Meet our crew: Ben Samuelson
Erica Sagon
Meet our crew: get to know the awesome humans that make Cardinal Spirits possible!
Ben Samuelson
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distillery production assistant at Cardinal Spirits
Ben on Facebook
pronouns: he/him/his
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Tell us about your role at Cardinal Spirits.
Currently I am a production assistant, helping to ferment, distill, blend, and package all the various spirits and canned cocktails we produce. However, I have worn a lot of hats in my time here at Cardinal and have also been the tour guide as well as working in front of house and events.
Where are you from? Where have you lived?
I grew up here in Monroe County, over in Ellettsville. However, I was born in South Carolina and by the time I was two I had lived in three other states; Massachusetts, California, and finally Indiana.
What would surprise people about the work you do at Cardinal?
Probably just how much of my time is spent scrubbing and cleaning things. Holding tanks (inside and outside), fermenters, hoses, clamps, lab equipment, stills, bottling equipment, as well as floors and general surfaces all need to be kept clean. Making all these tasty beverages is a dirty job, but someone has to do it.
What's your favorite Cardinal Spirits product/cocktail/dish?
My favorite cocktail unique to Cardinal is the Terra Old Fashioned. I'm not sure off the top of my head which one of the lovely folks we have had tending bar here through the years decided to make an Old Fashioned using our Terra Gin, but it was an inspired decision.
What's Cardinal's best kept secret?
It's not exactly a secret as it has won more than a few awards, but I can't say enough about how much I love our Tiki Rum. Our head distiller, Justin Hughey, does some impressive things with molasses. It makes the best daiquiri or mojito, hands down.
What's your coffee order?
Light/Blonde roast with some cream and a little cinnamon. It's boring but it keeps me going.
Any favorite places on the Internet?
I can easily get lost for hours digitally wandering through Wikipedia.
How do you end your day?
I like to end my day with a nice bike ride on the B-line followed by a campy movie or maybe a good book.
What's your favorite midnight snack?
Wasabi peas. I like going to bed with a clear sinus.
Tell us about a podcast, movie, book, TV show, album, subscription, etc. that you consumed and liked! We're all looking for good recs right now!
My go-to tv shows have been and always will be Star Trek. Those series are decent at their worst and amazing at their best and there has just been so much of it produced through the years. In these trying times, some upbeat and optimistic Sci-fi does me wonders. I enjoy listening to history podcasts a lot, and would highly recommend Mike Duncan's Revolutions and History of Rome podcasts.
Favorite condiment?
Hot sauce, the hotter the better. Ideally, I like my food to taste like the heat of the sun.
Thanks, Ben! We are lucky to have you on our team!
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