THE ART & SCIENCE Behind the Sip

Greg McGlinch, a fifth-generation farmer from Darke County who sells grain to local distilleries, fulfills the part of a scientist to the highest degree. His passion for farming led him to earn a Ph.D. in agronomy and crop science, an understanding of grain production that he uses every day in producing high-quality grain for the spirits industry.

For several years now, he’s been heavily focused in cereal rye production. Small grains like rye that are foundational ingredients in beloved spirits like rye whiskey present some unique challenges for farmers. This is where an understanding of agronomic science becomes critical.

“We’ve been able to fine-tune our nutrient applications,” McGlinch explained as an example.“Every year it changes, maybe we need a little more nitrogen than last year or we put too much nitrogen on … when you put too much nitrogen on a crop, specifically small grains, it likes to lay over and lodge, meaning grow more slowly. So we’ve got to be very cognizant of that, and understand what happened the year before.”

Farmers like McGlinch use routine soil testing to understand everything from the pH and fertility of their soil to the specific

Blu Mojito

8 Fresh Blueberries

6 Mint Leaves

¾ oz Fresh Lime Juice

¼ oz Blueberry Puree

1 oz Simple Syrup

1½ oz GS Spiced Rum

1 oz BLU Blueberry Liquor

Gently muddle first five ingredients. Add rum and shake with ice. Float BLU on top nutrient content of the soil at specific points in the field. This allows them to use GPS-guided precision technology to apply just the right amount of fertilizer needed in just the right spot, rather than using a blanket application that wastes money and leads to nutrient runoff.

Understanding the chemistry at work and how to adjust the various chemical levers at play in the soil and the plant’s biological process allows farmers to produce a high-quality crop efficiently. And it’s just one of the many different components of the farmer’s job description.

McGlinch expounded, “I could be spraying chemicals here depending on the weather, so, you know, a chemist, you’ve got to make sure the chemicals are correct, because if not, you could kill a hundred acres very quickly. We’re businessmen, we’re family, we’re friends, we’re neighbors, we’re community.”

The Symbiosis Of Farmers And Distillers

For the distiller, the process of creating spirits sounds simple enough. Set your mash bill, combine and ferment your ingredients, strain and distill the mixture,