Bats, Bees, and Bushels - Farm Distilling in Georgia

For my first "visit" to Georgia, I wanted to find somewhere that felt truly of the land. You can't do better than Doc Brown Farm & Distillers. Georgia terroir, farming their own heritage corn (Jimmy Red!) and getting whatever they can't grow themselves locally, even Georgia barrels. It's all about Georgia, and it's all about the sense of place.

Amy Brown, her son Dan, and Amy's partner Paige Dockweiler (the "Doc" in Doc Brown) founded Doc Brown in 2019, inspired by an article on Jimmy Red corn in Garden & Gun magazine. Jimmy Red is most known today for use by High Wire Distilling (a recent Whiskey Ring Podcast guest!), but it was in fact grown originally in Georgia before going nearly extinct. Farming is in both families' DNA, stretching as far back as 1816 in the US, and despite day jobs as banker, RN, and pilot, the farm is where all three felt they really belonged.

Doc Brown is about Georgia and partnership. Inspired by collaborative brands such as Bardstown Bourbon Company and Barrell, the team has created a simple yet strong set of bourbons that reflect their heritage. Uncle Bogue (cask strength), Effie Jewel (92 proof), and the upcoming Resurrection Red all play on the family histories and gorgeous Jimmy Red corn. Seriously - the kernels look like pomegranate seeds, little garnet jewels.

Jimmy Red gives you one harvest per year, and with one crop, annual yields can vary widely. Off-season crop rotations ensure the land isn't overworked, and bees and bats pollinate and keep away pests naturally. Once the corn reaches optimal moisture (~14%), it's run through the mill, fermented, and distilled within 48-72 hours. This is the spirit of true farm distilling, with the only caveat being more partnership: distillation is done at the Distillery of Modern Art, still in-state. Amy is passionate about farming and taking care of the land, and that passion emanates from her during this interview. I hope you enjoy hearing it as much as I enjoyed the conversation!

Thank you to Amy for entering the Whiskey Ring!

Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, BAXUS

Baxus is the world's leading collectible spirits marketplace, with user-friendly options for buyers, sellers, and collectors looking to vault their collections. Use my link below to visit the BAXUS.CO website and sign up!

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Doc Brown Farm and Distillers

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Whiskey in Wyoming, via Nevada and NorCal

It's been nearly 20 years since I visited Wyoming, and I still remember it as one of the most beautiful places in the US. The least populous state, with multitudes more cattle and sheep than people, it is nonetheless one of astounding natural beauty, where small towns abound and you know your neighbors and who's growing your grain.

This was the place Chad Brown wanted to bring his family. After years in Nevada working for the Gaming Commission and a small brewing hobby in his garage, a conversation with his cousin brought up the question: if they were making pennies on a batch of barley, where was the money going? There were so many breweries - what about starting a distillery?

Tasting notes for this episode

There's a long thread to explore there, but the key is this: Chad moved to Pine Bluffs, WY, in the southeast corner by the capital, Cheyenne, a town with "more elevation than people." Over the last decade, he and his team have founded and grown Pine Bluffs Distilling into a destination and a grain-to-glass distillery working with local farmers (we're talking between 15-25 miles away from the farm depending on the year's crops).

Bourbon, rye, single malt, oated bourbon, oat whiskey, finishes, playing with the flavoring grains to see what would happen, all of it is here. Chad's passion vibrates out of him when he talks, and it's easy to see why Pine Bluffs has a bright future. When your founder cares, it flows to the team and to the guests. It was truly a pleasure to have this be the first distillery I talk to in Wyoming, and thank you to Chad for entering the Whiskey Ring!

Thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, BAXUS

Baxus is the world's leading collectible spirits marketplace, with user-friendly options for buyers, sellers, and collectors looking to vault their collections. Use my link below to visit the BAXUS.CO website and sign up!

• BAXUS Website
• BAXUS on Instagram
• BAXUS on Facebook
• BAXUS on Twitter/X
• BAXUS on LinkedIn

_________________________________________________________

If you haven’t joined the Patreon community yet, please consider doing so at patreon.com/whiskeyinmyweddingring

There are six (6) spots available at the $25/month bottle share club level. These are the last 6 spots that will ever be opened without a current member retiring - if you've been waiting, now's the time!

If you haven’t yet, please follow Whiskey in my Wedding Ring and the Whiskey Ring Podcast on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn, and subscribe to the newsletter on the website.

Pine Bluffs Distilling

• • Pine Bluffs Distilling Website
  • Pine Bluffs Distilling on Instagram
  • Pine Bluffs Distilling on Facebook
  • Pine Bluffs Distilling on LinkedIn