Craft Distilling Expo’s Post

Check out the video to hear all about this first release in the new five year series.

Opportunities for American Craft Maltsters and the Benefits of Local Malt for Distilleries The American craft malting industry is experiencing significant growth, driven by the increasing demand for unique, high-quality ingredients in the brewing and distilling sectors. According to the Craft Maltsters Guild, craft malt production in North America has increased by an impressive 60% since 2019, with small independent malthouses estimated to produce 24.7 million pounds of craft malt in 2022. This growth is projected to continue, with production expected to reach 31.8 million pounds in 2023. read more: https://lnkd.in/dCnF6mbb

New York has a chance to build a booming small-batch craft cannabis industry, just like the craft brewery and winery industry. Let’s do this New York. But how do we coin a name for this emerging craft industry? There’s Brewery for the craft brewery industry. There’s Winery for the craft winery industry. Herbery? This emerging craft industry needs a name. Help me out here.Ten-Ten Cannabis

North Uist Distillery begins whisky production B Corp-certified North Uist Distillery has started distilling whisky and will produce grain-to-glass spirits using heritage barley. Located at Nunton Steadings on the Scottish island of Benbecula, North Uist was founded by Kate Macdonald and Jonny Ingledew in 2019. The 18th-century building that houses the carbon-neutral distillery was acquired by the brand’s founders in 2020. The company, known for its Downpour gin brand, is seeking to create a ‘flavour-forward’ whisky using heritage barley, a long fermentation and brewer’s yeast. Distillation occurs in squat stills that have been designed to fit under the low roof of the distillery building. The downward facing lyne arms of the stills are said to be able to capture more complex flavours, which will be complemented by ex-Bourbon, new oak, and oloroso Sherry-seasoned casks. The distillery will use bere barley, a ‘resilient and rich’ heritage crop that has grown in the high-pH soils of the Outer Hebrides for centuries, and was once Scotland’s primary barley. It has been sourced from local crofters on the island who use traditional and sustainable methods such as seaweed fertilisation. “Distilling whisky here is about more than just the spirit in the cask – it’s about honouring the past while supporting the future of our islands,” said Ingledew. “By using bere barley grown on Uist’s machair, we’re investing in a resilient crop that has evolved with our unique environment over hundreds of years. It’s a true taste of Uist and Benbecula and of the past, present and future we want for our community.” Whisky production is led by distillery manager and head distiller Jacob Crisp (formerly of Dornoch Distillery) who plans to produce one cask per day. North Uist Distillery claims to be one of only 65 B Corp businesses in Scotland. The use of locally grown bere barley will enable the company to produce whisky sustainably. Macdonald added: “We want to produce amazing whisky that honours and protects the land it comes from. That’s why our long-term goal is to have grain-to-glass whisky production using heritage bere barley, grown, malted, distilled and bottled at our historic home at Nunton Steadings. This first distillation is another important step towards that ambition.” Source The Spirit Business

Check this out 👍

Zooming in on the Distillerie Poisson, started in 1860, the smallest of 5 located on the island of Marie Galante: Distillerie Poisson (Poisson = "fish" in French) makes the brand Pere Labat. The distillery was purchased in 2007 by J.C. Brot, who was born and raised in a family with a long history in Guadeloupe and Marie Galante proper. Culturally, on these islands, making rum is seen as a high achievement and JC always dreamed of being a rhum maker. The distillery employs 17 people and manages about 250 hectares of land, some of which is cultivated with cane that feeds the distillery, while much of the cane is bought from small planters to maintain good relationships with the local Planteurs. Being a French territory, working hours are highly regulated (35hr/week, 5 weeks off per year). The teams is working from 7am to 1pm Mondays to Fridays and 7am to noon on Saturdays. Distillation occurs from Feb to July. The facility is not large or glamorous; it's rusty, it's beat-up, it experiences a lot of daily operational challenges which causes frequent repairs and maintenance issues. Despite these conditions, the distillery continues to produce super high-quality booze, experimenting with aging in various types of casks, including ground cru white Burgundy and Mouton etc... The fermentation process lasts 72 hours and is inoculated. The 2 "Creoles" columns, one from 1955 the other from 1977 are all copper and consist of 15 plates - 11 stripping plates and four concentrating plates. White rhum flows out of the stills at 70.7% alcohol by volume and eventually entering casks at around 63%. The distillery makes about 1,500 liters of booze per day and sells about 40K cases a year (3/4 to the French market, the rest sold internationally). The distillery's operation is deeply intertwined with the local community; some planteurs have scheduled appointments to deliver their cane, other randomly show up. The unpredictable supply of sugar cane from the small local planteurs reflects the totally artisanal nature of its production. The island's hot (temp typically varies between 74 and 95 F) and humid conditions contribute to about 7+% annual evaporation in casks, more than twice the evaporation typical in the Cognac or Armagnac regions of mainland France.

