Micro-Distillery movement in US kicks into high speed

by Jonathan M. Forester, Posted Nov 30th 2007 @ 1:22PM

Over the past year I have mentioned that the micro-distillery movement in the US has started to pick up rapidly over the last few years. From only a handful a few years ago, there are over 100 presently in business and many more on the way. Laws in various states have changed, with micro-breweries starting up distilleries and making premium spirits.

In this article at the NY Times they talk a bit about the scene. Expect to see the number of micro-distilleries grow even more rapidly. Bill Owens at the American Distilling Institute is helping these businesses start up and grow, sharing information, publishing newsletters, providing resources, and providing moral support as well. Colleges and Universities Like New York's Cornell University are giving courses and workshops on Artisan Distilling. (I hear there are a few openings left in this years workshop going on next Monday. I'll be there.)

Heck, even I'm opening a micro-distillery early next year. I partnered up with a winery and we are rapidly growing into a brewery, distillery, and hard cider-works. Our additional licenses are well on the way, and I am ordering my custom built, hand crafted, copper still. As soon as the still arrives I'm going to be making premium brandy, gin, rum, and whiskey of all types. Sorry no vodka, that market has so many new entrants that it is ridiculously overcrowded. By the way, the photo shows approximately what my still will look like.

By the way, using the term "craft distiller" is a no-no. One crafty micro-distillery has trademarked the name and successfully won a couple of legal battles over the terms use. I won't make any comments on that at this time, but I expect to see some major battles come up over appropriate use of the various terms associated with micro, craft, and artisan distilling over the next few years. So for now the appropriate terms to use are micro-distillery and artisanal distillery.

Here are a few places where you can take courses or workshops on brewing and distilling.

Department of Chemical Engineering
Kris Berglund, Ph.D.
206 Farrall Hall, MSU
East Lansing, MI 48824
517-353-4565
Berglund@msu.edu
The MSU distilling program is aimed at research, education and outreach for the advancement
of artisan distilling.

Enology Extension/Cornell University
Dragana Dimitrijevic, M.Sc.
Food Research Laboratory
630 West North Street
Geneva, NY 14456-0462
315-787-2262
dd233@nysales.cornell.edu
Artisan Distilling Workshop at Geneva Experiment Station.

Ethanol Technology Institute
Liz Ward
6120 W. Douglas Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53218
800-583-6484
institute@ethanoltech.com
ethanoltech.com
The program covers the science of alcohol production through a combination of lectures, seminars and laboratory demonstrations.

Institute of Brewing & Distilling
Roger Putman
33 Clarges Street
London W1J 7EE
UK
44 20 7499 8144
ibd.org.uk
Brewing and distilling education and qualifications.
Executive Director: Simon Jackson, simon.jackson@ibd.org.uk
Training inquiries: Andrea Williams, training@ibd.org.uk
Examinations inquiries: Rekha Sandal, exams@ibd.org.uk
Editor of the IBD magazine: Roger Putman, editor@ibd.org.uk

International Centre for Brewing and Distilling
Paul Hughes
Heriot-Watt University
Riccarton
Edinburgh EH14 4AS
SCOTLAND
011 44 131 451 3184
p.s.hughes@hw.ac.uk
sls.hw.ac.uk/staff/hughes.htm
Heriot-Watt runs brewing and distilling workshops. For information on MBA, MSc and distance-learning programs, visit the web-site for details.

UC Davis Extension
Debbie Roberts
1333 Research Park Drive
Davis, CA 95616-4852
530-757-8691
droberts@unexmail.ucdavis.edu
Short courses coming a few years.

Source

Filed Under: Business, Trends, Did you know?, Liquor Cabinet, Drink Recipes, Drinks
Tags: america, artisan distilling, brandy, did you know, distilleries, gin, liqueurs, liquor cabinet, micro-distilling, rum, spirits, tequila, vodka, whiskey, whisky

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

2-01-2008 @2:57PM JMForester said... Goesta- There is ENORMOUS room in this market. Premium, artisanal spirits make up less than 3% of the market, but command much more in market dollars. There is no way to go but up. Fifteen years ago there were five micro-distilleries in the US. Now as of latest count 146, with 1-2 dozen opening this year.

