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CRAFT SPIRITS

Community’s

We highlight American bars that shine a light on craft spirits.

A Spirit Rises in the U.S.

Vietnamese American distillers are reclaiming a spirit once driven underground.

BY RUVANI DE SILVA

U.S. rum makers are proving that American rum has depth, diversity, and a bright future.

Southern Spirits, Local Soul Craft distilleries in South Carolina are building their brands on agriculture, hospitality, and community impacts.

BY JOHN HOLL

Profiles on BENDT Distilling Co., J.T. Meleck

Distillers, and Old Tennessee Distilling Co.

Flavorful concoctions from ACSA members

PACKAGING

Ready to Drink, Ready to Fill

As cans emerge as a preferred package for RTDs, there are more canning machine options than before tailored to small producers.

BY JEFF CIOLETTI

RAW MATERIALS

Tapped Out

As climate change and infrastructure failures threaten access to clean water, craft distillers are learning to adapt.

BY JON PAGE

MENTAL HEALTH

The Power of Peer Support

How shared experience can offer hope, healing, and connection.

BY MATT VOGL

CRAFT SPIRITS MAGAZINE

CEO, AMERICAN CRAFT SPIRITS ASSOCIATION | Margie A.S. Lehrman, margie@americancraftspirits.org

COO, AMERICAN CRAFT SPIRITS ASSOCIATION | Emily Pennington, emily@americancraftspirits.org

EDITOR IN CHIEF | Jeff Cioletti, jeff@americancraftspirits.org

SENIOR EDITOR | Jon Page, jon@americancraftspirits.org

ART DIRECTOR | Michelle Villas

MEDIA SALES REPRESENTATIVE | Annette Schnur, sales@americancraftspirits.org

CONTRIBUTORS | Lew Bryson, John Holl, Ruvani de Silva, and Matt Vogl

AMERICAN CRAFT SPIRITS ASSOCIATION

EDUCATION MANAGER | Kirstin Brooks, kirstin@americancraftspirits.org

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT | Albab Melaku, albab@americancraftspirits.org

DIRECTOR OF MEETINGS & EVENTS | Stephanie Sadri, stephanie@americancraftspirits.org

ACSA ADVISORS

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS | Alexandra S. Clough, GATHER PR LEGAL | Ryan Malkin, Malkin Law, P.A.

PUBLIC POLICY | Jim Hyland, The Pennsylvania Avenue Group STATE POLICY | Michael Walker, The Walker Group, LLC

ACSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS, 2025-2026 PRESIDENT | Jordan Cotton, Cotton & Reed (DC) VICE PRESIDENT | Jaime Windon, Windon Distilling Co. (MD) SECRETARY/TREASURER | Tom Bard, The Bard Distillery (KY)

EAST

Jordan Cotton, Cotton & Reed (DC)

Greg Eidam, Sugarlands Distilling Co. (TN)

Becky Harris, Catoctin Creek Distilling Co. (VA)

Adam Polonski, Lost Lantern Whiskey (VT)

Colin Spoelman, Kings County Distillery (NY)

Jaime Windon, Windon Distilling Co. (MD)

EX

OFFICIO

Jeff Kanof, Copperworks Distilling Co. (WA)

CENTRAL & MOUNTAIN

Tom Bard, The Bard Distillery (KY)

Murphy Quint, Cedar Ridge Distillery (IA)

Mark Shilling, Maverick Distilling (TX)

Phil Steger, Brother Justus Whiskey Co. (MN)

Olivia Stewart, Oxbow Rum Distillery (LA)

Thomas Williams, Delta Dirt Distillery (AR)

ACSA PAST PRESIDENTS

CRAFT SPIRITS MAGAZINE EDITORIAL BOARD

PACIFIC

Caitlin Bartlemay, Clear Creek Distillery (OR)

Orlando Lima, Bainbridge Organic Distillers (WA)

Alex Villicana, Re:Find Distillery (CA)

ACSA PAC

Jordan Cotton, Cotton & Reed (DC)

Lew Bryson, Alexandra S. Clough, Sly Cosmopoulos, Kamilah Mahon, Prof. Dawn Maskell, Adam Polonski and Teri Quimby

For advertising inquiries, please contact sales@americancraftspirits.org For editorial inquiries or to send a news release, contact news@americancraftspirits.org

P.O. Box 470, Oakton, VA 22124

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FACTS, FIGURES AND FALLACIES

With all that’s going on in the world, it’s comforting, sometimes, to read even the tiniest nugget of encouraging news. CGA by NIQ (NielsenIQ), which tracks sales in bars and restaurants, recently reported that on-premise spirits volumes have reached 93% of the pre-COVID levels of 2019 to 2020. It’s still not 100%, but, hey, we’ll take it.

That figure looks even better when you compare it with how the other major bev-alc categories are faring. Beer volumes hover at 83% and wine at only 66% of pre-pandemic levels.

Since this is our second annual Best Craft Spirits Bars in America issue, there’s probably no better time to take a closer look at some of the trends that are driving on-premise spirits consumption. Even though we’ve heard all of the conventional wisdom behind such trends, the reality isn’t quite so cut and dried—particularly where it relates to the drinking routines—or lack thereof—of Gen Z.

During a presentation titled “Navigating the Total Beverage Landscape” at the Craft Brewers Conference in Indianapolis at the end of April, NIQ’s Kaleigh Theriault and Mary Mills of consultancy 3Tier Beverages acknowledged that Gen-Z habits are a big factor in the industry’s trajectory, but their behavior is far from monolithic. Currently, only 9% of beverage alcohol purchasers are in the Gen-Z age group, while 32% are millennials, 27% are Gen X, and 32% are boomers and beyond. If that 9% seems remarkably small, remember that only about half of that demographic cohort are of legal drinking age at the moment. Also, as the presenters pointed out, Gen-Z-age consumers generally have far less discretionary income than their older counterparts. And that could very well change as they get older and more established in their careers. So I wouldn’t paint Gen Z with such broad strokes by saying that they’re just not that into our industry’s products.

Then, of course, there’s the low- and no- movement. Zeroproof spirits are growing rapidly, but, as we’ve pointed out before in these pages, the surge isn’t so much from a sober consumer as it is a sober occasion. Consumers are embracing moderation and being more selective about when, where, and how they drink alcohol, but they’re not completely

abstaining. Sometimes they’re combining alcohol beverages and zero-ABV products within the same occasions.

It’s really a re-branding of the much more established and enduring “drinking less, drinking better” trend. Some of the NIQ data presented supported that assertion. Survey respondents were asked what they would choose if they were choosing “what to drink out, and the total of your bill was the same regardless of which option you picked.” About 26% of respondents said they’d choose one luxury/superpremium drink, and 35% indicated that they’d opt for two high-quality/premium drinks. In other words, more than 61% would be choosing higher quality over quantity. A different way to express that would be “reports of premiumization’s demise have been greatly exaggerated.”

Additionally, part of the consumer drinking experience is variety. That doesn’t just mean they’ll have an Old Fashioned, followed by a gin and tonic. They’re into alcohol segment hopping as well, with roughly 42% of consumers regularly alternating among spirits, beer and wine. So, while spirit-based drinks should dominate most of the real estate on a craft cocktail bar’s menu, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to be more meticulous about choosing which brews and wines occupy the very limited space that’s left.

If there’s one key takeaway from data such as that presented by the likes of NIQ, it’s that there’s a lot more nuance to the numbers. Modern humans are complicated creatures and they might not have the same, strict routines that their predecessors had while out in the wild. ■

Jeff Cioletti Editor in Chief

Lew Bryson has been writing about beer and spirits full-time since 1995. He was the managing editor of Whisky Advocate from 1996 through 2015, where he also wrote the American Spirits column, and reviewed whiskeys. He has also written for the Daily Beast and American Whiskey. He is the author of “Tasting Whiskey,” “Whiskey Master Class” and the forthcoming “American Whiskey Master Class.”

Ruvani de Silva (she/her) is a travel-loving beverage and food writer specializing in beer, spirits, sustainability and all things Texan. A British Sri Lankan living in Austin, Texas, Ruvani’s byline has appeared in The Washington Post, Good Beer Hunting, VinePair, Texas Highways, Texas Monthly, Pellicle, Cuisine Noir, Hop Culture, Modern Farmer and Beer is for Everyone. Ruvani is also a vocal advocate for diversity, equality and inclusion in the beverage and food industries, and much of her work highlights and showcases underrepresented groups and diversity-forward initiatives.

John Holl is a journalist covering the beer industry. He’s the author of several books including “Drink Beer, Think Beer: Getting to the Bottom of Every Pint” and “The American Craft Beer Cookbook.” He is the co-host of the podcast Steal This Beer, and his work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Wine Enthusiast and more. John has lectured on the culture and history of beer and judged beer competitions around the world.

Matt Vogl is an internationally-recognized mental health advocate and a rarelyrecognized standup comic. Matt has spoken on mental health across the globe, including Stanford and Harvard and a well-received TEDx Talk. Matt founded and ran mental health organizations such as the University of Colorado’s Depression Center, the National Mental Health Innovation Center, and he’s currently the founder/CEO of VXVY Mental Health. As a comic, Matt has performed at clubs and venues across the country.

Thank You , Sponsors !

The American Craft Spirits Association would like to thank all of our annual sponsors and our key supporters of education. We are grateful for all of your support throughout the year. Interested in becoming a sponsor? Visit americancraftspirits.org/sponsors or contact membership@americancraftspirits.org.

Cask Strength Sponsors

Single Barrel Sponsors

Pursuit Spirits, the whiskey brand founded by the creative forces behind the renowned Bourbon Pursuit podcast, announced a significant and strategic expansion of its acclaimed Pursuit United portfolio. The brand is introducing two distinct new proof points—an accessible 88 proof and a robust Barrel Proof—for its award-winning Pursuit United Bourbon and Pursuit United Rye whiskeys.

In celebration of northern Michigan’s angling and trout culture, Thompsonville, Michigan-based Iron Fish Distillery recently hosted its Mad Angler Day and released Mad Angler Manifesto. The seasonal, limited release is the result of the Iron Fish blending team’s meticulous craft. Each year, the team curates a unique blend, hand-selecting exceptional whiskeys from across Iron Fish’s entire barrel inventory.

Seattle-based Copperworks Distilling Co. has unveiled a single cask release of Copperworks Washington Peated American Single Malt Whiskey Single Cask No. 497. Brewed and distilled from 100% Fritz variety barley grown in Washington’s Skagit Valley and smoked during the malting process with Washington-sourced peat, Single Cask No. 497 was matured for four years and three months in new American oak casks and bottled at cask strength, 119.4 proof.

Glacier Distilling Co. of Coram, Montana, released Logan Pass 12-YearOld Wheated Single Malt Whiskey. The 112.2-proof whiskey is 100% distilled, aged, and bottled in Montana. This single barrel release is bottled at cask strength and yielded only 198 bottles.

“This is a very exciting release and reminds us of how fortunate we are to distill whiskey in the most beautiful part of the world,” shares Nicolas Lee of Glacier Distilling Co.

Jackson, Mississippi-based Cathead Distillery launched its Estate Collection Straight Wheat Whiskey, a premium, 100% wheat whiskey that represents a true grain-to-glass production, with every aspect from growing the wheat to bottling the final product taking place in Mississippi. This small batch, limited release is also the first of its kind to be distributed outside the distillery’s home state.

Minden Mill Distilling of Minden, Nevada, announces the release of its Minden Mill American Single Malt Whiskey as American single malt is established as an official and distinct U.S. spirits category. Crafted from only local ingredients at its state-of-the-art distillery nestled along the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Nevada’s high desert, Minden Mill American Single Malt is a reflection of this unique terroir and the whiskey making skill of master distiller Joe O’Sullivan.

Veritable Distillery of Stonington, Connecticut, is unveiling its first two expressions: Ship’s Bell Bourbon and Southwick’s American Gin By reviving timehonored production techniques and using natural ingredients without the addition of industrial chemicals, Veritable Distillery captures the essence of 18thcentury New England in every bottle.

Hye, Texas-based Garrison Brothers Distillery has created a limited-edition red, white, and blue hand-dipped wax bottle of Small Batch to celebrate America ahead of National Bourbon Day on June 14 and the country’s 249th birthday on July 4. Inside each 750-mL bottle is the same award-winning small batch bourbon—94-proof and full-bodied, made from the original Garrison Brothers sweet mash bill and aged in new American white oak.

No Taste Test, No Problem: How Smart Ecommerce Helps Brands Sell with Virtual Experiences

By Jason Nyhus, President and GM, Shopware US.

The spirit industry, like so many other regulated sectors, faces a unique set of challenges when it comes to selling products online. In industries with strict compliance requirements– like age-verification and shipping restrictions–merchants selling alcohol have to follow complex regulations to operate. That’s why having an ecommerce platform that understands those challenges and protects your business is paramount for success. Spirits, in particular, face an even greater challenge than most other regulated products.

In addition to all the regulation, when it comes to selling spirits online B2B or direct to consumers (D2C), merchants are losing their biggest sales tactic: taste testing! People enjoy trying liquor before they buy, and understandably so. But selling online removes that option. So how can merchants overcome this obstacle?

The name of the game is invoking emotion, gamifying the experience, an interactive storefront, merchandising strategies, and providing an immersive and interactive purchasing experience for customers. Your ecommerce storefront has to do so much of the heavy lifting that a traditional sales rep would handle in person. Not every ecommerce platform is set up to do this though, it takes the right partner.

Your storefront needs to be able to tell your brand story. In the world of spirits, customer decisions are often based on emotion in addition to taste. Of course, your product needs to back up your claims, but the right storefront can be the difference between a one-time purchase and a loyal, returning customer.

There’s currently a strong focus in commerce around technology and AI. Yes, these are important tools, but what many are forgetting is just how critical the human element is in driving successful ecommerce strategies. That personal touch that customers crave, along with emotional connection, is getting lost in the rush to adopt. Tailored customer service interactions, hyper-personalized recommendations and authentic brand storytelling, all can help spirit merchants stand out in such a crowded marketplace.

Shopware offers features designed specifically for this. Composable frontends make for flexible, customizable solutions that meet the stringent regulatory requirements. When combined with spatial commerce, integrating AR and VR for immersive and compliant shopping experiences,

merchants can create detailed product demonstrations and engaging storytelling that provide customers with a unique experience that will keep them coming back. Shopware’s AI Copilot blends technology with customer experience, enhancing customer experiences with AI-driven insights and automation tailored to the specific needs of regulated sectors. Meanwhile, digital sales rooms allow you to transform your traditional sales calls from a bland Zoom call to a virtual sales room, providing a comprehensive and secure space for B2B transactions.

The right ecommerce platform can be the deciding factor in whether customers make a purchase with your brand, and whether they keep coming back. You need a solution that can blend the latest technology with real human interactions, convey your brand’s story and seamlessly handle the complexities of a regulated industry.

Virginia Beach, Virginiabased Tarnished Truth Distilling Co. announced two new flavors in its Coastal Cocktails RTD line. Strawberry Rhubarb is a juicy twist featuring ripe summer strawberries, tangy rhubarb, and Tarnished Truth’s own Fourth Handle Gin. And Peach Punch is a bold blend of real peach juice and AVA Vodka, capturing the flavor of peak-summer sunshine in a can.

Hidden Marsh Distillery of Seneca Falls, New York, is debuting its brand-new collection of ready-to-drink cocktails. Crafted in-house with premium distilled spirits and fresh, locally inspired ingredients, this vibrant new line includes four options: Cool As A CuCanoe Cucumber Gin Spritz; Strawberry Rhubarb Vodka Spritz; A Cherry Good Day Ginger, Turmeric, & Cherry Vodka Spritz; and Bourbon Lemonade Iced Tea

Sespe Creek Distillery of Oxnard, California, has unveiled Warbringer Big Cockerel Aguardiente, an unaged whiskey and the first release of master distiller and COO John Campbell’s tenure in the role. The 98-proof spirit is twice distilled in copper pots and made from a mash bill of 60% mesquite smoked corn, 15% fire toasted corn, and 25% malted rye.

