SNAKES, BOURBON, AND TATTOOS How marketers are introducing an ancient spirit to modern drinkers WRITTEN BY MARGARETT WATERBURY PHOTOS PROVIDED BY DOMAINE D’ESPERANCE
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t first glance, American craft distillers and Armagnac producers don’t appear to have very much in common. Widespread, small-scale spirits production in the U.S. only dates back about 30 years (in the post-Prohibition era, at least), while some Armagnac distillers have been operating from the same property for more than three centuries. American craft distillers are animated by a spirit of exploration and unhindered by all but the most minimal limitations regarding what they can produce. Armagnac operates within a long and established tradition, with
strict rules about not only where it can be made but when, how, and out of what. And yet despite their differences, distillers in the U.S. and Armagnac share many of the same concerns, challenges, and opportunities. Most Armagnac houses are tiny, producing just a few hundred cases a year. They lack the huge marketing budgets and massive distribution networks enjoyed by legacy producers in places like Scotland, Cognac, and Kentucky, which means they, too, need to be scrappy and creative to thrive in modern markets.
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