Written by SAILOR GUEVARA Photography by ELIESA JOHNSON
American
PEAT Part One: Sustainable Traditions Written by SAILOR GUEVARA Photos by ELIESA JOHNSON
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hen I think of peat, I find myself thinking of Scotch whisky and Scotland. However, as it turns out the United States has peatlands in spades, and distilleries are beginning to use that American spirit of innovation to utilize peat in their whiskey-making process. As a point of reference, Scotland has two distinct topographic regions, the Highlands in the north and west and the Lowlands in the south and east, which also gave birth to two kinds of bogs. In the Highlands' harsh climate, not many trees can grow. In the 19th century, while people living in other parts of the world could simply gather branches or chop up wood for fuel, the Highland crofter needed to cut his fuel out from the ground; thus, peat became a traditional fuel in Scotland. On the southernmost island in the Inner Hebrides, barley is dried over a peat fire, infusing it with a distinctive aroma and taste.
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