Episode 277

Nomadic Distilling with Devon Trevathan

Play Subscribe

Listen On:

Previous Episode Next Episode

Nomadic Distilling with Devon Trevathan

Episode 277

What’s shakin’, cocktail fans? Welcome to Episode 277 of The Modern Bar Cart Podcast!

This time around, I’m joined by Devon Trevathan (@devlovesbev) of Liba Spirits, which is a nomadic distilling company that roves around the world distilling and bottling the most exciting flavors from a patchwork of cultures and landscapes.

In this roving, wanderlustrious conversation with Devon Trevathan of Liba Spirits, some of the topics we discuss include:

Why Devon has chosen to cultivate a welcoming and mindful relationship with discomfort while traveling, and how this has allowed her to become a sponge for the sights, flavors, and sensations that make different cultures and destinations unique.
A working definition of “Nomadic Distilling,” which forgoes stability and a permanent facility in favor of flexibility and the ability to sample widely from multiple ingredient streams and spirits categories.
Devon’s thoughts on the notion of Terroir (spoiler: she don’t like it) and the ability to celebrate and mash-up different spirits traditions from around the world by embracing the role of the guest or outsider.
Then, of course, we explore the Liba Spirits portfolio, including a Tyrolean gin from the Dolomites, a botanical rum from New Orleans, and a first-of-its-kind American aperitivo made with a bourbon base.
Along the way, we explore the perplexingly cozy lunch habits of Austrians, wax poetic on the flavor of green ants, explain why cold brew deserves a place in your next Americano spritz, and much, much more.

When I think of Devon and her journey through the spirits universe and through the many literal landscapes and cityscapes of the world, I’m reminded of the Japanese poet, Matsuo Bashō’s travelog, Narrow Road to the Interior. It’s a haibun: narrative paragraphs of prose, interspersed occasionally by haiku written on the road as a kind of poetic encapsulation of certain moments and feelings.

If it’s true that every dram or cocktail is a kind of trip that we take in our minds when we sip on chemicals and flavor compounds that call out to us from the places and cultures where they were conceived, then I can think of no more sacred duty than to roam the world looking for those flavors, and bottling and sharing them whenever possible.

Featured Cocktail: Jägertee

Inspired by Devon’s travels in Europe, this episode’s featured cocktail is Jägertee, which is an Austrian winter warmer cocktail. Is it 70 degrees here in Washington, DC as I write this? Yes. But we’ll just pretend that we’re having normal January weather and that the planet isn’t trying to kill us.

To make a batch of Jägertee you’ll need:

250 ml / 1 cup tea (your choice, but I’d recommend black tea here)
250 ml / 1 cup spiced rum (Austrian Strohrum is traditional, but any will do)
250 ml / 1 cup red wine
250 ml / 1 cup plum brandy, schnaps, or any other liqueur to hand
250 ml / 1 cup orange juice
2 to 3 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 lemon slices
Sugar to taste (depends on how sweet your other ingredients are)

Combine all these ingredients in a medium saucepan over low-to-medium heat, warm the mixture gradually until it just begins to simmer, then cut the heat, strain out the solids (or don’t…you do you), and enjoy!

Jägertee means, essentially, Hunter’s tea in Austrian. Presumably, this is because, after a long, harrowing hunt, it’s pleasant to warm up with a comforting, spicy, winey brew, and NOT because the Austrains endorse consuming uppers and downers before brandishing firearms.

One interesting thread to follow here is that rum is extremely popular in the German-speaking world. If you go back to my interview with Brett Steigerwaldt, you’ll learn about the importance of Rum verschnitt in the early parts of the 20th century, so it’s not a complete surprise to me to see a spiced or flavored rum product popping up in a traditional Austrian drink.

This episode was made possible with editing and sound design by Samantha Reed and distilling and travel insights courtesy of Devon Trevathan of Liba Spirits. This has been a Direct Fire Studios production, copyright 2024.

Nomadic Distilling with Devon Trevathan

Featured Cocktail: Jägertee

Leave a Reply Cancel reply