Craft Spirits Weekly
Welcome to the 265th issue of Craft Spirits Weekly. This newsletter is dedicated to bringing ACSA members 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 CRAFT SPIRITS magazine and the American Craft Spirits Association.

Elections Now Open for ACSA's Board of Directors
ACSA is pleased to announce that the election for members of the ACSA Board of Directors is now open with an online, electronic ballot. There are five positions available (representing the regions in the East, Central/Mountain, and Pacific). The voting will close at midnight eastern time on March 29. If you are an ACSA voting member and have not received a link to the ballot, please contact Carason Lehmann at carason@americancraftspirits.org.
Time is Running Out to Register for the Judging of Craft Spirits
The deadline to register for ACSA's Judging of Craft Spirits is almost here! The late-riser fees are in effect until registration closes next Friday, March 25. All spirits must be received by March 31.

Fees for ACSA Members
Late Riser: $300 per entry

Fees for Non-Members
Late Riser: $400 per entry

This year, we're headed to High Wire Distilling Co. in Charleston, South Carolina, on April 5 & 6 for your spirits to be tasted and evaluated by a panel of top professionals. Submit your spirits in the following categories:

  • Brandy
  • Gin
  • Ready-to-Drink 
  • Rum
  • Specialty Spirits (absinthe, agave-based products, amaro, aquavit, liqueurs and shochu)
  • Vodka & Grain
  • Whiskey

ACSA members must be logged in to receive the discounted member rate. Login here. If you forgot your login or need to check membership status, please contact membership@americancraftspirits.org.
Important Note on Hand Sanitizer Fees
ACSA has been notified that some of its members who have delisted and are no longer making hand sanitizer have received notifications from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding "Outsourcing Facility Small Business Establishment Fee Reduction Requests for fiscal year (FY) 2023." Please note that if you delisted your product, deregistered your company and deactivated your labeler code, you should be exempt from these fees. See more details below.

However, if your company stayed in the hand sanitizer business, please note that this week the FDA announced the rates for over-the-counter (OTC) monograph drug user fees for fiscal year (FY) 2022 in a Federal Register Notice (FRN) titled “Over-The-Counter Monograph Drug User Fee Rates for Fiscal Year 2022.” This FRN publishes fees for OTC monograph drug facilities and OTC Monograph Order Requests (OMORs) for FY 2022. The FRN includes information about facility fee calculations, OMOR fee calculations, fee due dates, and fee payment options and procedures. OTC monograph drug facility fees for FY 2022 are due June 1, 2022.