New Riff Distilling of Newport, Kentucky, announced the dual release of First Decade Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and First Decade Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, the distillery’s first 10-year-old whiskeys. These 120.5-proof releases join the distillery’s High Note limited edition lineup this spring and are available exclusively through the New Riff Whiskey Club.

Misunderstood Whiskey Co. has announced the release of Misunderstood Orange Blossom Bourbon, marking the brand’s first bourbon release since its inception in 2017. This milestone is a celebration of Misunderstood’s commitment to redefining the flavored whiskey category by offering premium, infused expressions made with 100% natural ingredients and free from artificial flavors and high fructose corn syrup.

Old Dominick Distillery of Memphis, Tennessee, is expanding its spirit offerings, welcoming a 7-year Wheat Whiskey Single Barrel to its portfolio. Made locally using water from the beloved Memphis sands aquifer, the Wheat Whiskey product is one Memphis hasn’t seen in a while. “This is the first wheat whiskey to be distilled in Memphis since Prohibition. The 7-year age statement reflects our patience and commitment to quality,” says David Valentine, the lead distiller at Old Dominick. “It’s noticeably different [from] our bourbon and Tennessee whiskey. It’s softer, with notes of maple syrup, honey, hazelnut and mocha.”

Portland, Oregon’s 503 Distilling has launched its first ever Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey: a 5-year, single-batch whiskey available exclusively at the 503 Distilling Lounge. The bourbon is the result of a journey that began in 2018, when 503 Distilling set out to create a signature bourbon from scratch. Barreled in 2019, this limited run of just 420 bottles features a mash bill of corn, rye, and notably Walla Walla Winter Wheat—delivering a softer, smoother, and more approachable profile than traditional high-corn bourbons.

West Fork Whiskey Co. of Westfield, Indiana, announced the release of its Old Hamer 10-Year Bourbon featuring a historically Hoosier mash bill of 99% corn, and 1% malted barley. “Distilled, aged and bottled in Indiana, Old Hamer 10-Year is a perfect example of what makes our signature 99% corn to 1% malted barley recipe so desirable,” says West Fork Whiskey co-founder and head distiller Julian Jones. “It is sweet, sophisticated and easy to drink to the last drop.”

Barbie: The Official Cocktail Book

Author: Ginny Landt

Publisher: Running Press Adult

Release Date: May 13

The cocktails, mocktails, and drinks featured in this book, alongside bright drink photography, inspired by all things Barbie, are perfect for fans of the pink icon, and ideal for gatherings, celebrations, and everyday entertaining. Cocktails include: The Day-toNight Refresher, inspired by the unforgettable 1985 Day-to-Night Barbie; Beachy Mojito, inspired by the Malibu Beach Café pop-up experience, and French 59, honoring the debut year of Barbie.

Not For Tourists Guide to New York City: The Cocktail Companion

Author: Jeff Cioletti

Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing Release Date: May 20

This comprehensive book by CRAFT SPIRITS magazine editor in chief Jeff Cioletti traverses all five boroughs (yes, even Staten Island) as well as a couple of honorary enclaves across the river, to detail the most authentically New York spots crafting the freshest, most flavorforward and cutting-edge cocktails. Additionally, the book includes recipes for 60 such concoctions from many of those venues, for you to always have a neighborhoodby-neighborhood taste of Gotham in your home, apartment, or hotel when you don’t feel like going out.

The Eras Pour: The Unofficial, Ultimate Taylor Swift Cocktail Book

Author: Alison Grey

Publisher: Clarkson Potter

Release Date: June 17

Raise a glass to Taylor Swift with 60 cocktail recipes inspired by every era, including riffs off greatest hits, twists on her favorite drinks, callouts to iconic moments in Swiftie history, and an abundance of fan-service Easter eggs, plus 20 alcohol-free options. Every Swiftie will find something to love in this boozy celebration of the legendary music icon. Call it what you want, in The Eras Pour you can drink your way through every distinctive era with delicious, creative cocktails that capture the spirit of Taylor Swift’s greatest hits and fan favorites.

The Little Book of Negroni

Author: Paul Knorr

Publisher: HaperCollins

Release Date: May 13

With 40 delicious variations on the classic Negroni cocktail, this is the go-to gift for Negroni lovers everywhere. With its divine trinity of gin, Campari and sweet vermouth, the Negroni is simultaneously timeless and contemporary—easy to make but complex in taste, with endless opportunities for being reimagined. Savour a Napoli or stir a Palmasera as this brilliantly illustrated book journeys across the ages to bring you everything there is to know about this beloved cocktail.

MIDDLE WEST SPIRITS ACQUIRES

OLD ELK DISTILLERY

Middle West Spirits of Columbus, Ohio, has announced the acquisition of Fort Collins, Colorado-based Old Elk Distillery and its related assets. Known for its award-winning whiskeys, deep customer loyalty, and distinctive Slow Cut proofing process, Old Elk brings nationally recognized craftsmanship to Middle West’s expanding branded portfolio.

“This is a meaningful moment for both our teams,” says Ryan Lang, founding lead distiller and CEO of Middle West Spirits. “Old Elk has built a respected and beloved brand with staying power, thanks to a distinct blending and innovation philosophy that complements our grain-to-glass production model. Their agility in developing awardwinning blends pairs naturally with our technical approach and scale. Together, we’re not just expanding—we’re joining forces to preserve what makes each brand special while unlocking new potential. We’re laying the foundation for long-term growth with a shared focus on quality, transparency and customer relationships.”

By combining Old Elk’s brand momentum with Middle West’s robust infrastructure, this acquisition empowers both companies to reach more consumers, drive innovation and raise the bar for craft spirits at scale.

“Since the day we launched over eight years ago, we’ve been laser focused on one thing: listening—truly listening—to our team, customers, and partners. That focus has brought us to this incredible moment,” says Luis Gonzalez, CEO of Old Elk. “Our relationships have always been at the heart of what we do and have been pivotal in shaping our journey. We’re wholeheartedly grateful to our extraordinary team, loyal customers and to our national distributor partner, Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, for their trust and belief in our vision. I’m extremely appreciative to Greg Metze for his mentorship, craftmanship and dedication to the team and his lasting impact and influence on the spirits industry. We are thankful for our founders Curt and Nancy Richardson for their vision in creating a world-class whiskey. Their legacy has inspired us for many years.”

Founded in 2008, Middle West Spirits is deeply rooted in Ohio’s grain belt and manages every step of its production—from seed selection through distilling, aging, blending, and bottling. The company

produces a portfolio of award-winning brands including Middle West Bourbon, Rye, Wheat Whiskey, Bourbon Cream, OYO Vodka, Vim & Petal Gin, and Lux & Umbra. Having recently increased its distillation capacity, Middle West Spirits is the largest distillery in Ohio and one of the top 10 grain-to-glass whiskey and spirits producers in the U.S., producing spirits not only for its own brands but also numerous partners in the craft and global spirits industries.

“This acquisition isn’t just a milestone, it’s a launchpad. We’re securing the future of the Old Elk legacy with dedicated production and a true home for our brand, one that fans and partners alike can rally around for years to come,” adds Gonzalez. “As we grow, Middle West Spirits is doubling down on what matters most: delivering on demand, pushing innovation, and building a best-in-class infrastructure that sets a new standard in the spirits industry.”

SCOTLAND’S LOCH LOMOND GROUP ACQUIRES NEW YORK DISTILLING CO.

In late May, Loch Lomond Group of Alexandria, Scotland, announced its acquisition of Brooklyn, New York-based New York Distilling Co. The deal aims to expand distillation and production in New York while strengthening the group’s portfolio in the U.S. and globally.

Loch Lomond Group’s portfolio of premium brands will now include American whiskey, in addition to the group’s other spirits.

New York Distilling Co. produces a range of American whiskey brands in multiple categories, with its signature Jaywalk Rye Whiskey brand being the center piece of the portfolio.

Jaywalk Rye has a number of different expressions, with all of them containing the coveted Horton Heirloom Rye brought to the new world from Europe in the 17th century.

Horton Rye was extensively used in the

17th and 18th century in the New York area for making rye but had subsequently almost completely died out.

The New York Distilling Co. portfolio also includes Mister Katz Rock & Rye, Dorothy Parker Gin and Perry Tot’s Navy strength gin.

“We are excited to work with Colin [Matthews, Loch Lomond founder and CEO] and the Loch Lomond Group team to help us grow further our fantastic brands around the world,” said New York Distilling Co. founders Allen Katz and Tom Potter in a joint statement.

“LLG has a strong track record of success, winning multiple major awards over many years for their whisky brands of Loch Lomond, Glen Scotia, Littlemill & High Commissioner and with sales in over 120 countries around the world, we can’t wait to introduce NYDC’s

brands to many of the key whiskey markets over the next period.”

Added Colin Matthews, founder and CEO of Loch Lomond Group: “This acquisition represents another milestone in the continued growth of The Loch Lomond Group. We look forward to working closely with the talented and ambitious team at NYDC to invest in both the facilities and products, while supercharging its growth both domestically in the U.S. and around the world through the existing Loch Lomond Group distribution network, as well as providing our help and expertise in the continued creation of fabulous flavors.”

The news follows Loch Lomond Group’s recent announcement of a new build distillery and visitor center in Scotland, which will open in June.

LOST LANTERN LAUNCHES SUBSCRIPTION-BASED WHISKEY CLUB

Vergennes, Vermont-based Lost Lantern, an award-winning independent bottler known for highlighting innovative and noteworthy whiskeys from distilleries across the United States, has announced the launch of the Lost Lantern Discovery Club, a subscription-based monthly whiskey club designed to help whiskey lovers discover emerging stars and hidden gems in American whiskey.

Every month, Discovery Club members will receive a new, never-before-released Lost Lantern bottling from a rising star or lesserknown distillery that is breaking new ground in the whiskey world. Members will experience firsthand the innovation and diversity shaping American whiskey today. These bottles will be exclusive to Discovery Club members and will not be released any other way.

“Our goal with the Discovery Club is to share our journey of exploration with whiskey enthusiasts,” says Adam Polonski, Lost Lantern co-founder and head of whiskey sourcing. “I visit every distillery we work with, and I’m

constantly discovering exceptional whiskeys from innovative distilleries all across the country. The Discovery Club is our way of sharing these whiskies and these stories directly with passionate whiskey drinkers.”

The initial signup bottle and first monthly release will feature whiskeys from two of Lost Lantern’s most sought-after partners. The following 12 monthly releases will come from distilleries Lost Lantern has never previously collaborated with, many of which are only available in one or two states. Club releases will span a wide range of American whiskey styles, with about half being bourbons.

Members (limited initially to a maximum of 180 people) will also benefit from flexible account management options, including the ability to add additional bottles from the Lost Lantern shop, delay or skip shipments, or pause and cancel their subscription at any time. The Club will be available to customers in states where Lost Lantern can ship through its website, as well as at the Lost Lantern

HOSTE COCKTAILS OPENS FIRST BRICK-AND-MORTAR FACILITY

Hoste Cocktails, the premium bottled cocktail brand behind the award-winning Gold Fashioned, has officially opened the doors to the brand’s flagship location in the heart of Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. The 15,000-square-foot venue brings together production, hospitality, and public gathering under one roof—serving as Hoste’s first brick-and-mortar location and an exciting new community destination for the neighborhood.

Grounded in a simple desire to share quality drinks and meaningful experiences, Hoste exists at the intersection of cocktails, community, and culture. The team behind Hoste stems from Apologue Liqueurs, a line of all-natural liqueurs that is now distributed in 15 states and found on the backbars of leading cocktail programs and Michelin-starred restaurants in the U.S.

With this vibrant new space, the company’s ethos can come more fully to life— welcoming guests for curated public events, offering private event capabilities, and creating a tangible sense of connection through shared experiences. While Hoste and Apologue’s full production operations now call the space home, the emphasis is on bringing people in, not just shipping products out.

Hoste’s flexible venue is available for pri-

vate rentals and is already booking milestone celebrations, corporate off-sites, weddings, and more. Designed with intention, the space features a custom full bar (staffed by an expert cocktail team), a green room, full kitchen, coat check, AV and DJ capabilities, and 36-foot ceilings with exposed brick and natural light.

Preferred caterers are available but not required, and the venue can accommodate seated dinners for up to 150 guests and receptions for 250.

Production-wise, the space gives Hoste and Apologue their first-ever self-operated facility—unlocking the ability to innovate, expand, and experiment like never before. A new “botanical wall” serves as an ingredient library, inspiring future product development and offering a creative canvas for the beverage team.

“This space is a celebration of everything we believe in,” says Jordan Tepper, co-founder of Hoste Cocktails. “We’re proud to have a home in Pilsen—a neighborhood full of energy, history, and artistry—and we can’t wait to welcome people in. Whether you’re here for a wedding, a tasting, a live show, or just to connect with friends, our hope is that it always feels like a place you belong.”

Tasting Room in Vermont.

The Discovery Club underscores Lost Lantern’s commitment to transparency, quality, and exploration, offering a unique opportunity to explore the breadth of American whiskey’s evolving landscape.

NEW RIFF ANNOUNCES BOURBON BALL ICE CREAM COLLABORATION

Graeter’s Ice Cream, America’s oldest family-owned and operated craft ice cream maker, and New Riff Distilling, the Newport, Kentucky-based distillery known for its award-winning bourbon, announced their firstever collaboration: Graeter’s Bourbon Ball Ice Cream.

Inspired by the classic Kentucky confection, this indulgent new flavor is now available to order for nationwide shipping at Graeters. com; it’s also available at New Riff’s Gift Shop, as well as all Graeter’s scoop shops. Fans can also find this collaboration in Meijer, Jungle Jim’s and Dorothy Lane Market stores this spring.

Graeter’s Bourbon Ball Ice Cream is a rich, bourbon-infused ice cream with whiskey-glazed pecans and dark chocolate chips. Each bite captures the signature flavors from a hand-selected single barrel of New Riff’s expertly crafted bourbon, offering a one-of-a-kind ice cream experience that blends tradition, craftsmanship, and indulgence. Bourbon Ball will replace Graeter’s Brown Butter Bourbon Pecan and is an evolution of the beloved flavor, bringing the recipe into the next generation.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with New Riff Distilling to create a flavor that celebrates two iconic treats: Kentucky Bourbon and ice cream,” says Richard Graeter, fourth-generation president and CEO, Graeter’s. “Working with the team at New Riff to taste and select a special Single Barrel, our team has created the perfect fusion of our hand-crafted process and New Riff’s exceptional distilling, delivering a unique experience that honors the rich flavors of Kentucky.”

New Riff’s commitment to time-honored bourbon-making techniques made them a natural partner for this collaboration. By incorporating their award-winning bourbon into Graeter’s smallbatch French Pot ice cream, the two brands have created a bold yet balanced dessert that speaks to bourbon enthusiasts and ice cream lovers alike.

“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with another local, familyowned business that shares our passion for craft and quality,” says Mollie Lewis, president of New Riff. “Graeter’s has been an incredible partner—not only do they make amazing ice cream, but the way they incorporated our Single Barrel Bourbon into this recipe blew us away. It’s the perfect blend of two great traditions, and we can’t wait for everyone to get a taste.”

RD1 SPIRITS OPENS IMMERSIVE BRAND DESTINATION DISTILLERY

RD1 Spirits hosted the grand opening of its new brand destination, RD1 Distillery at The Commons, now open to the public just minutes outside downtown Lexington, Kentucky. One of the newest stops on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, this research and development distillery is designed to engage bourbon lovers and curious travelers with sensorydriven whiskey experiences and wood-finished science experiments. The $5 million, newly constructed visitors attraction is expected to welcome up to 30,000 guests annually, significantly contributing to Lexington’s economic development and tourism.

