I spent my early years picking stones, cutting firewood, making maple syrup, harvesting hay, castrating pigs, and shoveling manure on my parents’ hobby farm in rural Central NY.
Early childhood experiments with fermentation and fuel distillation were enthusiastically conducted but largely unsuccessful. Things changed when I brewed my first batch of homebrewed beer while studying Ag Engineering at Cornell University in 1990 and I've been converting starches to alcohol ever since.
A Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from UB in 1996 allowed gainful employment and supported further experimentation in fermentation, allowing me to work more on knowledge and the organoleptic analysis of beer, eventually reaching the level of BJCP National judge; a rank achieved by fewer than 1 in 6 judges nationwide.
I'm a firm believer that excellent whiskey starts with a high quality mash. I've spent the better part of my lifetime studying and perfecting the process of converting starches into luscious fermented beverages and I'm excited to be using those skills to make what I hope will be excellent spirits.