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Each failure to impress is a missed chance to get someone to try your spirit—yet packaging is expensive, especially on a smaller scale. Here’s how some craft distilleries are elevating lower-cost bottles for brands that shine on the shelves.

Distiller’s yeast strains are efficient workhorses, but depth of flavor isn’t their specialty. By co-pitching characterful ale yeast strains with other trusted strains—and experimenting to achieve the desired outcomes—craft distillers can get the best of both worlds.

Caribbean distillers produce rums in a range of styles, but those from Barbados and Jamaica are often the most misunderstood. Local yeast and fermentation methods play key roles in their distinctive character.

Craft distillers are taking advantage of the savoriness and salinity of kelp and other ocean algae, producing locally rooted, umami-driven spirits that evoke the sea.

A small craft distillery doesn’t have anything like the marketing budget of the bigger brands—but it does have a home and a story. One of the best ways to tell that story—and to get people to taste your pride and joy—is to offer a memorable tour. Here’s how to do it.

When you’re making whiskey, mashing can be more than a way to get fermentable sugars from the grain. Whatever process you use, there are control points you can use to influence the character of the final spirit.

It’s important to know the specs, but take nothing for granted. In-house quality testing and monitoring of ingredients can help you ensure consistent spirits and avoid big headaches down the road.

How producers design their barrel storage has a major impact on how whiskey ages—and, whether dunnage or rickhouse, one method’s drawback can be another’s strength.

The spicy compound 4-vinyl-guaiacol occurs in many drinks, but among distillers, it’s best known as a flavor component of certain whiskeys—especially ryes. Whether you want to dial it up, dial it down, or just dial it in, here’s what to know.

Don’t take that certificate of analysis for granted—the stats attached to your raw grain or malt can make a big difference in how you ferment and distill a consistent, quality spirit. Here’s what to know.