I don't know where you get the idea that making good beer is difficult and making vodka isn't. Both have their challenges, but distilling is even more of an art than brewing. First you have to brew. Then distill. Then age. Then several months to years later you will know what you have. With beer you brew it. you drink it. You know what it tastes like.
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11-30-2007 @5:03PM Barry said... Question - why is it still illegal to distill at home? I understand the olden tymee stills with their open flames and fumes safety hazards but this 2007. It can't be because of the liquor industry, can it?
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11-30-2007 @7:28PM Red Icculus said... Round Barn Brewery and Distillery in Bardoda, MI is one of the finest examples of this. We go there on day trips for tastings and to pick up a case of wine and a bottle of their fruit spirits.
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12-03-2007 @7:24AM Chris Alvey said... I believe there is some slight danger in producing harmful chemicals in the final product that are present in less-than-sound home distillation techniques.

In home brewing and winemaking the worst you can manage to make is something that tastes bad but, unless it's absolutely undrinkable, is mostly harmless.
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12-05-2007 @7:39AM BDW said... Distilling is prohibited because our lovely government makes takes in huge amounts of taxes. Here in Ct, over half of the price of hard liquor is in taxes.

That said, my family has a long history of "micro-distilling." My grandfather distilled corn liquor and my father at fourteen was driving it into Natchez every Thursday. This was back in the thirties, but I still have some cousins back in the Ozarks and in Kansas that make moonshine.

One of our ancestors opened the first brewery in Woburn, Massachusetts, back in 1635, so we come by it honestly.
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12-02-2007 @4:55AM cmonkey said... I believe home distilling is still illegal primarily for taxation reasons, and for the simple reason that it is harder to make something illegal legal again than to make something new illegal.

As someone who home distills, I assure you that it is actually difficult to make something with enough methanol in it to harm you (especially considering the "antidote" to methanol poisoning is ethanol, which would obviously be readily present). Moreso, it is trivial to remove the majority of the methanol during distillation.
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12-03-2007 @7:40AM Beany said... Is it OK to make brandy, gin, rum, and whiskey in the same still- does the still not retain some flavour from previous batches?

I'm interested to know long is needed to find out how good the brandies or whiskies are- presumably you don't just chuck it in a cask and open it up several years later, hoping for the best... I guess you'd need tiny casks to age them in, as well!
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12-03-2007 @9:22AM Jon said... Where's your new distillery going to be located? Maine?
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12-05-2007 @7:54AM jmforester said... Beany- Yes it is ok to use the same still. You wash it out after every use. Every now and then you wash it out with caustic substances for a thorough cleaning and to remove the slightly oxidized outer layed of copper so that clean copper comes in contact with the alcohol vaoprs. The copper contact removes sulphur from the alcohol which makes the final product much better tasting. Ever wonder why stills are copper?/ that's why.

You know how good the spirit is as soon as you distill it. The art comes in knowing how much of the late 'heads' run (The first part of the spirits to be produced) vs. the 'heart' (the main part that is the best) and how much of the 'tails' (the final part) to use. this determines the exact starting flavor. Then aging: how long, what type of container- wood, toasted wood, stainless steel or glass, ceramic, etc. Also the size of the container and how much it is filled effect the outcome.

Just this past Monday I was at Cornell University distilling a batch of hard cider into apple brandy. I could tell right away that it was already a great aue di vie and with proper aging in wood for a year or two would make a great Calvodos style apple brandy.

Jon- Yes the distillery will be in Coastal Maine, starting production this late winter/early spring as soon as the still is finished being crafted, delivered, and installed.

Note to all: The federal government is actively considering legislation at this time that would allow licensing of distilling on residential property. You may soon be able to apply for a license to have a still in your garage and make and sell spirits as a home based business.

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12-06-2007 @7:53AM Silver_Potato said... McCarthy's Whiskey from Oregon is a fine example of a Micro-Distillery spirit.

I've been thinking about learning how to make my own Rum as of late.
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12-19-2007 @5:01PM Goesta said... Makes one wonder if it is already too late to join this "movement." Could it be after sinking time, money, and labor into a distillery project that every local Tom Dick and Harry will be out there doing the same? I believe what has kept that from happening in micro-breweries is that making very good beer is very difficult. Frankly, I don't believe that to be the case for Vodka. For other liquors, e.g., Whiskey, that may be quite difficult.
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