Great American Whiskey Cookers
Welcome to The Great American Whiskey Cookers, your exclusive pass to the world of craft distilling. Join us on this captivating video series and podcast as we venture behind the curtain with America's finest distillers. Get ready to meet the passionate souls who work the stills, discover the exquisite spirits they craft, and uncover the rich stories that embody America's liquid heritage.
Episodes
259 episodes
Episode #145 - Pursuit Spirits | The Art & Science of Bourbon Blending
🥃 What really goes into blending a great bourbon?In this episode, we’re in Louisville, Kentucky, sitting down with Ryan Cecil and Kenny Coleman of Pursuit Spirits for an inside look at the art and science of bourbon blending.Ble...
Can an Unknown Bourbon Beat Old Fitzgerald? | Friday Double Blind Tasting
Old Fitzgerald vs. an Unknown Bourbon—Who Wins the Double Blind?This Friday’s Blind Tasting Challenge puts a familiar name head-to-head with a bourbon you may have never heard of.🥃 Old Fitzgerald 7 Year — a well-known whiskey with pl...
Episode #144 - From Barrel to Bottle | The Hidden Work at Sideshow Spirits
🥃 What happens after the whiskey is made?We spend a lot of time talking about distilling, aging, barrels, and tasting—but what happens when the whiskey is ready for the bottle?At Sideshow Spirits in Lincoln, Nebraska, we take a ...
Friday Blind Tasting Challenge | Sweet Georgia Brown
Under the box this week is Sweet Georgia Brown Wheated Bourbon from Legends Distillery in Cumming, Georgia.We’ve never tasted it blind, so there are no labels, expectations, or preconceived opinions—just honest reactions and tasting note...
Episode #143 - Iowa Legendary Rye | Tasting Red Label
🥃 What if one of Iowa's most legendary whiskey recipes traces back to the Prohibition era?Back in Carroll, Iowa, we sit down for a guided tasting of Iowa Legendary Rye – Red Label with the grandson of the family's original bootlegger. H...
Friday Blind Tasting Challenge | Thornton ASM vs. Cedar Ridge ASM
🥃 Friday Blind Tasting Challenge: American Single Malt Showdown!This week, we put two outstanding American Single Malts head-to-head in a true blind tasting.🥃 In one corner: Cedar Ridge American Single Malt—an established fav...
Episode #142 - Black Band Distillery | The Still Room "Why Black Band Distillery Is Every Whiskey Nerd's Hidden Gem"
The best craft distilleries don't chase trends—they build them into every bottle.At Black Band Distillery in Peoria, Illinois, being Certified Organic and Certified Kosher isn't reserved for a special release—it's simply how they make wh...
Friday Blind Tasting | Driftless Glen 10 Year Bourbon
Friday Blind Tasting Challenge is here, and this week's bottle is a big one.Under the box is Driftless Glen's brand-new 10-Year Bourbon, a milestone release that marks a major achievement for one of America's standout craft distilleries....
Episode #141 - Thornton Distilling Co. | Our Distillation is Deliberate
🥃 Great whiskey doesn't happen by accident, it starts in the still.Every master distiller has a philosophy behind the way they craft their spirits. From fermentation to making precise cuts, every decision influences the final flavor in t...
Friday Blind Tasting Challenge | Black Band Wheated Cask Strength
🥃 Friday Blind Tasting Challenge is heating up!This week, we put Black Band Wheated Cask Strength Bourbon under the box for a true blind tasting.Cask strength bourbons aren't for everyone. With bold proof and intense flavor, they can...
Episode #140 - Black Band Distillery's Flagship Bourbon | Guided Tasting & Review
In this episode, Black Band Distillery Brand Ambassador Tate Ulm takes us through a guided tasting of their Flagship Bourbon Whiskey, sharing the story behind the bottle, its flavor profile, mash bill, aging process, and what makes it the si...
Episode #139 - Black Band Distillery | Reviving Peoria's Whiskey Legacy
🥃 Did you know Peoria, Illinois was once known as the Whiskey Capital of the World?Before Prohibition, Peoria was home to one of the largest whiskey industries in America. While those glory days faded after Prohibition, one craft dis...