In January, FDA sent to distillers a notice of intent to inactivate outdated drug listing records. The notice was essentially the FDA telling distillers to clean up their books after the Dec. 31, 2021 deadline to cease production of hand sanitizer and ahead of the March 31, 2022 deadline to cease distribution of hand sanitizer. If you have ceased production and have yet to delist your product, deregister your company and deactivate your labeler code, please follow the instructions here.
Wheyward Spirit Included in Reincarnated Ben & Jerry’s Flavor
An ice cream from the Ben & Jerry’s flavor graveyard is getting new life with a sustainable specialty spirit. Wheyward Spirit is featured in the ice cream maker’s Dublin Mudslide, an Irish cream ice cream with chocolate chip cookies and coffee fudge swirls. (CraftSpiritsMag.com)
Fast Penny Spirits Achieves Certified B Corp Status
Seattle-based Fast Penny Spirits, makers of Amaricano and Amaricano Bianca, recently joined a small group of American distillers as a Certified B Corporation (B Corp). (CraftSpiritsMag.com)
Register for the 9th Annual Distillers' Convention and Vendor Trade Show
We're headed to New Orleans on July 21-24, 2022, for the 9th Annual Distillers' Convention and Vendor Trade Show. ACSA is planning a stellar convention with three-plus days in the Crescent City, where you will gain from tailored educational content from top professionals and be given opportunities to mix and mingle with suppliers and friends in our craft spirits community! Register now while our early bird rates are in effect until April 1!
Mississippi River Distilling to Add Second Location in Davenport, Iowa
LeClaire, Iowa-based Mississippi River Distilling Co. is expanding operations to nearby downtown Davenport later this year. (CraftSpiritsMag.com)
GlenPharmer Adds Coffee-Infused Bean to Permanent Portfolio
GlenPharmer Distillery of Franklin, Massachusetts, announced that due to popular demand, its limited-edition coffee-infused Bean spirit has been made a permanent fixture in the distillery’s portfolio. (CraftSpiritsMag.com)
Register for Upcoming Webinars
Tales of the Cocktail Opens Nominations for Dame Hall of Fame
Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF) and the Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails (LUPEC) are pleased to announce the opening of the Dame Hall of Fame (DHOF) nomination period from March 16-March 30, 2022. (CraftSpiritsMag.com)
Breakthru Beverage Group and Provi Announce Partnership Extension
Breakthru Beverage Group, a leading North American beverage distributor with operations across the United States and Canada, and Provi, a fast-growing ecommerce marketplace for the beverage alcohol industry, announced a three-year extension of their original partnership agreement. (CraftSpiritsMag.com)
Holy Seed Beverage Appoints Rodney Williams to Advisory Board
Holy Seed Beverage Group, the Miami-based maker of Basbas herbal spirit, is pleased to announce the appointment of former Belvedere CEO and president Rodney Williams to its advisory board. (CraftSpiritsMag.com)
CRAFT SPIRITS Magazine
Read Our Latest Issue
The latest issue of CRAFT SPIRITS magazine is here, and it includes stories on the scarcity of glass bottles, jenever's heritage, a closer look at the medalists from the second annual Craft Spirits Packaging Awards, and much more!
Join Us in the V.I.P. Lounge
Our latest V.I.P. Lounge members have already received the March/April issue of CRAFT SPIRITS magazine and were invited to join craft spirits icon Lance Winters of St. George Spirits for a virtual happy hour. To unlock additional bonuses, like a set of CRAFT SPIRITS-branded Glencairn glasses, join us in the V.I.P. Lounge today.
Send News to CRAFT SPIRITS Magazine
Do you have exciting stories to share about your distillery? Keep us posted on new products, events, trends, tips and more by sending us a note at news@americancraftspirits.org.
In Case You Missed It
ACSA Starts Facebook Group for Voting Members
In an effort to use the platforms that you most often use, ACSA is starting a private Facebook group for voting members only (open to all employees of member DSPs). The group will be an environment to not only ask questions without judgement, but to provide input and feedback to colleagues based upon members’ experiences and best practices. If you would like to be added to the group, please send an email to carason@americancraftspirits.org.
The ACSA PAC Needs Your Support
ACSA’s public policy advocacy on behalf of its members is critical to making sure our community’s voice is heard on Capitol Hill and in state legislatures. A crucial piece of this strategy is a strong Political Action Committee (PAC) and to maintain this presence, we need your support, particularly during a mid-term election year.
 
The easiest way to engage and learn more is to go to our website and log in to ACSA. 
 
Should you have any questions about ACSA’s PAC, or ACSA’s public policy initiatives, please write to `acsapac@americancraftspirits.org.
The American Craft Spirits Association is the only national registered nonprofit trade association representing the U.S. craft spirits industry. Its mission is to elevate and advocate for the community of craft spirits producers, and membership in ACSA is open to anyone. 

ACSA is governed by a Board of Directors elected by the eligible voting members of the Association. Voting members must be independent licensed distillers (DSPs) annually removing fewer than 750,000 proof gallons from bond (the amount on which a Federal Excise Tax is paid.)
Thank You, Sponsors!
ACSA would like to thank all of our annual sponsors and our key supporters of education. We are grateful for all of your support throughout the year. Cheers!