Exploring Our Industrial Heritage: Whiskey Country!
As I continued on my journey exploring our industrial heritage, I found myself in a place rich in the art and science of production: whiskey country!
You may be asking, "Wait - what?! How is whiskey distilling an art, a science, a production, and part of our industrial heritage?" Well if you've ever experienced the whiskey trails of Kentucky or Tennessee you would quickly agree with me - whiskey distilling is an art, a science, a production and it is deeply rooted in our industrial heritage.
Whiskey making is an art. Each distillery has its very own unique recipe and it's the recipe that creates the distinct flavors of any given whiskey. I think it is like culinary arts in that way. Details matter! The Master Distiller is the artist of the distillery. When a Master Distiller creates a new whiskey label, they get to determine the formula. For example, they will decide on the grain recipe for the mash, they will develop the fermenting and distilling formula and they define the aging process. When it comes to the art of making whiskey, every detail matters. A Master Distiller is like a Master Chef. It all starts with the right ingredient combinations and cascades through a series of artistic process moves and finalizes into a dish or bottle that is uniquely delicious! If you are a Scotch, Bourbon, or general whiskey drinker, then you know exactly what I mean! The artwork of the Master Distiller shines through in the flavor of every whiskey.
Whiskey making is a science! Did you know that many whiskey distilleries employ chemical engineers to develop and monitor their processes? You see the process of fermenting and distilling is an intricate chemical process -truly a science. There are 2 (sometimes more) distillation processes the spirits must go through. I tasted the spirit after the first distillation and it is nothing like the refined finished product. The towering, copper columns connecting the massive stills were impressive. Even the material, shape and size of the stills influence the final product. Number of distillations, time, temperature and ingredients (sugar, starch & yeast) are all key process control points that determine the finished product attributes. I even noticed some lean and six sigma principles being applied in the distilleries that I visited. Another noteworthy point is that whiskey recipes are controlled by the government in the form of an official Code of Federal Regulations. This keeps each whiskey recipe in the right category, including bourbon and Tennessee whiskey. Whiskey production is a science and good process controls provide consumers with consistent products.
Whiskey making is a production! US whiskey production represents about $15 billion in annual sales revenue. Large distilleries produce well over a million cases per year. Fun fact - there are more barrels of bourbon in Kentucky than there are people! That's no small potatoes. When I toured distilleries in Kentucky and Tennessee, as a manufacturing guy, I loved seeing the art, science, and production of it all! Seeing the large vats of mash fermenting, the distilling processes, the QA labs and the massive barrel warehouses, it all made me feel at home. Then smelling the distinct fermentation odors reminded me of the unique aromas that every shopfloor contains. You see, whiskey distillers are manufacturers too. They have process flow, quality systems and GMP's that all need to be followed. Additionally, there are unique sights, sounds and smells that only someone with manufacturing experience can appreciate.
Whiskey making is in our heritage! Distilling whiskey in the US dates back to about the birth of our country over 250 years ago. Honestly, all of the best whiskeys (and those classified as bourbon) come from the age-old historic distillers. The newer street-corner distillers just can't compete on flavor and that's because they can't afford to age their whiskeys long enough to capture all of the wonderful flavors found in the wood barrels. The older distillers have warehouses stacked top to bottom with aging barrels of whiskey. As the warehouse temperatures change - the whiskey moves into and out of the barrel wood providing the whiskey with color and flavors. Yum!
Let's not forget that in the 1920's the prohibition came along and this added to the mistic heritage of the southern distilleries. Prohibition caused many of these distillers to operate "underground". It's cool that we now romanticize the roaring 20's era with their speakeasies, bootleggers, and the flappers dancing the Charleston. Of course, everyone recognizes what was at the heart of this culture too. It was the then taboo whiskey. You see whiskey distilling is a cornerstone of our American heritage!
Despite some level of foreign ownership in our US whiskey companies, when I strolled the streets of Lexington KY, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, TN during my journey to explore our industrial heritage, the "heritage" part of American whiskey production was quite obvious. Then when I toured distilleries throughout the region, the art, science and modern-day production aspects of whiskey making came shining through.
Tonight when I sit by the fire and sip on some good Kentucky bourbon, I'll reflect back and be thankful for my journey into the heart of US whiskey country and all I learned about our industrial heritage!
If you enjoy exploring our industrial heritage too, you'll want to learn about our automobile manufacturing roots in Oklahoma City and how we can learn from our past when applying Industry 4.0!
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