Chris Weld, founder/owner of Berkshire Mountain Distillers in Sheffield, MA, is a New England native.  He has a background in biochemistry and had worked for years as a physicians assistant in California and New York. His retrofitted barn, the result of extensive research and the aide of a consultant, fulfills a dream he’s had since, well, truth be told, eighth grade.  “I wanted to build a still, but my mom wouldn’t let me do it once she found out it was a federal offense,” he says.  For him, it’s never been about the liquor, per se. The thrill resides in the art and craft of chemical combinations.