“Congratulations to RD1 Spirits on [its] grand opening,” said Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. “This is more than just a distillery. It’s a prime example of the type of opportunity bourbon tourism can offer communities across the Commonwealth. This is a tremendous addition to Lexington and our state’s bourbon industry, which continues to innovate and grow.”

Located at The Commons—a 42-acre mixed-use development—RD1 Distillery at the Commons is 10,215 square feet, almost three times the size of its former tasting room and gift shop.

“We’re incredibly proud to open the doors of our beautiful, new home and invite guests into our world of wood-finished bourbon,” said Mike Tetterton, CEO of RD1 Spirits. “As we listened to our fans and their captivating interest around how we test unique woods from throughout the world, we reimagined our original distillery plans to ultimately give guests an experience like no other on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.”

A visually striking, 240-barrel rick—visible from inside and outside the building—frames the venue, while the lobby’s centerpiece, a handcrafted, 10-foot-tall oak tree, ascends into a glowing circular light fixture, giving artistic nods to Lexington’s four-plank horse farm fencing and bourbon’s strong connection to nature.

BLACKLAND DISTILLERY EXPANDS NATIONWIDE

Blackland Distillery of Fort Worth, Texas, has expanded nationwide after six years in operation, with its award-winning products now available in all 50 states. Backed by Terlato Artisan Spirits and distributed by Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, the coast-to-coast launch marks a defining moment for Blackland, solidifying the distillery’s reputation as one of America’s fastest-growing independent craft spirits brands.

Blackland Distillery’s growth is credited in large part to its innovative approach to craft spirits, born from the unique vision of attorneyturned-chef-turned-distiller Markus Kypreos. Inspired by his culinary background and shaped by advanced training at institutions like The Culinary School of Fort Worth, Kothe Distilling and iStill University, Kypreos launched Blackland in 2019 with a mission to combine culinary artistry, technological precision, and local Texas ingredients into a bold new vision for American distilling.

“This is the moment we’ve been working toward since day one,” says Kypreos, founder and CEO of Blackland Distillery. “We started small but we dreamed big, and now, just six years later, we’ve scaled nationwide. This expansion through our partnership with Terlato is incredibly rewarding and gives us access to retailers and markets that once felt out of reach. We’re not just representing Fort Worth—we’re showing the entire country what Texas spirits as a whole are capable of, and we’re doing it in a big, bold way.”

Through Terlato’s extensive national network and Southern Glazer’s distribution expertise, Blackland spirits are now available in select

JEPTHA CREED EXPANDS INTO VIRGINIA MARKET

Shelbyville, Kentucky-based Jeptha Creed Distillery announced a retail expansion to the Commonwealth of Virginia. Two of the distillery’s core expressions, the Straight Four-Grain Bourbon and 6-Year Wheated Bourbon, are available now. Through careful craftsmanship, Jeptha Creed Distillery has gained a loyal following and earned several prestigious awards, including numerous gold medals and recognition from esteemed spirits competitions.

Jeptha Creed prides itself on being a ground-to-glass distillery, striving to be thoughtful at every step of production. The family farm grows the renowned Bloody Butcher Corn, a non-GMO heirloom variety that imparts a uniquely sweet yet nutty flavor profile to Jeptha Creed’s diverse portfolio.

“We’re incredibly excited to bring Jeptha Creed bourbon to the great state of Virginia,” says Joyce Nethery, co-owner and master distiller of Jeptha Creed Distillery. “This expansion of distribution represents a significant step forward in our mission to grow our presence nationally.“

Jeptha Creed Straight Four Grain Bourbon, the brand’s original 2019 release, is bottled at 100 proof. It offers a rich nose of sweet cream, florals, dried fruit, and jam, followed by a complex palate of vanilla, nutmeg, clove, and toasted pecans, finishing long with vanilla mint and baking spices. The Jeptha Creed 6-Year Wheated Bourbon is bottled at 93 proof and opens with aromas of brown butter, toasted almond, and croissant. It delivers a medium, creamy mouthfeel with notes of cinnamon bread, honey glaze, tobacco, and a touch of chocolate, finishing long and light with hints of white pepper, dark cherry, and crème brûlée.

retail stores, bars, and restaurants across the country. The partnership brings significant capital, sales expertise, and infrastructure to support continued innovation and new product launches, while boosting the brand’s visibility on a global scale.

Blackland’s rapid growth is fueled by its tech-forward approach to heritage distilling, combining grain-to-glass sourcing with advanced production methods. The distillery utilizes computerized pot and column stills (iStills) and stainless-steel mash tuns to create exceptionally clean spirits with consistent flavor profiles.

Largest Variety of Tank Sizes Dedicated Fixed Piping Per Tank

FRIEND OR FOE

BY LEW BRYSON

As I’ve said before, part of my job here is to take the stuff we all know … and fiddle with it, push and prod and tumble and twist it, to see where it might come out to your benefit or detriment. Then I tell you about it, in a Rod Serling-like “submitted for your approval.”

So let’s think about the distilled spirits plant (DSP) that maybe just opened in your town. A DSP doesn’t necessarily mean a “distillery.”

We all know that a facility with a DSP doesn’t have to be a distillery. The regulations are clear: “A distilled spirits plant (DSP) may be established to produce, bottle, rectify, process or store beverage spirits.”

So maybe this DSP is making products, the “rectify, process” part of that regulation, and there’s no distillery in the picture. The spirit arrives on the loading dock (or rail siding, I guess, if it’s a big enough place), goes through the process and gets packaged, and leaves by the loading dock: no distillation.

How do we think about that? What? Yes, I know, some of you are that plant, you make distilled spirits specialties, liqueurs, cordials, amari! Of course, and I hope everyone who belongs to the Association gets that you are a craft spirits maker as much as distillers are. No question, it’s been that way for centuries.

But that wasn’t what I was talking about. No, I was talking about a brewer who’s suddenly got a lot more cans in their warehouse, a winery or cider maker that’s buying fruit juice concentrates and spices. Now they have DSP permits, and they’re making ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails. Are they your new competition?

Your local brewer was probably making hard seltzer, because the competition from seltzers was killing them. And when hard seltzer then started losing ground to RTDs, that smart brewer quickly sized things up and went down to D.C. and got themselves a DSP number. Because compared to brewing a beer with as little flavor and color as possible and amping up the fizz and adding flavor without any sugar to make hard seltzer, making a canned

vodka soda is easy-peasy, once you get that DSP number.

Think about it. The brewer’s got a ton of experience working with canning machines. Believe me, some of those guys will dream about what can go wrong with canning machines for the rest of their lives. They already understand all the logistics, the sanitation, the costs, and thanks to all those crazy flavored sours and pastry stouts, they probably have a flavor house on speed dial. They may already be with a wholesaler who can handle the RTDs. They are ready to go. Again, then, are they your new competition? Or are they maybe your new partners? Because if they built big enough, chances are quite good that they have excess capacity that they’d love to make a deal on, and give you a chance to make the move into RTDs yourself.

I’ve got a new canned cocktail sitting on my desk right now, just waiting for me to rip it open. It’s a 100-mL can, a single serving Old Fashioned. The distillery didn’t have to invest in space, machinery, power, or training, just ingredients and cans. They pay for the services (and maybe warehouse space for the cans) when they use them, and it’s ready to go.

Will they be in direct competition with the co-packer? Maybe. Will the branding of being an actual, regionally known distillery give them a leg up? Almost certainly. And as long as they don’t try going toe-to-toe on vodka soda, they should have a substantially lower cost of materials on the spirits.

Not to mention, they can do things a brewery probably isn’t going to do, like Old Fashioneds, like Manhattans, Boulevardiers, or something more obscure, like a Ward 8. They can add apple brandy or rum (or absinthe!) to flesh that portfolio out even more.

A brewer I know got a DSP last year, and he’s using it to make “vodka-and” drinks that have been pretty fun. Some distillers in the area are wondering if it’s going to go be-

If you’ve got a rectifying, packaging DSP starting up in your area, maybe instead of competition, you should look at cooperation.

yond that, because it’s a pretty big brewery, with a pretty big footprint … but there’s no column still on order, just more cans, and more juices.

Fact is, RTDs are plenty profitable. Why would they go to the expense of a distillery start-up when they can get in the game for the price of the paperwork, label design and approval, and some equipment they may already have? No-brainer, like co-packing.

I know: I already talked about co-packing, over a year ago. Friend: that’s how good this idea is! If you’ve got a rectifying, packaging DSP starting up in your area, maybe instead of competition, you should look at cooperation. As I always say, we go farther when we go together. ■

Lew Bryson has been writing about beer and spirits full-time since 1995. He is the author of “Tasting Whiskey” and “Whiskey Master Class.”

ACSA ANNOUNCES NEWLY ELECTED 2025-2026 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA) in April announced the election and installation of Jordan Cotton of Cotton & Reed (DC) as the President of the Board of Directors. He has served as a member of the organization’s Board of Directors since 2023, and has been a key ally on the ground in Washington, including chairing ACSA’s political action committee (PAC). Jaime Windon of LYON RUM (MD) has also been elected as the organization’s Vice President, and Tom Bard of The Bard Distillery (KY) as Secretary/ Treasurer. Windon and Bard have served on the board since 2023 and 2024, respectively. Together, Cotton, Windon and Bard and the current and newly-appointed Board of Directors will work with CEO Margie A.S. Lehrman to address the key issues facing the craft distilling industry, including the organization’s continued push for modern market access, regulatory relief, and changes to an anticompetitive marketplace at both the state and federal level.

ACSA is also proud to announce the results of its national election for Board of Directors members, adding five new members:

• Caitlin Bartlemay of Clear Creek Distillery/ Hood River Distillers (OR)

• Orlando Lima of Bainbridge Organic Distillers (WA)

• Murphy Quint of Cedar Ridge Distillery (IA)

• Mark Shilling of Maverick Distilling (TX)

• Alex Villicana of Re:Find Distillery (CA)

ACSA also extends its heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the following Board Members whose terms expired:

Lucy Farber of St. George Spirits (CA)

Jeff Kanof of Copperworks Distilling Co. (WA)

Amber Pollock of Backwards Distilling Co. (WY)

Mark A. Vierthaler of Whiskey Del Bac (AZ)

Kelly Woodcock of Westward Whiskey (OR)

“It’s a tremendous honor to serve as president of the ACSA Board of Directors, especially following in the footsteps of Kelly Woodcock and her talented predecessors,” said Jordan Cotton, CEO and Co-Founder of Cotton & Reed and President, ACSA. “Working with ACSA has been the best medicine I’ve found to counter the all-too-familiar feeling that this business can be just too tough. I’m excited to work with our talented Board

to continue ACSA’s vital work—improving our regulatory landscape and strengthening the sense of community we all need to thrive in this challenging industry.”

Margie A.S. Lehrman, CEO, ACSA, added, “With the ongoing economic uncertainty that is wreaking havoc on our industry, ACSA remains focused on critical issues to ensure our small business manufacturers, who are inextricably connected to their local hospitality and agricultural communities, can survive current market headwinds. Jordan has long been a voice for our organization in Washington, and I look forward to working closely with him—and the rest of our board—to fight for our industry’s survival.”

Following these elections, the ACSA Board of Directors will also be appointing leadership to its governing committees. Those committees include Membership, Ethics, Convention, Education, Elections, Safety, ACSA PAC, Craft Spirits Competition, Government Affairs, State Guilds, Technology, Finance, and Market Access. The new 2025-2026 Board of Directors were installed on April 22.

To see a complete list of the 2025-2026 Board of Directors, go to page 6.

Jordan Cotton Jaime Windon

Tom Bard

REGISTRATION OPENS FOR 2025 HEARTLAND WHISKEY COMPETITION

Registration is officially open for the 2025 Heartland Whiskey Competition, one of the nation’s premier competitions dedicated exclusively to craft whiskeys with ANY amount of corn in the mash bill. This biennial competition offers national recognition and exclusive awards.

Enter by June 30 for the opportunity to:

Gain industry recognition through exclusive Best of State and Top Farmer-Distiller awards

Have your spirits judged by a panel of top industry professionals

Elevate your brand visibility to retailers and distributors through medal wins and press coverage

Whiskey categories that will be evaluated include:

• Straight Whiskey

• Bourbon Whiskey

• Corn Whiskey

• Blended Whiskey

Four Grain Whiskey (Corn Plus 3)

Bottled-in-Bond Whiskey

Rye Whiskey (Corn Mash)

RTDs (“Whiskey Base” Ready to Drink-MUST include CORN)

Light Whiskey

With sub-categories for the following age ranges:

• Un-aged

• Aged- two years and under

• Straight, under four years

• Straight, four years and over

CONGRESS MEMBERS INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN USPS SHIPPING EQUITY ACT

At the urging of the American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA), U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) in April introduced the bipartisan USPS Shipping Equity Act to allow the United States Postal Service (USPS) to ship alcoholic beverages to consumers.

The legislation allows the USPS to ship directly from licensed producers and retailers to consumers over the age of 21, in accordance with state and local laws at the delivery location. It levels the playing field and increases consumer and manufacturer choice while bringing in millions of dollars in revenue per year. The legislation is supported by industry partners including ACSA and the National Rural Letter Carriers Association (NRLCA).

“We thank Representatives Newhouse and Subramanyam for their bipartisan legislation, says ACSA CEO Margie A.S. Lehrman. “As our small, domestic businesses have grown over the past 15 years, allowing the USPS to ship craft spirits will provide access to another important delivery option for small distillers in the U.S. Many of those distilleries are located in rural areas where support of their local Main Street matters. Access to the thirty-one thousand post offices in the U.S. would be a game changer, helping their small businesses to succeed and grow. We hope the Congress will act soon on this important small business initiative.”

“The wine, beer, and spirits industries are at a real disadvantage in delivering their high-quality products across the country,” says Rep. Newhouse. “While other carriers deliver alcohol, current law prohibits the United States Postal Service from doing so. This legislation supports small craft breweries and wineries in rural areas like Central Washington and offers new opportunities for market access through the USPS. I thank Rep. Subramanyam for joining me in introducing this bipartisan legislation as we work to unlock the USPS for our local producers.”

NOW ONLINE: THE 2025 CRAFT SPIRITS YEARBOOK

The 2025 edition of the CRAFT SPIRITS Yearbook is now available online. This comprehensive digital resource features a directory of suppliers and service providers, curated articles from CRAFT SPIRITS magazine, and the 2024 ACSA Annual Report. Limited print copies are still available—email news@americancraftspirits.org to request one.

Adds Rep. Subramanyam, “This Prohibition-era restriction on the Postal Service is unnecessary and imposes on consumers and our small businesses. “I’m thrilled to partner with Congressman Newhouse on a bipartisan fix to expand opportunities available to our local breweries, vineyards, and distilleries and provide a new source of revenue for USPS.”

STAY SHARP WITH ACSA WEBINARS

ACSA’s webinar series Craft Spirits Classroom: Quenching Your Thirst for Knowledge includes monthly webinars on topics ranging from legal and compliance topics, to sales and marketing content, to technical and distilling presentations. Webinars are free to ACSA members. Recent and upcoming webinars include:

• How Social Media and Our Phone Wreak Havoc with Our Mental Health—and What We Can Do About It

• Using Technology to Unlock Exciting Efficiencies in Craft Spirits Production, Maturation & Trading

• Eau de Vie Roundtable

ENTER YOUR WHISKEY IN THE HEARTLAND WHISKEY COMPETITION

The Craft Spirits Community’s

Best Bars 2025 W

hile not every bar puts craft spirits center stage, those that do create something truly special. These bars don’t just serve drinks—they tell the stories behind the bottles, celebrate the creativity of small producers, and help shape the culture of craft. To honor these spaces, CRAFT SPIRITS magazine once again invited our readers to nominate their favorite licensed bars—not distillery tasting rooms—where craft spirits aren’t just available, but celebrated. In the pages ahead, we highlight some of the top destinations where passion for craft is poured into every glass.

