Come Taste VARA & Taylor Garrett Spirits With Us

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Hi I’m Suzanne Henricksen, a researcher and storyteller by trade, and a world explorer, drink local enthusiast by heart. I’m traveling the world to celebrate and share the people the  

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process the stories and the innovations 
behind craft alcohol and I can’t wait to  

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share our amazing kinds with all of you 
so let’s get drinking Crafty Cask Style

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Welcome to Lifted Spirits Distillery we are 
here in Kansas City, Missouri and we are  

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so excited to head on inside and hang out with Michael the owner and distiller or he used to  

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be a lot of distilling before he had to focus 
on all of this craft distillery ownership stuff  

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so we’re gonna head inside and taste some of his spirits and head check out his distillery  

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and learn all about Lifted Spirits 
Distillery come on let’s go  

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[Michael] do you guys want to try a cocktail with a ‘Supernova’ that Derek made up yesterday?
[Suz] Sure, Love that!

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[Michael] Cheers everybody, thank you for coming
[Suz] Of course, thanks for having us
[Michael] Absolute pleasure, I love doing tours, which is part of why I opened a distillery

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[Michael] everything we have right now is uh 100 wheat based including our whiskey  

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[Suz] where does the wheat come from?
[Michael] the wheat for our whiskey comes from a farm in Bellsville, Kansas just 30 minutes  

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[Michael] just south from here

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[Michael] and then the base for the other 
ones is either a combination of that  

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with a soft light wheat it’s a softer 
Russian wheat for the whiskey
[Suz] okay  

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[Michael] and we use a combination of that and a I’m sorry it’s a hard red which rich wheat  

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[Michael] and then the base for our other ones is a soft white organic wheat from Kentucky  

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[Suz] yeah because I feel like the personality really comes through a little bit more so I’m excited, I’m excited to check that out

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[Michael] so walking through the products 
then, is our first is our ‘Brilliant Vodka’
[Suz] okay  

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[Michael] at first it was just Vodka and then we realized everything had a great name  

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[Michael] except for the vodka so we went back and when we opened we only had our vodka and our ‘Bright Gin’  

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[Michael] and two products because the whiskey wasn’t done yet, and went back and talking  

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[Michael] about the vodka what really came out and overall in who we are we keep going to the stars  

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[Michael] because that’s what we’re shooting for our distillery we want to be really  

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[Michael] creative and make new cohesive flavors so if like Calvin and Hobbes made a distillery we want  

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[Michael] we want to inspire them and then with the with the vodka it just shuns it just it shines it’s  

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[Michael] ethereal it’s light but it tastes you can get a little bit of it from those wheat containers and  

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[Michael] some apple a little bit of maybe banana 
some apricot which comes through really  

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[Michael[ well on the Whiskey but there’s just those hints of it to give the body to some soul  

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[Michael] and then the next our second release or I guess out of our two first ones was the ‘Bright Gin’  

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[Michael] this was 4 and a half years 
ago right. I was working on the ‘Bright Gin’ about 5 and a half years ago

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[Michael] I taught myself from just going to the library I’ve never took chemistry and have a background in it I’ve   

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[Michael] been wanting to make this and blend it to my friends because I fell in love with this idea that spirits  

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[Michael] were inherently communal there was a friend group who brought craft spirits and tried different  

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[Michael] cocktails and I wanted to make that and bring it to them so with the ‘Bright Gin’ I was taking some  

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[Michael] of these traditional recipes and tinkering with them trying to make them my own I realized I knew  

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[Michael] how to distill and I knew how to follow a recipe but I didn’t know why the recipe was the recipe  

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[Michael] so i took uh about 40 different botanicals that I could think of and I just told them in the Gin and distilled them individually

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[Michael] using uh either maceration or vapor distillation just to see what they did by themselves wow that’s  

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a quick experiment it was a lot of fun yeah then 
went back and put a couple botanical builds were  

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[Michael] covered by smell just to see what would happen and then make a ‘Bright Gin’ which is 100% vapor  

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[Michael] distilled okay um and we’re able to make cuts off of the distillation as we’re going to its most  

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[Michael] flavors in juniper you don’t normally get to taste and then the ‘Bold Gin’ was the next gin that we made  

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[Michael] uh it’s a really complex botanical gin so you’ll get like tingles of juniper with a little timber  

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[Michael] on the front of the tongue we macerate and also vapor distill so we have elderberry and  

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[Michael] barbary in the gin basket okay so it exposes rich dark berry flavors without it getting too tangy  

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[Michael] and puckery hence the bowls yes it is gin over 
them but it’s still not your grandpa’s handle  

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[Michael] it’s very complex so you’ll get a little bit of bright and some floral notes but not you know  

