Ernest Scarano Distillery + Speak of the Devil

Tucked between a five-and-dime store and a barbershop in the small town of Elmore, Ohio, Ernest Scarano Distillery is the kind of place you might drive right past if you didn’t know what you were looking for. But behind its unassuming storefront, Ernest Scarano Jr. and his son Mark are crafting remarkable small-batch spirits with an uncompromising dedication to tradition. Dino sits down with the father-and-son duo to uncover the unlikely origins of the distillery, the stories behind their distinctive whiskeys, and the craftsmanship that makes every bottle worth discovering. From the 140-proof Hazmat to the honey-forward Clover and the Three Stooges-inspired Old Homicide, it’s a spirited introduction to one of Ohio’s best-kept secrets.

The journey continues in Lorain, Ohio, at Speak of the Devil, a neighborhood cocktail bar where community, creativity, and a genuine appreciation for great spirits come together. There, Dino meets the team behind the bar and discovers how a chance encounter with Ernest Scarano Distillery sparked an unexpected collaboration. At the center of it all is Lucidity, a high-proof, unaged rye spirit created exclusively for Speak of the Devil and transformed into a beautifully balanced cocktail with lemon, honey, and black tea. It’s a story about the people behind the pour, the relationships that connect them, and why some secrets are simply too good to keep.