10 Questions with Ghostface Distillah
1. Each of your products is so different. Did you intend to create such a diverse selection? Or did experimentation give way to development?
We like to consider distillation an art form, as our way of conveying an impression or an emotion to our fellow humans. The diversity that's represented by our spirit portfolio is a reflection of the diversity of the human experience. As we find new things that move us, we try to find ways to capture that sensation and deliver it to other people.
2. What do you do to harness your inspiration? Are you constantly searching for new things to work with, or do you wait for the flavors to find you?
When something really speaks to us, an impression or a single ingredient, we make time to play with it in our laboratory. We have 10-liter and 30-liter lab stills that give us a solid approximation of how something might perform on our production stills. Sometimes, that inspiration will lead directly to a new spirit that we release. More often than not, it'll teach us something about the limits of distilling as an art form.
3. What do you think of the rise of ready-to-drink cocktails?
I think that RTDs have a time and place (tailgating, camping, fishing, etc.), but an RTD is somebody else's idea of how a cocktail should taste. As such, it takes away your individual freedom to experiment with your cocktail and tailor it perfectly to your own taste.
4. Favorite member of the Wu-Tang Clan?
I’ll give you three guesses…
5. Go-to Covid cocktail?
I've had a couple of go-to pandemic cocktails. A simple Terroir martini always hits the spot, as does the American Werewolf (a gin-heavy Negroni riff made with our Terroir Gin, Bruto Americano, and Carpano Antica Formula).
6. What market have you most wanted to visit during the past year? (you don’t have to say Boston)
I had a trip planned to Boston for the middle of March 2020. I had my flight, my hotel, and my dinner reservation for one all set at No. 9 Park. I was ready. Still am. Why'd you make me think about that?
7. What’s your favorite whiskey when you’re not drinking your own?
I have two whiskies that have a special place for me when I'm not drinking my own. Rittenhouse Rye is everything that I want in a rye. The other is Lagavulin. It's the first spirit I ever tasted that made me realize that there was more to it than alcohol. It had a personality, it had depth, it had stories to tell. It's responsible for me becoming a distiller.
8. With the upcoming release of Lot 20, what have you noticed about the progression of the series?
I've loved our Lot Series from the very beginning. The new-make was delicious and the first release was a milestone. In the 20 years since that first release, we've learned a ton about barrels, which is vitally important if you want to age a spirit and not lose the things that you loved about the new-make. Dave Smith's thoughtful selection and blending of barrels from our stock has made for some incredible releases over that time. The Lot 20 is the most elegant and nuanced of all the Lots so far.
9. What was the inspiration behind the California Shochu? What did you learn during the trial process before you were happy with the result?
The California Shochu was inspired by our friends at the Ramen Shop in Oakland. They're an incredibly talented bunch and opened a restaurant that takes traditional Japanese dishes and interprets them with locally sourced ingredients. We wondered what that would look like as a spirit. We played with rice and with sweet potatoes, learning the challenges of working with koji (the mold that converts starches to fermentable sugars), as well as the incredible aromas (like cashew, pistachio, dried cocoa) that come from the koji. It was such a cool process, we made a couple of batches of soy sauce as well. It also led to our making a small batch of umeshu, which in turn helped to shape that Baller Whiskey.
10. What’s your favorite way to enjoy the Basil Eau de Vie?
Jim Meehan came up with an incredible cocktail using the Basil Eau de Vie. It's a gin basil smash. Terroir, Basil Eau de Vie, lime juice, simple syrup, and Champagne. Try it, you'll love it.
