How a Random Tasting in Abilene Turned Into a Studio Interview With Sugarlands Distilling

Abilene, Texas, has a way of turning random moments into tasty radio. After running into Sid from Sugarlands Distilling Company at a recent tasting event, I invited him into the Rock 108 studio for a laid-back conversation about how their flavors come together, where the ideas start, and why some experiments work better than others.

What Sugarlands Distilling Company Actually Is

Sugarlands is based in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and started out making moonshine before expanding into other spirits and mixers. Sid talked about how the company leans into experimentation, small batches, and not taking themselves too seriously, which explains why their flavor list gets a little wild.

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Tasting Notes: Bloody Mary Mix and Off-The-Wall Flavors

During the interview, we sampled several things, including their new Bloody Mary Mix. I’m not pretending to be a professional bartender, but it was solid and way more balanced than the eye-watering stuff that tastes like spicy tomato juice regret.

We also talked about cocktail ideas, odd flavor combinations, and how some of their best-known products started as “this might be a terrible idea” experiments.

Check out my full interview with Sid in the player below.

I knew when I tasted these sinful sips (in a good way), I had to share this with all of my friends. So, if you’re curious about these bad boys, check out their website. Big thanks to Sid from Sugarlands for stopping by the studio and chopping it up for a bit. Now, excuse me while I go stare at my microphone and pretend I’m a flavor scientist too.