Food & Culture

Teaching Yourself The History, Chemistry, And Business of Spirits

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Bryan Davis owns and runs a distillery in Los Angeles, but it's not your typical distillery – he's found a way to change the chemical properties of rum to age it 20 years in just 6 days. And here's where things get interesting: he taught himself the science behind how to do it. Today on the Curiosity Podcast, we welcome Bryan Davis to tell his story, which isn't so much about what he does as it is about how he got to where he is today.

Listen to this episode to learn about history, organic chemistry, and business skills all wrapped into one captivating tale. Stream or download the podcast using the player below, or find the episode everywhere podcasts are found, including iTunes, Stitcher, and Gretta.

Aging Liquor Quicker

Bryan Davis discussed:

  • How the flavors of whiskey, brandy, and rum are derived from biochemistry in a way that is different from other spirits and other beverages.
  • Why innovation in research and development investment is significantly different among different beverage industry sectors.
  • How Bryan used free resources to teach himself organic chemistry and discover how to age spirits in a way that researchers haven't been able to figure out for 100 years.
  • How fermentation works to create alcohol, including the difference between wine and beer and other spirits.

Plus: hear about the incredible tours offered by Lost Spirits Distillery in California. Click here to follow along with a written transcript of this episode (and share clips with your friends).

Podcast Show Notes And Links

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About the Curiosity Podcast: Curiosity makes you smarter – and so will this podcast. Each episode features experts in every field who explain why their knowledge is important and why you should care. Developed as an audio companion to the existing Curiosity experience, you'll learn about your brain and your body, outer space and the depths of the sea, how history shaped the world into what it is today, and more. From the largest galaxies to your smallest brain cells, hosts Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer will share their curiosity to help you understand the world better.

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Written by Cody Gough October 17, 2017