Category: General

Sustainability or Survival?

Cyndi

When wastewater projects actually pay for themselves

a wastewater treatment plan processing the waster water in a brewery

By Frances Tietje Wang

As the beverage industry moves further into an era of necessary efficiency to accommodate skyrocketing costs, wastewater management cannot be an overlooked utility function. Aging municipal infrastructure, rising treatment costs, and stricter enforcement of industrial pretreatment requirements have pushed utilities to the forefront of operational and financial concerns. Under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Pretreatment Program, facilities exceeding domestic-strength benchmarks for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), or allowable pH ranges may face surcharges, permit modifications, or enforcement actions.

  This regulatory pressure coincides with broader business expectations. Wastewater performance now sits at the intersection of financial risk, regulatory compliance, and sustainability reporting. As production varies and the market remains unpredictable with cost pressure and uncertainty, sewer bills continue to fluctuate, impacting overhead costs and future planning. Compliance failures can delay expansions, harm government relations, and/or require capital upgrades under compressed timelines. At the same time, water and wastewater metrics are now standard components of sustainability benchmarking and ESG (environmental, social, governance) disclosures in the brewing sector.

  As a result, wastewater investments are no longer evaluated primarily as environmental gestures. The strategic question has become whether a given project delivers measurable return on investment (ROI) and protects long-term operational viability.

Defining “Payback” in Wastewater Projects

  In beverage production, payback extends beyond a simple comparison of capital expenditure (capex) and operating expense (opex). Direct savings commonly include reduced BOD and TSS surcharges, avoiding penalties for noncompliance, and lower costs associated with chemical neutralization or off-site hauling. These kinds of savings align with municipal cost-recovery frameworks, which are embedded in federal pretreatment regulations 40 CFR Part 403, which is designed to prevent interference with publicly owned treatment works.

“Wastewater investments are no longer evaluated primarily as environmental gestures. The strategic question has become whether a given project delivers measurable return on investment (ROI) and protects long-term operational viability.”

  Indirect value is often more consequential.  Stable wastewater systems can reduce unplanned downtime, protect discharge permits, and preserve expansion capacity. In fact, research has shown that wastewater constraints frequently become limiting factors for brewery growth before brewhouse or fermentation capacity is exhausted.

  Across utility data and academic literature, payback timelines cluster by project type. Pretreatment, solids capture, and flow-equalization projects commonly can achieve ROI payback within 1 to 3 years, whereas anaerobic digestion and water reuse systems often require 3 to 7 years. These all depend on scale, incentives, and local rate structures.

High-ROI Wastewater Projects Breweries and Distilleries Are Actually Using

Solids Capture and Flow Equalization: Upstream solids capture combined with flow equalization remains one of the most reliable ROI drivers in brewery and distillery wastewater management. Methods such as screening, settling, and rotary drum filtration reduce TSS loading before wastewater reaches municipal systems. This results directly in lowering surcharge exposure and downstream treatment demand.

  Flow equalization further improves economics in smoothing short-duration load spikes associated with cleaning-in-place (CIP), yeast removal, or batch discharges. EPA guidance emphasizes that stabilizing hydraulic and organic loading often provides greater compliance benefit than adding downstream treatment capacity, particularly for batch-driven industries such as brewing and distilling (EPA, 2000).

  This approach is reflected in brewery practice, as at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., which documents wastewater treatment and solids management as integral components of its sustainability strategy. At the facility in Mills River, North Carolina, wastewater treatment infrastructure is embedded into site design rather than treated as an afterthought.

pH Neutralization and Smart CIP Controls: pH excursions remain among the most common enforcement triggers in municipal pretreatment programs. Extreme pH changes can inhibit biological treatment and damage sewer infrastructure. By using methods such as automated pH neutralization, conductivity-based diversion, and smart CIP controls, it is possible to reduce reliance on operator intervention and lower the likelihood of violations.

  Scholarly reviews consistently describe brewery wastewater as highly variable, driven by batch operations, product losses, and cleaning cycles. The best option for managing these sources is in upstream practices, which is often more effective than relying solely on end-of-pipe corrections.  Industry guidance reinforces optimizing sanitation chemistry and discharge timing, some of the most cost-effective wastewater interventions available.