NORTHEAST

Sugar Monk

New York, New York sugarmonklounge.com

An intimate spot in Upper Manhattan’s Harlem neighborhood, Sugar Monk’s raison

d’etre is to evoke the area’s rich jazz history— it certainly helps that it’s barely a block away from the legendary Apollo Theater. What’s more, there’s live jazz every Monday night to really allow that storied history to wash over you. The dark walls and candlelight help amp up the coziness factor, providing an ideal

Dullboy

Jersey City, New Jersey dullboybar.com

Jersey City has really come into its own as a cocktail destination, which is no easy feat when your neighbor on the opposite bank of the Hudson is New York City. And the bar that makes the best case for JC’s emergence is Dullboy, barely a two-minute walk from the Grove Street stop on the underground PATH train system that connects its neighborhood to Manhattan. Dullboy enthusiastically leans into its writing motif, with an array of vintage typewriters decorating the walls and a graphic rendering of one of those machines as the venue’s official logo. Many of its cocktail offerings often tilt toward the tropical—the bar even hosts a weekly Tiki Tuesday—but there are plenty of landlocked favorites like the Gibson, Espresso Martini and an array of Old Fashioneds built around rare and allocated whiskey bottlings and private barrels. Be sure to take a look at the Dullboy Spirits Bible, which no one would call “light reading.” And, within those pages, it’s easy to find many a bottle of rye, gin, and brandy from notable craft distillers across America.—Jeff Cioletti

backdrop for sipping cocktails like the ginand-absinthe-based Ugly Beauty, or the ryecentric Thelonious. The bar does a stellar job with the classics as well, and you can request many of those to include spirits from the likes of Barr Hill, Durham Distillery and local producer Fort Hamilton Distillery.—Jeff Cioletti

Order of the Ace

Baltimore, Maryland orderoftheace.com

Operating under the guise of a secret society, Order of the Ace offers an experience rooted in curiosity and exploration. Rather than serving massmarket spirits, the focus here is on the esoteric—independently made and often underappreciated spirits from small producers and grower-distillers who put their heart, soul, and passion into every bottle. These aren’t just bottles with strong branding—they’re spirits with real stories, selected with care and given a chance to shine.

More Great Bars in the Northeast

Rye Street Tavern Baltimore, Maryland ryestreettavern.com

Equal Measure Boston, Massachusetts equalmeasurebos.com

Moonshine 152

Boston, Massachusetts moonshine152.com

Saloon Somerville, Massachusetts saloondavis.com

The Clover Club Brooklyn, New York cloverclubny.com

Travel Bar Brooklyn, New York travelbarbrooklyn.com

Yours Sincerely Brooklyn, New York yourssincerely.co

Brandy Library New York, New York brandylibrary.com

Death & Co New York, New York deathandcompany.com

Please Don’t Tell New York, New York pdtnyc.com

Last Whisky Bar Warwick, New York lastwhiskybar.com

Grace & Proper Philadelphia, Pennsylvania graceandproper.com

Monterey Bay Fish Grotto Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania montereybayfishgrotto. com

Ritual House Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ritualhousepgh.com

Presidents Pub Washington, Pennsylvania presidentspub.com

Monterey Bay Fish Grotto

SOUTHEAST

FOUNDATION

Raleigh, North Carolina foundationnc.com

For the past 16 years, Foundation has continuously highlighted local, regional, and national craft spirits as the bar only uses American products with a focus on craft. Foundation started the craft cocktail scene in Raleigh, with multiple bars being opened by former workers.—Tony Ursone

Old Bull Tavern

Beaufort, South Carolina

oldbulltavern.com

This beloved gastropub in the heart of Beaufort keeps things lively with its rotating menu of European- and American-inspired comfort food and a drinks list that’s anything but ordinary. The bar’s commitment to craft spirits is clear—just ask nearby Rotten Little Bastard Distillery, which collaborated with Old Bull to create Bravest Bull, a bold 120-proof American whiskey with ginger that anchors several house cocktails. You’ll also find a cocktail featuring Cathead Distillery’s Honeysuckle Vodka.

Panamericano Bar

Miami, Florida

panamericanobar.com

Panamericano Bar is a vibrant celebration of craft and culture, spotlighting small-batch spirits from across the Americas. From Peruvian pisco and Patagonian gin to agricole-style rums from Mexico, the bar’s selection highlights underrepresented producers with care and intention. The cocktail menu is both adventurous and inviting, and the team’s emphasis on education ensures every pour tells a story. With its rotating list of rare and regional finds, Panamericano delivers more than just great drinks—it offers a spirited exploration of the diverse traditions that shape them.

Lil’ Indies

Orlando, Florida

willspub.org/tm-venue/lil-indies

Lil’ Indies is an intimate space where all are welcomed, featuring weekly DJ sets, live music, trivia, art shows, and an impressive array of rotating seasonal cocktails. In a sea of Mickey-Mouse bars of pre-made mixes, Lil’ Indies stays ahead of the curve utilizing fresh, cutting-edge ingredients and outside-of-the-box menus that rival those in larger metro markets. Cozy, laid back, and in tune with its community, Lil’ Indies’ logo of a vinyl record is fitting, as it continues to hit all the right notes.—Sharlí Ward

More Great Bars in the Southeast

Dirty Habit Washington, D.C. dirtyhabitdc.com

The Green Zone Washington, D.C. thegreenzonedc.com

Jack Rose Dining Saloon Washington, D.C. jackrosediningsaloon. com

Left Door Washington, D.C. instagram.com/ leftdoordc

The Apothecary 330 Fort Lauderdale, Florida pizzacraftpizzeria.com/ apothecary

12 Cocktail Bar Atlanta, Georgia 12cocktailbar.com

Holeman and Finch Atlanta, Georgia holeman-finch.com

Gertie’s Whiskey Bar Louisville, Kentucky and Nashville, Tennessee gertieswhiskeybar.com

House of Commons Frankfort, Kentucky hocbourbonlibrary.com

Doar Bros.

Meta Louisville, Kentucky metalouisville.com

Watch Hill Proper Louisville, Kentucky watchhillproper.com

Barrel Proof

New Orleans, Louisiana drinkbarrelproof.com

The Crow & Quill Asheville, North Carolina thecrowandquill.com

Top of The Monk Asheville, North Carolina topofthemonk.com

Doar Bros. Charleston, South Carolina doarbros.com

Frannie & The Fox Charleston, South Carolina hotelemeline.com/ frannie-and-the-fox

Captain Gregory’s Alexandria, Virginia captaingregorys.com

The Study at Morrison House Alexandria, Virginia thestudyalx.com

The Gin Room

St. Louis, Missouri natashasginroom.com

Any time someone talks about the greatest spots to drink gin in the United States, it’s almost a given that The Gin Room, the brainchild of industry icon Natasha Bahrami, will come up. It goes without saying that the list is extensive, with gins showcasing the full spectrum of flavor profiles, from all corners of the globe and from craft producers in every time zone of the continental U.S. The gin and tonics, martinis, Negronis and a host of innovative cocktails are designed to accentuate the botanical blends of each spirit. Come for a drink. Leave with an education.

The Inferno Room

Indianapolis, Indiana theinfernoroom.com

These days, it’s pretty hard not to find some sort of tiki or tiki-adjacent bar in any medium- to large-size city in the United States. But finding one with a diversity of spirits bottles on its shelves, beyond the major global brands is a whole other story. While you sip your zombie and marvel at the requisite skulls, nets, carvings and other tropical bar trappings— don’t turn off your phone because the joint is highly Instagrammable—take time to peruse the rather intimidating rum list. It’s got all of the householdname international brands you’d expect and then some—but it also makes room for quite a few of America’s independent producers, including Koloa, St. George, Siesta Key and Indiana favorites 18th Street Distillery and 3 Floyds.—Jeff Cioletti

Wheat Penny Cocktail Bar

Effingham, Illinois wheatpennybar.com

Opened just last year, Wheat Penny Cocktail Bar is a beautiful basement cocktail bar that reminds us of a bar one would find in one of the larger cities in the nation, far from our small town. The Penny’s cocktails are crafted with a variety of spirits that run a large gamut of offerings and are served by an engaging hometown staff with just the right touch of refinement. The Wheat Penny has also incorporated our WITNESS Distillery spirits such as our Shimoji Coffee Liqueur and WITNESS Spiced Rum on their ever evolving menus.—Rick Radliff

More Great Bars in the Midwest

Delilah’s Chicago, Illinois delilahschicago.com

The Green Post Chicago, Illinois greenpostpub.com

Scofflaw Chicago, Illinois scofflawchicago.com

One Bourbon Grand Rapids, Michigan onebourbongr.com

The Living Room and Prohibition Minneapolis, Minnesota thelivingroom-prohibition.com

Meteor Minneapolis, Minnesota meteormpls.com

Spoon and Stable Minneapolis, Minnesota spoonandstable.com

The Antler Room Kansas City, Missouri theantlerroomkc.com

Katie’s Pizza & Pasta St. Louis, Missouri katies.com/pages/ ballpark-village

The Mercury Room Kansas City, Missouri themercuryroom.com

Small Change St. Louis, Missouri smallchangestl.com

Denmark on High Columbus, Ohio denmarkonhigh.com

Lincoln Social Rooftop Columbus, Ohio lincolnsocialrooftop.com

The Antler Room

Delilah’s

SOUTHWEST

Tulsa, Oklahoma

valkyrietulsa.com Valkyrie

Juniper

Tucson, Arizona junipertucson.com

Nestled in downtown Tucson, Juniper boasts an impressive collection of gins from around the world. The bar’s ambiance is both elegant and inviting, featuring vaulted ceilings and exposed brick walls that echo its historic Congress Street location. The bar’s cocktails are thoughtfully designed to highlight the diverse botanicals and flavors of gin, offering patrons a unique tasting experience. Juniper provides an educational and delightful journey through the world of gin for aficionados and newcomers alike.

Little Rituals Phoenix, Arizona littleritualsbar.com

Pigtails Phoenix, Arizona pigtailscocktails.com

Rough Rider Phoenix, Arizona roughrideraz.com

UnderTow Phoenix, Arizona drinkundertow.com

Batch and Snake & Barrel Tucson, Arizona batchtucson.com

SideCar Tucson, Arizona barsidecar.com

The Still Tucson, Arizona thestilltucson.com

Happy Accidents Albuquerque, New Mexico happyaccidentsbar. com

Barkeep Supply Oklahoma City, Oklahoma barkeepokc.com

Lunar Lounge Oklahoma City, Oklahoma lunarloungeokc.com

Palo Santo Oklahoma City, Oklahoma palosantobar.com

Here Nor There Austin, Texas hntaustin.com

The Roosevelt Room Austin, Texas therooseveltroomatx. com

Saint Valentine Dallas, Texas saintvalentinedtx.com

Chase’s Place Fredericksburg, Texas chasesplacecocktails. com

Bar Loretta San Antonio, Texas barloretta.com

The Plaid Rabbit at Culture ETX Tyler, Texas plaidrabbitetx.com

Barkeep Supply

The Roosevelt Room

Batch and Snake & Barrel

Julep

Southern Kitchen & Cocktail Bar

Ellensburg, Washington barjulep.com

When you walk into Julep, it’s hard to believe this bar/restaurant is in a small college town in the center of Washington. It specializes in southern cooking with an exceptional and creative cocktail menu that changes monthly. We are a very small craft distillery about 40 miles outside of Ellensburg, but Julep has been faithful and loyal to feature Cash Butte Distillery’s spirits on its cocktail menu almost every month in rotating cocktails. We are so grateful for their support and loyalty.—Julia Bringolf

Thunderbolt

Los Angeles, California thunderboltla.com

Thunderbolt is a neighborhood bar’s neighborhood bar that offers a relaxed escape from the outside world. With large windows taking up most of wall next to the entrance, you’d think there’d be no choice but to let that world in. But trellises covered in thick vegetation form the visual barrier between the Thunderbolt oasis and reality. Said plantlife also helps enclose the open-air patio that provides ample al fresco opportunities for those so inclined. The bar understands that no two palates are alike and the mixing team crafts accordingly. I’m partial to the “Culinary Adjacent” section of multi-page menu. Sure, there are familiar favorites like the Bloody—whose description declares that “brunch is a mindset, not a timeframe”—but this isn’t your run-of-the-mill Mary. Amidst its creative flourishes is the inclusion of Pot Likker, the savory broth made from simmered greens. For umami junkies, there’s the Woodwide Web, a mushroomy, leathery combination of brandy, shiitake, chaga, brown butter, Madeira Pineau des Charentes, and green peppercorn. Be sure to scan the barcode to acquaint yourself with the massive spirits list, which gives plenty of love to our craft community. There’s actual food as well, with bar bites that offer a bit of Southern exposure.—Jeff Cioletti

Umami Mart

Oakland, California umamimart.com

Umami Mart has the most welcoming retail atmosphere in the San Francisco Bay Area! It specializes in Japanese goods (barware, food, and off-premise beverages) but it also champions local, independent sake and spirits producers, both on-shelf and at its awesome, low-key bar. It’s loved by locals for regular event programming and community-building events.—Nate Darling

Herbs & Rye

Las Vegas, Nevada herbsandrye.com

Herbs & Rye stands out as a top-tier craft spirits bar due to its unparalleled dedication to classic cocktails, historical authenticity, and industry acclaim. Its menu is a curated journey

More Great Bars in the West

Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge Alameda, California forbiddenislandalameda.com

The Rake Alameda, California therake.admiralmaltings.com

Hotsy Totsy Club Albany, California hotsytotsyclub.com

Prizefighter Bar Emeryville, California prizefighterbar.com

Everson Royce Bar Los Angeles, California erbla.com

Parche Oakland, California parcheoak.com

The Great American Craft Bar Rancho Santa Margarita, California gacraftspirits.com

Pacific Cocktail Haven San Francisco, California pacificcocktailsf.com

Trick Dog San Francisco, California trickdogbar.com

Hooch Aspen, Colorado hoochaspen.com

Adrift Tiki Bar Denver, Colorado adriftbar.com

Union Lodge No. 1 Denver, Colorado unionlodge1.com

Williams & Graham Denver, Colorado williamsandgraham.com

Englewood Grand Englewood, Colorado facebook.com/EnglewoodGrand/

The Whiskey Bar at Cascades Restaurant Estes Park, Colorado stanleyhotel.com/the-whiskey-bar

Social Fort Collins, Colorado socialfortcollins.com

through mixology’s golden eras, featuring 45 meticulously crafted drinks like the Clover Club and Blood & Sand.—Gabe Spencer

Craft Lounge Caldwell and Nampa, Idaho craftlounge.com

Chapel Tavern Reno, Nevada chapeltavern.com

Noel’s Coffee & Apothecary Stateline, Nevada noelcoffee.com

The Sand Dollar Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada thesanddollarlv.com

Old Town Bar & Grill Newberg, Oregon oldtownbarnewberg.com

Bar Casa Vale Portland, Oregon barcasavale.com

Loyal Legion Portland, Oregon loyallegionbeerhall.com/portland

Malpractice Portland, Oregon malpracticepdx.com

Moonshot Tavern Portland, Oregon

moonshottavern.com

Multnomah Whisk(e)y Library/ The Green Room Portland, Oregon mwlpdx.com

Teardrop Lounge Portland, Oregon teardroplounge.com

Voysey Portland, Oregon voyseypdx.com

Skein & Tipple Clinton, Washington skeinandtipple.com

The Barnacle Eastsound, Washington thebarnacle.com

Liberty Seattle, Washington libertybarseattle.com

Tavern Law Seattle, Washington tavernlaw.com

Zig Zag Cafe Seattle, Washington zigzagseattle.com

Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge

The Whiskey Bar at Cascades Restaurant

Quench your thirst for knowledge in ACSA’s Craft Spirits Classroom. For more information or to register, visit our website at americancraftspirits.org/education/webinars.

