Posts by Amanda Koehler
The Southside: Speakeasy Mint & Citrus with a Mysterious Past
Some cocktails are defined by their ingredients. Others are defined by their stories. The Southside is both. Bright with citrus, cooling with fresh mint, and built on a backbone of gin, the Southside is one of those drinks that feels timeless the moment it hits your glass. But behind its crisp, refreshing profile lies a…
Read MoreWater Matters: Irrigation, Runoff & Soil Health in Early Spring
As winter loosens its grip and early spring arrives, farms enter one of the most important periods of the growing season. Fields may still look quiet, but beneath the surface, soils are waking up. Snowmelt, spring rains, and fluctuating temperatures all combine to determine how water moves through the land—and how well the soil will…
Read MoreMeet the Still: How Pot Stills Shape Craft Spirit Flavor
At the heart of every distillery is a piece of equipment that quietly shapes the flavor, character, and personality of the spirits inside your glass: the still. While modern distilling offers many different technologies, craft distilleries around the world continue to rely on one of the oldest and most respected tools in the trade—the pot…
Read MoreThe Bee’s Knees: A Prohibition-Era Gin Classic
Few cocktails capture the spirit of the 1920s quite like the Bee’s Knees. Bright, simple, and refreshingly balanced, this gin cocktail combines just three ingredients—gin, lemon, and honey—yet delivers a drink that feels both elegant and timeless. Born during the era of speakeasies and bootleg spirits, the Bee’s Knees has endured for nearly a century…
Read MoreRegenerative Equipment Choices: Tools That Disturb Less, Improve More
In regenerative agriculture, progress isn’t always about adding more horsepower or bigger machines. Often, it’s about choosing tools that do less—less soil disturbance, less compaction, less disruption—while quietly doing more for long-term soil health, crop resilience, and ultimately, flavor in the bottle. At Eight Oaks Farm Distillery, regenerative farming isn’t just about what we grow.…
Read MorePennsylvania Malt: Why Single-Malt Isn’t Just for Scotland
When most people hear single-malt whiskey, their minds go straight to Scotland—misty glens, copper pot stills, and centuries-old distilleries. But malted barley doesn’t belong to one country. And today, some of the most exciting single-malt whiskey in the world is coming from much closer to home, including Pennsylvania. From grain fields to malt houses to…
Read MoreThe Sazerac: America’s First Cocktail?
Few drinks carry the weight of history quite like the Sazerac. Elegant, aromatic, and deceptively simple, this New Orleans classic is often called America’s first cocktail. But is it really? Like many great spirits stories, the answer sits somewhere between documented fact and barroom legend. Let’s step back into 19th-century New Orleans—where apothecaries, coffeehouses, and…
Read MoreWinter Distilling: How Cold Weather Shapes Fermentation & Flavor
While winter slows life in the fields, it brings a different rhythm inside the distillery. Cold weather doesn’t just change the pace of work—it actively shapes fermentation behavior, flavor development, and decision-making throughout the distilling process. At Eight Oaks Farm Distillery, winter distilling highlights the delicate balance between temperature, yeast, and time. The colder months…
Read MoreBeyond the Harvest: How Winter Farm Decisions Shape Next Year’s Spirits
When the last grain is harvested and the fields settle into winter, it may seem the work is done for the year. In reality, some of the most important decisions on a farm happen after harvest—long before a seed touches the soil again. At Eight Oaks Farm Distillery, winter is when we look ahead. The…
Read MoreThe Old Fashioned: From 1800s Whiskey Cocktail to Modern Staple
Few cocktails carry the weight of history quite like the Old Fashioned. Simple, balanced, and endlessly adaptable, it has endured for more than two centuries—surviving changing tastes, spirits trends, and even Prohibition—while remaining one of the most recognizable whiskey cocktails in the world. At its core, the Old Fashioned is proof that great drinks don’t…
Read More