Anaerobic Digestion

(When It Makes Sense)

  Anaerobic digestion (AD) can deliver strong returns when organic loading is sufficiently high and consistent. The U.S. Department of Energy identifies beverage production as a sector with meaningful biogas potential, in particular where waste streams are concentrated and predictable.

  New Belgium Brewing is a well-documented example of anaerobic digestion. Trade engineering publications and supplier case studies describe how the brewery integrates anaerobic wastewater treatment and biogas recovery. In combining these two methods, the organic load is reduced while generating renewable energy, supporting both environmental performance and long-term cost control.

  Distilleries, which typically generate higher-strength effluent than breweries, often reach economic thresholds for AD more readily. Breweries may achieve viability at larger scales or through co-digestion strategies, but it is important to note that the literature says that AD economics depend on operational discipline, energy pricing, and access to incentives.

Water Reuse and

 Process Water

Reduction

  Water reuse strategies, such as rinse recovery or reuse for non-product-contact utilities, can reduce both freshwater intake and wastewater discharge. The EPA’s Water Reuse Action Plan emphasizes “fit-for-purpose” treatment. The Plan discusses matching reclaimed water quality to its intended application rather than defaulting to over-treatment.

  Eel River Brewing Company is an excellent example of how small breweries have implemented reuse-adjacent strategies without complete reuse systems.

  By incorporating pretreatment infrastructure to reduce municipal impact and comply with discharge permitting requirements documented in municipal engineering analyses, the brewery illustrates how wastewater investment can scale to smaller producers when aligned with operational needs.

  Economic analyses indicate that reuse projects are most viable in regions with high water and sewer rates or where discharge capacity is constrained, and when integrated into broader water-efficiency programs rather than pursued in isolation.

Grants, Incentives, and Financing: The Hidden ROI Multiplier

  Technically sound wastewater projects proceeding are often determined by grants or low-interest financing if capital costs exceed internal investment thresholds. In the United States, the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) remains the primary financing mechanism for wastewater infrastructure, including eligible pretreatment and reuse projects.

  Energy recovery projects may qualify for additional incentives through state or utility programs. The Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) is widely used to identify applicable funding opportunities and rebates.

  Producers who successfully secure funding tend to align wastewater projects with municipal objectives, such as reducing peak loading or deferring treatment plant expansion, rather than aspirational narratives. They may also use support applications with documented monitoring data rather than aspirational sustainability narratives.

Case Study Patterns: Making the Math Work, Not Waste

  Across scholarly literature and industry documentation, three recurring patterns emerge:

1.    Breweries implement solids capture and equalization, which consistently reduce surcharge exposure by stabilizing discharge characteristics.

2.   Distilleries and large breweries integrate anaerobic digestion with energy recovery. AD can offset both wastewater and energy costs when scale and incentives align.

3.   Mid-size producers leveraging CWSRF financing and state incentives frequently offsetting 30–50% of capital costs, bringing payback into acceptable ranges.

  In layering strategies, there is an opportunity for immediate and long-term cost savings.

Wastewater

as Strategic

Infrastructure

  Wastewater management has evolved from a compliance cost into strategic infrastructure. Breweries and distilleries that invest in the fundamentals of solids capture, equalization, smart controls, and right-sized recovery systems can reduce financial volatility, strengthen regulatory standing, and preserve growth capacity. As scrutiny tightens and costs rise, wastewater planning is no longer optional sustainability branding; it is a survival strategy for an operational reality.

Resources

 Fillaudeau, L., Blanpain-Avet, P., & Daufin, G. (2006). Water, wastewater and waste management in brewing industries. Journal of Cleaner Production, 14(5), 463–471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2005.01.002

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. (n.d.-a). Sustainability. https://sierranevada.com/sustainability

Have You Considered Co-packing?

