Berkshire Mountain Distillers has released the final three whiskies in its Craft Brewers Whiskey Project. Photo by Martin Albert, taken at Mooncloud GB, where owner/mixologist Billy Jack Paul created cocktails especially for the project.

BUSINESS BRIEFS: BMD Whiskey Project releases final round; Lynch new Lee Library development director; ‘And So It Flows’ returns to WBCR

Local water advocate Leslie Gabriel's long-running radio show, “And So It Flows,” returns to the airwaves on WBCR-LP 97.7 FM, Tuesday, March 1 at 2 p.m.

Berkshire Mountain Distillers announces final Whiskey Project releases

SHEFFIELD — In its final round of the Craft Brewers Whiskey Project, Berkshire Mountain Distillers (BMD) has released three new whiskies distilled from beer sourced from popular brewers Long Trail Brewing Company, Two Roads Brewing, and Chatham Brewing, available now in the BMD tasting room and across the Northeast in March.

These three whiskies are the latest and final release of a six-year collaboration led by BMD that includes the distilling of a dozen beers from a limited collection of celebrated craft brewers. In 2021, the Craft Brewers Whiskey Project was recognized in the U.S. Open Whiskey & Spirits Grand National Championship, where BMD’s Jack’s Abby Smoke & Dagger American Whiskey won a Gold Medal.

Photo: Nick Colabella, courtesy BMD

Featured in this month’s release, a complex yet easy-drinking whiskey, Long Trail Brewing’s Unearthed American Whiskey is made from an American stout base. This whiskey has a blossoming nose of garam masala, cedar, clove, and vanilla sugar with a clean, rich note of caramel, and hints of peat and cardamom.

Chatham Brewing is one of the first microbreweries in New York to produce award-winning beers. The Eight Barrel whiskey offers notes of roasted almond, madagascar vanilla, and cacao nib, with a spicy mid-palate of cinnamon and toffee that resolves into a clean and creamy finish.

Two Roads Brewing Worker’s Comp Farmhouse Ale whiskey is formulated from its iconic Saison with a unique yeast strain, complex grain build, and judicious use of hops which create rich, malty notes and hints of turmeric, sandalwood, papaya, and pineapple, finishing with a frozen banana custard richness.

The first releases of the Craft Brewers Whiskey Project were distilled from six Massachusetts-based beers including Boston Lager from Samuel Adams, Berkshire Brewing Company’s Imperial Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale, and Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers Smoke & Dagger Black Lager, plus UFO White Ale from Massachusetts Bay Brewing Co., Spencer Brewery’s Trappist Ale, and Big Elm Brewing’s 413 Farmhouse Ale. The 2021 fall release included Really Old Brown Dog Strong Ale from Smuttynose Brewing, Brewery Ommegang’s Three Philosophers, and Liquid Gold from Captain Lawrence Brewing.

Whiskies are sold in the BMD tasting room and are available in select stores; Chatham Brewing whiskey will be available in the BMD store only. Samuel Adams, Jack’s Abby, and Big Elm are currently sold out in the tasting room and several others are in short supply. BMD is located at 356 South Main St. in Sheffield, and is open daily from 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

—A.K.

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Lenox Library Association appoints Maria Lynch development director

Maria Lynch
Maria Lynch. Photo courtesy Lenox Library Association

LENOX — The Board of Trustees of the Lenox Library Association announces their appointment of Maria Lynch as the Association’s new Director of Development. This key position will play a critical role in fulfilling the Association’s mission of supporting the Library through fundraising efforts required to underwrite the Library’s many programs and material collections.

Prior to joining the Lenox Library Association, Lynch held several positions at the Stockbridge Library, Museum & Archives, including marketing coordinator, interim-co-director, and most recently, development and marketing associate. During her time in Stockbridge, she led the research and implementation of new donor software, as well as refreshed the fundraising efforts through annual appeals, events, and grants. Lynch’s early career background includes public relations, development, and marketing and sales for large retail corporations.

—A.K.

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Berkshire County water activist re-launches H2O Radio Show “And So It Flows”

Leslie Gabriel. Photo courtesy the radio host

GREAT BARRINGTON — After a 10-year hiatus, Berkshire County water advocate Leslie Gabriel aka SuperWaterMan, is re-booting his radio show, “And So It Flows,” at WBCR-LP 97.7 FM. The show will re-launch Tuesday, March 1 at 2 p.m.

“And So It Flows,” which aired on WBCR from 2005–2012, has been retooled and is being brought back full circle. Gabriel has brought his 60-minute H2O show back to Berkshire radio as a way to acknowledge the value that low-power FM stations play in our culture. In addition to producing and airing the show locally, Gabriel will be podcasting the show via the podcast hub libsyn.

According to Gabriel, he will be starting his reboot with a two-part show focusing on the controversial PCB dump in Lee, Massachusetts. The show will feature special guests Tim Gray of the Housatonic River Initiative and Judith Knight, Esq., the attorney of record for the plaintiffs in the ongoing legal case against the PCB dump.

“It is extremely important that we create media that speaks for water and highlights the issue,” said Gabriel. “We need to ensure that all people have access and understand the value of water, as well as the cultural role that water plays in our lives.

—A.K.