Taste and Science At The Discovery Center

We’re at the Discovery Center in downtown Springfield. Normally we’re talking about science, this time we’re talking about food.

Rob Evans – Charlotte McCoy joins us now, and you’ve got an event coming up Thursday night?

“Science Behind Events has been going on for about a year,” says McCoy, “it’s an adult program, this week we’re doing Science Behind Building Flavor. Chef Rob Corliss and two other local people will be here this Thursday. It’s $20 per person, room is still available, there’s a lot of great tasting, alcohol and food. Rob will teach us all how to cook and have a wonderful meal for our family.”

“It’s all about flavor,” says Corliss. “We’re going to break that word down and tell you how to go about getting flavor. We’re going to do some hands-on demonstrations, so people can understand their palates, and how flavors work on it. We’ll explain each of the five flavors you taste. We’ll try some Copper Rum, made locally, and try different ways to blend the flavors.

“With the food, Curtis Milsap is coming up, bringing produce from his farm. We’re going to use it, because as a chef, you’re only as good as your ingredients. So show them the farm-fresh ingredients and see how that turns into flavor.”

To pre-register, check out our website, www.DiscoveryCenter.org. The Discovery Center is open Tuesday through Thursday 9-5, Friday and Saturday 9-6, Sunday 1-5.

video

Moonshine Makes For Big Business in the Ozarks… by KOLR10 News

(Walnut Shade, Mo) — White lighting, rotgut, panther’s breath; it’s known by many names. But the most popular is moonshine.

For hundreds of years Americans have enjoyed the good old ‘shine and Jim Blansit of Walnut Shade won’t let that stop any time soon.

“We’re really focusing on making the traditional style of corn whiskey, here in the Ozarks,” says Jim Blansit, owner of Copper Run. “The way it was made a long time ago.”

Corn whiskey, better known as moonshine, is the same ‘white lightening’ that bootleggers smuggled through the Appalachians and the Ozarks, just with a legal twist.

“If we didn’t pay taxes, it would be illegal. But that’s really the only difference.”

After working in breweries and vineyards all his life, Blansit opened his distillery on what was once his grandparents land half a century ago.

Halfway between Branson and Springfield Jim found the perfect spot to work.

“We are one of those rare distilleries with the water, the grain, the barrels, the local help, the local support. So it’s really coming together for us.”

Jim jokes that the furthest thing imported comes all the way from St. Louis.

Everything else is made right here in the Ozarks.

“We have had a tremendous amount of help from local people. It’s been interesting opening a distillery; a lot of people have wanted to help us.”

In an industry that places great value on age, Jim believes his hooch is definitely worth a shot.

“I absolutely love what we are doing here,” says Jim. “Our products are fantastic. They are young. I’m confident that once our products have the age that our competition has, we will blow them out of the water.”

In addition to moonshine, Copper Run offers whiskey rum and vodka.

Their liquor has become so popular, the only place they can sell it is at their distillery in walnut shade.

see video at link here: OzarksFirst.com