Swamp Sippin'

Laurie and Bernard Quandt left corporate New York, landed in Llano, Texas, and built a distillery where she runs the still and he runs the road. This is WarTrail Spirits — and their Broken Halo Bourbon is doing something most Texas distilleries won't: 100% Texas grains, four years old, no malted barley on purpose.In this episode we get into the science behind the iStill, why six-to-seven-day ferments matter more than most people think, the 193-proof shower Bernard took the hard way, and the kangaroo that walked into their tasting room. Plus a Drain the Swamp answer that every craft bourbon fan needs to hear.📍 WarTrail Spirits — 122 E Main St, Llano, TX🥃 Broken Halo Bourbon: 80% corn / 20% rye, 100% Texas grains🔗 Follow @wartrail on Instagram⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 Cold open00:35 Why a married couple started the hardest business02:30 Buying an iStill from a "punk rock scientist"04:00 The 193-proof shower (Bernard's worst day)07:30 How Laurie and Bernard split the work11:00 From rural New York to Houston to Llano15:00 The kangaroo in the tasting room18:30 Why they took malted barley OUT of the mashbill20:30 Sourcing 100% Texas grain from MBS Seed23:00 Tasting the 94 proof and 115 proof Broken Halo24:00 Black cherry notes and oak striping every third barrel29:00 The distribution grind and getting into Total Wine33:50 DRAIN THE SWAMP: "Stop chasing allocated. Drink craft."36:30 Closing🐊 ABOUT SWAMP SIPPIN'Long-form sit-downs with craft distillers and brand founders, hosted by Kevin — The Bourbon Gator. New episodes every Friday.▶️ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@thebourbongator🎧 Also on Spotify and Apple Podcasts📸 Instagram: @thebourbongator🎵 TikTok: @thebourbongator🔔 FTC: Broken Halo Bourbon was gifted by WarTrail Spirits. All opinions are my own.#TexasBourbon #SwampSippin #WarTrailSpirits #BrokenHalo #BourbonGator #CraftBourbon #TexasWhiskey

Two boys with family roots in Southwest Louisiana met in Texas, built a 24-year friendship, and came home through a bottle. Episode 1: The Bourbon Gator sits down with Matt Myres of Acadian Lore Whiskey Co. to talk about what it really costs to build a whiskey brand from scratch — and what he'd drain from the swamp if he could. Pour one and pull up a chair.