Cyndi

How to fast track your new spirits brand

a bottle of Velocity spirits

By Kris Bohm, Distillery Now Consulting

The spirits industry is growing and this growth has enticed newcomers to enter the industry and start unique brands. Starting a new beverage alcohol business and entering the industry is challenging, to say the least. There are regulatory, financial, and technical hurdles that make starting a new alcohol beverage brand complex and challenging. Starting a new business takes an immense amount of time and more money than most people expect. Even if you spend many hours budgeting and planning to build a distillery it will likely take longer, and cost more than you thought. An aspect of a successful brand that is overlooked and underappreciated is that high-quality brands spend a great deal of energy on marketing their products. There is a faster and cheaper way to start a new brand you may not be aware of. The path to a quick start up is called co-packing. Co-packing puts the strain, stress and capital expense of production equipment on someone else and lets a new brand focus time and money on marketing and promoting the brand.This article will cover how co-packing works and weigh the pros and cons of launching with a co-packer.

  The common path we see taken to starting a new spirits company is by building a business that manages all aspects of manufacturing and sales. While managing everything from start to finish is a noble goal, it is also expensive. When you manage production, packaging, warehousing, marketing, sales, and even distribution it is easy to flounder in the complexity of such a business. For a new entrant to the industry, learning all these aspects of business and succeeding at them is a huge challenge. The faster and cheaper way to launch a new beverage alcohol business is with a co-packer. This is done by working with an existing manufacturer who will make your product for you. By outsourcing the production of your product, you can focus on the two critical aspects of a beverage alcohol business which are sales and marketing.

  Co-packing in simplified terms is outsourcing the manufacturing of your product. In a broad sense a co-packer is a group or facility that produces beverages and offers services to manufacture products for other brands that are not their own. A co-packer can be contracted to manufacture and produce your product for you. Whether you want to make bottled whiskey or  canned vodka soda, any sort of beverage alcohol can be produced by a co-packer. Co-packers can package distilled spirits, ready to drink cocktails, liqueurs or nearly anything else you can imagine.

Why spend years building a distillery when a co-packer can produce a product in months?

  There is far less capital outlay needed when working with a co-packer as you do not need to buy specialized equipment for bottling and then also learn how to operate it. By removing the capital-intensive aspects of manufacturing a product, the owners of a new brand will have more time to focus on selling their product. You can create a product and bring it to market quickly when the co-packer does the manufacturing for you. A good co-packer will help you avoid mistakes and manufacture your product ready to sell. Let’s explore the process step by step you take to bring a new brand of whiskey to the market with help from a co-packer.

12 simple steps to creating your own bottles of whiskey

•    The first step toward creating a product is to decide what you want to make.

•    Find yourself a company (co-packer) who will make the product for you

•    Talk with the co-packer to understand the constraints and limitations of their equipment

•    Select packaging that works and fits your brand and your copacker’s equipment

•    Sign a contract with your co-packer and start putting the pieces together.

•    Design the brand, logos, names, artwork, labels, and bottle selection. (have a pro help you)

•    Take a break and enjoy a tasty cocktail

•    While you are stopping for a refreshment, select the whiskey that will go in your bottle

•    Navigate federal and state approval process (your co-packer should handle this)

•    Order and secure raw materials so your co-packer can manufacture the product.

•    Co-packer will bottle and package the whiskey

•    Launch your brand.

  Just like that you have created your very own brand of whiskey that is ready for its debut. A co-packer usually has a minimum order quantity and will likely produce at least a few hundred cases of bottled spirits. When the copacker is done packaging the product you will now have several pallets of whiskey that are ready to sell. While the simple 12 steps all sound straight forward, there are many critical aspects of work underneath this list. Behind every step there are decisions, details, licenses and permits that are required prior to the product being produced. Let’s dive a bit deeper into these critical decisions and how best to work through them.

  The liquid in the bottle must taste good but more important than the whiskey is the brand itself. Creating a professional looking package takes experience and extensive design. There is much more to design than just selecting a bottle shape. You will need to create a brand with logos, label artwork, and many other design elements. Unless you have experience in branding and marketing beverage alcohol, the creation of a new brand is best managed by experienced professionals. Your product must have a polished look and feel for it to succeed. The way your product looks is the biggest opportunity you’ll get to sway consumers to consider tasting the product. If you take a moment the next time you are in your local liquor store you will likely find a few bottles that do not look professional or polished. These not-so-great looking bottles are often created when someone starts a new spirits company without design professionals on their team with alcohol branding and design experience. Hiring a professional designer is a worthwhile investment to help your brand put its best foot forward.