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[Michael] super flowery uh it’s very rich it’s very assertive, its bold. and then our third Gin up there  

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[Michael] is our ‘Barrel Reserve #2’ it’s so much fun I’m really excited about that we really want to  

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[Michael] you know keep exercising our creativity and so it’s number 2 because the second iteration of  

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[Michael] it uses the same botanical build as a ‘Bright Gin’ but distilled is an essence so very concentrated  

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[Michael] and it’s rested on our used Wheat whiskey barrels and on twelve-year-old Nicaraguan barrels so it’s  

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[Michael] got a fun sweet component to it good richness and then fourth Gin which was released this week is  

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[Michael] our ‘Supernova’ uh which uses some of those cuts that we were talking about on the ‘Bright Gin’ we  

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[Michael] don’t want to throw all that flavor away and so we keep the botanicals out of the gin basket and we  

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[Michael] keep those cuts and we re-macerate it and distill it as a traditional gin and it’s bottled with Navy  

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[Michael] strength and it’s called ‘Supernova’ because it’s just the brightest thing in the sky like it’s an  

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[Michael] explosion of flavor there’s so much to it honestly I don’t have marketing language about it now I’m  

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[Michael] just shooting from the hip here I haven’t gone through and refined it because it’s just so good  

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[Suz] yeah that’s right practice with us when we taste it we’ll we’ll for our marketing language

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[Michael] this is the uh, boiler, that we’ve uh pulled- so it’s gonna be taken out, it’s going bye-bye

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[Michael] and then all the mechanical that you see on the back wall, is going to replace it.

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[Michael] so we have uh now instead of having to try and maintain a you

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[Michael] know, 50 psi boiler which for us was introducing a lot of oscillations when you’re trying to distill the  

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[Michael] oscillation bad because then thermometer gets thrown off all the way through
[Suz] yeah  

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[Michael] so we were taking distillation runs that were going way longer than they needed to because there  

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[Michael] was always a state of um a state of unknowns inside the still and so getting the city steam  

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[Michael] service where we always have the right psi of I mean we always have high pressure steam coming  

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[Michael] in that it’s knocked down to 300 psi
[Suz] cool
[Michael] and provides infinite hot water for the building the  

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[Michael] little still that we have set up here this is Jill the Still- it’s just a little 113 liter Still
[Suz] I feel like I never hear female names for Stills I love that!

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[Michael] and so this is the still we use when we’re doing our ‘Bright Gin’ also some other experiments  

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[Michael] as we’re scaling them up uh it’s a direct uh heating element in there so we don’t use it for  

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[Michael] mash since we mill ferment and mash on the ring and so in here is where that neutral sphere we’ve  

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[Michael] made goes and then the gin basket here this large cylinder which surprises the basket yes

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[Michael] that’s where the botanicals are all suspended so as we’re distilling it again the vapor is going up  

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[Michael] through all those botanicals which extracts 
the flavor really quickly but really gently  

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[Michael] uh and allows us to take cuts off during the process because some of those compounds get cold and  

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[Michael] are still heavier than the temperature wants to be at so we fall at the bottom  

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[Michael] and then we just have a little condenser here and a little parrot and we distill that gin as a as an  

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[Michael] essence which is then later turned into the ‘Bright Gin’ as it’s proofed- This is our Mash Ton it’s  

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[Michael] named Hulk because “Hulk sMash” yes it doesn’t normally look this way uh we’re like I said in construction so  

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[Michael] there’s some pieces we’re working on the agitator on the big stove sure um but it’s just a- Custom  

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[Michael] Metal Craft made it it’s uh altered IVC with a you know pressed on steam jacket we do all of  

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[Michael] our heating for our large processes with steam I’d love to have a steam jacket for a little still too  

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[Michael] just because it’s so efficient like you wouldn’t think of like steam’s an old technology yeah  

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[Michael] like all the energy that goes into that last little bit that turns that liquid into a vapor  

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[Michael] when that vapor condenses on the 
surface it all goes right back in  

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[Michael] and so it transfers it just amazingly 
well – and uh this is Stella The Still

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[Michael] it’s uh hot hybrid still so uh with 
the first part we just have four trays if  

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[Michael] we’re doing like a Whiskey or a Brandy and then we use active paper active reflex management

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(indistinguishable conversation)

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[Michael] so what we did is uh because 
it’s a reflux management still  

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[Michael] we will not use the declinator at the top which forces condensation uh to fill the  

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[Michael] trays up so if we’re wanting to not refine it that much uh we’ll use it as a pass-through  

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[Michael] and not ever do stripping runs we actually have a two-inch line arm that comes off of the kettle  

