Lew Bryson is coming to Hyattsville’s My Dead Aunt’s Books on Saturday (2/22, 6-8pm) to chat about his new book – Whiskey Master Class – and all things whiskey. (Or is it “whisky?” Come and find out!) Route One Contributor, Matt Humbard (or “Hy-Functioning Alcoholic” as he calls himself), knows a thing or eight about both whiskey & Lew, so tickled to have him drop his knowledge about both below. (Thanks, Matt!)
Lew Bryson, Whiskey Master Class
Remember the time Winston Churchill said “The water was not fit to drink. To make it palatable, we had to add whisky. By diligent effort, I learned to like it.” It is entirely possible you weren’t born yet but you can bet if Winston Churchill was alive today, he’d wonder why his whiskey tasted so good and made the water drinkable. I am sure the British Prime Minister would find his way to My Dead Aunt’s Books on February 22nd in Hyattsville to learn all about Whiskey from Lew Bryson, the author of the new book “Whiskey Master Class.”
Lew Bryson at My Dead Aunt’s Books
On Saturday between 6 and 8 PM, Lew Bryson, a renowned whiskey expert, will delight guests of the bookstore with information from his new book which focuses on flavor creation in whiskey. Why do some whiskeys taste sweet, fruity, floral, spicy, herbal, oaky, nutty, dry or smoky? What controls the flavor profiles of whiskey? Why do some whiskeys have an “e” in the name while others don’t? Lew probably won’t parse the subtle difference in Scottish versus Irish Gaelic, but as far as the flavors and complexities of whiskeys are concerned, Lew is ready to tell you where those flavors and aromas come from.
Lew Bryson, photographed at New York Distilling Company. Photo by David Handschuh
Creating Whiskey
Lew Bryson’s book covers the process of creating whiskey with a focus on the flavors. He covers the grains, malting and mashing, the yeast and fermentation that takes place prior to distilling. Then the book covers the different distillation techniques and how they contribute to the flavor of the final product. How does wood aging affect whiskey? How about the conditions of the barrel storage? The length of time? How is whiskey blended and how does dilution affect the flavor?
Opus of Alcohol Knowledge
Lew, leaning on over 20 years of expertise in the whiskey world, takes you on a journey through the whole process to completely explain why our storied spirit has such a complex flavor. Lew Bryson’s previous whiskey book, Tasting Whiskey (Storey Publishing, 2014) was a broad survey of the whiskeys of the world, their history and manufacture. Whiskey Master Class is an opus of alcohol knowledge.
So come to My Dead Aunt’s Books on Saturday from 6-8pm, get your copied signed and learn about whiskey and whisky from a true expert.
My Dead Aunt’s Books is located at 5132 Baltimore Ave., Hyattsville, Maryland 20781.
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Learn more interesting facts about libations from Matt here!
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