Whiskey Geek Series (2022 + 2023)
The Whiskey Snug at the Celtic Ranch embarks on a Whiskey Education program for all of you Whiskey Geeks out there. Doug and Mike, our whiskey experts, will conduct monthly classes (90 minutes – 2 hours each) on the details of what makes whiskey into the spirit we all love. The classes will cost $29.99, and will be held on the first Thursday of the month in the upper Snug. Samples will be offered as part of the training, and additional samples may be available for purchase. To make it interesting, there will be a quiz at the end of each session.
- All sessions are 7 - 9 PM.
- Unless otherwise stated, all dates are 2023 sessions.
- Sign up now, as class size will be limited!
- You are not required to purchase each session to join.
SESSION 4: MATURATION & FINISHING (DEC. 1, 2022 + DEC. 7, 2023)
We finish the program series by finishing the whiskey. We’ll learn the anatomy of a barrel, the types of barrels used and how they are charred. We’ll talk about the legends and myths of the origin of the charred barrel. Filtration, storage and the Angel’s Share will be covered. We’ll end the session on Finishing, the types of casks used, and blending.
SESSION 5: WHISKEY HISTORY (JAN. 5)
Explore the history of Whiskey, from ancient Mesopotamia to today. We’ll talk about events that shaped whiskey, and events that whiskey shaped.
SESSION 6: LEGAL DEFINITIONS, TASTING TECHNIQUES, AND JOURNALING (FEB. 2)
Learn about how whiskey is defined around the world and the different styles of whiskey. We’ll also talk about tasting techniques and how to journal your whiskey tasting journeys.
SESSION 7: WHISKEY OF IRELAND (MAR. 2)
The Irish were the inventors of whiskey and we will explore the history of Irish whiskey production and some of the distilleries. Both ancient and new.
SESSION 8: WHISKY OF SCOTLAND (APR. 6)
The Scots took what the Irish invented and ran with it. This session will explore the development of Scotch Whisky, the marketing that made it what it is today, and several of the distilleries. We will also explore the main regions of whisky production in Scotland.
SESSION 9: BOURBON: ICONIC AMERICAN WHISKEY (MAY 4)
Explore the story of the whiskey that makes America great. Learn about the myths and legends, the rise of the big distillers, the fall of the others, the disasters and the explosion of craft distiller trend. We’ll sample old recipes from resurrected labels.
SESSION 10: RYE AND AMERICAN SINGLE MALTS: FIRST AND LATEST AMERICAN WHISKEYS (JUNE 1)
Rye was the first whiskey in the Colonial America in the 17th Century and has seen a resurgence in the 21st Century. We’ll look at that trend and the rise of the American Single Malt.
SESSION 11: WORLD WHISKEYS (JULY 6)
We’ve explored the whiskeys that most of us know about, now we are going to delve into whiskeys from around the world: Japanese, Taiwanese, Australian, Indian, Welsh, English, Israeli, Swedish and Belgian and Mexican. We’ll offer dsamples of all of them, you’ll get to pick four.
SESSION 12: EXPERIMENTAL WHISKEYS (AUG. 3)
In an effort to strand out from the pack, many distilleries are playing with new innovative methods and processes, from Maker’s 46 to Glenmorangie Tale of the Forest, we’ll look in depth of some of these expressions.
SESSION 1: GRAINS & WATER (SEPT. 7)
At its core, whiskey only has two ingredients – grain and water. Join us for an exploration of the various grains (the mash bill) that can be used to make whiskey, the malting process, and how the grain is milled. We’ll look at the water used to mash the grist, and discuss how the mineral content, pH and other chemistry affects the outcome of the process.
SESSION 2: YEAST & FERMENTATION (OCT. 5)
Once the grain has gone through the malting, milling and mashing processes, it’s time to turn it into alcohol. And for that, we add yeast. Learn about the history of fermentation, the science of how yeast works ( It’s chemistry and biology!), the strains of yeast used and what flavors they impart to the final product, and the various methods used by different distilleries for fermentation.
SESSION 3: DISTILLATION (NOV. 2)
As Homer Simpson said on many occasions “Mmmmmm, Beer”. That’s where we ended the last session on fermentation – with beer. That is what goes into the still. Whether it is a copper pot still or a column still, we can’t have whiskey until that beer is distilled, often more than once. Come and learn about the various methods used in distillation, the types of the stills, how the shape of the still can affect the flavor, and the chemistry involved.