R&B Distillers has secured planning permission from Argyll and Bute Council for its Machrihanish Distillery, the first farm-to-bottle distillery in Campbeltown in over 180 years. R&B purchased the Dhurrie Farm in Machrihanish in 2021, and having received the green light for the distillery development - starting with whisky production followed by a full visitor experience, shop, and tasting room - will now work with various stakeholders around environmental guidelines and other conditions before beginning construction on the site next year. The Machrihanish Distillery will deliver a new single malt Scotch whisky for R&B, who already own the award-winning Isle of Raasay Distillery, of which R&B says: “while different in style of spirit and region, will exhibit a similar philosophy around provenance, quality, and community regeneration”.  R&B plans to develop a sustainable net zero distilling model that removes any fossil fuel use from the whisky distilling process, using regenerative, environmentally friendly farming practices and creating greater biodiversity in the surrounding area. Up to 20 new jobs will be created in the region over time, having a positive impact on the local economy.  William Dobbie, Managing Director of R&B Distillers, said: “The rubber stamp for the distillery marks a major milestone on our journey in Campbeltown. When the whisky becomes of age our investment will go beyond production, attracting visitors to the region and supporting the local economy in a similar way to our existing distillery on Raasay.” “We are excited to be making this investment in Campbeltown and supporting the local economy through jobs and visitors. This milestone has particular significance to our family as my father Bill’s family come from Drumlemble, a small village in between Machrihanish and Campbeltown.” “We would like to thank everyone who has helped us get to this stage - including Argyll and Bute Council, neighbouring whisky producers Glen Scotia and J&A Mitchell, and most importantly our customers and partners for continuing to support R&B and our brands.” R&B Distillers is also announcing the acquisition of a controlling stake in Caskshare.com, a global eCommerce platform and bottler of single cask spirits. Caskshare specialises in offering whisky fans single cask whiskies by the bottle, including Scotch whiskies, R&B-owned brands, and world whiskies, and enables producers to sell directly to consumers worldwide. R&B plans to add other cask-aged spirits like rum and cognac over time and will initially target markets in Europe and the United States. William Dobbie added: “Our Machrihanish Distillery news and Caskshare majority stake puts us on a clear track towards achieving our vision of becoming the leading new wave spirits business in Scotland.” Left to right are David Nicol (Caskshare), Norman Gillies (R&B Distillers), William Dobbie (R&B Distillers), and Alasdair Day (R&B Distillers) on the Isle of Raasay.