  There are an abundance of distilleries that will sell you their spirits in bulk that can be packaged up into your own brand. Whether it’s Tequila, Vodka, or Bourbon Whiskey, all types of spirits can be bought in bulk. There are a few licenses and permits needed to buy barrels of whiskey, but those are easy to secure with the guidance of an industry professional. Taking the time to taste a variety of spirits will guide you to find the right whiskey for your brand. It is also important to look closely at the cost of the whiskey you are considering purchasing. The whiskey cost will impact what you will charge for your bottle and how much profit you will see.

  While I believe that co-packing your first products is the smart path to launch a brand, some folks would argue that co-packing is not the best choice. Let’s weigh the pros and cons of co-packing to consider it from both angles.

  What is the good side of collaborating with a co-packer? It takes extensive time and financial resources to launch a brand. A generous amount of time and money needed for a brand to launch successfully must be allocated to marketing and sales. This is essential to get a product onto store shelves and people buying the product. Co-packing affords a new brand the chance to conserve money, time and energy that would otherwise be put into manufacturing and direct that energy into selling the product. Co-packing affords a new entrant into beverage alcohol the space and time to learn the nuances of the business with much less overhead cost. Mistakes are not cheap to make and having a co-packer oversee the production work of your product ensures that you will make less mistakes when it comes to making and packaging the product. The largest advantage of not producing your own product is that you do not have to carry the high overhead of funding and operating a manufacturing facility.

  Now it’s time to talk about the bad part of Co-packing. Plain and simple.It is expensive. Co-packers mark up the cost of their service to cover their costs of overhead, labor to, of course, make a profit. When working with a co-packing company, you pay a premium for them to manufacture your product. It will cost more per unit to produce a product with a co-packer than it would if you manufactured the product yourself. Some folks do not like working with co-packers as they find there is a lack of control. When a co-packer is making your product, you will not have direct control over every aspect of the manufacturing process. A key step to reducing the risk of quality control issues is collaborating with your co-packer to define their production standards. A good co-packer will define their quality standards in their manufacturing process and track it to make a product cleanly and correctly. One other potential downside to co-packing is the lack of a store front. Most brands launched via a co-packer do not have a tasting room or cocktail lounge to serve drinks and sell bottles. Selling products made via a co-packer will require wide distribution which has smaller margins when compared to direct-to-consumer sales.

  It can be hard to decide what is the right way to create and launch a new product. Many factors must be taken into consideration to make an informed decision. While co-packing is perfect and cost effective for some it can be a bad fit for others. A distillery consultant or person with extensive industry experience is the best way to make an informed decision on how to launch your brand. Creating a new product and selling it can be a challenging and rewarding business endeavor. Launching a product the right way and finding success will make the creation of your product much more rewarding.

  Kris Bohm is from Distillery Now Consulting. When Bohm is not helping new distilleries launch you can find him defending his beer mile record and exploring the world by bicycle.

Bar vs. Restaurant: The Difference is in the Details

Cyndi

What owners need to know when opening a liquor-focused concept

photo of Still Barrel bourbon bar in phoenix az

By Eric Butrull, Knife and Fork Media Group

Across the country, the hospitality industry continues to be a major economic powerhouse. As 2025 came to a close, the National Restaurant Association reported that restaurants alone added 150,000 jobs in 2025, and eating and drinking places added a net 27,200 in December (on a seasonally-adjusted basis, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics).

  Most hospitality personnel — from owners to staff — know that operating a business in this industry is not for the faint of heart. Whether a bar, brewery or distillery, the hours can be long, fast-paced, stressful and exhausting. However, owning and operating a bar or restaurant can also be extremely fulfilling and rewarding.

  Repeat customers of these types of establishments are often extremely loyal, finding solace and a “home away from home” at their favorite neighborhood bar or brewery. But there are some rather distinct differences in owning and operating a food service establishment and a bar, brewery or distillery, where liquor is the focus of sales.

  Dennis Shaw, owner of Phoenix City Grille, a successful restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona, since 1997, and co-founder of the soon-to-be-opened Still & Barrel bourbon bar in Phoenix, Arizona, offers some insight, based on his more than four decades in the hospitality industry, working across restaurant and bar operations, in leadership and ownership positions.

