Craft Spirits Weekly
Welcome to the 58th issue of Craft Spirits Weekly , a service dedicated to bringing you the news most important to the craft spirits distiller. Check your inbox every Thursday to find a curated selection of articles and news pieces from the American Craft Spirits Association.
Anchor Distilling Changes Name to Hotaling & Co.
Last August, Sapporo Holdings Limited acquired Anchor Brewing Co., and although Anchor Distilling was not part of the sale, the company relinquished the rights to the “Anchor” trademark. Anchor Distilling Co. has announced its next evolution. As of Jan. 31, 2018, the iconic San Francisco company has taken on a new name: Hotaling & Co. (pronounced ho-de-ling) a reference to one of Anchor Distilling’s most beloved small batch whiskies and to the San Francisco legend A.P. Hotaling, who came out West during the Gold Rush and quickly became one of the most reputable spirits dealers in the country. (The Drinkable Globe)
Alaskan Consumers In Favor of On-Site Cocktails at Distilleries
A bill allowing Alaska distilleries to once again serve cocktails and mixed drinks in tasting rooms received public testimony Saturday, with a 7-1 ratio of testifiers asking legislators to allow the drinks to flow. The legislation, House Bill 269, would settle an ongoing dispute among bars, distilleries and the Alcohol Beverage Control Board—which regulates alcohol licensing in the state—over whether Alaska’s nine distilleries should be able to sell mixed drinks in their tasting rooms. (Juneau Empire)
Get to Pittsburgh Early for Three Key Pre-Convention Events
Tickets are still available for the three signature events that take place just prior to the official start of the ACSA's 5th Annual Distillers Convention and Vendor Trade Show. On Saturday March 3 and Sunday March 4, Scott and Colleen Moore, principals at Dalkita Architecture and Construction, will lead the workshop, "Making Sense of Plans and Blueprints: Building Your First Commercial Distillery." The presenters will unveil the knowledge necessary to construct a safe and work-friendly distillery and provide practical advice on the concepts a distillery business owner must know. Also on March 3 and 4, Rob McCaughey and Antony Moss, MW, of Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) will present a WSET Level 2 Award in Spirits Master Class . Gain immediate credibility and a deeper understanding of spirits and liqueurs through the two-day class, which will conclude with a certification exam.You can register for both classes, which require separate registration fees, here .

Those not participating in the classes are invited to join us on March 4 for a private, intimate Distillery Tour , where you’ll get to taste all over the city before hitting the trade show floor. Spend the day with fellow industry enthusiasts as you explore and observe how local producers operate. Attendees will leave for the tour from the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown at 7:30 AM and visit Liberty Poles Spirits, Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka, Wigle Whiskey Distillery, Quantum Spirits and Maggie's Rum Farm. The fee for the tour is $99 and you can register here.
N.J. Distillers Support Bill to End Tour Requirement for On-Site Sales
New Jersey distilleries and breweries are supporting a bill pending in the state legislature that would remove a requirement that tours be provided before selling their product for on-site consumption. Owners of Angry Erik Brewing, in Lafayette, N.J. and Milk Street Distillery, in Branchville, N.J. said they are supporting the bill—A2196—which will amend current state law and allow their businesses to operate with fewer restrictions. (New Jersey Herald)
Virginia Spirits Poised for a Boom
Virginia Distillers Association Executive Director Amy Ciarametaro said the state is poised for a boom in Virginia-made spirits. Virginia distilled spirits brought in more than $7.2 million in 2017, a nearly $1 million increase from 2016 and a $2.2 million increase from 2015, according to data from Virginia ABC. And more distilleries are opening: There were 55 licensed distillers operating in Virginia in 2017, compared with just 13 in 2014. Three more have been licensed since the end of the fiscal year. (The Roanoke Times)
Oregon Distillers Want State to Let Them Keep All Tasting Room Revenue
The number of licensed distillers in Oregon almost doubled from 46 to nearly 100 in four years. And Oregon distilleries are each about to save as much as $1 million a year from the federal tax overhaul passed last month by Congress. Now craft distilleries are asking the Oregon Legislature for another tax break—this one allowing most distillers in the state to keep all of the revenue made in tasting rooms. (Willamette Week)
Old 4th Distillery Transforming Tasting Room Into ’20s-Era Speakeasy
Atlanta’s Old 4 th Distillery (O4D) is transforming its tasting room into a Prohibition-era  speakeasy  called the  The Locker Club . The club will run nightly on  Thursdays, Fridays,   and  Saturdays  from  7 p.m. to 12 a.m. (Eater Atlanta)
Syntax Rebrands, Launches 2 New Spirits
Syntax Precision Spirits, Greeley, Colo.’s first distillery, has rebranded and introduced two new spirits. Heavy Rum and Rose Gin are the newest members of our Precision Spirits lineup, which also includes Crystal Vodka and Straight Bourbon Whiskey. (BevNet)
Virginia Distillery to Release 1st Batch of Brewery Collaboration Whiskey
Virginia Distiller Company plans to release the first batch of its Brewers Batch Virginia-Highland Whisky this week. Batch #1 was done in collaboration with three Notch’d Brewing Company, a Central Virginia brewery. Release parties at both the distillery’s Visitors Center and the brewery will take place on February 10, 2018. (The Drinkable Globe)
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