Newsletter No. 12
May 2025
There’s a lot of good bourbon out there. In America, bourbon outsells rye 10:1 and it also outsells domestic single malt. When we started Silver Brothers Spirits Co. in 2020 we were not interested in adding to the copious supply of bourbon already on the market. At the time we did not grow corn, and from a taste perspective we have always preferred the complexity of rye and single malt vs. the straight-forward affability of bourbon. But we were curious…
Our alembic stills, our water, our long fermentation, exacting process, and unique microbiome cultivated from centuries of farming onsite – what would those elements contribute to a bourbon made here? In a few years time we will know, because as of April 2025 we laid down sixteen barrels of Silver Brothers bourbon.
Given our affinity for rye, the mashbill for this experimental batch is a high-rye bourbon, using 30% raw barley and 10% malted barley, all from our farm. The corn – the remaining 60% of the mashbill – was sourced from PJ Trowbridge in Ghent, and Kukon farms in Livingston. Though it will be several years before the bourbon is ready for release, the new-make spirit was so promising that we’ve decided to add bourbon to our regular production rotation, and this spring we will plant four acres of New York Bloody Butcher - an heirloom variety of corn known for its deep red kernels and sweet nutty flavor - which will be enough to supply our future bourbon production.
In our corner of Columbia County spring happens all at once. Though it seems just a few weeks back we were chipping ice off maple sap buckets, our rye and barley is now in high-growth mode. We had some concerns about winterkill, given a drought in the fall post-planting that stunted growth, combined with an unusually cold winter (we bottomed out at -15F). At present, and to our delight, our rye and barley are thriving. While we are still months from harvest, the current state of growth is encouraging, and affirmation that we are making progress, learning lessons from seasons past and managing our fields accordingly.
We also made our second attempt at growing spring barley. Spring barley is a challenge in our part of the Hudson River Valley, where wet springs and poorly drained soils often make field work prohibitive. (To point - I have personally sunk a tractor three feet into the mud). Fortunately, we have several well-drained fields in our rotation, and this year we plowed, disced, and planted one of them with nearly eight acres of Empire Gold barley. Empire Gold is a varietal bread by the Cornell University specially for New York State growers and our varied climate. While we’ve not grown this particular varietal in the past, we’ve distilled it with great results, and are eager to see how it performs in our fields this summer.
In making whiskey, everything matters. Each decision on ingredients, process, equipment, environment, and timing impact the finished spirit in the glass. In previous newsletters we’ve explored our water and our terroir, and this month we’ll delve into equipment, starting with our grain mills.
As the name implies, the grain mill mills grain. Milling is essential in distilling as it breaks whole grain kernels into smaller pieces with lots of exposed surface area. This makes it much easier for the exposed starches to convert to sugar during the mashing process.
Many distilleries don’t have grain mills at all - rather, they buy pre-milled grain and save the expense and labor of the milling process (as well as the ongoing cleanup). However, given the importance we place on growing our own grains, it naturally follows that we want to control precisely how the grain is processed and prepared for fermentation. In fact, we own not one, but two types of grain mills: a roller mill and a hammer mill.
The roller mill is used exclusively for our single-malt production. It has two sets of parallel rollers that gently crush the barley, first to remove the husk, and then to break apart the seed. Keeping the husk intact is essential for single malt, as the husk creates a natural filter bed allowing us to draw the liquid off the grain after mashing in. In fact, we adjust the rollers exactingly to ensure we achieve the right ratio of husk, grist and flour.
The hammer mill is a more forceful tool, and employed in our rye and bourbon. Rather than the gentle crush of the roller mill, the hammer mill pulverizes rye and corn into a consistent coarse grist - similar to coarse-ground cornmeal. In this case, we do not want to separate the grain from the liquid after mashing in (nor can we, as the grain dissolves into an oatmeal-like consistency). This is referred to as making whiskey “on the grain,” and doing so extracts more assertive flavors and esters throughout the process.
Most regional farmers markets reopen in May. This is also one of the best times of year for plant sales, craft fairs and antiquing in our area.
Daffodil and Tulip Festival, Naumkeag, Stockbridge. Through May 11th. Further information here.
Plants-and-Answers Plant Sale, Berkshire Botanical Garden, Stockbridge. Friday, May 9th, 11am-5pm and Saturday, May 10th 9am-4pm. Further information here.
Basilica Farm & Flea Spring Market 2025, Hudson. Saturday, May 10th & Sunday, May 11th, 10am – 5pm each day. Purchase tickets here.
Trade Secrets Rare Plant & Garden Antiques Sale, Lime Rock Park, Lakeville, CT. Sunday, May 18th, 9am-2pm. Purchase tickets.
Hudson Berkshire Wine & Food Festival, Columbia County Fairgrounds, Chatham. Saturday May 24th, 11am-6pm and Sunday May 25th, 11am-5pm. Purchase tickets here.
Foraging Walk at The Clark, The Clark Art Institute, Williamstown. Tuesday, May 27th, 5:30pm - 6:30pm. Further information here.
We hope you enjoyed our free newsletter. Be sure to subscribe and please share with a friend if you think they would enjoy it as well. For more information about Silver Brothers, visit silverbrothers.com and follow us on Instagram @silverbrotherswhiskey.
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