RƯỢU ĐẾ RISES IN THE U.S.

Vietnamese American distillers are reclaiming a spirit once driven underground.

BY RUVANI DE SILVA

Distilled in secret, hidden among fields of tall grasses, rượu đế is known as Vietnamese moonshine due to its historic contraband status and homemade culture. Pronounced roo day, rượu đế translates as “grass liquor”—slang that nods to its secretive production. “The nickname comes from the French occupation,” explains Kennedale, Texas-based SuTi Craft Distillery’s co-owner Tien Ngo. “When you hear rượu đế you know it’s going to be hot liquor!”

Ngo, along with co-founder and distiller Suy Dinh, made history when they opened the first rượu đế distillery in the U.S., and, they believe, the first outside Vietnam. Distilled entirely from rice, rượu đế is uniquely Vietnamese and little-known outside the country, in large part due to its domestic and

“[OUR RƯỢU ĐẾ] IS A LOT DIFFERENT FROM LOCAL VIETNAMESE RƯỢU ĐẾ, BUT THE PALATES OF U.S. VIETNAMESE DIASPORA ARE MORE REFINED AS THEY DRINK A LOT OF INTERNATIONAL LIQUOR, SO THEY LIKE IT A LOT.” —TIEN NGO OF SUTI CRAFT DISTILLERY

secretive nature. Previously a staple of the ordinary Vietnamese dinner table, it was, as Ngo states, the advent of French colonization that pushed rượu đế underground when the ruling colonizers outlawed its production. Their communist successors followed suit and, like American moonshiners, families headed out to the fields to make their beloved tipple on the sly.

While the original Vietnamese products can be harsh as homemade liquor often is, the owners of SuTi and new rượu đế producer Dao Distillery in Sacramento, California, are making high-end premium products that bring together these traditional flavors with a sophisticated smoothness suitable for diaspora and American palates.

“[Our rượu đế] is a lot different from local Vietnamese rượu đế, but the palates of U.S. Vietnamese diaspora are more refined as they drink a lot of international liquor, so they like it a lot,” says Ngo.

Rượu đế is unique, not only in its Vietnamese heritage but in its production and flavor characteristics. Rượu đế is a distilled spirit made from 100% rice, differentiating it from a sake, a rice wine, and spirits like shochu and baijiu which can be made from other ingredients such as corn and potatoes or sorghum and millet respectively. Its aroma and flavor directly reflect the purity of its distillation, with the comforting rich umami warmth that oozes from cooked rice at its fore, although both distilleries have taken care and precision to create complex, layered flavor profiles for their variants, such as SuTi’s lush, sleek coconut-cream and hazelnut Old Man and Dao’s intense floral-pandan Viet Reserve. Their efforts are now industry-recognized with both distilleries now recipients of multiple awards including three San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2025 Golds for Dao and wins for SuTi at many competitions.

At SuTi, Ngo and Dinh both left Vietnam as teens so they didn’t get to try homemade rượu đế while they lived there, but each developed a passion for it as adults, Ngo on trips back to Vietnam to visit family and Dinh when a client at his engineering business introduced him to it and taught him to distill it. The brothers-inlaw (Ngo’s brother is married to Dinh’s sister) discovered their shared interest on a bike ride around White Rock Lake in northeast Dallas. Once Ngo tried the fruits of Dinh’s new hobby and tasted its quality, the idea of opening their own distillery developed.

That idea is now a beautifully elegant, wistfully retro distillery and tasting room designed by architect Ngo, tucked among

local shops and houses in suburban Kennedale, just southeast of Fort Worth. Visitors enter the simple white building greeted by a sleek lacquered pine bar, simple wood paneling and working vintage music players, including a reel-to-reel tape deck and elegant phonograph creaking out Vietnamese opera. Dinh’s domain is the back room where he shows off a trio of bubbling vats, each at different stages of fermentation, with deliciously aromatic starchy-sweet rice bubbling away with glutinous vigor.

The rice in question may come as a surprise. Dinh explains how he went around supermarkets taste-testing every rice he could find for his flagship Old Man, all to no avail. A chance encounter at a friend’s funeral led him to Louisiana State University’s H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station, where professors have created a new breed of rice combining traditional Vietnamese jasmine rice with wild rice from Arkansas. “I knew right away that it was the right one—we were very lucky!” says Dinh.

Conversely, Lion 45—their stronger varietal modelled on rượu đế from Central Vietnam—is made with easily available Texas long grain rice. “We tried all the Asian rices then bumped into the right ones right in our backyard,” says Ngo. “It’s great because it’s environmentally friendly.”

The Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area where both Dinh and Ngo live is home to the fourth largest Vietnamese population in the U.S., with 96,000 residents as of 2019. Texas is second only to California, where Dao is based, as the largest home to the 2.3 million Vietnamese diaspora in the U.S. This meant that the pair had a ready supply of local tasters on hand to help them perfect their recipes. Their flagship Old Man is named after this bevvy of assistants. “These old guys taught us how to drink and appreciate rượu đế—they gave us tasting notes from how it was in Vietnam and were very helpful,” explains Dinh.

The difference between the reception and perception of rượu đế by Vietnamese diaspora of different generations as well as meeting the American palate has been significant to the recipe development at both distilleries. Dao Distillery founder and distiller Binh Dao and Dinh of SuTi both emphasize the discrepancy in palate between older generations who were accustomed to the pungent, strong flavors of moonshined rượu đế and the younger generation, born in the U.S., who have more refined palates accustomed to whiskey. Dao’s journey as a rượu đế distiller began on his first visit back to

Vietnam about 12 years ago, after fleeing the country with his family as a teen. A chemistry professor, Dao explains how he first tasted rượu đế when his grandfather refused his gift of cognac, saying he preferred rượu đế. “I knew it must be special as he turned down a $250 bottle of cognac!” says Dao, describing how he was amazed at the quality of the spirit being distilled on basic equipment and quickly saw the potential to make his own.

While Dao’s flagship Viet Premium combines his desire to marry high-end distillation processes with the traditional flavors of classic rượu đế, he crafted his Viet Original recipe to meet the demand of his grandfather’s generation of diaspora drinkers. “I received feedback from older drinkers who found my [flagship] Viet Premium too elegant because it lacks the traditional funkiness and aroma they were used to,” he says, explaining how he used pot distillation to add back a little of the liquor’s tail to achieve the desired funkiness. The Viet Original is now Dao’s bestseller.

For non-Vietnamese drinkers, rượu đế offers a new and engaging drinking experience and a chance to discover rượu đế’s unique flavors within the U.S. Dinh, Ngo and Dao all emphasize the possibilities for rượu đế that come from the curiosity of American spirits drinkers, and their perseverance has been rewarded in the accolades they have received. At SuTi, Dinh now makes his own rice whiskey as a gateway for younger and non-Vietnamese drinkers, but rượu đế remains their primary product, and both SuTi and Dao are continuing to release new variations as word gets around and increasing numbers of new drinkers embrace rượu đế.

The impetus to preserve rượu đế as a Vietnamese cultural tradition by bringing it to both older and younger Vietnamese diaspora is at the heart of both SuTi and Dao’s ethos. Visits have proved emotional for elder drinkers, with SuTi’s oldest visitor a 95-yearold who had moonshined rượu đế himself in Vietnam at the age of 16. Emotions and stories flood the distilleries.

“[Some visitors are] almost in tears being able to try again Rượu đế after so many years of not having the opportunity to drink it,” says Dao. Combining modern distilling techniques to revive an important cultural drinking tradition is at the heart of both SuTi and Dao’s mission. “We have a shared vision and are very much aligned to raise awareness of rượu đế,” adds Dao, “And we’re happy to help anyone trying to open another rượu đế distillery.” ■

Binh Dao of Dao Distillery

Reimagining Rum

U.S. rum makers are proving that American rum has depth, diversity, and a bright future.

Rum is often misunderstood in the U.S.—relegated to sugary cocktails or pirate clichés—but a passionate group of American distillers is rewriting that narrative. From the molasses fields of Louisiana to high-altitude stills in Colorado, these producers are embracing raw materials, local agriculture, and innovation to carve out a new identity for American rum. In the following Q&As, six makers share what excites them about their spirits, how they’re navigating sourcing and perception challenges, and why they believe rum’s moment in the U.S. is just beginning.

What excites you most about the rum you’re making right now—and what’s driving that inspiration? Is there a specific rum (new or established) you can also share some details about?

Jordan Cotton: I’m a regulatory nerd. I’m jazzed that the one-gallon standard of fill is back as of January, even if they have to call it 3.75 L. So we’re about to put out a 3.75-L steel can of 110-proof unaged rum. Mostly ours, with some sourced Jamaican and U.S. Virgin Islands rum in there, too. Just a few dozen at our tasting room to test the waters. It’s a silly thing, but we’ve basically only ever done 750mL and 50-mL glass bottles, so I am excited to start playing with different formats.

Ask me a month after release when we’ve only sold three of those, and I’ll probably be excited about something else.

How do your raw materials—molasses, cane, syrup—shape the identity of your rum?

We like to think of our distillate as acting like a multi-island blend produced at a single distillery, so our goal is complexity. We use cane syrup and molasses, each of which brings different flavors and aromas to the table. Same reason a whiskey’s mash bill might have more than one line. The cane syrup is grassier, juicier, and a lot friendlier to our yeast. The rich, heavy molasses provides more depth.

After 5-6 day ferments with two yeast strains we distill twice up to 180 proof. The rum winds up with a lightness reminiscent of classic Cuban or Puerto Rican rums. It’s got a touch of grassiness from the cane syrup and a wild sugarcane yeast strain. But it’s also got a creamy texture and tropical fruit notes that evoke a heavier, maybe Bermudan influence.

Where are you sourcing your molasses or cane, and what are the biggest opportunities or concerns tied to that supply chain?

We’re about to switch our sourcing. Years ago we sourced two grades of molasses from Louisiana, where we’d visited with farmers, millers, and refiners. We liked the transparency and domestic angle, but we were getting inconsistent molasses, which makes it hard to make consistent rum. We moved to sourcing a cane syrup/molasses blend from a Georgia

refinery that blends consistent syrups from domestic and international sources. They held a Bonsucro certification, which audits sugar supply chains for environmental and labor practices. That made us comfortable with the international portion. But that refinery was acquired and decided to drop its certification, so we’re switching. This week we’re receiving our first shipment from our new source— Guatemalan cane syrup and molasses that comes to us via Canada. So tariffs are a new topic for us, and we’re anxious to see how the ingredient performs in our process.

What’s one change you’d love to see in the American rum landscape—and what’s standing in the way?

I long for the de-pigeonholification of rum. That is to say, rum is not JUST for tropical drinks with little umbrellas in them. Rum is for however you like to drink spirits. At home, I drink rum in Old Fashioneds or Negroni riffs probably more than anything else. Standing in the way is some combination of time, large brands focusing marketing efforts on the beach, and the persistent impulse to always associate rum with tiki.

What gives you hope about the future of American rum?

The dedicated producers. When American rum producers get together, it’s energizing. We fight not only for our brands, but also to gain respect for the whole category. Constantly hearing from consumers that all rum is bad makes us work harder to prove them wrong. We know it’s the best. It sure would be helpful if the market figured that out someday, though. Cotton

Jordan Cotton

LYON RUM

Saint Michaels, Maryland | lyonrum.com

What excites you most about the rum you’re making right now—and what’s driving that inspiration? Is there a specific rum (new or established) you can also share some details about?

Jaime Windon: At LYON RUM we are driven by our desire to demonstrate how interesting and unique American rum can be—we love the opportunity to challenge and expand how people view and experience rum. Our portfolio showcases this diverse range of rum: we feature a line of pure, straight rums alongside richly infused (and very fun!) rum liqueurs. I am always excited to share our rum with the promise that it will taste unlike any other rum you’ve had before. For me, that is what makes small-batch American rum so fantastic—as I can say the same about many of my favorite fellow rum makers!

How do your raw materials—molasses, cane, syrup—shape the identity of your rum?

We are committed to sourcing American sugar cane straight from a mill in Louisiana, where we’ve visited, toured, met the farmers, and even took part in the harvest one year! We really love the complexity that comes from

blending both raw cane sugar and molasses in our fermentation, ensuring that the best character of each shines through in the final distillate: distinctly grassy on the nose, and rich and full on the finish.

What gives you hope about the future of American rum?

I’m very encouraged by what’s happening in the American rum scene right now, as there is so much passion and love for the spirit and dedication to honoring its integrity. Honestly, I’m thrilled to see more distilleries focused solely on rum, since for many years too many new distilleries put out batches of rum without that love and intention, creating a lackluster category of “drink this rum while our whiskey ages” which certainly didn’t help the perception that rum is a spirit worth honoring. As more American rum makers come to the forefront, and there is more education and celebration around the spirit, it is my hope that cane-based spirits will eventually receive the same level of respect as grain-based spirits. But until then, I firmly believe that rum is an endeavor worth pursuing, and that making rum, and drinking rum, should be done on purpose!

Jaime Windon

Maggie’s Farm Rum Distillery Pittsburgh

What excites you most about the rum you’re making right now—and what’s driving that inspiration? Is there a specific rum (new or established) you can also share some details about?

Tim Russell: Since we started producing rum in 2013, we haven’t drifted very far from the original recipe or ingredients. We’ve mostly stuck to the formula, but have improved our processes dramatically at our new distillery. In late 2022, we opened a new state-of-theart distillery with equipment that improved every part of our formula, from fermentations to the custom-designed gooseneck pot still we’re now running. I was concerned about using all new equipment and losing our “house” character. Thankfully, we maintained our normal flavor profiles, but with great improvements. Having a good white rum is always a benchmark since you can’t really adulterate it, and our white rum has improved a great bit. While it’ll be years before we can get these spirits off our new still out of a barrel, I’m really excited to see how much an already stellar award-winning aged rum will now turn out.

How do your raw materials—molasses, cane, syrup—shape the identity of your rum? When we first started planning our distillery in 2012, the idea then, and as it should be now, was to differentiate our brand. While we ran plenty of pilot batches with traditional molasses of different grades, we actually liked using raw cane the best, turbinado specifically. We noticed it stood out on its own, while also containing the characteristics of different regional rum styles. It still had the earthiness of molasses rums, but also the grassiness of cane juice rums, but with less phenolics. Our distilling processes also kept the rum relatively lighter, similar to Spanishstyle rum.

Where are you sourcing your molasses or cane, and what are the biggest opportunities or concerns tied to that supply chain?

We source all of our cane from a Louisiana grower. Despite the U.S.’s relatively limited growing climate for sugarcane, it’s great

to have an American-grown base for our product. Other than some recent flooding in Louisiana, we’ve never had a supply chain issue. The grower has been great to work with and we’re not bound to any kind of potential tariff threats if we were sourcing elsewhere.

What’s one change you’d love to see in the American rum landscape—and what’s standing in the way?

It would be great to see the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) acknowledge rum with regulations similar to what exists with whiskey, things that differentiate whiskey types from each other, but also quality in general. What makes rum so great is how wide the spectrum of flavors is, but it’s so under-regulated. There aren’t standards on coloring and sweetener additions that are really enforced, particularly with imported brands. Not too long ago, a handful of American rum brands lobbied for meaningful age statements like “straight rum” with two years minimum in a barrel and none of the added sweetener that has bastardized rum for so long. For whatever reason, the TTB shot down the proposal for any new standards on rum including import certifications on label statements.

What gives you hope about the future of American rum?

Spirits in general have increased their market share recently as more drinkers have sort of graduated their taste profiles. I think this trend started with the craft beer movement. Meanwhile, a lot of the big producers in the U.S. began making more approachable styles, like honey- and cinnamon-flavored whiskey. With American whiskey and now tequila having taken advantage of increasing market shares, a lot of those categories are now very saturated. Consumers have grown used to bolder flavors and I think that’s an amazing opportunity for rum to join the party if we as producers can organize and present our products with the same standards of the best whiskeys. We need to get past the culture of being a cheap mixer themed with pirate regalia.

