It seems like not all that long ago, to me anyway, that potatoes were a big deal on the South Fork of Long Island. Throughout the past several decades, though, potatoes, and farmland in general, have given way to development of large summer homes, as the pressure to sell the exceedingly valuable farmland between Montauk Highway and the Atlantic Ocean became unavoidable for many local farming families. Lots of farmland has been preserved through the efforts of local governments and local NGO's such as Peconic Land Trust, but that pressure to turn over agricultural land to development persists. One way to preserve farmland, however, is to make good use of it. And while the sale of potatoes may not be able to economically justify farming the land here, distilling those potatoes into high quality spirits, which can fetch high prices among discerning spirits drinkers, may just be enough to push the value of those potatoes high enough to preserve the land. At least that's the plan for the Foster Family and the land they farm in Bridgehampton and Sagaponack. In order to convert those potatoes to high quality booze, they need a master distiller, and that's where Matt Beamer comes in. Formerly a craft brewer out west (actually still a brewer, since, as you'll hear, you must first brew beer to produce vodka), Matt has brought his skills to Sagaponack, where he produces vodka, gin, rye whiskey, bourbon and several other spirits to high acclaim and commercial success. Matt sat down with me to discuss the challenges and rewards, as well as the process of distillation, aging, bottling and selling those spirits. And if the Foster family has their way, they'll find a way to preserve their farms and their farming heritage.

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