FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 17th, 2022
CONTACT:
Emmie Swanson Shattuck FFA Reporter (580) 827-2833
SHATTUCK SENIOR FOOD SCIENCE TOURS ROCK CREEK DISTILLERY
By Emmie Swanson
SHATTUCK, OKLAHOMA - Recently, the Shattuck Senior Food Science class went on a field trip to the new Rock Creek Distillery, located in Shattuck, OK. Jason Swanson, master distiller and owner, gave an entertaining and information-packed tour of their facility. Swanson highlighted all the ways agriculture is integral in the distilling process. That day, the crew was working on a batch of Dead Parrot Silver Rum, which started in the mash-tun, a distiller’s term for a big tank, where molasses and sugar cane are mixed together with water and yeast to begin fermentation. Swanson stated that the origin of the sugar cane and molasses is very important, as the flavor of the rum is affected by how and where the ingredients are grown, including the type of soil they are grown in. Rock Creek uses blackstrap molasses produced on a family farm in Louisiana, which gives the final product a rich and sweet taste. Molasses is actually a byproduct of the sugarcane refining process, and sugarcane is big business in American agriculture. When vodka or bourbon are produced, cereal grains are used in the distillation process. Rock Creek’s signature vodka, Schultz Vodka, is made from locally grown wheat. The grain is mixed with yeast, creating a “mash bill,” which is a distillers term for the ingredients that are mixed together to create the liquor. After this base is mixed together, the fermentation process begins, and the ingredients begin to break down, forming simple ethyl alcohol. Distillation is next. The mixture is heated, and the resulting vapor is collected as it recondenses into a liquid. This distilled liquid is what will become the bottled alcohol product, and the remaining solids that are left over are called spent grains, or distillers grains. Distillers grains are a valuable by-product to both distillers and livestock producers, as most will test between 85%-95% total digestible nutrients. Rock Creek’s distillers grains are fed back to cattle on farms right here in Ellis County. Don’t worry though, you won't find any intoxicated cattle stumbling through local pastures, as the distillation process removes all of the alcohol from the grains. Swanson demonstrated their bottling process, discussed the rigorous federal approvals needed for alcohol producers, talked about the history of prohibition, food and flavor science involved in his industry, and even touched on marketing tactics used by liquor companies to sell their products. -MORE- He used the example that some vodka brands advertise their product as gluten free, when in fact, all distilled alcohols are gluten free, as the distilling process removes the protein from the product. Swanson reminded the students to be educated consumers, and to research food concerns or questions instead of buying something based on a label. All in all, the Senior Food Science had maybe the best and most informative field trip to date, and are grateful to have this new business in the Shattuck community!
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