Montanya Distillers

Crested Butte, Colorado | montanyarum.com

What excites you most about the rum you’re making right now—and what’s driving that inspiration? Is there a specific rum (new or established) you can also share some details about?

Megan Campbell and Renée Newton: We’re particularly excited about the recent release of our Pineapple Habanero rum, which has been a longtime favorite in our tasting room and is now finally available through our distribution partner Republic National Distributing Co. It’s our first-ever flavored rum, and we approached it with the same dedication to integrity and craft that defines all Montanya spirits. Made exclusively with real ingredients—no additives, no artificial flavors, or added sugar—it strikes a beautiful balance: naturally sweet pineapple meets an earthy, lingering heat from the habanero. It’s a vibrant, bold expression that captures the spirit of summer in every sip.

How do your raw materials—molasses, cane, syrup—shape the identity of your rum?

At our high-altitude distillery in the Colorado mountains, we work with blackstrap molasses and cane sugar. Cane juice, while beautiful, simply isn’t viable in our remote environment—it’s too perishable to travel well to our elevation at 9,000 feet. So we turned to ingredients that are both stable and deeply rooted in American agriculture. We source our sugarcane from Louisiana, and there’s something deeply meaningful about that choice. We both grew up in Louisiana, so this connection isn’t just logistical—it’s personal. Using these raw materials allows us to craft a rum that’s grounded in place and in intention. It’s American rum, made in the Colorado mountains, with a soulful nod to the South.

Where are you sourcing your molasses or cane, and what are the biggest opportunities or concerns tied to that supply chain?

We source our sugarcane from LulaWestfield in Louisiana, a decision that aligns with our commitment to sustainability and transparency. By choosing to work with domestic growers, we reduce the environmental impact associated with long-distance imports, while also supporting

regenerative agricultural practices right here in the U.S. Louisiana’s nutrient-rich soil and long history with sugarcane make it an ideal partner in producing high-quality, responsibly sourced rum. Operating from a remote mountain town like Crested Butte presents its own set of challenges—freight and fuel costs can spike quickly, and with them, the cost of our raw materials. By sourcing domestically rather than internationally, we’re able to limit our carbon footprint and build a more resilient, ethical supply chain. But even with those concerns, the opportunity to work closely with growers on U.S. soil—and to create a distinctly American rum—is a path we’re proud to stay committed to.

What’s one change you’d love to see in the American rum landscape—and what’s standing in the way?

There’s a vibrant community of American rum distilleries doing incredible work—each with its own story, approach, and sense of place. One change we’d love to see is a broader recognition of that diversity and craftsmanship. Rum is often misunderstood in the U.S., still seen by many as overly sweet or simplistic. But American rum is complex and crafted with the same care and intention you find in whiskey or other spirits—it just starts with a different raw material. The challenge is visibility. The louder our American rum distilleries can share our stories, and the more opportunities we create for people to taste what sets our rums apart, the more we can shift perceptions and celebrate rum for what it truly is: diverse, complex, and simply delicious.

What gives you hope about the future of American rum?

At Montanya, we believe education is the key to unlocking rum’s potential in the American market. The more we can share our stories, invite people to taste, and challenge their assumptions, the more we can shift perceptions. What’s standing in the way isn’t a lack of quality—it’s a lack of awareness. And that’s something we can change, one pour, one story, and one conversation at a time.

Renée Newton and Megan Campbell

Oxbow Rum Distillery

What excites you most about the rum you’re making right now—and what’s driving that inspiration?

Olivia Stewart: What excites me most is being able to make an additive-free rum that is close—in taste and process—to where it comes from.

How do your raw materials— molasses, cane, syrup—shape the identity of your rum?

It is our complete identity. As our head distiller Cole Brannum says, “the hard work is done out in the fields and at the mill. Our job is to not screw it up.”

Where are you sourcing your molasses or cane, and what are the biggest opportunities or concerns tied to that supply chain?

We have the rare opportunity of being a single estate, so we own the source of our cane juice and molasses. I see it both as a privilege and a responsibility to make the best product we possibly can.

What’s one change you’d love to see in the American rum landscape—and what’s standing in the way?

I’d love to see an elevation in Americans’ perception of rum, which simply takes time and education. I think another drawback is the lack of transparency and regulation for the rum category. You don’t see too many people wanting more regulation, but ultimately I think it would be a good thing for rum.

What gives you hope about the future of American rum?

What gives me hope are the small-scale producers putting so much care into their rum craft, especially here in Louisiana.

Olivia Stewart

American Cane

New Iberia, Louisiana | americancane.com

What excites you most about the rum you’re making right now—and what’s driving that inspiration? Is there a specific rum (new or established) you can also share some details about?

Chaz Vest: Right now, we’re getting ready to launch an accessibly priced, delicious, game-changing rum, and I’m super pumped about it. From a founder’s perspective, I think it will be an amazing introduction to our rum house. But as a young person who loves rum, I’m just psyched to bring this product to my peers and say, “This is just good rum, that you can afford, that you’re gonna love.”

How does the blending process & the nuances/flavor profiles from the particular raw materials in the rums you’re blending shape the identity of your rum?

Maggie Campbell: For our current release, we’re sourcing a rum to make a blend specifically for North America. There are amazing producers already making island rums that transport you to a specific island; instead we want to have a profile that will be more cohesive with our North American produced products that will be released later and is versatile in our broad exploring cocktail culture. We don’t want it to be too much like another culture’s rum profile but rather add a new, accessible profile.

What are the biggest opportunities or concerns tied to that supply chain? You’re primarily sourcing rum now, but as you gradually transition toward your own cane-to-glass production down the line, what challenges are you most likely to confront and your approach to confronting those?

Vest: It’s no secret that the world is looking a little wild right now. In particular, the import/export scenario over the next few years is up in the air. To that point, we’re happy about the trajectory of our production process—we have longestablished industry relationships, and as time goes on, our supply chain quickly becomes more stable. American Cane will be working with local cane farmers, local

molasses producers, and on Americanmade stills, with local employees. And while sourcing, even with tariffs, our margin is still healthy, and we’re working with some of the most trustworthy partners across the industry. So, we’re feeling pretty good!

What’s one change you’d love to see in the American rum landscape—and what’s standing in the way?

Vest: A bit specific, but I would love to see cane juice rum become more popular in the U.S.! I am a big fan of agricoles and other cane juice rums, and I think that anybody who loves a good tequila would love a good agricole. My pet project with American Cane is to educate the American consumer about the wonders of rum beyond molasses.

Campbell: In a perfect world, I would love to see more availability of higher grades of molasses. Many sugar industry-related issues contribute to the emphasis on white sugar production, and lower grade molasses production, but we have an opportunity to produce some of the best, most flavorful molasses in the world. I really admire Oxbow Rum Distillery and their role in striving towards this.

What gives you hope about the future of American rum?

Campbell: For me, the opportunity is clear. Continental North America consumes 25% of the world’s rum and produces less than 1%. Last year, three of the top 10 cocktails by volume were rum-based drinks. Standing at the foot of this mountain of opportunity, to contribute to establishing this iconic category, is thrilling. Even in 2005, if I had asked a bartender about the popularity of American vodka, I likely would have gotten a strange look. We all know how that has changed. I personally think quality rum production is a bit more exciting and has deep roots as the United States, and the world’s heritage and ancestral drink. I can’t wait to continue reuniting our community with our relationship to rum.

Chaz Vest

Maggie Campbell

SOUTHERN SPIRITS, LOCAL SOUL

Craft distilleries in South Carolina are building their brands on agriculture, hospitality, and community impact.

BY JOHN HOLL

No matter where you are in South Carolina—from the upstate to the lowcountry—there is a strong sense of place. The craft distillers in the state are keen on talking about the growth of not only their industry, but how it ties into the momentum the South Carolina is experiencing.

Notably, the agricultural economy in the state has helped bring attention to small distilleries.

“Micro distilleries in South Carolina are ambassadors for agritourism for the state,” says Kevin Osborn of Twelve 33 Distillery in Little River. He is quick and proud to note that the distillery is a Certified SC Grown business, meaning everything the distillery uses comes from South Carolina, and most from Horry County where the distillery is located.

“Our whiskeys reflect the quality of our local grains, [and] coupled with warm days and salt air helps us age and produce some pretty good juice,” he says. “We also create other culturally appropriate spirits like our Carolina Peach Vodka, infused with locally grown peaches and our Sweet Tea Vodka, which is reflective of all things Southern.”

Osborn says he is often asked which are the favorites, “which is honestly impossible to answer. Our bourbons, gin, naturally infused vodkas, and cream liqueurs are all very popular and multiple gold medal winners.”

The food culture also plays a big role in the craft distillery business. Scott Blackwell, the founder and co-owner of High Wire Distilling in Charleston, says the approach to both production and growth has always been organic in nature.

“Both [co-founder] Ann [Marshall] and I are lifelong South Carolinians. I grew up in the food business, mostly in the upstate working in kitchens, so my thoughts are very much culinary slanted,” he says “Ann grew up in the lowcountry surrounded by true Southern food, much more farm to table, where she ate traditional Southern cooking, so memory food.”

Blackwell says that they bring a lot of those experiences and thinking into how they approach distilling from an ingredient and flavor standpoint.

“Thats why we like to say we’re an agriculturally focused distillery,” he says. “It all starts with raw ingredients that’s ultimately

linked to that final flavor, so the more unique, deliciousness of an ingredient, the more unique and delicious the flavor.”

High Wire works with four family farms in the area that grew 575 acres last year.

“One hundred percent of what we grow has been in this area for 100-plus years,” he says. A good example of that is Jimmy Red, slang for James Island Red corn. James Island is right across the river from the Charleston peninsula.

“It’s not only a cool corn but more importantly a unique, flavorful corn that makes a unique spirit,” Blackwell says. “We try and make that connection when folks visit us and hope that they leave loving the area all the more.”

There are still some hurdles for the industry to overcome. South Carolina is one of few remaining Blue Law states. That means packaged liquor cannot be sold after 7 p.m. or on Sundays.

“State-specific laws have traditionally been unfavorable to distilleries but recent successes in 2017 and 2021 have allowed us to change many of those laws and make the state more distillery-friendly,” says Osborn,

“One hundred percent of what we grow has been in this area for 100-plus years.”

—Scott Blackwell of High Wire Distilling

Ann Marshall and Scott Blackwell

who is on the Board of Directors for the South Carolina Distillers Guild. “We have had great support from our local legislators in getting bills through. We also currently have one filed for this session to allow for Sunday Sales in micro distilleries.”

For many of the craft distilleries, the tourist regions in South Carolina are critically important. Not only for the foot traffic and sales, but the recognition, sense of place, and selling point to other industries.

Twelve 33 is located just about a mile north of North Myrtle Beach in an area known as the Grand Strand. Osborn calls it “the fastest growing real estate market. So we have a great balance of tourists and locals. We are the only production distillery in this market but we also have four local craft breweries and both the locals and tourists fully embrace supporting their local craft.”

Twelve 33 operates out of a 3,500-squarefoot tasting room with a view into production,

retail gift shop, and a hidden speakeasy. This lends itself to being more experiential and that has helped them build the brand much faster than those who primarily focus on production and sales through distribution, says Osborn.

By hosting guided tours three times a day and having five different revenue streams, it allows the distillery to pivot more easily if sales shift and helps prop up the others

“The one other distillery in South Carolina probably closest in business model to ours is Burnt Church Distillery in Bluffton,” says Osborn. “We are very proud of our distillery and the experience we provide for our visiting customers.”

Beyond the beaches, the cities are critically important. Charleston’s high tourism traffic offers tremendous growth potential, says Tyler LaCorata the co-owner and chief distiller at Beyond Distilling.

“People come here looking for authentic

and memorable experiences. A craft distillery visit delivers just that,” he says. “We think the locals are just as vital, especially for year-round support and the word-of-mouth buzz.”

The local narrative is a major competitive advantage that large brands can’t replicate, he says. The coastal terroir and the neighborhood relationships play a big part, and by leaning into that authenticity, Charleston distilleries can not only grow but stand apart in a crowded spirits market.

LaCorata says he wanted to make a new kind of distillery with a strong social and environmental vision that aims to provide fulfilling employment for adults with disabilities.

“We started with a mission of inclusion where we wanted 50% of our employees with intellectual disabilities,” he says. “Today, 99 of our employees at the distillery are adults with disabilities. We’re one of the only distilleries in the country doing this and we’re very proud of it.” ■

“People come here looking for authentic and memorable experiences. A craft distillery visit delivers just that.”

—Tyler LaCorata of Beyond Distilling

WHO’S WHO IN CRAFT SPIRITS

Getting to know ACSA member producers in their own words

J.T. Meleck Distillers

Founded in 2017, Branch, Louisianabased J.T. Meleck Distillers began as an ambitious effort to extend a family’s fourth-generation farming legacy into something new—and surprisingly spirited. Founder Mike Fruge didn’t set out to make whiskey, but when he realized there was no established commercial rice whiskey brand in the U.S., he saw an opportunity to carve a niche. With a deep commitment to authenticity, Fruge and his team grow, distill, and age everything on-site. In addition to rice, the farm also grows about 1,700 acres of crawfish each year.

Distilled Down: We have produced a world-class spirit that holds its own in blind competitions against some of the best. Our brand is all about sharing our passion for Louisiana culture. We’ve had a long love affair with crawfish and we have traveled the country sharing that crop. Along the way we realized that Louisiana itself is a brand. People want to know about it and be a part of it. We’re so proud of these elements, we put them on the bottle.

Mark Distillery. They are in the middle of nowhere and it seemed to say to us that it’s possible. The most important distilleries we ever went to were the guys that taught us how to do this. Making great friends matters.

Flagship Spirit: American Rice Whiskey. We call it that on purpose because it is whiskey made from rice in the American style.

Additional Notable Spirits: We make a world-class vodka that you just have to taste to believe. We leave a little something for the nose and a creamy mouthfeel with no bite.

In the Near Future: More six-year-old whiskey is coming in the fall and a special distillery release of a new product.

We have long been trying to complete our story. It keeps evolving. It started with “it’s made from rice.” The story of a crawfish farm that makes whiskey is really cool. The family legacy and authenticity add a level of trust, but the real test is the taste. Do people like it? Will they buy it again? And most importantly, will they tell their “momma?” That’s another Louisiana thing.

Vibe: The distillery is located on the farm literally in the middle of rice fields. We are out in the middle of nowhere so we don’t have a tasting room and we are not open to the public. The facility is very utilitarian. Someday, maybe in three to four years, we will be able to add the visitor piece. For now, it’s all about hard work, just like the rest of the farm

Inspiration: There are so many cool places we have been. I hope we can someday come close to some of those. It’s impossible for me to start naming places without leaving someone out. So I guess this is a cop out but the first distillery I visited happened to be Maker’s

The Distant Future: Currently, we are focused on earning a market or a customer for the first wave of product we barreled five years ago. Whiskey is a very long game. But if I had a magic wand and everything worked out happily ever after, we would have achieved a strong loyal fan base, most of our crop would be dedicated to our products, and we would be watching the next generation take the lead.

Advice for Anyone Thinking About

Starting a Distillery: I think most distilleries are built around the tasting room and the experience. Traffic is most important. Be where the people are. Then, experience is the key. There are a lot of great products. The experience is the difference. In our case we are focused on converting our crop to something more interesting and valuable so we don’t have this option yet. If you are a destination distillery the customer experience is everything. You are running a restaurant and selling entertainment in a sense. Think of the 15-second rule that I get from serving restaurants. What happens to your customer in the first 15 seconds after they enter your door and can you continue that experience and be consistent day in and day out?

Learn more at jtmeleck.com

Mike Fruge

Old Tennessee Distilling Co.

