BARFIELD, ALABAMA & BEYOND – What happens when you take a retired fire chief, a young Tennessee distiller, and a handful of unusual ingredients like baked beans, cranberry sauce, and even canned ham? On the hit competition Master Distiller, the answer is high proof drama, holiday chaos, and some of the strangest liquor ever tasted.
From Firehouse to Stillhouse
Mike Berdett, 54, of Barfield, Alabama, spent 33 years fighting fires before turning to a different kind of heat. The retired fire chief now runs a legal moonshine brand out of Birmingham, inspired by his grandfather who distilled during Prohibition to feed his family.
“I just want to carry on a legacy and a tradition,” Berdett told the judges, presenting his simple but powerful peach brandy. At around 95 proof, his clear, clean jar earned praise as “the peachiest corn liquor” the judges had ever seen.
A Blueberry Gamble
Standing across from him was John, who turned a blueberry brandy into a blueberry cobbler-style drink with cinnamon, vanilla, and pie filling. The result was flavorful but weak. Judges feared he had cooked away most of the alcohol.
“If you bought that for the price, you’d be in a whole different ball game,” one judge quipped, noting it barely made 50 proof.
The victory in that round went squarely to Berdett, who was named Master Distiller.
The Young Challenger
Then came 24-year-old Gabe Cardinus from Blount County, Tennessee. Gabe’s house burned down when he was a boy, inspiring him to become a firefighter. Now, he also distills liquor, carrying forward the East Tennessee tradition.
His peach brandy, however, couldn’t keep up with the competition. Though aromatic on the nose, it fell flat on the finish. “One of the peaches has to go home,” the judges ruled, sending Gabe packing but praising his bright future.
From Beans to Bling
If peaches and blueberries weren’t wild enough, the competition escalated with a Christmas-themed challenge. Competitors were handed bizarre “secret Santa” ingredients, including baked beans.
“I don’t know how you make a run with baked beans,” one distiller groaned.
Howard, tasked with turning beans into booze, shocked everyone. Filtering his concoction through coal, adding cranberry, and muddling cherries, he transformed a foul-smelling mess into what the judges called “one of the best Christmas cocktails on the show.”
“I went from bean to bling,” Howard laughed, as he was crowned Christmas Master Distiller.
Peppermint, Coffee… and Ham
In another twist, Louisiana distiller Richard Landry was dealt perhaps the cruelest holiday hand of all: canned ham.
With peppermint and coffee already in play, the addition of meat nearly broke him. “I’ve eaten plenty of that in my life,” Landry sighed, “but I’ve never drank it.”
The resulting liquor smelled “like cat food,” judges said, though they admitted the proof was high. “I’ve never—and never will—put meat in my liquor,” one declared.
Meanwhile, Berdett struck gold again, blending walnuts, apple spice, and orange extract into what the panel called a “surprisingly smooth” and market-ready spirit.
Legacy in a Jar
From fire stations to Christmas stillhouses, the episode was less about alcohol and more about resilience, ingenuity, and legacy.
“I started with beans and ended up with a diamond,” Howard reflected.
And for Berdett, it was about proving that simplicity, tradition, and heart can still rise above all the gimmicks. “If something’s not broke, you don’t fix it,” he said.
