The entire competition was judged by a healthy cross section of beverage industry leaders and peers including Artisan Spirit’s very own editor and publisher, Brian Christensen. Judging commenced in late April and saw 107 spirit entries in 23 categories from over 36 of New York’s distillers. The results of the NY Distilled Spirits Competition will be announced in late June and celebrated at a public facing promotional event on July 17th at Brooklyn Brewery
NORTH DAKOTA NORTH DAKOTA DISTILLERS GUILD We have begun to initiate the legal foundation for the North Dakota Distillers Guild. Our goal is to file the organizational papers based heavily on the examples as
OHIO OHIO DISTILLER’S GUILD The Ohio Distiller’s Guild recently held elections at the annual meeting in January, voting Greg Lehman of Watershed Distillery to President, Ben Vause of Noble Cut Distillery into the Vice President position, Reese Edwards of Cleveland Whiskey to Treasurer, and Josh Daly of Middle West
OREGON OREGON DISTILLERS GUILD We held our annual TOAST event in March and had a great turn-out. More than 25 distilleries participated from around the state. There was a tasty array of food and of course a vast variety of spirits from the distilleries attending. The 2018 TOAST event also launched this year’s ADI conference here in Portland, which continued throughout the following week. Some of the board was kept extremely busy helping with ADI details, with many attending the multiple sessions,
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in Brooklyn, NY. The event will include tastings form New York State distillers that participated in the competition. The event will be open to the media an hour prior to public to allow us to champion all medaling spirits and their distilleries for this inaugural occasion. The spirit winning Best of Show designation will be awarded the “Governor’s Cup” trophy. This trophy will be passed from champion to champion with the winning spirit’s details added to the cup’s engraving each year.
As we begin planning for next year’s competition our intention is to grow this opportunity for our members in both categorical size and promotional scope. For more information on our Inaugural New York Distilled Spirits Competition and its results please visit www.nydistilled.com or reach out to us at newyorkstatedistillersguild@ gmail.com Cheers! Cory Muscato
shared through the American Craft Spirits Association and other State Guilds. In the past year, there is one additional DSP licensed in the State and another rumored to be nearing completion. This will total six DSP’s in North Dakota with a population of about 750,000. As a Guild, our intention will be to offer professionals and enthusiasts of the distillery industry a common vehicle
to share ideas and resources especially when approaching State and Local entities regarding the production, marketing and general public support of locally produced spirits:
Spirits to Secretary. Just one and a half years after passing a bill to allow distilleries to open an onsite bar and up production from 10,000 to 100,000 proof gallons per year, the Guild introduced a law into committee that would allow local distillers the ability to sell more than two bottles per day to customers. It would also permit Ohio distilleries to open two satellite bars to help market their spirits in different areas of the state.
After the passing of the initial bill to allow for onsite bars and restaurants, the distilleries that took advantage of the growth opportunity saw on-site employment double or triple, creating a vast amount of momentum in the industry directly correlated to the changes in the law.
as well as presenting and holding seminars. Multiple local distilleries participated by having tours and special sessions. ODG spent a significant amount of money and effort to introduce and pass a bill that would give Oregon distilleries an equal taxbased playing field that the breweries and wineries have. This legislative short session’s effort did not succeed in getting the bill passed, but it did open quite a few political eyes and pushed the goal much more into the legislative spotlight by declaring that all alcohol producers are created equal and should be afforded equal rights. The efforts
will continue this coming session, and we are targeting success. ODG continues to make a valiant effort to recruit every distillery in the state to become a member. Current distillery count is 70, and we have achieved 75% membership. This upcoming quarter will see our annual general membership meeting, and with the updated bylaws the ODG board will be increasing the board to nine members, representing distilleries state-wide.
Lockhouse Distillery — Buffalo, NY President — New York State Distillers Guild
Joel Kath Proof Artisan Distillers. joel@proofdistillers.com
Greg Lehman Co-founder of Watershed Distillery President of the Ohio Distillers Guild
Rick Rickard El Jefe, Rolling River Spirits LLC Board of Directors, Oregon Distillers Guild
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