Recent Articles

From the pros who make the spirits, here are some surefire ways to mix the spirit-loving dad in your life something special on Father’s Day.

Heaven Hill’s seventh master distiller got his start as a chemical engineer before finding his way into whiskey. Now, Conor O’Driscoll is leading the storied distillery’s next chapter, as they build and commission the new Heaven Hill Springs distillery, and as they tackle new processes for making their beloved brands.

If you’ve built your distilling business to last, there will come a day to breathe new life into the brand and update its look. The first trick is in knowing when that day has come—then comes the soul-searching.

Never mind the haters. Rum infusions represent an opportunity to win fans by adding flavor and complexity to an often-overlooked category.

The ready-to-drink cocktail industry is exploding, offering a new era of innovation for those looking for lighter, more drinkable beverages. Giving your craft cocktails a life outside the distillery can create a significant source of revenue and increase your brand awareness. And getting started is simpler than you think.

The self-styled maker of “irrational fever dreams” and “peasant indulgences” shares his principled yet technical approach to making spirits from unusual ingredients such as carrots, ramen noodles, and more.

It can be time-consuming and expensive to establish and train a well-run descriptive tasting panel—but it’s a powerful tool for craft distillers to assess their products for flavor, aroma, and consistency.

A recognized carcinogen occurs in most domestic malted barley—but careful distillers can avoid it. Here’s what to know.

Releasing your tasting room’s Manhattan or old fashioned as an RTD isn’t as simple as scaling up and bottling the recipe. Here’s some advice from two craft distilleries on how to do it successfully.

Here’s how to celebrate Mother’s Day in a way that befits a distiller.

From whiskey to gin, rum to vodka, distilleries craft liquids that captivate our senses. Behind it all is a complex challenge: accurately forecasting consumer demand. Modern production software can change forecasting for the better.

Root Shoot founder Todd Olander explains what they look for when selecting varieties and growing corn for craft distillers.

The advanced software capabilities that distillers can access with Encompass Production Cloud enhance their craft, position them for growth, and provide deeper analytics on how to operate more efficiently.

As small, independent distillers find more curious consumers, they’re learning how to communicate the technical side of their craft—and it’s driving interest in their spirits.

What’s left to do in the world of whiskey? Plenty, if you ask FEW Spirits director of operations Riley Henderson. For him, the secret lies in embracing slower, more flavorful fermentations.

Never Say Die raced out of the gate to win a major prize. But how, exactly, does one make an “English” bourbon?

The classic espresso martini is only one example of a happy marriage between coffee and alcohol. Here are some different ways that craft distilleries are incorporating coffee into their spirits and liqueurs.

Root Shoot founder Todd Olander and head maltster Mike Myers discuss working with farmers and using their senses to get the best grains they can to make high-quality malts for distillers and brewers.

Blending on the small-batch scale, craft-whiskey makers have limitations that the bigger producers don’t have—but they also have distinct advantages. Heeding advice from accomplished blenders, let’s look closer at how to blend whiskeys mindfully, with art and with purpose.

Thoughtfully applying the science and craft of blending offers an avenue for distilleries to elevate their products—but it begins with a serious devotion to sensory analysis.