“THERE CANNOT BE GOOD LIVING WHERE THERE IS NO GOOD DRINKING.” -Benjamin Franklin
QUALITY IS KEY You care about the quality of your craft, and we care about the quality of our competition.We formed the Distilled Competition to celebrate, recognize and promote skillfully crafted spirits and the distillers who produce them.
• Open to commercial spirits producers throughout the world • We purchase spirits at
regular wholesale cost to serve at our Distilled Spirit & Cocktail Festival. Unlike other festivals which ask you to donate your product, we actually buy it!
• We promote your spirits to our massive audience. Our
Competition & Festival are affiliated with the San Diego County Fair, the largest county fair in the United States. Our attendees are a desirable market: 65% age 25-54, 68% college-educated, 46% have an annual income of $75K+, 35% are Hispanic
(Scarborough May 2015)
Entry materials are now available, so save money by registering early and get a head start on the competition now!
REGISTRATION DEADLINES
EARLY BIRD ENTRY: Friday, April 8, 2016 FINAL ENTRY: Friday, April 29, 2016
DISTILLEDSANDIEGO.COM
over 40 years, cannot hide his excitement at having the opportunity to build a new distillery. He described the joy of combining modern technology with the methods he has always trusted, saying, “When someone comes through here, they’re going to see someone turning a valve, not pushing a button.” Mandell added that the distillery, in order to produce the highest quality and quantity, will be “A good mix of new technology and handmade.” Vendome has outdone themselves again for Bardstown’s needs, accommodating Nally’s requests to include glass panels in new places in order to make their process more transparent. Someone touring their facility will be able to view almost all of their processes, and will even get views inside tanks and cookers where windows have not traditionally been before. In addition, for efficient energy, a solar field is planned on the property to help power their infrastructure. For his production staff Nally intends to start with about 12 people. He is in the hiring process right now and shared a few guiding principles that have helped him assemble staffs in the past. “First is a good work ethic,” he said. Knowledge and experience are good, but Nally warns that sometimes bad habits can be detrimental if they have learned under a different system. “It’s not a wrong way necessarily, but it’s not my way,” he explains. Eagerness to work, learn, and anxiousness to make something good are qualities Nally values. He continued, “I think pride is a big factor too, to make the product that we want to develop.” Nally cites his experience at Maker’s Mark, where he learned their methods when he was young. He did not see the value in some of those methods at first, but learned their worth over time. His goal is a staff whose pride gives him confidence: “If I’m not here, I don’t have to worry about someone putting the right amount of grain in the mash tank, or if the temperature is right. I’m going to know it’s right.” Smaller distillers will have an opportunity to work with Bardstown Bourbon, as well, through the company Ultra Pure. Orders smaller than 400 barrels will be collected and organized by Ultra Pure and produced at Bardstown Bourbon Company in larger, combined batches. While the mash bills will be less customizable when ordering in these amounts, small distillers who want the opportunity to source their spirit from Bardstown Bourbon Company will still be able to ensure their bourbon or rye is reliable and consistent. Mandell and Nally believe it is the right time for a company like Bardstown Bourbon because whiskey is more popular than ever before. “From the big guys to the small craft distillers,” begins Mandell, “if you look at the investments across the board, clearly that says that this growth will continue for some time.” After all his years in the industry, Nally agreed, saying, “I don’t think this has ever been done, in history, this scope of expansion.” Within a few years, Bardstown Bourbon products will begin appearing in bottles and on shelves in various forms. If Mandell and Nally have their way, you will hear those brands bragging about where their whiskey is produced, not hiding from it. Bardstown Bourbon Company is located in Bardstown, KY. For more information, visit www.bardstownbourbon.com.
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