Welcome to Thirsty Thursdays @3PM EST!
My name is Jessie Ott, the Host of this Podcast which is all about Beverage Innovation. I talk with Innovation Pioneers from Agriculture to Glass.
This week I spoke with Ilias Mastrogiannis, owner of Washington State’s Mastrogiannis Distillery. They produce four high end brandy SKUs, a Vermouth and two Rose for Cure wines, in which they donate 10% to a family of a child with a life-threatening illness.
They are curators of the finest small batch brandy made state side. They distill Riesling and French Colombard grapes after fermenting them slow and at a low temperature.
They use both column and pot still distillation creating an intense and flavorful brandy. They age their wine exclusively in French wine barrels.
They are a family-owned winery and distillery and is the continuation of a great man, Constantine AKA (Kostas) Mastrogiannis, late father of owner and distiller Ilias Mastrogiannis. His late father was a mason turned winemaker that inherited wine making equipment from his father. He in turn took it to another level from just a hobby.
His father, a man of few words, used the term “Meraki” which in my translation is his word to describe his happy place. Kostas would shout it out with a smile on his face. I just love that. Everyone deserves a word for their happy place. The Greek word loosely translates in English as the soul, creative and love you put into everything you do regardless of the task at hand. Yep, a happy place.
Therefore, “Made with Meraki” is now printed on each label which is a great tribute to a man with talent and vision his son was able to showcase to the world.
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