For Redwood Empire Whiskey's head distiller Lauren Patz,the secret to craft distilling is passion, palate and patience. Growing​ ​up in a winemaking family, she developed the palate and​ ​appreciation for good food and drink from a very early age. After​ ​earning a dual degree in Classics and Japanese at Bates College,​ ​teaching English in Japan, and working at Tcho Chocolate's​ ​factory,Lauren discovered her true calling when she joined Spirit​ ​Works, a small Sonoma County distillery, in 2013 as an apprentice​ ​distiller. Diving fully into learning her craft, she swiftly worked herway up to Head Distiller and managed all Spirit Works operationsand product development for three years before joining RedwoodEmpire Whiskey in January 2021.Lauren has judged at the American Distilling Institute since 2017,and taught distillation seminars and workshops in the localcommunity. Her passion and creativity help to push RedwoodEmpire's innovation forward without abandoning its roots. "l aska lot of questions," she says, "and I drive us further towarddefining our identity on the distilling side."Website: https://redwoodempirewhiskey.comInstagram:  redwoodempirewhiskeySupport the show