“Freshly cut oak is given time to dry, which not only makes it easier to work with but also concentrates those important flavors. The staves are also lightly cooked to make them more pliable as they are shaped, and fire… — Amy Stewart Copy Share Image
“The first boozy concoction to come from apples was cider. Americans refer to unfiltered apple juice as apple cider and usually drink it hot… — Amy Stewart Copy Share Image
“Angels’ Share: In storage, a small amount of alcohol escapes the barrel through evaporation. Distillers call this lost alcohol the angels’ share. Whiskey and… — Amy Stewart Copy Share Image
“Early spice traders tried to plant allspice seeds around the world but found them impossible to germinate. Eventually it was discovered that the seeds… — Amy Stewart Copy Share Image
“Absinthe is legal today in Europe, the United States, and many places around the world. Some governments regulate the amount of thujone that may… — Amy Stewart Copy Share Image
“As the tree matures, the older vessels become plugged with crystalline structures called tyloses, and as a result, the center of the tree—the heartwood—doesn’t… — Amy Stewart Copy Share Image
“Perhaps it makes sense that a creature that doesn't get ill and has few enemies among its neighbors would also live agelessly and die… — Amy Stewart Copy Share Image
“Wapsie Valley, known for producing red kernels. (The legend behind Wapsie Valley is that at corn shuckings, any man who found a red kernel… — Amy Stewart Copy Share Image
“Among the many benefits of “limestone water” was the fact that it came out of the ground at about 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the perfect… — Amy Stewart Copy Share Image
“I would’ve never guessed that a life in law enforcement was mostly spent waiting, that catching criminals requires not just clever thinking and a… — Amy Stewart Copy Share Image
“When Coca-Cola made its ill-fated switch to New Coke, the Wall Street Journal reported that the economy of Madagascar nearly collapsed because of the… — Amy Stewart Copy Share Image
“solera system for aging. The barrels are stacked four high, with finished sherry coming only from the bottom barrel. It is refilled by sherry… — Amy Stewart Copy Share Image
