193 – Distilling Whiskey with Hops, Marko Karakasevic of Charbay

Charbay is changing things up. To be a Master Distiller in the Karakasevic family, you must meet or exceed your predecessors ability. Marko decided to try to make whiskey with a brewer’s key ingredient, hops! However, some folks in the whiskey world don’t think it should classify as one. This podcast digs into his history and what types of beer styles can turn into delicious whiskey.

Show Notes:

  • The week’s Above the Char with Fred Minnick talks about the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
  • How did your family get started in this business?
  • Did you have a choice to not be a distiller?
  • What’s an eau de vie?
  • Do you clog the still up with hops?
  • Is there a breakdown of grains you use in your beer?
  • Have you done any experiments with other beers?
  • Why do you age in stainless?
  • What is the formula approval process like with TTB?
  • How many styles are you going to do?
  • What is your go to beer style?
  • What is your response to people who say Charbay isn’t a true whiskey?
  • What do you have aging now?
  • What justifies the high price point for you releases?
  • Any business growth plans?
  • Where does the name Charbay come from?
  • Where are you distributed?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *