Craft Spirits Weekly
Welcome to the 93rd 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.
Only 1 Day Left! Enter Your Products for ACSA Judging of Craft Spirits
The deadline to enter your products in ACSA's Annual Judging of Craft Spirits is this Friday, October 12. All spirits must arrive at Greenbar Distillery in Los Angeles no later than Monday, October 15. These are the final deadlines, so don't delay!
Only the best, most deserving spirits make the cut. In addition to Gold, Silver and Best in Class for each category, we also will be presenting, for the first time, the Innovation Award, designed especially for outstanding spirits that may not fit with traditional flavor profiles of particular categories.
 
The entrance fee is  $250  per spirit for ACSA members. Best of Show earns both a coveted medal AND a Gilson hand-crafted snowboard or pair of skis. An ACSA medal is about much more than bragging rights. It’s both a mark of excellence and a vote of confidence from those who know spirits best. And it gives the winners a truly competitive edge.
Privateer Rum Collaborates with Boston-Based Chocolate Events Company
Boston’s Cocoa Beantown chocolate tours and events is excited to announce the return of its chocolate and rum pairing event in collaboration with Privateer Rum in Ipswich, Massachusetts. During this special event, guests will enjoy a sugar tasting and a tour of the Privateer distillery, followed by a rum and chocolate pairing experience featuring a selection of Privateer’s world-class spirits accompanied by specially curated chocolates, in the distillery’s beautiful, ship-inspired tasting room. (Northshore Magazine)
CH Distillery Buys Jeppson's Malört, Bringing Production Back to Chicago
Jeppson’s Malört, the infamous bitter spirit once only reserved for Chicago dive bars, whose popularity has spread as a sign of civic pride, has been sold. The new owner, CH Distillery, wants to shift production back locally. For the past 50 or so years, malört has been made and bottled in Florida and now it’s coming home. (Eater Chicago)
Please Complete ACSA Member Survey By Monday, October 15
We're calling all ACSA members to participate in this  10 minute survey . We want to better understand how you view our services and where you think we can improve. Your answers will provide ACSA with information to enhance the value of your membership and move our industry forward. This survey is anonymous unless you provide your name and email address. Please take 10 minutes to complete the questionnaire. Promise—that's all it should take!  Please complete by Monday, October 15.
Copperworks Marks 5th Anniversary with Single-Cask Whiskey Release
Copperworks Distilling Co. opened the doors to its distillery and tasting room on the Seattle waterfront in early October 2013, and to celebrate its five-year anniversary, the company is unveiling a single cask release of Copperworks American Single Malt Whiskey. The release will be available at Copperworks tasting room and online store on October 13, 2018. (The Drinkable Globe)
Lyft to Offer Discount Rides to Maryland Distilleries

Lyft announced a partnership with the Maryland Distillers Guild, Brewers Association of Maryland and Maryland Wineries Association to enjoy local craft spirits, beer and wine, safely and responsibly. (WJZ CBS-TV Baltimore)
Detroit City Distillery to Release 3 Limited-Edition, Single-Barrel Whiskeys
The Detroit, Michigan based distillery known as Detroit City Distillery is one of the older craft whiskey operations in this city. Having recently passed its fourth anniversary, it is marking the occasion by debuting what’s known as its “Bespoke Bourbon Series,” a line up of three limited-edition, single-barrel expressions. (The Whiskey Wash)
Colorado's Durango Craft Spirits to Open Expansion by End of October
Durango Craft Spirits expects to open a 1,500-square-foot expansion by the end of the month, which will mainly help it double production of its craft bourbon from two barrels a month to four. (The Journal) 
Long Beach, California's Portuguese Bend Breaks Ground
Holding up a clear, unmarked bottle, master distiller Simon Haxton swirls around the carafe’s liquid fillings—a bright, bordering-magenta spirit that looks, frankly put, very pretty. This is the spirit behind Portuguese Bend, the endeavor announced last year from the owners of Lola’s and The Social List, Luis and Brenda Navarro—and their third dive into gastronomy, offering the city its first Made In Long Beach spirits—has officially broken ground. (Long Beach Post) 
Vermont's Smugglers' Notch Opens New Distillery
Last week Smugglers’ Notch Distillery hosted a cocktail party and ribbon cutting to celebrate its new distillery and tasting room at the former North Woods Joinery building at 5087 Route 15 in Jeffersonville, Vermont. (Seven Days Vermont) 
American Craft Spirits Association | americancraftspirits.org