Assessing the industry’s health through a trio of distilleries
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Written by Rich Manning
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here’s a lot going on in the distilling industry, and it can be overwhelming. Economic woes, on-again offagain tariff threats, shifting customer attitudes, and more can sometimes coalesce into one giant jumble of noise, which can sometimes make achieving a sense of clarity on the industry’s current state challenging. The purpose of this article — the first in an ongoing series for Artisan Spirit — is to try to cut through the cacophony and take the industry’s pulse. To do this, we checked in with three craft distilleries to see what is going on. The hope is that their assessments can compartmentalize the industry in a way that allows for positive reflection.
FORT HAMILTON DISTILLING Brooklyn, New York
The year 2025 has been quite kind to Fort Hamilton Distillery. While this is good news, it’s also something co-founder Alex Clark doesn’t go around trumpeting out of respect for the industry. “We’re having a blockbuster year,” he said. “Not that we want to be bang on about it due to the doom and gloom that’s out there.” Part of the brand’s success stems from having a robust
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presence in the New York bar scene. This makes a ton of sense, given NYC’s status as the epicenter of American cocktail culture. For Clark, these on-premise accounts are an essential part of their business model. “If you want to be profitable, you have to get your bottles into cocktails,” he noted. Clark also notes this essential component to his success is one of the bigger — ALEX CLARK issues he sees facing the Co-founder of craft industry today. He Fort Hamilton Distillery does have an advantage here due to his location — New York City allows local distilleries to self-distribute — and he knows the scene well due to his previous experience as a bartender in the city. Other markets may not have this luxury, which increases the barrier to entry caused by multiple factors. Some factors are straightforward, such as bars having limited shelf space. Others are more complex and point to a disadvantage that craft distilleries can have when seeking further market penetration. “There’s a lot of cheaper bottles flooding the market, and they’re inexpensive to put in a well,” Clark said. “Plus, bigger brands like Four Roses
profitable, you have to get your bottles into cocktails.”
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