Announcements

DISCUS Launches Health Care Program For Craft Members

The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States will now offer an association health plan to its members, extending a new affordable health care option for craft distillers in many states. In other states, DISCUS will connect member distillers with available small-group options. Open enrollment for the plans is starting immediately. Learn More.

Grayson College To Offer Distillation Courses

Denison, Texas-based Grayson College will offer six courses in distillation, starting early next year. Grayson, which has well-established grapegrowing and winemaking, has built a teaching distillery to support the program. The curriculum makes Grayson the only distillery school in Texas and one of just four nationwide. Learn More.

French Firm Buys Cargill's Malt Business

Axereal, France's largest grain cooperative, has acquired Cargill's malt business on behalf of its subsidiary, Boortmalt. This acquisition sees Boortmalt taking over all Cargill Malt activities: 16 malthouses in 9 countries, nearly 600 employees, and a total production capacity of 1.7 million tonnes. The acquisition makes Boortmalt the world's leading player in malt production. Read More.

New Releases

Demon Seed

Flavored Whiskey

Boston Harbor Distillery has launched a flavored whiskey called Demon Seed. The spirit is made from rye whiskey, scorpion pepper, fresh ginger, and maple syrup. Read More.

Black Button Bourbon Cream Cheesecake

Western New York's Black Button Distilling is accepting orders for its annual Bourbon Cream Cheesecake. The 2 pound cake also comes with a full-sized bottle of the distillery's Bourbon Cream. Read More.

ADI Online Auction

ADI's charity auction supports the non-profit Distilling Research Grant (DRG), which is used to fund scientific research in areas relevant to the craft distilling industry. This year's auction includes a wide variety of items and services donated by ADI and other industry partners, including:

This year's charity auction runs until November 25, 2019 at 11:59pm PST. Winners will be notified by November 30. Get your bids in now!

Upcoming ADI Workshop

Blending, Maturation, & Warehousing

Dec. 8, Ironroot Republic Distilling, Denison, TX. More.

Headframe Spirits Gets New Distiller

Some people seem born to be in their professions. Perhaps that can be said of [Butte, Montana-based] Headframe Spirits’ new distiller Reade Huddleston, who has studied the art of making beverages from just about every angle you can think of. Huddleston, 28, joined Headframe in August and comes to Butte via Deep Ellum Distillery in Dallas, where he served as the operation’s head distiller for two years. He has a master’s in brewing and distilling from Heriot-Watt University in the U.K. and has held numerous positions at breweries and distilleries across the country and abroad, including at Eau Claire Distillery in Alberta, Natural Selection Brewing in Scotland, and Stewart Brewing, also in Scotland. Read More on Montana Standard .

St. Augustine Distillery Expands Production

With a steadily increasing demand for their products and a significant tax cut bolstering their bottom line, St. Augustine Distillery in St. Augustine, Florida recently expanded its production capability by purchasing a variety of new distillation equipment. For the distillery, which produces between 40,000 and 45,000 gallons a year, the tax cut meant a savings of approximately $200,000 a year. With a sudden boost to their revenue, the distillery decided to reinvest in their business by purchasing distilling equipment such as three additional incremental fermentation tanks, a new, 3,000-gallon mixing tank, a new mill and an auger system for their mash tank. Read More on the Jacksonville Business Journal .

Northern Latitudes Distillery Launches

Cocktails For A Cause

Northern Latitudes Distillery in Lake Leelanau, Michigan has launched a program for the month of November called Cocktails For A Cause. Under the program, a portion of cocktail sales on Fridays will go to support a worthy local nonprofit. The distillery also launched a revamped website with cocktail recipes, information on where to find their spirits, and more.

Canadian Arak resurrects bygone Persian drink

Long before its teetotaler Islamic clerical rulers banned the consumption of alcohol, Iran had a vibrant drinking heritage. As early as 550 BC, King Cyrus the Great and his Persian lawmakers were said to get drunk before deliberating important decisions and then debate them again the next day while sober. If they still agreed, the new law was passed. It spawned the Persian saying “Masti O Rasti,” meaning “drunkenness and truthfulness.” The motto is printed on the backside of the bottles of “Arak Saggi,” a triple-distilled Arak created by an Iranian ex-pat in Canada looking to resurrect his homeland’s alcohol culture. Read more on AP .

Dampfwerk Will Open New Upscale Cocktail Lounge

Minneapolis-based Dampfwerk Distilling is opening a new cocktail lounge in the city's St. Louis Park suburb. The Dampfwerk Cocktail Lounge, which will hold its grand opening this month, will serve a variety of cocktails made with Dampfwerk spirits. The distillery's lineup includes German-style fruit brandies and liqueurs, as well as gin and aquavit. Read More on Eater .

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Clock is Ticking on Tax Break for Craft Distilleries

When the calendar flips from 2019 to 2020, a tax break that has helped dozens of craft distillers expand their businesses will expire unless Congress and the Trump Administration act to extend it. That cut was part of the 2017 tax reform act, and reduced the federal excise tax distillers pay on the first 100,000 proof gallons of spirit they remove from bond for sale each year. The move lowered the tax rate from $13.50 to $2.70 per proof gallon, but only through December 31, 2019. Mark Shilling of Revolution Spirits went on WhiskyCast to discuss the efforts to extend the tax break and the implications if it expires. Listen on WhiskyCast .

Congressional Support for Reform Act Hits Milestone 

Support for the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act (S.362/H.R. 1175) has reached an all-time high with 315 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives and 73 in the Senate following a coordinated “Day of Action.” Introduced by Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and by Representatives Ron Kind (D-Wis.) and Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), the legislation will make permanent reforms enacted in 2017 that create a fair and equitable tax structure for brewers, winemakers, distillers and importers of all beverage alcohol.  Read More on DISCUS .

Bill's Corner

Miscellany from ADI President/Founder Bill Owens

Who Says There Are No Free Lunches?

Located in Buellton, California, in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley, Dorwood Distillery makes all its spirits onsite -- even its Agave Blanco. The unique spirit is made from agave harvested in Jalisco, Mexico and shipped to the distillery, where it's fermented with wild yeast and triple distilled. "My brother called one night in March 2014 about opening a distillery," says cofounder Jay Lockwood. "I said yes and we started putting everything together the next morning." By September 2015, they were making vodka. "It took us about 18 months to get going, and we haven't looked back or had a day off since," Jay says. That means they've earned a free lunch -- and hopefully an afternoon off -- from Bill!

For the past 10 years Bill has offered a free meal to any distillery that has opened within 2 years of inception. Take a look at the list of distilleries that have claimed their lunch, or let Bill know if you're eligible for a free lunch yourself. [email protected].