Welcome to part 4 in a my series of reviews covering recent releases from the Dumbarton-based independent bottler, Dràm Mòr. In this installment, I’ll be getting to grips with a wee sample from Loch Lomond Distillery, arguably one of the most interesting whisky producers in all of Scotland. Loch Lomond is capable of producing a wide range of different spirits. Each new make style is given a unique name in order to differentiate them. Some are named after islands that can be found in the famous loch. Like Inchmurrin, for example. The Loch Lomond Distillery was established in Alexandria in 1964. There was an earlier distillery to hold the name but it was relatively short-lived and the two are unconnected. Over the plant’s relatively short life, it has undergone several upgrades and expansions. Production commenced on a solitary pair of straight-necked stills that look like a combination between pot and column still. In place of the traditional swan neck, there is a cylindrical column, inside of which, there is a series of plates that can be adjusted to alter the character of the spirit being produced. The number of stills doubled in 1990, before a set of traditional swan neck pot stills were added in 1998. Complicating matters further, a set of column stills were added in 1993, to allow for the production of grain whisky. This made the distillery entirely self-sufficient and able to create everything required for making blended Scotch in-house. Despite the distillery’s impressive flexibility and potential for creativity, however, it would be fair to say that its single malt didn’t always enjoy the greatest of reputations. Things have improved in recent years after first one, then a second, management buyout. A new core range, which showcases the spirit at 46% ABV, without chill-filtering or colour enhancement, paints the spirit in a much more positive light and celebrates some of the incredible flexibility that’s been built into the distillery. Inchmurrin is the name given to an unpeated malt, distilled in the straight-neck stills and this Dràm Mòr expression is a single cask, which has been finished in an oloroso sherry hogshead before bottling at 55.7%. https://lnkd.in/eTPrWa-P

Bimber unveils first age-statement whiskies London distillery Bimber has launched two limited edition eight-year-old single malts – the first age-statement whiskies in its portfolio. The two expressions, Harmony of Eight and eight-year-old Single Cask Edition, are said to mark a new chapter for Bimber, reflecting eight years of dedication to traditional whisky-making methods. The Harmony of Eight is made with single-farm barley that has been floor-malted at Warminster Maltings and distilled in directly-fired copper pot stills. Aged in a combination of ex-Bourbon and Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks, the expression displays a ‘vibrant and fruit-forward profile,’ reflecting its eight years of maturation. Limited to 1,090 bottles presented at 50% ABV, Harmony of Eight will be available on the Bimber website from today (5 December) with an RRP of £130 (US$165). The second single malt, eight-year-old Single Cask Edition, is limited to 268 bottles and offered at 56.8% ABV. The whisky matured in an American oak ex-Bourbon cask, selected by the 2024 Bimber Klub tasting panel. The single-cask release was made available on 4 December exclusively for distillery members for £160 (US$203). Speaking of the launch of the two expressions, Ewelina Chruszczyk, director of Bimber, said: “We are immensely proud to introduce our first age-statement whiskies – a reflection of eight years of passion, precision, and unwavering dedication to our craft. These releases are more than just a measure of time; they embody the journey we’ve taken, the challenges we’ve overcome, and the bright future that lies ahead for Bimber.” Earlier this year, the distillery debuted its Shoulder of Giants single cask range. Bimber Distillery in Park Royal, London, was established in 2015 by Dariusz Plazewski. After his arrest in February 2024, Plazewski relinquished his responsibilities for the company’s two distilleries, Bimber and Dunphail.

Scott Blackwell and Ann Marshall of High Wire Distilling Company are leading a revitalization of Jimmy Red corn, a heritage grain known for its distinct flavor and historical significance in whiskey production. 🥃✨By focusing on sustainable practices and working closely with local farmers, they’ve created a bourbon that connects deeply to South Carolina’s roots. As President of the South Carolina Craft Distillers Guild, Scott advocates for policies that elevate local distillers and enhance the state’s craft spirits reputation. 🥃🌾 🎤 In this interview, Scott shares his passion for heritage grains, distilling innovation, and the impact on South Carolina’s craft distilling community. 📖 Exclusive Interview by Malvika Patel - Click the link to read more: https://lnkd.in/dHevTvYc . . #HeritageGrains #CraftDistilling #SouthCarolinaSpirits #JimmyRedCorn #Sustainability Rachael Sykes Morgan Moore Logan Metcalfe Kelly Pettus Beverage Trade Network Bartenders Business Sid Patel Ankita O. Burnt Church Distillery Hilton Head Distillery Palmetto Distillery Striped Pig Distillery Rotten Little Bastard Distillery Sleeping Giant Distillery Hollow Creek Distillery South on Whiskey Whiskey & Whitetails SpiritRebel Whiskey Bourbon N' Bubbles Grain & Barrel Spirits High Spirits Hospitality Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits Southern Spirits Cigar & Spirits Magazine Local Choice Spirits Carolina Spirits O'Darby's Fine Wine & Spirits