Craft Spirits Weekly
Welcome to the 36th issue of Craft Spirits Weekly, a service dedicated to bringing you the news most important to the craft spirits distiller. Check your inbox every Thursday to find a curated selection of articles and news pieces from the American Craft Spirits Association.
Craft Spirits Steal Craft Beer's Thunder
In a new report, UBS Securities said that the craft beer trend seems to have leveled off but the craft theme is picking up in spirits. The securities firm's Evidence Lab surveyed 1,200 regular alcohol consumers. "The percentage of consumers that enjoy (spirits) brand experimentation and that view craft brands as cool has grown by 8 to 13 percentage points in the past two years," UBS said. (Forbes)
One Eight to Release First 100 Percent Made-in-DC Bourbon
Several DC distilleries currently sell bourbon, but none of that brown liquor is 100-percent local. But now, a bourbon that’s completely distilled, aged, and bottled in the District is finally here.  One Eight Distilling  will release its Rock Creek Bourbon on Sept. 16. It’s the first (legally produced) DC bourbon since pre-Prohibition. The Ivy City distillery also released the first completely made-in-DC  rye whiskey , aged 18 to 20 months, last October. (Washingtonian)
Georgia's Law Enabling Distillers to Sell On-Site Takes Effect
To hear it from Georgia's brewery and distillery operators, it has been a long, but now fruitful, road to get here. A "game-changing piece of legislation," says Jim Chasteen, CEO and co-founder of ASW Distillery in Atlanta, of the new state law now in effect as of Sept. 1. Governor Nathan Deal earlier this year signed Senate Bill 85. No longer does a manufacturer have to only sell its product to a wholesaler, who would then in turn sell to retailers. Now, Chasteen's business, and other distillers and breweries, can sell direct to their customers at their site. (WSB Radio)
Proposed North Carolina Craft Beverage Museum to Hold Fundraiser
Some museums praise fine art while others honor history or other scholarly subjects. But a new museum planned for Asheville will celebrate North Carolina craft beverages, including distilled spirits, beers, ciders, wines, and even soft drinks. (Mountain Xpress)
Maine Craft Distilling Raises More than $500k for Expansion
Maine Craft Distilling LLC, a small Portland distillery, is expanding its production and tasting area and increasing its presence outside the state. The company raised $522,750 in equity, mostly from existing private investors, to fund its expansion. (Bangor Daily News)
Ranger Creek Creates Brisket Whiskey for Club Members
San Antonio’s Ranger Creek Brewing & Distilling didn’t think it was fair that wine enthusiasts got to have all the fun with their wine clubs, so it decided to launch a club of its own. And if you were one of the 120 members in the debut membership drive, you had access to one of the most Texas things to ever fill a 375 milliliter bottle: Brisket Whiskey.
(San Antonio Express-News)
Indie Spirits Expo Returns to Chicago
For the seventh year, the world's largest gathering of small, independent & artisanal brands will converge on Chicago, much to the delight of spirits enthusiasts everywhere.  The Chicago Independent Spirits Expo  is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 3 at the Chicago Hilton Hotel. (The Drinkable Globe)
New Tulsa Distillery to Donate 5 Percent of Profits to Local Schools
Three former teachers are hoping to help education in the state of Oklahoma from outside the classroom. They are starting new careers by opening a distillery and when they're in production they plan to donate 5 percent of their profits to local schools. (KTUL)
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