoning, and the role of wheat in whiskey. The extended interview is available to Whiskey Lore Speakeasy members, with a seven-day free trial at Patreon.com/whiskeylore. Visit Redwood Empire 📍 Redwood Empire Mare Island, Vallejo, California Learn more about Redwood Empire's whiskeys and current visitor experiences at RedwoodEmpireWhiskey.com.

  2. 3d ago

    🏛️ HALL OF LEGENDS: Straight to 51%

    Who was it that came up with the 51% rule and the modern rules for straight whiskey in America? Meet today's legend on the latest episode of Whiskey Lore's Hall of Legends.

  3. Sep 28

    Ep. 143 - HIGHLAND PARK DISTILLERY: Scotland in a Bottle

    GUEST: Martin Markvardsen (Senior Global Brand Ambassador, Highland Park) What does it take to capture the flavors of Scotland in a bottle? In this episode, Drew Hannush sits down with Highland Park's Martin Markvardsen, who is celebrating 20 years with the Orkney distillery, to explore the history, people, place, and process behind one of Scotland's most complex single malts. From heather-rich Orkney peat and island maturation to the stories of illicit distillers and Martin's own unlikely journey into whisky, discover what makes Highland Park taste unmistakably like Highland Park. In This Episode Why Orkney peat tastes different Peaty versus smoky: is there a difference? Why PPM doesn't tell the whole story Does sea air really affect aging whisky? How Orkney dramatically reduces the angel's share The illicit distiller behind Highland Park Why Highland Park still floor malts Can stainless steel replace wooden washbacks? Tasting whisky through memories, not flavor notes The best time to visit Orkney SHOW NOTES: whiskeylore.org/interviews JOIN THE SPEAKEASY: patreon.com/whiskeylore

  4. Sep 21

    🏛️ HALL OF LEGENDS: Gilded Age Game Changer

    Hero on one side of the border, villain on the other. Meet the second inductee into the Whiskey Lore Hall of Legends.

  5. Sep 14

    🏛️ HALL OF LEGENDS: Irish Double Impact

    Welcome to a new series, where we meet whiskey legends who helped bring us the spirits we know and love today. Today, you'll meet our first inductee. Stay tuned for details on how you can help determine future Whiskey Lore Hall of Legend inductees.  Support my mission to bring real history to whiskey fans: patreon.com/whiskeylore

  6. Sep 7

    📘X:03b - THE LOST HISTORY OF BOURBON: Between Truth and Lore (Part 2)

    Welcome to the conclusion of Chapter 3 of The Lost History of Bourbon. Today, we will conclude our investigation into Rep. Virgin Chapman's claim that Jacob Spears of Bourbon County built the first distillery west of the Alleghenies and made the first straight Bourbon whiskey. We're on the edge of the Whiskey Revolution and a developing of markets for Bourbon whiskey. And we're still in the 18th century. Hold on folks. There is a lot of Bourbon history that has never been fully told. You'll hear it in these rough draft episodes from my upcoming book The Lost History of Bourbon.

  7. Aug 31

    📘X:03a - THE LOST HISTORY OF BOURBON: Between Truth and Lore

    Welcome to another packed episode of whiskey knowledge from the origins of Bourbon. The frontier is being settled, the word Bourbon reaches Kentucke Country, and now it's time to dig deeper into early distilling. In the first part of Chapter 3, we'll dig into the story of one of the candidates for first distiller. If you know me, you know how I feel about claiming firsts, so expect a skeptical take. Then, we'll head toward finding a market for all of this whiskey as we arrive at the second half of the chapter. It's a unique take on Bourbon history and a rare opportunity to hear the rough draft of a history book as it is being written. Enjoy! Drew Hannush

  8. Aug 24

    📘X:02 - THE LOST HISTORY OF BOURBON: The Birth of Bourbon

    From out of the wilds of Kentucke country a frontier region develops into a community. Little do these residents know, but their area will become famous for the whiskey it creates. Enjoy this special event as I continue to release the rough draft of my book The Lost History of Bourbon. Welcome to Chapter 2.

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4.9
out of 5
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About

The Whiskey Lore Podcast, hosted by best-selling travel author Drew Hannush, is a captivating exploration of whiskey's rich history, myths, and modern craft distilling culture, appealing to both enthusiasts and curious newcomers. Covering bourbon, Scotch, Irish, rye, and more, the podcast offers three formats: Stories, which delve into historical narratives like the origins of Bottled-in-Bond or Ireland's whiskey rebirth, Interviews which documents whiskey history and the people making it, and Whiskey Flights, a weekly series focused on craft distillery travel. Whiskey Flights transports listeners to craft distilleries worldwide, offering virtual tours that highlight unique operations, local grains, and innovative spirits. Episodes feature chats with founders—like Brian Cummings of Great Northern Distilling or Guy Whitehead of Lucky Guys Distillery—covering topics from potato vodka to bitters crafting. Each Flight emphasizes the pleasures of distillery visits, sharing practical travel tips and cultural context, such as Wisconsin's supper club scene or Tasmania's whiskey boom. Hannush's warm narration and curiosity bring distilleries to life, making listeners feel like they're sipping alongside him.

Information

  • Creator
    Drew Hannush
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 Travel Fuels Life, LLC. (dba Whiskey Lore). All Rights Reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Whiskey Lore® Podcast

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