Page 10 - Craft of Whiskey Distilling

AmErICAn DIstIllInG InstItutE | Ix
Preface
The new generation of artisan whiskey distillers, whenever possible, use local ingre- dients to reflect the region of the country where they are located. They also look to nearby microbrewers as a source of inspiration and sometimes wash. Brewing and distilling go hand in hand because the mash-tun can produce wort for brewing or wash for distilling.
To distill whiskey you first have to make beer. Beer is a technical term for whiskey wash, regardless of the type of raw ingredients used. The microbrewer uses a mash-tun to produce a sweet barley water called wort. The same mash-tun can also be used to make wash for whiskey distillation. The difference is that distillers wash is un-hopped, contains no solids and most importantly, it will ferment in less then a week.
The new generation of craft whiskey distillers, like Scottish distillers, will use a mash- ton to produce all malt whiskies. They will use numerous beer recipes to produce a new generation of barley, rye and wheat whiskies. These whiskies will have flavor and character not found in commercial corn whiskies. I also think that we’ll soon see a new generation of whiskies infused with wood (apple, cedar, birch) and spices.
Craft distillers don’t need a column still with two dozens of plates to make whiskey. Visit any small whiskey distillery and you will see that most have a still without column and plates. And, if they do have a column still, it will be used to make stripping runs with plates open. Then they make heads and tails cuts on the second spirits run using one plate. every distillery works differently. The key is to make head tail cuts that save congeners (flavors)
that define the style of whiskey you are distilling.
Special thanks to Ian Smiley, who wrote the heart of the book, Distillation Principles. Also thanks to contributing writers Alan Dikty, George Ferris, eric Watson, Zac Triement, Bill Smith, and Attorney Robin J. Bowen. Artwork is by Catherine Ryan and layout is by uri Korn. To learn more about craft distilling, join the American Distilling Institute (ADI) at
distilling.com. Member support helps educate the public about craft distilling.
Bill Owens, President American Distilling Institute