The Heartbeat - April 3rd, 2024
In our latest episode of Voices of Distilling, Ronnell Richards sits down with Chris Patrick, Assistant Director of the Craft Brewing and Distilling Program at South Puget Sound Community College . They discuss Chris's transformative journey from a chemistry aficionado to a key player in Washington State's craft beverage scene, as well as the hands-on, innovative educational experiences SPSCC offers to budding brewers and distillers.
Chris highlights SPSCC's unique educational approach, combining practical skills with business knowledge, and his own enthusiasm for crafting distinctive bourbon profiles and enhancing the barrel program. This episode is a celebration of the craft distilling community and the pivotal role of education and collaboration within it.
Nestville Distillery
Slovakia is traditionally a vodka country. But under the leadership of head technologist and master distillery Lucia Jakubikova, Nestville Distillery in Hniezdne, Slovakia is breaking into the whisky market. Learn about Slovakia's rich distilling history and Nestville's innovative approach to whisky production, which blends local heritage with modern techniques to create distinctly Slovakian flavor profiles.
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Perfecting A Botanical Recipe By Design
What does it mean to apply design thinking in the distillery? In this Distiller story, David T. Smith offers a practical primer on how to develop a signature botanical recipe, from balancing key elements to avoiding common pitfalls in scaling up from test batch to production run. You'll never approach a new gin, aquavit, or absinthe recipe the same way again.
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The Nano Distillery: The Future of Distilling
An essential guide for anyone considering starting a small-scale distillery, offering practical advice, real-life experiences from successful nano distillers, formulas, and first-person accounts to navigate the complexities of distilling. It covers everything from legal considerations to equipment, recipes, and branding, enriched by insights from those in the nano-distilling community, making it a comprehensive resource akin to attending mini-workshops on the distilling business.
INDUSTRY NEWS
A study by Tourism Economics reveals that distillery tourism significantly boosts Texas's economy, generating over $831.7 million in economic impact, creating 7,700 jobs, and producing substantial tax revenue from over 2 million distillery visits in 2022.
HB 4231 and SB 492 are proposed bills in South Carolina, supported by the South Carolina Craft Distillers Guild and DISCUS, to allow seven-day spirits sales through local elections, aiming to modernize the state's alcohol laws and align with the national trend of permitting Sunday alcohol sales.
Riverbend Malt House introduces Speakeasy distiller’s malt, a new product tailored for the spirits industry, designed to enhance American Single Malt Whiskey and bourbon with unique enzymatic activity and flavors like melon and honeysuckle, supporting craft distillers in innovating with local ingredients.
Brown-Forman has established its own distribution business in Japan, marking a significant strategic move to bring its distribution in-house after 50 years, aiming to capitalize on the growing premium and super premium spirits market in the country.
New Release Roundup
Vara Distillery Corona De Oro Rum - With a cane juice molasses base, the rum is aged in oloroso and cream sherry casks for 18 months. It’s a drier rum with a nice balance and brown sugar notes that run lean vs. sweet.
Blacklisted Brandy - An exciting new line of fruit brandies by Chicago native Draga Culic. It was released in four expressions, including Heirloom Apricot, Heirloom Pear, Heirloom Quince, and Aged Heirloom Plum, which have bright, additive-free profiles and are made from just two ingredients: purified water and 100% heirloom fruit from Serbia.
Mijenta Cristalino Tequila - a blessedly-no vanilla-added Cristalino, released in February 2024 from a rare?maestra tequilera (female distiller) in Mexico, Ana María Romero. It’s clean, but not without character. Aged?approximately eight months, then charcoal filtered, it’s clear, slate-y, and mineral with notes of coconut, agave, and earth.