October 01, 2018

The Distilled Spirits Council welcomed the announcement of a new, modernized trade agreement, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

"Trade is a key component to a strong economy, and the U.S. spirits industry and our consumers benefit from free and fair trade agreements," said Distilled Spirits Council Interim President & CEO Clarkson Hine. "The USMCA agreement is welcome news for American spirits exporters. We hope this creates new momentum for further discussions in North America, the EU and elsewhere that lead to the swift removal of retaliatory tariffs on American spirits exports."  Read more.

The end of the Bourbon boom could be in sight after an analyst has predicted a slowdown for the category over the next five years.

Bourbon has enjoyed strong growth over recent years, with sales value for the category rising by 9% a year from 2014 to 2017, according to Euromonitor figures. However, in a note last week, Jefferies analyst Edward Mundy estimated that the rate of growth will slow to 6% a year through 2022.  Read more.

Local hooch drinkers, rejoice: Your options just grew by two. Mythology Distillery and Ironton Distillery & Craft House, located in LoHi and RiNo respectively, are, ahem, proof that the Front Range's craft spirits boom is still kicking. Whether you're looking to sip a new style of gin in an art-bedecked urban garden or drink a fanciful cocktail at a travel-inspired hangout, here's a rundown on what to expect at Denver's two newest distilleries.   Read more.

NOTE: check out the entire Denver distilling scene during the   2019 ADI Conference & Vendor Expo   March 18-21, 2019.

British Columbia has become the epicenter of Canada's craft distilling movement, and the heart of that movement is the Craft Distillers Guild of BC. Fourteen of the current 26 members recently gathered at Sheringham Distillery on Vancouver Island for their AGM. The Guild's mission is to produce handcrafted spirits made with 100% BC agricultural products, using traditional, on-site fermentation and distillation.  More info.

Whether you consider yourself a cocktail connoisseur or enjoy the casual drink here and there, 150 Bars You Must See Before You Die is a must-read. Author, Jurgen Lijcops, takes readers on a journey across the globe, showcasing locations from Hong Kong to New York and Berlin.  Read more.

Scientists at Heriot-Watt University have created a botanical library to help gin producers create new products.
The experts have tested 72 plants and fungus used by distillers - ranging from nettles to lavender and the chaga fungus, which grows on birch trees.
They hope the body of knowledge will also boost export sales, by stopping unusual flavours of gin from being stopped at customs.The scientists have spent three years working on the project.
All of the gin botanicals can be grown in Scotland, are commercially available and from a sustainable source. Read more.  

Related story

..."We learned that around half of the botanicals in our library are not listed on the USA's generally recognised as safe (GRAS) list. Any Scottish gins that list these botanicals as ingredients could be banned by US customs without any investigation or questioning. Read more.

It's a great time to be a fan of craft spirits-especially in Cleveland. That was made evident when Western Reserve Distillers celebrated its Grand Opening ceremony in Lakewood on Saturday, September 8.

Co-owner Ann Thomas described the well-attended event as "giddy," calling it "a moment to share all of the hard work with those who have been on this journey with all of us for so long."  Read more

MIDDLETOWN, OH - Mike Dranschak is only a few weeks away from his dream of opening his own distillery.

Dranschak and his wife, Debbie, purchased the portion of Liberty Spirits distillery on Central Avenue in May from Mike Robinette, who will continue distilling and operating a tasting room in a nearby building.

"I've been wanting to start a distillery for 10 years," Mike Dranschak said. "This is going to feature my craft distilling and other craft distilleries, beers and wines from around the area and Ohio."  Read more