The guys welcome world renown master distiller for Michter’s Whiskey, Dan McKee, to discuss the wonderful, foundational Whiskey Sour! Grab your Michter’s US 1 Single Barrel Rye, fresh lemon juice, simples syrup (1:1) and if you’re feeling adventurous, grab a couple eggs. You’ll need a shaker, Hawthorne strainer, fine strainer and world class ice! It can be up, it can be on ice, it can have a fancy garnish, no garnish, it’s a special one. Dan takes us through his personal history taking him through the midwest as a flat roofer, to the Jim Beam factory as a distillery operator at their Clairmont distillery. Promoted quickly after just two years, learning from great people, Pamela Heilmann, master distiller at Michter’s, recently retired, for over ten years! Dan talks about the wonderful art of distilling whiskey. From the grains to fermentation to the people. If you can get your hands on the 20 year Michter’s Kentucky straight bourbon or the 25 year, they’re not wood bombs! There’s an industry term for you. They have complex flavors. Pool together $500-$700 with your friends and let us know what you think. Dan discusses how the science blends with the art of distilling whiskey, utilizing sensory organoleptic tests, gas chromatography mass spectrometry, HPLC to collect data on volatile compounds allows them to make real time decisions on how to manage the stocks. Michter’s has a long rich history that dates back to John Shenk, a Swiss Mennonite farmer, in Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania in 1753. In the 1800’s, owned by Bomburger’s, closed by Prohibition. After Prohibition, it changed hands several times, but in the 1950's Lou Forman, renamed the distillery after his two sons, Michael and Peter, to Michter’s. It went bankrupt in the 80’s, but was revived by Joe Magliocco, who used to represent the brand on the distribution side, in the 1990’s, his friend Dick Newman and he bought the brand and moved to Kentucky. Purchasing matured stock from local distilleries to formulate their own profile, in the early 2000’s took their proprietary yeast and mash bill. What is a mash bill you ask? The mash bill refers to the breakdown/percentages of what grains are used in the production of whiskey: an ingredients list. They’re not making the recipes back from there Pennsylvania days, this is Michter’s, through and through. Michter’s releases on a taste profile, not by year, interestingly enough. Once it’s ready, we get to taste it. Well enough about that, we’re talking whiskey sours!  Everyone has had a different one. Kim’s first whiskey sour contained egg, like Ben, which fortifies and emulsifies the cocktail. But typically, the whiskey sour is whiskey, lemon and sugar or sweet and sour.  Try it with Rye or good ole fashioned Bourbon. Neither better than the other, but distinct flavors for distinct times. Enjoy this very special episode and tell us what you think about Equal Parts: A Bartending Podcast About Cocktails!