Shots of Knowledge

The Science of Whiskey
Erscheinungsjahr 2016
ISBN: 978-0-87565-654-0
Verlag: Texas Christian University Press

Buch, Englisch, 160 Seiten, Hardback, Format (B × H): 312 mm x 313 mm, Gewicht: 1496 g

Shots of Knowledge is a guidebook for whiskey lovers. Organized into approximately sixty illustrated essays, the book samples selected topics in whiskey production through the lenses ofscience and engineering.

While the essays are subdivided into three sections—FromSunshine to Sugar, From Wee Beasties to White Dogs, and FromBarrel to Brain—the reader is free to sip them in any order. Thestory commences with water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight, travelsthrough the manufacturing process, and ends with the moleculesthat entertain the palate.

Whether the topic is photosynthesis, bubble caps, oak speciation,or a mechanistic enzymology, the essays seek to reveal thesimple beauty too often hidden in science and engineering. Atapproximately one page in length, each essay and accompanyingartwork can be digested slowly at the rate estimated at three essaysper bourbon or Scotch.

Every essay is summarized in one or two sentences in a “Shot ofKnowledge.” Iconography anchors each essay in the productionprocess. Inspiration for the book derived from a productivecollision between individuals from TCU and the Firestone &Robertson Distilling Company.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Arnold, Rob

Simanek, Eric

Über Autor(innen)

Growing up in central Illinois, Eric Simanek was surrounded bycorn destined for feed or alcohol. He holds degrees in chemistry from Illinois and Harvard. A member of the chemistry faculty at TCU, he enjoys sharing his love of science with all ages and sharing whiskey with good friends.

Rob Arnold is a native of Louisville, Kentucky and a third generation member of the whiskey industry. With a passion for both science and whiskey, he holds degrees in microbiology and biochemistry. Since 2011, he has been the head distiller at the Firestone & Robertson Distilling Company in Fort Worth, Texas, USA.