The Wrench

I didn't really put this in blazing letters anywhere on this site, but I'm still in the military. I'm not on active duty, but I joined the Arkansas National Guard after leaving my last active duty station. Well, I have been called back into service and I will answer the call. It looks like my projected open date of April 15th will be pushed back. How far I don't know yet. Stay posted. 

It has thrown a little wrench in my plans, but it really doesn't bother me that much to be honest. We are building a business around the concept of service to your community. Offering a product or service means absolutely nothing if you aren't using at least part of your time of profits to better the surrounding community. I have been serving since 2008 and I will always serve. Hopefully I can do it a little closer to home next time so that I can bring you "the very best of the Ozarks"

Marketing Moonshine

I have to admit that I struggle with actually believing that I will be successful. Growing up in a family with limited financial resources left me with a belief that money, success, health, and wealth only comes to a lucky few. Although I have learned and lived differently, there is a little voice in the back of my mind that says "you ain't gonna make it". Therefore, I tend to try and overpower this nagging feeling with dedicated research to ensure that I do NOT fail. I was looking up some marketing stuff, and I came across this guy named Frank Kern https://www.facebook.com/Frank.Kern.Page/ who seemed pretty straight forward in his marketing approach. He basically postulates that you need to know who your customer is in great detail and tailor your product to him. Seems like a good idea, but when you consider that damn near everybody likes a snort of whisky, the task seems daunting- at first. 

As I got up this morning, drank about a half a pot of coffee, popped a couple Motrins, and tried to remember who in the hell I was, I realized that my "ideal" customer is probably a lot like me.  A dude in his late twenties to early thirties, got a kid or two, loves wearing a comfortable pair of blue jeans, generally eats healthy but has a secret love of twinkles, works too damn many hours to pay for the toys (motorcycles?) that he doesn't have time to enjoy, and wishes he could spend more time outdoors. He thinks that America is too commercialized and that most of the social interactions he encounters day to day are basically bullshit. He craves something that is authentic, not just marketed as authentic, but doesn't think that paying double the price for it is reasonable. I think this is about right. Only my cash register will tell. Either way, stay tuned. I'm bringing you the very best of the Ozarks!

Why is there an "E" missing.

I have had a lot of confusion around here as to why I'm spelling my hooch differently than the fine gents distilling in Kentucky. Let me give you a couple reasons and clear the air. 

Language: I love language. I come from a family of musicians and song writers, so words, and how they are used is a part of who I am. I love plays on words so I have to admit that I'm kind of prone to puns. This is a Scottish spelling, and this is a nod to the Scots-Irish people that settled this region. 

 History: I also love history; in particular Ozark history. This is a pretty cool region that until the mid-1800s was where civilization (states) ended, and territories began. In the western Ozarks, there was often very little distinguishing between these two. This area was settled by and large from people of Scots-Irish descent. Many moved westward from Appalachia and brought with them their customs and language. There is a lot of old English (Elizabethan) words, phrases, and grammar present, but I'm making Whisky and not Gin! The Scotts in particular spell it Whisky and not WhiskEy. I think that is important because:

I'm not making bourbon. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE me some bourbon, but my obsessive desire to reduce, repurpose, and recycle has left me creating a product that tastes like bourbon but doesn't meet the federal criteria. Bourbon must be aged in brand new barrels. I am using wine barrels that have been recoopered. Whisky on penetrates a few millimeters into the wood. I have a company shave out the area that hits the whisky, have them give it an alligator char, and ship it to me. Trees are saved (literally) and amazing whisky is made. 

In all, come by and lets talk about language. I love the language diversity in the U.S. There has been for a long time a heavy push towards homogenization of American English, and I severely hope that this ceases in favor of diversity. Accents and grammatical diversity is celebrated in many cultures worldwide, but there is a strong association of backwardness, stupidity, and ignorance in Appalachian/Ozark language. Disagree? Come by, have a sip with me, and lets talk about it. 

References: These are cool links about Ozark Language. It applies just the same to Appalachian language as well

https://thelibrary.org/lochist/periodicals/wrv/V1/N11/sp64e.htm

https://thelibrary.org/lochist/periodicals/ozarkswatch/ow803j.htm

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/destinations/2012/11/25/shakespeare-ozarks-arkansas-unique-language-heritage/1724131/

Post one!

I've put this off for too long. Kind of like opening the distillery. 

A little back story though. Why this? Why a distillery, and why "in the middle of nowhere"? Let me start off with my first love: the Ozark landscape. I grew up a little ways outside of the city limits and my family struggled financially. A house without A/C in the summer was not a great place to hang out in so I spent a lot of time outdoors. I fell in love with the spring fed creeks, the wild woods, and the wildlife that inhabited it. With that comes agriculture. In all my years, my mom has never failed to grow a garden and can her own meat and vegetables. Growing a crop from simple seeds is a true wonder of nature and something I've always been fascinated with.

Additionally, I have an undying passion for the culture and the people that inhabit this region. We are industrious and resourceful. I grew up with "hillbilly engineering"- using what is available and what you can find to fix something that is broke or needs to be built. My great grandad in his life was a mechanic, a farmer, a bar owner, and a moonshiner. He was an expert in hillbilly engineering. 

Ultimately, I want to bring together these concepts; the terroir, agriculture, and whisky culture of the Ozarks. I want to stay close to the land and source of supply that it comes from and you can bet I will be reinvesting in this rural landscape. However, that is another blog post. Stay tuned because the best is yet to come, and I'm bringing you the very best of the Ozarks!

-Gary Lee