Friday Blind Tasting Challenge | Striped Pig Double Barrel
This week, we put Striped Pig Double Barrel Bourbon Whiskey under the box for the very first time.We've never tasted this bourbon before, so we're going in with no expectations—just honest reactions, real tasting notes, and one big quest...
Episode #138 - StilL 630 Distillery | Tasting Maple Sunset Rye
🥃 One of the best parts of visiting a craft distillery is discovering expressions you can't find just anywhere.With so many unique whiskeys to choose from at StilL 630 Distillery, it can be hard to know where to start. Fortunately, D...
Friday Blind Tasting Challenge | Brickway Rye Whiskey
🥃 Friday Blind Tasting Challenge!This week, we put Brickway Distillery's Rye Whiskey under the box for an honest, no-label blind tasting.Rye whiskey is one of the most debated spirits in the whiskey world. Some love its bold spi...
Episode #137 - Blaum Bros. | Tasting Knotter Bourbon
🥃 Getting to taste a bourbon unicorn never gets old.During our visit to Blaum Bros. Distillery, Matt and Mike surprised us by pulling out a bottle of their Original Knotter Bourbon—a bottle that's become a true bourbon unicorn and is nea...
Friday Blind Tasting Challenge | Brickway Double Barrel Bourbon
🥃 This week, Jeff and Wes put Brickway Double Barrel Bourbon to the test in a true blind tasting.We're both fans of double barrel bourbons, so the expectations are high. But when the label disappears, can Brickway still stand out against...
Episode #136 - Grandpa Al's Legacy Lives On in This Whiskey | Tasting Wildcat Distillery - Tillmans Whiskey
🥃 Every great whiskey has a story—and sometimes that story starts in a farm field generations ago.One of our favorite things is discovering how a whiskey got its name. At Wildcat Distillery, their Tillman's Whiskey is more than just a bo...
Father's Day Special Blind Tasting - This pour is for my dad.
This pour is for my dad. He wasn't a huge bourbon fan, but he always tried the whiskeys I brought home. A tribute to a father's simple pleasures. Remembering his favorite Crown Royal and Coke, a bond shared through a familiar sip. Cherishing...
Father's Day Special Blind Tasting - My Dad's Legacy & Mesquite Smoke
After losing my father, I found solace helping my mom. Evenings led us to a local distillery, revealing a community built on shared moments and open learning. The unique smoky flavors explained it all.
Episode #135 - How a Custom Still Mix-Up Became a Happy Accident at Lonely Oak Distillery
🥃 Sometimes the best things in whiskey happen by accident.You don't just order a custom still and have it show up next week. Building a distillery still can take months—or even years. And when projects stretch that long, mistakes can hap...
Friday Blind Tasting | Shortbarrel Straight Rye Whiskey & Bees Knees
🥃 One blind tasting turned into two.On this Friday Blind Tasting Challenge, we put Shortbarrel Straight Rye Whiskey under the box expecting one review—but the conversation quickly led us down the rabbit hole to another Shortbarrel expres...
Episode #134 - Wildcat Distilling Co. | Tasting Wildcat's first Bourbon...from the barrel
🥃 Every new distillery faces the same question: Source whiskey, bottle it young, or wait until it's truly ready?At Wildcat Distilling in Webster City, Iowa, they chose patience.Rather than rush a bourbon to market, they wai...
Episode #133 - A Journey to Wildcat Distilling Co. | A Generational Farm
🥃 From Iowa farmland to the whiskey glass.At Wildcat Distilling Co. in Webster City, Iowa, a brother-and-sister team, alongside their spouses, are carrying on a tradition as old as America itself. They plant the corn, harve...
Friday Blind Tasting | StilL630 Missouri Straight Bourbon Whiskey
This week, we put StilL630 Whiskey under the box and put our palates to the test. Jeff is joined by the Big Human and Wes for a true blind tasting—no labels, no preconceived opinions.We were big fans when we visited the distillery an...