A Sip of Knowledge With Thornton Distilling Co. (A Spirited Conversation) A Sip of Knowledge With Thornton Distilling Co. (A Spirited Conversation) Topic: A Sip of Knowledge with Andrew Howell and Ari Klafter of Thornton Distilling Co. Hosts: Liz Rhoades, Lew Bryson, & Martin Duffy What You’ll Learn: Join a trio of drink industry veterans in weekly conversation on whiskey, spirits, distilling, marketing and the current state of the drink industry. This week, Andrew Howell and Ari Klafter of Thornton Distilling Co. join the group. powered by Crowdcast About Andrew Howell: Andrew Howell became interested in craft distilling shortly after graduating from Columbia College Chicago. Upon learning that the oldest standing brewery in Illinois was sitting vacant with the original artesian well from 1857 still functioning, Andrew got to work on reviving the historic property and bringing back its rich history of malt fermentation. Andrew is originally from Nebraska. During his youth, Andrew worked on farms throughout the region, and his commitment to using locally sourced ingredients as much as possible continues to this day.