Founded in 2014 by Kent Merritt and Sid Blalock, Old Tennessee Distilling Co. is based in Kodak, Tennessee. From the start, the distillery produced moonshine, corn whiskey, and rum, providing a foundation to grow while developing a bourbon and Tennessee whiskey program. Head distiller Adam Gratz shared more on the distillery’s process and vision.

Distilled Down: We’re a true farm-to-glass distillery—growing our own corn and wheat right here in East Tennessee. With our setup, we’re able to lay down around 100 barrels each year. All of our whiskey is aged in 53-gallon barrels for a minimum of seven years. We focus on small-batch production, which allows us to offer something new every few months. In recent years, we’ve expanded into wheated whiskey and wheated bourbon, as well as experimenting with four-grain mash bills and American single malt. We’re excited to see how these new expressions develop in the coming years.

Vibe: We have a very laid-back atmosphere where you’re more than welcome to walk around with a drink in your hand talking to the distillers and bottling crew. Come in, have a couple of samples and stay as long as you want, with TVs to watch and games

to play. Our promise is to offer a memorable customer experience to every patron who comes by the distillery.

Playlist: Out in front around the tasting bar you will hear classic rock on the radio, if you go on a tour and in the back with the distillers and bottling crew, you will hear anything from George Jones to Kid Cudi.

Inspiration: Being in Tennessee, we are proud of the legacy of Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey. As the largest spirit brand in the world, they have helped pave the way for the smaller distilleries in the state.

Flagship Spirit: Sid’s Select Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey, but we will always have a special place in our hearts for our moonshines.

Additional Notable Spirits: Our Lemon Ice Cookie Cream is one of our biggest fan favorites and we are super proud of the newest release of our Honey Cask Finished Bourbon. We empty our bourbon barrels and add clover honey sourced from some of our local beekeeper friends and allow the honey to season the barrel for a few weeks. When the barrel has absorbed enough honey, we

dump the honey and return the bourbon that is allowed to age until it picks up subtle honey notes on the finish.

In the Near Future: In the next couple of months, we will be rolling out our newest flavored whiskey, Peach Habanero and our barrel-aged gin which is infused with 10 botanicals all native to Tennessee and aged in Tennessee whiskey barrels.

The Distant Future: Ten years from now we would love to be scaled up large enough to support distribution throughout the United States.

Advice for Anyone Thinking About Starting a Distillery: Talk to as many distributors as possible before signing on the line, and if possible, make the contract favor you. Also to know your audience and to cater to them. We all have that one product that we personally love but might not be for everyone. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make that, but you might not want that to be your flagship. Also, innovate and create new things—never stay stagnant.

Kent Merritt

Adam Gratz

BENDT Distilling Co.

Founded in 2012 by Natasha and Ryan DeHart, BENDT Distilling Co. in Lewisville, Texas, is powered by a small, tight-knit team of passionate, hard-working individuals. The DeHarts live just down the block and are deeply woven into the community— volunteering, serving on local boards, and sharing their love for BENDT at every opportunity. Natasha recently took time out from steering some big changes at the distillery to tell us more about its past, present, and future.

Distilled Down: After years of focusing solely on “straight” whiskey, we made the decision eight or nine years ago to shift our focus to also include the art of the whiskey blend. While “BENDT” is a play on words (not straight), we highlight both our blends and the straight (UNBendt) whiskeys that are the base of all BENDT blends. Our UNBendt line includes Straight Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon, Rye, Malt and Wheat whiskeys.

Vibe: The BENDT vibe is one where all are welcome—our home is your home. Both our space and our team are relaxed, warm and inviting. We’re the place where people gather to celebrate milestones, meet up with friends or family, or raise their spirits after a long day.

Playlist: Our tasting room is generally playing classic rock or Texas country, but back in the distillery is another story. Our team’s music preferences are all over the map, so we decided years ago to delegate certain days of the week to different music genres.

Inspiration: Two distilleries come to mind— Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky and The Glendronach Distillery in Scotland. Both distilleries make amazing, yet vastly different whiskeys. They’re both gritty, unassuming and focused on making a great product. We’ve met, and in some cases have become friends with members of their teams, and in general,

they’re just great people.

Flagship Spirit: Although we make more bourbon than any of our other whiskeys, our flagship blend is BENDT No. 5 American Blended Whiskey. BENDT is a grain-to-glass blend of our Bourbon, Rye, Malt, Wheat and Light Whiskeys. Each of the individual whiskeys has been made using their own unique mash bill, aged for a minimum of three years, then blended together to make BENDT No. 5.

Additional Notable Spirits: Beyond our blend, we offer UNBendt, a line of straight bottled-in-bond whiskeys including Bourbon, Rye, Malt and Light Whiskey. Using our UNBendt Bourbon, we also make our delicious BENDT Bourbon Cream. And our Ready-toServe Old Fashioneds are the perfect way to end your day. Just pour over ice and enjoy.

The Witherspoon Whiskey Old Fashioned (traditional) and Witherspoon Whiskey Texas Pecan Old Fashioned (released this April) allow you to enjoy the perfect classic cocktail from the comfort of your own home.

Buzzworthy: Many changes are coming to BENDT. The time has come for us to close our current tasting hall and bring our barrels home. Although we’ve been storing our aging barrels offsite for the past five years, they’re coming home this summer. To make this happen, we will be closing our on-site tasting hall at the distillery after our “Last Call at the Tasting Hall” event in early May. The tasting hall space will then be converted to additional rickhouse barrel storage.

And this summer, we will introduce Ethel Janes - BENDT Whiskey Kitchen, an off-site tasting hall and kitchen, located less than two blocks from our distillery on Main Street in Old Town Lewisville.

In the Near Future: We will be releasing a new blend later this year. BENDT No. 5 Black

will be a higher proof, more bourbon-forward version of our flagship BENDT.

The Distant Future: I believe and hope that our industry and our individual distillery will continue to evolve in a direction that allows more autonomy for business owners. We hope to be able to operate off-site tasting rooms, ship our products directly to consumers, sell as many bottles as we’d like to our visitors, and be open the hours that best suit us as entrepreneurs. Many of the constraints that we work within now continue to hinder our growth and encourage businesses like ours to work in the grey areas. This is unfortunate, but I do believe there are more common-sense professionals and legislators taking an interest in how our industry ticks. If we are able to band together and encourage common-sense change in the coming years, I believe that BENDT will thrive as a whiskey manufacturer as well as a tourist destination and a stop on the Texas Whiskey Trail.

Advice for Anyone Thinking About Starting a Distillery: Find your niche, don’t try to reinvent the wheel, and prepare to learn some hard lessons. An industry joke is that if you have any disposable income, this industry will help you dispose of it. Although intended to be lighthearted, this is not incorrect. Manufacturing distilled spirits, especially aged spirits, requires mountains of funding, years of patience and a team of highly specialized individuals to make it all come together. And that’s before you’ve even tasted your finished product, which in our case is four-plus-year-old whiskey. We love our craft and wouldn’t change what we do, but after 13 years in this industry, we’ve learned many hard lessons. In the end though, BENDT is who we are, we love our team, and we wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

Learn more at bendtdistillingco.com.

Natasha and Ryan DeHart

DRINKS TO SAVOR FROM ACSA MEMBERS

Summer Crush

Big Bottom Distilling | Hillsboro, Oregon

As summer days draw near, we believe there’s nothing quite as refreshing as a beautifully crafted citrusy gin cocktail served tall and chilled ice-cold. Inspired by the classic Pimm’s Cup, we wanted to create a drink where our Navy Strength Gin truly shines. To dance well with the unique botanical profile of our gin, we’ve carefully selected a few key ingredients. We found that Meletti Amaro, a hint of Demerara simple syrup, and a kiss of saline create a harmonious blend of flavors. To finish, we add fresh lemon juice and Maine Root’s Handcrafted Sarsaparilla Soda for a wonderfully grounded and thirstquenching experience.

Ingredients

1 1/4 ounce Big Bottom Navy Strength Gin

3/4 ounce Meletti Amaro

1/2 ounce lemon juice

1/4 ounce Demerara simple syrup

3 drops saline

2 ounces Maine Root Handcrafted Sarsaparilla Soda

Directions

Build all ingredients—except the soda—in glass with crushed ice and swizzle. Top with soda and garnish with blackberry and mint.

Tractor Tire Tonic

Doc Brown Farm & Distillers | Senoia, Georgia

We Southerners sure do love our sweet tea, and everyone has their own tried-and-true recipe with serious ideas of how the best sweet tea should be made. We all agree that nothing makes sweet tea better than bourbon! This cooler is the perfect antidote after a long, hot day on the tractor, and it’s quick and easy to mix up. Like our Hot Honey Bourbon, we use golden raw honey cultivated on our farm blended into our 3-yearold bourbon. Add a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of ginger, and you can’t go wrong with this cocktail. It’s perfect for day swigging!

Ingredients

2 ounces Doc Brown Day Swigger Hot Honey Bourbon

1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice

1/2 ounce brown sugar syrup

1/2 teaspoon ginger juice

Dried or fresh lemon slices for garnish

Directions

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with cubed ice. Shake well until chilled, then strain over small ice spheres into a Collins glass. Garnish with lemon slices, kick back, and reward yourself for a good day’s work.

Sweet Heat and Southern Treat

Doc Brown Farm & Distillers | Senoia, Georgia

Here on Doc Brown Farm, we have a saying: the best fruit is the ugly fruit. And you all know that we mean business with our peaches down here. So this peach smash has become a fan favorite mixed with our Hot Honey Bourbon. We craft our delicious hot honeyinfused bourbon using our robust 3-year-old bourbon, golden raw honey, and fiery hot peppers we cultivate on our farm. Juicy ripe peaches and fresh mint take this cocktail to the next level for a refreshing cocktail with a Southern kick!

Ingredients

2 ounces Doc Brown Day Swigger Hot Honey Bourbon

4 ounces fresh chopped peach

1/2 ounce honey syrup

2 dashes of aromatic bitters

Fresh mint sprigs

Directions

Add peaches to the bottom of a mixing glass and muddle until mushy. Add bourbon, honey syrup, and bitters with a handful of cubed ice and stir until the glass is cold. Strain into a rocks glass over pebbled ice and garnish with peach slices and mint sprigs.

Heya, Sweet Pea

Painted Stave Distilling | Smyrna, Delaware

This refreshing cocktail combines floral, fruity, and herbal flavors. Painted Stave Gin provides a crisp base, while elderberry green tea adds depth. Sweet pea syrup offers floral sweetness, and fresh lime juice adds brightness. A dash of crème de violette and Luxardo Maraschino liqueur rounds it out with a touch of cherry and almond. Perfect for those seeking a unique, sophisticated drink with layers of flavor.

Cocktail Ingredients

2 ounces Painted Stave Botanical Dry Gin

2 1/2 ounces elderberry green Tea

1 1/4 ounces sweet pea syrup

1/2 ounce fresh lime juice

1 barspoon crème de violette

1 barspoon Luxardo Maraschino liqueur

Cocktail Directions

Prepare the sweet pea syrup and allow it to fully cool. Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a Collins glass over fresh ice. Garnish, if desired, and enjoy!

Sweet Pea Syrup Ingredients

3/4 cup cooled simple syrup

1/4 cup sweet peas (whole)

1/8 teaspoon citric acid

Sweet Pea Syrup Directions

Blend all ingredients in a blender. Strain with a fine mesh strainer.

Cosmia

Queen Bee Distilling | Houston

Our love for martinis inspired us to launch our distilling journey with an additive-free vodka. From there, we created Cosmia—a modern take on the classic Cosmopolitan. Named for its blend of ‘Cosmo’ and ‘Osmia,’ the Cosmia combines Osmia Vodka, a splash of Prosecco, and a flaming orange peel. The result? An elevated, elegant twist on a beloved classic.

Ingredients

2 ounces Osmia Vodka

1/2 ounce Cointreau

1 ounce cranberry juice

1/2 ounce lemon juice

Splash of Prosecco

Directions

Fill a shaker with ice and all ingredients except the Processo. Pour into a coupe or Martini glass and top with a splash of Prosecco. Garnish with a slice of flamed orange peel.!

READY TO DRINK, READY TO FILL

As cans emerge as a preferred package for RTDs, there are more canning machine options than before tailored to small producers.

BY JEFF CIOLETTI

It’s been more than two decades since the craft brewing industry started to embrace aluminum cans as a viable packaging option, something previously reserved for the multinational, macro beer behemoths. Just a few years after Oskar Blues Brewery filled its first metal containers of Dale’s Pale Ale in 2002, the number of its brewing peers that followed suit began to increase exponentially. Today, there are very few U.S craft. breweries—the ones that distribute, anyway—that aren’t canning at least some of their products.

And, perhaps, the best evidence of that has

been the growing presence of aluminum package and packaging equipment suppliers in the exhibit halls of BrewExpo America, the trade show component of the annual Craft Brewers Conference. It’s now at the point where it appears more likely that attendees will happen upon multiple can line exhibitors before they even see their first bottling systems. That was certainly the case at the most recent edition of the event in Indianapolis, which wrapped up at the beginning of May.

Such a development may also bode well for craft distilleries, considering that spirit-based

ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails are buoying the entire industry at the moment and cans have become a preferred packaging format for those products. Thanks to the demand from craft breweries, there are far more smallfootprint, modest-capacity machines designed to enable small, independent distillers making RTDs to integrate canning relatively cost-effectively.

“There’s a low enough entry point to play in the RTD space without breaking the bank,” says Matthew Williams, regional sales manager for supplier Lotus Beverage Alliance, whose component companies include GW Kent, Alpha Brewing Operations, Stout Tanks and Kettles, Brewmation, Twin Monkeys Beverage Systems and Automated Extractions. “You have $30,000 to $60,000 options and I think that’s a legitimate entry point for any spirits creator.”

The $30,000 option Williams speaks of is the Twin Monkeys Mancos automated nanocanner, which can fill around 12 cans a minute, depending on can size—it can handle sleek, slim and standard cans—and takes up minimal space with a tabletop footprint of 52 inches by 32 inches and a height of 33 inches. It has wheels and a weight of 250 pounds, which means it can be moved with minimal fuss. It comes equipped with fully automated purge, fill, lid-apply and seam functions.

“It’s really entry level, [for] if you just want to get in the door,” Williams says.

As production volume increases, producers can graduate to the $60,000 unit, Compass 25, from Alpha Brewing Operations, whose throughput is up to 25 cans per minute.

Thanks to the demand from craft breweries, there are far more small-footprint, modest-capacity machines designed to enable small distillers making RTDs to integrate canning relatively cost-effectively.

“I get a ton more requests, I’m sending out two or three quotes a week on RTDs specifically, which is pretty good,” notes Williams. “It’s up from maybe one or zero in the past.”

Also exhibiting at the expo was Microcanner, whose two newest machines, the MC-NOVA and MC-ZENITH, are typically priced at around $25,000 and $32,000 for the base units, respectively and also take up very little space.

Equipped with twin fill heads, the compact canner is capable of automatically filling, purging, applying lids to and seaming up to 22 cans per minute. It can be operated on a table top, but also can fit into a standard cart for easy maneuvering. The MC-ZENITH, meanwhile, starts as a two-head, 20-canper-minute filler at its base price of $32,000, but it’s designed for easy upgrades to three-, four-, five- and six-head canners, offering top throughputs of 30, 38, 44 and 50 cans-perminute, respectively.

For those looking to make a smaller investment, one of Microcanner’s legacy canners is the ultra-compact, MC-ATOMIC, which weighs in at a modest 79 pounds, is a tight 12 inches wide by 27 inches long by 28 inches tall and fills up to 10 cans per minute. Cans can be manually fed or automatically fed by air feed.

Also at the show, Ezio Machinery showcased its new, 10-can-per-minute S1 canner that fits in a 3-feet-by-four-feet corner and starts at a cost of around $19,000.

