Craft Spirits Weekly
Welcome to the 17th 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.
Dramatic Day for Spirits in Florida House

A bill to allow craft distillers to sell more product directly to consumers was set for a final vote Wednesday, was instead “temporarily postponed,” then finally voted out later in the day. The House eventually passed the measure (HB 141) by a 114-2 vote. Its sponsor, state Rep. Cyndi Stevenson, a St. Johns Republican, was one of five House members earlier in the floor session who did not vote on a contentious bill allowing Florida retailers to sell distilled spirits with other goods instead of in a separate store. The “whiskey and Wheaties” bill passed by a razor-thin 58-57 margin. (Florida Politics)

District Distilling Forages Ingredients for Gin 
Chefs foraging for ingredients has become commonplace, especially during  ramp season. It’s much rarer for distillers to collect materials in the wild, which is what makes  District Distilling Co.‘s new spirit so intriguing. WildJune Gin, which launches at the distillery-pub on Friday, is made with wild red juniper berries harvested in western Texas by co-owner  Molly Cummings (her brother, co-owner  Michael Cummings, lives in DC).
American Brandy Surges, Even in Whiskey Country 
Though overshadowed by the bourbon boom, domestic brandy has a growing appeal. Adventurous young consumers, weaned on craft whiskey and beer, are eager to try something new. Bartenders love it because many classic cocktail recipes call for brandy, and new American expressions like Copper & Kings emphasize flavor and power over the more subtle notes found in Old World brandies like Cognac. (New York Times)

CH Distillery Prepares for Opening in Chicago’s Pilsen Neighborhood
Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, once home to one of the largest brewers in the state of Illinois, Schoenhofen Brewing, is once again home to an emerging class of budding brewers and distillers. Now comes the biggest venture yet: Chicago's CH Distillery is preparing to open its new, 20,000-square-foot distillery, which will be capable of producing up to 150,000 nine-liter cases of spirits per year, equivalent to more than 350,000 gallons. (Crain’s Chicago Business) 

Black Button Distilling to Open Buffalo Tasting Room in June

Black Button Distilling, a grain-to-glass craft distillery based in Rochester, is opening a Buffalo tasting room in June. The tasting room will feature the entire Black Button Distilling product line, along with other products from New York State like Rohrbach beers, Heron Hill wines, and cider from Steam Punk Cider. (Finger Lakes Times)
Asheville, N.C. Getting Four New Distilleries

To most, "Appalachian liquor," conjures images of bootleg stills churning out illicit white lightning. But the Asheville area is poised to become a white-hot center for craft cocktail spirits. (Citizen-Times)
Virginia Highland Malt Named Best American Single Malt  

On April 21, Bully Boy will open its new headquarters, an inviting “bohemian oasis” that, like a speakeasy, is hidden inside a drab brick building across the road from its current facility on a little-trafficked side street in Roxbury, Mass.’s industrial Newmarket District. (Boston Globe)
Virginia Governor Signs Bill Naming Commonwealth's Official Spirit 

It’s been 10 years since George Washington’s Distillery at Mount Vernon re-opened and to mark the occasion, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe signed a bill Sunday officially naming George Washington’s Rye Whiskey the Commonwealth’s official spirit. Not a bad tenth birthday present (or 220th birthday, depending on how you look at it). The drinks list for the party that accompanied the signing ceremony at the first U.S. president’s restored whiskey production facility read like a who’s-who of Virginia (and, to some extent, Mid-Atlantic) craft distilling, as more than 20 spirits producers from throughout the Commonwealth (and a few from as far north as Pennsylvania) sampled their up-and-coming brands. (The Drinkable Globe)
American Craft Spirits Association | americancraftspirits.org