What are the differences between someone who makes less than 40,000 cases of spirits each year and an operation such as Smirnoff, which cranked out over 26 million cases in 2012? Obviously the distinctions go way beyond numbers and relate to intangibles such as entrepreneurial spirit, vision, passion and commitment to quality. Mark speaks with Brian Ellison of Death’s Door Spirits in Washington Island, Wisconsin, one of the country’s leading producers of craft spirits, to get an idea about what he does, how he does it, and—most importantly—why he does it. On Bizarre Beverage News, Mark investigates the latest major wine heist: the theft of nearly 400 half-bottles from the legendary Chateau D’Yquem in Bordeaux, worth roughly $130,000.

LINKS:

Death’s Door Spirits—Link to: http://www.deathsdoorspirits.com

Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History—Link to:
http://www.iconicspirits.net

Mark Spivak
Author of Iconic Spirits: An Intoxicating History
(www.amazon.com/Mark-Spivak)
Host of Quench!, Great Tasting Talk Radio (www.webtalkradio.net) Wine and Spirits Editor, Palm Beach Media Group