“In terms of labor efficiency, you’re not moving from one end to the next, with this you can be stable, in one place, you’re not

adding traffic by having to get to the other side,” says Randolph Bryan a sales partner with Ezio who also founded mobile canning operation Can Up Mobile.

Mobile canning services remain a low-risk option for craft spirits producers looking to package their RTDs in aluminum, especially those early in their RTD journey. Distilleries don’t need to designate a permanent space for the canners and mobile operations don’t require nearly as much of an upfront investment.

“We’re pay-as-you-go, completely variable cost, we scale to your needs,” explains Tyler Wille, CEO at mobile canner Iron Heart Canning. “We’re there when you need us, for what you need us for. You don’t have to worry about managing staff, maintaining a machine, spending your time on a packaging line when you could be spending your time on selling your brand and moving your product.”

Mobile canning came up during a conference panel titled “Right-sizing Your Canning Line,” sponsored by packaging machinery supplier Pneumatic Scale Angelus. Panelists noted that the mobile route is typically the option for those just starting their canning activities.

“It’s different for everybody,” Pneumatic Scale Angelus sales executive and technical specialist Elden Rowland said during the panel. “Mobile canning is a good start because you can see if the demand that you think you’ve got is there.”

However, Rowland and his colleagues asserted that there are scheduling and flexibility issues with working with mobile canners. You’ve got to make sure the mobile service is available when your RTD’s ready to be canned. They also

suggested that the producer has little control over who’s running the line since they’re employed by the mobile canner.

But, separately, Iron Heart’s Wille contends that the notion that you’d be on the mobile canner’s schedule is a complete misconception.

“Is there less flexibility than if the canning line is just sitting there? Sure, there’s a little bit less,” Wille says. “But our goal is to fit into our customer’s model and to be as flexible as possible. “We build into our schedule for emergency situations, if something comes up, if a customer says] ‘We don’t know what happened, we missed it, we need you to come in this week.’ We may not be able to get there tomorrow, but we can get in this week.’”

He also refutes the assertion that the customer is at the mercy of the mobile canning staff’s level of expertise.

“We’re professionals at what we do, we do this every single day,” Wille adds. “We have a 90-day training program, minimum, for our operators before they’re even allowed to take their test for operating the canning line. … We have a full quality control department, we have a full engineering department, a full operations training team.”

Regardless of whether an RTD producer goes the mobile route temporarily or long-term, or works with a co-packer or buys a canning system outright, there are considerably more options available than there were just a handful of years ago to suit most budgets, schedules and space constraints. And there’s much more flexibility to try many of those solutions on for size and adjust accordingly. ■

TAPPED OUT

As climate change and infrastructure failures threaten access to clean water, craft distillers are learning to adapt.

BY JON PAGE

On the morning of Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, William Goldberg woke to a dark house. There was no power, no cell service, and, when he turned on the faucet, no water. As he left his neighborhood, the scope of Hurricane Helene’s destruction in western North Carolina began to unfold. Trees lay across houses and cars. Closer to Oak and Grist Distilling Co. in Black Mountain—a distillery outside of Asheville where Goldberg is co-founder and head distiller—the true gravity set in.

“I was crossing power lines and trying to get off at my normal exit in Swannanoa, which was hit very hard,” recalls Goldberg. “You go down a hill once you get off the highway and the Swannanoa River—which should have been on the other side of the road—was 500 to 1,000 feet across the road.”

While Goldberg and Oak and Grist were spared the storm’s worst, the devastation was staggering. Helene caused more than 200

deaths across the Southeast—more than 100 in North Carolina—and tens of billions of dollars in property damage. Farther downstream, floodwaters swept away and demolished Asheville Tea Co.’s facility, swamped Eda Rhyne Distilling Co., and reached a building owned by Chemist Spirits.

After the floodwaters receded came a second crisis: the taps stayed dry. Asheville’s municipal water system was so severely damaged that many residents were without water for weeks, and potable water didn’t return for 53 days. It would be an additional month before Oak and Grist resumed production in late December.

Consider Asheville—a city once viewed as a climate haven—a cautionary tale. Helene showed that access to abundant, clean water is not a guarantee, even in regions traditionally thought to be safe. Across the country, persistent drought in the West and water

crises in places like Flint, Michigan, underscore the fragility of our water systems. As climate change fuels more extreme weather, distilleries everywhere must reckon with water in new ways: not just as a key ingredient, but as a vulnerable, unpredictable resource.

Goldberg, a graduate of nearby Warren Wilson College, says access to high-quality water was one of the main reasons he chose western North Carolina for the distillery, and he’s not alone. It was also one of the key reasons for companies like Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., New Belgium Brewing and Oskar Blues Brewery to open East Coast operations in the area.

Most of Asheville’s drinking water comes from the North Fork Reservoir, which is nestled high in the mountains, five miles north of Oak and Grist. But intense flooding from Helene caused catastrophic damage at the reservoir. It washed out two major water

The swollen French Broad River spills over its banks near Asheville in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

transmission mains, including a critical bypass line. The reservoir also took a major hit from all the storm runoff. The water turned murky with sediment and debris—so much so that the treatment plant couldn’t safely process it. That murky mix meant clean drinking water couldn’t be restored right away, drawing out the outage even longer.

It wasn’t the first time in recent years that Asheville experienced a significant water outage. Towards the end of 2022, a severe freeze caused numerous water line breaks and froze equipment at a water plant, leaving tens of thousands of residents without water for nearly two weeks.

In the months after Helene, Goldberg remained confident in the quality of the water—but concerned about the system that delivered it.

“The North Fork Reservoir is well protected from human pollutants, so I have faith that aside from the turbidity issues we faced, the source water remains of a high quality,” he says. “What Hurricane Helene brought to top of my mind is the aging infrastructure through which that water is delivered. Not so much the safety or quality of the water flowing through those pipes, but the fragility of them. And that gives me pause.”

Why a Well Isn’t Always the Answer

To an outside observer, a logical takeaway from Asheville’s prolonged outage might be to just drill a well. But Goldberg knew better. In the wake of a flood like Helene’s, wells can be easily compromised by storm runoff and contamination. In Columbia, Illinois, Adam Stumpf of Old Monroe Distilling Co. (formerly Stumpy’s Spirits Distillery) also learned that wells aren’t always the best option.

Upon opening, the distillery relied on well water drawn from beneath the family’s property. But as its production scaled, the team opted to use municipal water. “We went away from the well water just because of where the distillery is located and our draw on the well,” says Stumpf. “We noticed that we were starting to get into some water quality issues, and obviously we didn’t want to bring that into our production process.”

Stumpf says the iron content of the well water varied by season, and he was also wary of depleting the groundwater for others nearby, which includes his parents’ home. That concern is supported by a 2023 New York Times investigation, which revealed that excessive groundwater pumping across the U.S. is rapidly depleting aquifers, leading to significant environmental and economic consequences. In many regions, water is being extracted faster than it can naturally replenish, causing wells to run dry, land to sink, and threatening the sustainability of agriculture and drinking

water supplies.

Stumpf says he is glad to have the well as a backup option, but if he was starting the distillery from scratch today, he’d start with municipal water. It also requires some treatment, but Stumpf likes that the municipality regularly posts updates from its own water testing, which helps the distillery dial in settings. “Our biggest thing was really the consistency,” he adds. “Shooting for a consistent product and finally understanding that we require consistency in water. That was one of the biggest reasons we switched to municipal and honestly haven’t switched back.”

A Different Kind of Drought Plan

In one of the driest states in the country, Colby Frey of Fallon, Nevada-based Frey Ranch Distillery says the key to water resilience lies in working with, not against, the land. A so-called “Oasis of Nevada,” Fallon benefits from runoff from the Sierra Nevada mountains, with water stored in reservoirs fed by the Truckee and

“We know how lucky we are to have beautiful mountain water and do not take that for granted nor assume it is an unlimited resource.”

—Connie Baker of Marble Distilling Co.

Colby Frey of Frey Ranch Distillery

“What Hurricane Helene brought to top of my mind is the aging infrastructure through which [our] water is delivered. Not so much the safety or quality of the water flowing through those pipes, but the fragility of them. And that gives me pause.”

—William Goldberg of Oak and Grist Distilling Co.

Carson Rivers. That surface water irrigates Frey Ranch’s crops through flood irrigation—a low-energy method powered entirely by gravity. The same water also recharges the aquifer that supplies their distillery.

Unlike many distillers who rely on chemical treatments or reverse osmosis, Frey says the distillery doesn’t need to adjust its water chemistry. “Our unique water source is one of the many things that make our whiskey special,” he says, noting that Frey Ranch does not need to remove chlorine and fluoride from its water.

Even in a region marked by water scarcity, Frey Ranch has taken a long view: planting less water-intensive crops, rotating fields with soilreplenishing alfalfa, and building a cooling reservoir for the stills to avoid high-energy chillers. “From the beginning, we’ve focused on being good to the land. It’s our credo,” says Frey. “As farmers, if we don’t prioritize the health of our farm and resources, including the water supply, then we can’t do what we do.”

If drought limits what the land can offer, Frey’s answer is simple: scale back. “You have to operate within the limitations of your location,” he says, “and if that means producing less to accommodate the whims of a droughtprone area, then that’s what must be done.”

A Closed-Loop Approach in Colorado

At Marble Distilling Co. in Carbondale, Colorado, water conservation is a core design principle. “We know how lucky we are to have beautiful mountain water and do not take that for granted nor assume it is an unlimited resource,” says Connie Baker, Marble’s cofounder, CEO, and head distiller.

The distillery’s innovative water recirculation system really makes Marble’s sustainability efforts shine. Baker says the Water Energy Thermal System (WETS) is “basically a thermal loop to recapture water and energy from the distillation system.”

Two 5,000 gallon tanks, hot and cold, are essential to the system. Water from the cold tank feeds condensers which heat it to 125 degrees. That water is pumped through exchangers and heat pumps and the energy

is stored in the hot tank after being removed from the water, leaving cold water returned to the cold tank to be reused. WETS helps Marble save more than 6 million gallons of water and 2 billion BTUs of energy annually. “Our 7,000-square-foot distillery, five-room hotel, and tasting room use little water and less energy than a 2,000-square-foot home,” says Baker.

Baker adds that Marble dialed in the system by redesigning it five times. No other distillery has adopted WETS in full, but Marble has freely shared its schematics and engineering contacts with peers. “Since it was a first-of-its-kind system, there were not any roadmaps for the initial concept and design,” says Baker, “but we have figured it out and improved our savings and usage.”

A Lifeline for the Community

Back in North Carolina, around the same time that potable water returned to Asheville, Oak and Grist installed a multi-stage filtration system. Goldberg says he was hoping it would allow the distillery to return to production, but he also saw the system as a lifeline. “In the months after Helene, Oak and Grist provided thousands of gallons of potable water to the surrounding communities,” he says. “Once we had drained the tanks in our facility, we were making trips down the mountain to our friends Fonta Flora Brewery, who were refilling our empty totes. The filtration system was also an effort to be able to sustainably continue to provide that service to our community.”

The filtration system, installed by a local company, is designed to handle turbidity, as well as bacteria or viruses. It will also help decrease scaling in the distillery’s piping and equipment. Finally, it offers peace of mind should something else affect the quality of the water supply. And Goldberg isn’t taking clean water for granted anytime soon.

“It is my personal opinion that we have waited too long to stop or reverse the effects of climate change,” he says. “All that we can do now is be more responsible and hope to adapt to each of our region’s changing environments.” ■

William Goldberg

Oak and Grist Distilling Co.’s new system filters out turbidity along with harmful bacteria and viruses.

THE POWER OF PEER SUPPORT

BY MATT VOGL

Hi again! After a little bit of a hiatus it is wonderful to be back in touch with the ACSA family to talk more about how we can help our mental states and, in this instance, how we can help one another. Depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders continue to affect millions of people worldwide and with the escalating changes in our industry due to the economy, changing drinking habits of Gen Z, FDA scares about alcohol consumption, and now the emerging impact of tariffs, every one of us is at risk. For a variety of reasons, many people are averse to taking medications for mental health issues and others are reluctant to engage in therapy. These are very personal choices, but what is important is that you get help if you are struggling. The good news is that there are other options that do not involve medication or therapy that, if done the right way, can provide some benefit and relief of symptoms related to depression and anxiety. In this article we are going to look at one that is often overlooked: peer support.

At its essence, peer support is the act of a person who has been through a particular tough thing, providing support to people from a similar background experiencing that same thing. There are countless examples. Combat veterans who support soldiers returning from combat themselves. Firefighters leaning on other firefighters who have experienced similar trauma. Women who experienced and recovered from dark postpartum depression talking to new moms who are going through the exact same things, giving advice and suggestions based on what worked for them. Or an alcoholic turning to their sponsor for help when they are feeling like they might relapse.

If all this sounds familiar, it is. Many people remember when we used to lean on each other more than we do now. People used to talk about their struggles with their parish priest, their barber, neighbors and other people in their circles more than many of us do now. Not only were the social connections important (for example some research has shown that interacting with friends is itself a

protective factor against suicide) but those interactions created opportunities for people to hear powerful phrases like

“I know what you are going through; I get it.”

“I’ve been there and I got better. Here is what worked for me.”

“You are not alone.”

The power of feeling understood and receiving support and hope from someone who has walked a mile in your shoes is real and has been around forever. But in recent decades, experts in psychology have formalized it, studied it, and given it structure. And now we know it as peer support.

When people with lived experience are paired with people going through similar challenges, the relationship can be even more powerful than the relationship between a patient and therapist. By having the lived experience, a trained peer supporter can offer empathy, validation, and understanding in a non-judgmental way that would be impossible for someone without lived experience could. And perhaps most importantly, by sharing practical guidance based on the things that helped them get better, they are able to offer a road map and living breathing proof that getting better is possible. In short, peer support provides hope.

Peer supporters are not therapists and do not provide clinical care, though they may receive training to gain specific skills such as reflective listening, motivational interviewing and crisis intervention so they know if they have reached a point where they need to refer someone to a licensed therapist or crisis services. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) describes the key functions of peer support as giving hope; reducing stigma and dispelling myths; ensuring people are not alone in their recovery; giving guidance on self help strategies; and helping people identify and reach their goals.

And peer support works. A host of research studies have shown that engaging with trained peers with lived experience can lower

Peer support is the act of a person who has been through a particular tough thing, providing support to people from a similar background experiencing that same thing.

hospital admission rates; lower substance use and symptoms of depression/anxiety; increase feelings of hope and self-confidence; improve engagement in self-care activities; make people feel like they are in more control of their situations; and make people feel more accepted and understood. Further, the peer supporters themselves reap many positive benefits themselves because they are able to “give back” in recognition of all the people who helped them in their own journey.

So how to get started? Peer support programs can be done individually or as a group. There are a variety of peer support trainings offered both nationally and in most states. The requirements vary from state-tostate so it is best to do a bit of research first. A good place to start is by looking at resources provided by Mental Health America. There are also a wide range of peer-support apps that help connect people and you can use them if you are looking to give or receive support. These include iRel8, Therapeer, TalkLife, and

CHECK OUT RESOURCES FROM MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA .

WEConnect. There are many others. One of the things that has always drawn me to the world of craft distillers is how well you already support one another through your meetings, social media groups and individually. Formalizing that support so that people have access to training in specific skills and competencies will make the work you are already doing even more successful. Another idea is to join forces with other distilleries to form a distilling-specific peer support network with training that is adapted to reflect the unique realities and challenges of our industry. I am happy to help people find

the right training, select an app or go big in creating a formalized and trained network of peer support specific to this industry. Be well and keep looking out for one another. ■

Matt Vogl is an internationallyrecognized mental health advocate and a rarelyrecognized standup comic. Matt has spoken on mental health across the globe and he is the founder/CEO of VXVY Mental Health. He can be reached at mattvogl@gmail.com.

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