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[Michael] that we can bypass it with okay so our options the way we pipe it together which this is built  

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[Michael] from modular components so we could you know have a still we could tinker with and now we’re at the  

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[Michael] point where we know exactly what we’re looking for and this one’s been refined down to work  

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[Michael] the way we work and it’s kind of just a bathroom we still… I love great things
[Suz] yeah really  

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[Suz] awe Stella
[Michael] she’s been through a lot
[Suz] how often are you running your stills- to keep up with  

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[Michael] we do everything in sprints
[Suz] okay
[Michael] so it’s not like we have a like this many times a month  

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[Michael] it’s more like on you know in a month we’ll run it every day for a month and  

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[Michael] then we’ll skip a couple months depending on what part it is yeah I think that’s yeah

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[Suz] and this is your lab huh?
[Michael]  yes so this is the lab yeah  

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[Suz] this is where all the magic happens 
the evil right now
[Michael] —was used today

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[Michael] we were distilling the experimental recipe for a Swiss Absinthe so a Verte Absinthe [Suz] oh I haven’t had a  

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[Suz] Verte I don’t think? have you had a Verte? 
[Evan] no I have not. [Michael] um so playing with that we also have  

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[Michael] you know some other like all sorts of experiments so if you look at like our shelves for example  

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[Michael] when we have new botanicals that come in we put them through a standard battery of tests  

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[Michael] and then we have a couple other 
products hanging out over there that  

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[Michael] we’ve been putting through development 
so that’s PRND- product and development

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[Michael] um and then like our next botanical is finished  

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[Michael] kind of finishing drying and hanging above me right now it’s just a following experiment

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[Michael] you know a couple of different ABVs and different distillations and macerations  

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[Michael] just to see what it does um so what is this flowering experiment [Suz] oh cool   

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[Michael] yeah we’ll put it through we usually have six base tests that are a variety of ABVs and then  

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[Michael] whether it’s macerated or either vapor distilled or macerated it’s the [Suz] magic wormwood and scared the  

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[Suz] scary scary magic warm wood but everything 
[Michael] no it doesn’t have to be it’s so beautiful  

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[Michael] so this is our event space and we call it A Loft because it was…a loft…so the building  

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[Michael] was built in the 1880s as a staple for a big old ski bakery that used to be across the street there  

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[Micahel] and honestly this is these two doors where they bought the hay and everything in and  

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[Michael] you can see right here actually when you got the building there was a pepper right here  

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[Michael] where they would drop everything down a big reason I wanted to then open up the  

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[Michael] distillery was selling Distiller 
years ago I was you know touring  

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[Michael] different distilleries and discovering 
that if you ask two points of a question

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[Michael] yeah these aren’t secrets right like 
I read about them this is the library yeah  

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[Michael] and I don’t know the way I’m wired anytime there’s a curtain like blocking something or there’s like  

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[Michael] Wizard of Oz stuff going on like I gotta rip that curtain down yeah and so I opened up I wanted to  

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[Michael] open a place and that’s why we have big old glass doors instead of just windows we love doing tours  

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[Michael] that was honestly one of the most painful things about COVID for my business is that I  

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[Michael] couldn’t keep just doing tours we offer free tours 5 days a week and we finally opened  

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[Michael] tours up again that we booked them online so we get to do them again like it’s actually  

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[Michael] back here again but I remember in the lab which is just back there underneath where my guests  

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[Michael] at that point I was down there working on what became our final Absinthe recipe  

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[Michael] and at the same time there was 
a wedding going on in the hammer  

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[Michael] and set up right above those windows and so I’m listening to this couple of do the say the vows

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[Michael] and I’m working on my Absinthe and I’m like “I really get to do this right now?”

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[Michael] like…”is this real life?”
[Suz] “is this my job?”

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[Michael] people used to live their lives around distilling

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[Michael] it was a place where farmers would gather and turn their crop into something that they  

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[Michael] could get to market yeah that they would enjoy together and then after prohibition it became  

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[Michael] dagger things go back to it being open yeah let’s do tours let’s hang out around the still

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[Suz] okay all right so ‘Brilliant Vodka’ tell us 
about this beauty (intelligible)

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[Michael] so it’s got a smooth finish uh it has great mouth feel and it should rest really well

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[Michael] a couple hints of uh, maybe some apple, some apricot

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[Suz] it is nice though we were talking 
earlier about how people talk about

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[Suz] Vodka has to be neutral, neutral yes, but that doesn’t mean flavorless, you know?

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[Suz] it doesn’t mean like water, you know? There is some character- it’s got the mouth feel to it

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[Evan] especially really good

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[Suz] this is great! yeah it’s really fun I can see why you call it- that’s very light very fresh very kind of, yeah for sure!

