Based in Bennington, Vermont, Village Garage Distillery has won a reputation for balanced, approachable spirits made from local ingredients, and for an approach to energy efficiency and sustainability that began with the distillery’s initial designs.
In this 64-minute video course, award-winning head distiller Ryan Scheswohl and cofounder Glen Sauer explain the thinking behind that design as well as their process, including numerous tips for how small distilleries can make adjustments that reduce costs and energy consumption while improving efficiency, yield, and workflow.
Along the way, they explain:
- their distillery’s simple, clean, centralized design
- planning a distillery with energy efficiency, safety, and workflow in mind
- an efficient process designed for a small footprint and one- or two-person team
- zero-waste approach that includes sending the stillage to the farm and getting beef back for smashburgers
- using super-sacks, an automated mill, and closed transfer to eliminate heavy lifting and ensure consistency
- clean-steam boiler for heat-efficient cooking, cleaning, and distilling
- the quick, streamlined cleaning process
- preventive maintenance routines and keeping logs and needed tools handy
- quick, easy transfer from fermentor to still, minimizing additional water
- a blending-and-bottling tower that uses gravity
- putting all valves, gauges, and other key components at working height
- safety considerations during buildout
And more.