This winter, something extraordinary happened in our aircraft hangar.
While the snow fell outside and most craft distilleries went quiet for the season, I was using AI for research, and I was in the lab—pushing our rotary evaporator further than I ever had before. Testing theories. Tasting samples. Feeding Results into AI. Rescuing barrels everyone else would have dumped. Creating spirits I’ve been dreaming about for years.
By the time February arrived, we had six new releases ready to launch and one spirit aging for what we hope will be a long anticipated relaunch.
Let me repeat that: Seven spirits. One winter.
For context, most craft distilleries our size launch one major release per year. Maybe two if they’re aggressive. We created seven in 3 months—and every single one represents a breakthrough.
What 40 Years of Aviation Taught Me About Distilling
In aviation, winter isn’t downtime. It’s when you do the work that makes summer flights possible. You maintain. You upgrade. You innovate. You prepare.
The same principle applies here.
December through February is when I can focus. No harvest demands. No summer event calendar. No distractions. Just me, the equipment, and the relentless pursuit of better spirits.
This winter, I applied every lesson from 40 years in aviation to our distilling process:
Precision matters. Small adjustments create massive differences. A 2-degree temperature shift in vacuum distillation changes everything.
Systems thinking wins. One innovation enables three others. Solving the barrel rescue problem unlocked an entirely new product line.
Test, measure, refine. I ran more than 20 test batches this winter. Most didn’t make the cut. The six that did are extraordinary.
Trust the process, not the shortcuts. There are faster ways to make whiskey. None of them are better.
What We Created
I’m not ready to reveal all six spirits yet—that’s what the next four weeks of blog posts are for. But here’s what Winter Lab 2026 produced:
An entirely new category we’ve never made before. This opens a door we’ve been approaching for three years.
Clear aged whiskey that actually tastes aged. Not white whiskey. Not unaged spirit. Clear whiskey with the complexity, depth, and character of barrel aging—just without the color. Nobody else in America is doing this.
Rescued barrels transformed into something remarkable. Every distillery has “problem barrels”—too much oak, off notes, imbalanced profiles. Most dump them or hide them in blends. We solved them. The results are some of the best spirits we’ve ever made.
A legendary whiskey recreated. Rockford had a bourbon called 40 Winks that disappeared years ago. I’ve been researching it for four years. This winter, I believe I cracked the code.
New proof points for spirits you already love. Our P-51 American Single Malt has been barrel proof (126.6) since launch. This winter, we created a 90-proof version that opens it up to a whole new audience.
Seasonal releases tied to our farm. Estate-grown ingredients. Our own honey. Our own Maple Syrup. Farm-to-glass isn’t marketing speak here—it’s our operational reality.
The First Taste: Valentine’s Day
You’ll get to experience the first result this Saturday, February 14, at our Valentine’s Day dinner.
We’re debuting Estate Honey Whiskey Liqueur—and it’s unlike anything we’ve made before.
This is made with honey from our own hives on the 22-acre farm. We’re talking about bees that pollinated our estate-grown flowers, wildflowers from our meadow, clover from our fields. The honey tastes like our land.
We combined that with our own produced whiskey and spent months refining the balance. Not too sweet. Not cloying. Just honey and whiskey in perfect harmony with a complexity that builds with each sip.
This is a new category for Barnstormer. It’s our first liqueur. And it’s the perfect introduction to what Winter Lab 2026 accomplished.
Only 36 couples. Two seatings: 5:00pm or 7:30pm.
Chef Tim has designed three courses from The Brasserie specifically to pair with our spirits—including the first pour of Estate Honey Whiskey Liqueur. You’ll taste it in a cocktail. You’ll taste it neat. You’ll understand why we’re so excited about this release.
This isn’t just dinner. It’s an experience. And it’s your first look at what’s coming over the next five months.
Reserve Your Valentine’s Spot →
Why This Matters
Craft distilling is supposed to be about innovation. About pushing boundaries. About creating spirits that couldn’t exist anywhere else. Too often, it’s about following the playbook. Making whiskey the way everyone else makes whiskey. Playing it safe. We don’t do that here.
Our cucumber & Horseradish vodkas are made from crops grown on our farm and uses vacuum distillation to preserve fresh cucumber & Horseradish flavor five years later. Nobody else does that.
Our P-51 American Single Malt is made by hand shoveling every but of grain twice. Nobody else does that.
And now: clear aged whiskey. Rescued barrels. Legendary bourbon recreated. Six spirits from one winter. Nobody else does that.
This is what happens when you combine farm-to-glass ingredients, aviation-grade precision, and a Master Distiller who refuses to accept “that’s how it’s always been done” as an answer.
What’s Coming Over the Next Four Weeks
This is just the opening chapter of the Winter Lab story. Over the next month, I’ll be sharing:
Part 1: The Lost Bourbon Mystery
The legend of 40 Winks Whiskey, how it disappeared, and why I decided to bring it back. This is detective work meets distilling history.
Part 2: Clear Aged Spirits? Inside the Rotovap
The technology that makes CAVU Spirits possible. Vacuum distillation. Clear aged whiskey. The science behind the breakthrough.
Part 3: The Barrel Rescue Project
What we did with “problem barrels” that would have been dumped or hidden. How we turned mistakes into masterpieces.
Part 4: The Complete Release Calendar
All six spirits revealed. Release dates from February through July. How to get early access.
But first: join us this Saturday Feb 14th.
Be among the first to taste what Winter Lab 2026 produced. Experience the debut of Estate Honey Whiskey Liqueur. Hear the stories behind the innovation. See what’s possible when craft distilling meets relentless curiosity.
See you in the hangar,
Tim Ford
Master Distiller
Barnstormer Distillery
RESERVE YOUR SPOT
Valentine’s Day Dinner – Saturday, February 14
Two Seatings: 5:00pm | 7:30pm
$120 per couple | Three courses paired with our spirits
First debut: Estate Honey Whiskey Liqueur
Reserve Now →
Can’t make Valentine’s?
Join us for Mardi Gras on Tuesday, February 17
Authentic New Orleans feast, king cake, costume contest
Reserve Mardi Gras →
Stay Updated on All Six Winter Lab Releases
Read WINTER LAB PART 1: 40 WINKS, THE LOST WHISKEY MYSTERY
Get release dates, tasting notes, and early access
Sign up for Barnstormer Distillery
(Please be sure to check your Junk E-mail Folder if not received)
| Upcoming Events | View Full Calendar | See Our Spirits | Gift Cards Available | Tours | Custom Barrels | Contact