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[Michael] this is a gin that we were 
just what we were just talking about people that  

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[Michael] have had all their options in all the wrong places uh we have a lot of folks that come in that are  

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[Michael] you know we’re in that place and this is the gin that can fulfill that relationship

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[Suz] it does not smell like a Christmas tree, ya know?

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[Michael] there’s some good orange notes on there and I feel like a little coriander

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[Suz] that’s my kind of Gin

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(loud background noise and intelligible conversation)

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[Michael] she’s not harsh, she’s not sharp

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[Michael] Bold Gin! So this is gonna be that rich botanical
[Suz] even the nose on this punches like ‘okay!’

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[Michael] it’s bold! It’s got a lot to it!

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[Michael] and then be sure to exhale

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[Evan] retro nose nasal olafaction

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[Suz] this is a little like peppery 
[Michael] so it’s that kind of peppercorn and that juniper on the front of the palette, rich berry on the outside

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[Michael] and theres just a itty bitty- a little bit of lavender that uh most people wouldn’t pick out and really  

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[Michael] that’s awesome that you can because it brings just a little dap on the mid-palette

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[Evan] I feel like its more of a dry lavender essence

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[Michael] so this is ‘Supernova’ so yeah, you’re gonna turn it, oh yeah look at all that oil

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[Suz] it’s much more grainy, savory to me than the other two, like I don’t get as much (inaudible) coming through

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[Michael] one in a minute

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[Suz] the beginning palette versus the middle palette versus the back palette it’s like transforming  

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[Suz] and as you’re swallowing it
[Michael] and then give it a good inhale and exhale through your mouth…it’ll change

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[Suz] I have to say for a Navy strain, it’s real smooth, yeah  

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[Suz] I’ve had quite a few Navy Strains, and I always like them they’re like WOO

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[Michael] yes that’s where I want to catch you (intelligible)

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[Michael] So next, we’re gonna do our ‘Barrel Reserve #2’

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[Suz] this is another thing that I don’t really feel like we see a lot of, but when we do see it, we are always really excited about it

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[Suz] I feel like Barrel aged Gin, is like (inaudible)

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[Suz] if they think they don’t like Gin, start here.

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[Suz] this is so (inaudible) and a bit appley?…it tastes like apple

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[Suz] there’s something else that’s a little like……almost tea like

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(intelligible)

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[Evan] with the ‘Barrel Reserve #2’ is…similar to the other three but then, is it the same barrel?

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[Michael] it is, it’s the same as the ‘Bright Gin’ it was distilled as an essence about three times…

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[Suz] it’s kind of weird that it kind of smells and tastes a little bit like creamsicle to me

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[Michael] this next one is our wheat whiskey so want to reinforce that it’s 100%  

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[Michael] wheat whiskey it’s not bourbon there’s no rye or corn or barley in it it’s just wheat

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[Suz] I love that wheat coming through it tastes like pie crust

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[Michael] especially how easy it is to be overwhelmed as a flavor

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[Michael] like treating it gently and bringing those those characteristics through it also letting them feel less

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[Suz] um I am getting like especially 
now because that pie crust but I said  

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[Suz] when I first got the nose and now I’m 
like this is like a cinnamon apple pie like in my mouth, but not sweet!

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[Michael] So this is our Absinthe Verte!

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[Michael] so both of yours were prepared without sugar because I wanted to give you the full length  

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[Michael] so there’s a lot to do however there are strong black licorice notes because it’s that trinity of  

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[Michael] absinthe yes grand wormwood sweet fennel and green aniseed so you’ll get you know bitter savory sweet like altogether

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[Suz] it’s much less of a punch in the face of licorice than other Absinthe’s I’ve had, which I really appreciate

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[Suz] why don’t we line up all of these spirits now that we’ve tried them all all right

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[Suz] yeah beautiful Michael thank you so much for spending so much time with us today  

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I know you’re busy yeah I mean we’ve had so much fun and I know as a craft maker and an  

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owner of a distillery you’ll have a million 
plates start spinning at any given time  

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so we really appreciate you know 
taking the time to walk with running  

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distillery you take the time to let 
us taste through all this and really  

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we are super impressed yeah this has been really 
really fun and I love the whole idea of Lifted  

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Spirits and kind of elevating that experience 
with your spirits and I think your personality  

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and your charm and your storytelling helps do 
just that I love finding fellow talkers like me

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so thank you we’re excited to kind of hang out 
for more and I love that Danika lives here our  

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digital content manager you know she is a 
regular and she’ll continue to support you guys, really good to hear your story

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thank you so much
[Michael] thank you everybody!