That we embrace grain-to-glass on one brand, but on the other we will blend with sourced spirits as well.

We do a little bit of everything since most distilleries do one or the other.

The name Dry Diggings Distillery comes from the original name of the town from 1848 when gold was being mined before the big gold rush a year later (49ers). The town’s name was later changed to Hangtown, and then finally renamed Placerville.

I would have to say it is tradition, the history of whiskey and a bottle that gets passed down from generation to generation. It is something that is acquired with age. People grow older and think to themselves, “Maybe Dad had better taste, and now I understand.

Terroir. Single malt doesn’t have to taste the same everywhere. Use of different grain and how the whiskey is aged.

I also hope that blending will become more popular, like Scotland.  It really is a unique skill set that is still not fully appreciated in the U.S.A.

The public’s willingness to try something new.

They haven’t completely abandoned the tried & true old-time brands, but are opening up to embracing something new.

I like that it ties itself back to the birthplace of whisky.  It carries on the history & heritage of whisky.  It is what we use to sample everyone at the distillery.

They are not cheap, and make a perfect pitch sound that you don’t get with other glassware. Also, the fact that Glencairn brands them for us, thus making it a partnership.  We always remind folks that these come from Scotland and we love that about them!

Visit the Dry Diggings website here

A couple things make us unique – we are in Northern California; we are in the heart of wine country and we only make whiskey.

The type of equipment we use is the Scottish pot stills from Forsyths and the alembic cognac stills give our whiskey a very different flavor from others.

Whiskey for a long time has been straddled with the tag of “what your father or grandfather used to drink”.

But now, due to shows like like “Boardwalk Empire” & “Madmen” plus the rise of the new cocktail culture has made whiskey a cool thing again.

From the supply side – age statements & price point availability are some of the trends that I see may pay dividends in the future.

I think a lot of it has to do with barrel finishing. That I think is exciting! I also like the idea of bringing back bottled-in-Bond as well. Also, sourcing ingredients locally, since I realize the positive economic impact it can have on the local farmers. I think that is really important! It is why we are a 100% California sourced spirit!

So, this is not bullshit at all – the glass itself is built really, really well! This from a guy who breaks a lot of glasses! I like the nose on it, as someone who blends whisky. I can really move the Glencairn glass as I swirl it. The knuckle of my thumb fits perfectly on the base of the glass, so it is a perfect fit.

My only qualm is if the base was only a little taller so that my hands were further from my nose when nosing a spirit. That way any aroma of my hand wouldn’t interfere with the aroma of the spirit.

Visit the Sonoma website here

The use of Scottish (Forsyths) pot stills, even for our American Whiskey styles, was pretty unique when we started. Also, again, something probably more common now that wasn’t when we started was that we made single malts in the U.S.

When we started there was no Texas whiskey being made, so maturing in this area was a huge question mark. It’s a very different maturation climate than the traditional whiskey regions of the world. But now with whisky from Taiwan and India, with similar climate to ours, the conversation about whiskey from more extreme climates is more fleshed out.

Some of the biggest things I didn’t see coming, were how many distilleries have popped up since we started.

Also, how the bigger the industry got; the more difficult things became. You start making the whiskey and seeing the business grow, which means hiring people who know marketing and get feet out on the street to get your brand on store shelves and backbars.

I was pouring whiskey at an event for an American gent who had married a Scottish girl, and whose Scottish father-in-law was residing in Texas, but was very ill in hospital. The father had heard of a single malt whiskey being made in Texas, so he sent his son-in-law out to find this Balcones single malt and bring it back to him. He found it, brought it back to his father-in-law in the hospital, and they would share little nips in the evenings every night.

Since the father-in-law was Scottish, he was deemed the whiskey expert of the two men, and he really liked it. When the older man passed away, they found that the bottle still had some whiskey left in it, so the family would share it in memory of him from time to time.

It shows that we are making more than just whiskey, but are affecting moments in people’s lives. I think everyone in this industry needs to remember that we are doing way more than whiskey, and other people are incorporating what we make into some of the most important moments of their lives. We get to be the stewards of something that is very meaningful to people.

Well, obviously, the Covid-19 stuff is throwing everyone’s expectations out the window. I do see continued growth, but with some hiccups because of recent events. There should still be growth, though perhaps slowed down more than we thought.

There will also be a big loss among distilleries, especially with those that never had a good stronghold in the marketplace to begin with.

So, this is not bullshit at all – the glass itself is built really, really well! This from a guy who breaks a lot of glasses! I like the nose on it, as someone who blends whisky. I can really move the Glencairn glass as I swirl it. The knuckle of my thumb fits perfectly on the base of the glass, so it is a perfect fit.

My only qualm is if the base was only a little taller so that my hands were further from my nose when nosing a spirit. That way any aroma of my hand wouldn’t interfere with the aroma of the spirit.

Visit the Balcones website here