Asbury Park Distilling Co. has helped revitalize the downtown area in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
Heading Downtown Distilleries want to be there, and cities want them there—perhaps now more than ever. BY ANDREW KAPLAN
44 |
SEP T EM BER 2020
W
hen the pandemic hit in March, many towns and cities across the United States found themselves grateful for a decision they had made some time before: to allow a craft distillery to open in their downtown business districts. With hand sanitizer in short supply across the U.S., many of the distilleries shifted their production to create local supplies for residents and first responders. Almost overnight, these distilleries provided a vital service to their communities. Their response to this crisis will likely be looked back on as a highpoint for the young craft spirits industry. The positive press they received was a beacon of light in an otherwise dark time for the country. The truth is, however, that craft distilleries have been playing a more subtle role in helping their communities for quite some time. With more municipalities changing their laws to allow them to open downtown, they have helped these vital business districts—what experts call the heart of
C R AF T S PI R I T S MAG .CO M