NOLADrinks Show – 11-26-18 – Paul Hletko of FEW Spirits

On this week’s The NOLADrinks Show with Bryan Dias, we welcome FEW Spirits founder, Paul Hletko. We talk about this interesting craft distillery located just north of Chicago in Evanston, Illinois. We discuss their emphasis on “creativity,” their history, and more. We also taste some great stuff!

Pictured above – the FEW Spirits Distillery in Evanston, Illinois.

NOLADrinks Show – 11-26-18 – Paul Hletko of FEW Spirits

We start things out talking about this week’s show, as well as some upcoming shows. We also talk about where to find more info on some of the great holiday happenings (especially as they relate to food and drink) around New Orleans.

Next up, we have our featured interview with Paul Hletko of FEW spirits. Paul started the distillery around 10 years ago in Evanston, Illinois located just north of Chicago in Cook County. We discuss Paul’s background including his past as a professional guitar player. This, in part, drives Paul’s passion and dedication to creativity, something that he and his team bring to FEW spirits.

We talk about the history of the distillery as well as the interesting spirits they make. Of course, we do a little tasting. We taste their breakfast gin, their rye whiskey, and their bourbon whiskey. We discuss how these are made and some of the philosophy behind their production at the distillery.

We also discuss their emphasis on creating unique spirits in a crowded market space. At FEW spirits, they seek to create interesting and unique distillates that show a sense of place and character. We cover some of their sourcing and production methodology, as well. Before closing out the radio portion, we let you know how you can connect with FEW online and also pay them a visit in Evanston.

Then, on our podcast-only segment – “Another Shot with NOLADrinks” – Paul sticks around to chat further. We cover some of our favorite moments in the Blues Brothers, how their name and location has an interesting connection to the temperance movement, and a bit on using the name “bourbon” for one of their whiskey expressions.

We close things out with our “Parting Shot” where we chat about “BiB” (Bag-in-Box) wines.

You can subscribe to, stream, and download The NOLADrinks Show podcast using the links and player at the top of the post. The map below shows the location of FEW Spirits.

Cheers, You All!

~ Bryan