One of my teachers at the University of Vermont has posed a question to the class. Dr. Horton Tracy had said there was one question that you could always ask to get an answer to any question. He called it a "WITDB" question. The question you ask is, "What is the difference between?" When applying any two concepts, things or variable; you can begin to see the comparable properties and the differences between the two subjects or subject matters.

This question has carried me thru some of the difficulties and even the small things in life. I give him full credit, and have always and will always use this simple, but powerful principle.

Craft Distilling and Craft Brewing have some similarities, but also have some stark differences. For instance, there is the principle(s) of both microbrewing and microdistillery. This is don on a small scale with small batches of your substance of choice. The aging process and how the liquor and beer respectively ferments and ages is quite different. Barrels vs. Copper pots (usually).

Despite the differences, it was the theory of the two concepts that would begin to help me; mostly at the brewery, but would carry me throughout my career.

I was excited with what I was learning and Samantha and I had gotten back on our schedule of Wednesday and Saturday phone calls. We had also established a new plan; along with our renewed relationship, to see each other more often. We would take turns driving to Boston and her Randolph, every other week, until we were tired of doing so. I had been fortunate enough to find another lodge with a fireplace for us to lay by in the nite, so I knew we would be spending a large portion of our time there.

Another similarity between the two of us, is that we both liked to cook. She had not the greatest of set-ups at the school, so we did most of the cooking when together at my place. We learned to think like each other in the kitchen. The "right hand" seemed to know what the "left hand" was doing, so to speak. For some reason, we both were fond of Cajun and Dry-Rub Memphis Barbeque. Many a time, we would cook one or the other over the next few months.