  “A liquor-focused bar is much more about curation, education and experience than volume. With a restaurant, food drives the visit; with a bourbon bar, the spirit selection and the story behind it are the draw,” said Shaw. “Inventory management is more complex, pricing strategy is critical and staff knowledge has to go much deeper. Every bottle has a purpose, and every pour should feel intentional.” Intention is key in any business, of course. However, Shaw notes that when it comes to bar businesses in particular, patience and relationships matter more than anything.

  “Whether it’s securing rare bottles, navigating licensing or building the right team, nothing happens overnight,” he said. “I’ve also learned that guests today want authenticity — they want to know why a bottle is on the shelf and what makes it special.”

  Still & Barrel’s General Manager Cliff Cragg, who has been in the hospitality industry for more than 20 years, echoed those sentiments.

  When it comes to his takeaway while building Still & Barrel, he said: “I have learned that patience and relationships matter more than speed. Building a strong spirits program takes time, trust and consistency. There are no shortcuts.”

  Prior to helping open Still & Barrel, Cragg previously operated a concept where he built the whiskey program from the ground up, which was recognized as one of the top whiskey programs in the United States by the time he left. Over the last few years, he has focused on building and managing spirits-forward beverage programs, barrel selections, and restaurant and bar operations.

  One crucial factor to keep in mind is that today’s customers are knowledgeable and yet thirsty for more. Rather than simply ordering a fine spirit or rare wine, customers want to feel connected — to the establishment, to their experience and to the spirit itself. Providing them with knowledge or history about what the bottle holds can provide value for guests beyond what’s in the glass.

bottle of straight bourbon whiskey from Gallery

  When opening a bar in today’s market, Cragg emphasized the importance of having a clear vision from the start — and remaining disciplined.

  “Understand your costs and invest in your staff,” he said. “A great bottle does not mean much if the service and execution are not there.”

  Knapp followed that advice up with his own: “Educate yourself relentlessly, invest in your staff’s knowledge and understand your market before you buy a single bottle. And be prepared: capital requirements, licensing timelines and inventory costs are often underestimated.”

It is of the utmost importance to ensure proper liquor licensing and air-tight insurance policies. Most knowledgeable, highly credible insurance brokers will advise bar and restaurant owners to work closely with an agent that is well-versed specifically in the language, the inclusions and more importantly, the exclusions that are often written into policies for establishments that serve alcohol.

  One of the key differences that surprised Knapp during the process of opening Still & Barrel is how complex and restrictive liquor licensing and insurance can be, especially when dealing with high-value inventory.

  “People are also surprised by how much capital is tied up on the shelves,” he said. “Some bottles sit for months or years, but they’re essential to the identity of the bar.”

  Knapp encourages new bar owners not to chase trends but rather build a point of view. Upon developing the concept and the inventory for Still & Barrel, for example, Knapp said he largely relied on Cragg’s extensive knowledge of whiskey to build the brand’s inventory around balance — allocated and rare bourbons alongside exceptional everyday pours.

  “We focused on producers with strong heritage, craftsmanship and consistency,” he said. “Some of the bottles we’re most proud of are those that are nearly impossible to find on-premise, paired with staff who can explain why they’re special, not just expensive.”

  This explanation of importance or rarity, rather than price, further adds value to the product being sold and gives more meaning to the drinker.

  For Cragg, that meant building the bar list at Still & Barrel with balance in mind, including approachable pours, premium options and a small number of truly special bottles.

  “The ones I am most proud of are our private barrel selections because we tasted and chose them ourselves,” he said, adding, “They reflect what we actually like to drink.”

  Offering rare and hard-to-find bottles gives a bar an edge. Offering something that not everyone has on their bar list makes it feel exclusive, even if the environment is as casual and welcoming as any other neighborhood bar on the block. Creating the proper connections in order to obtain those special pours is a key part of the business.

  “Sourcing rare bottles is mostly relationship-driven. Allocations are earned through long-term support and trust with distributors and suppliers,” said Cragg. “Private barrels take time, travel and a lot of tasting before the right one is selected.”

  Knapp agreed that long-term distributor relationships, purchase history and trust are essential.

  “Allocations aren’t something you can buy your way into overnight — you earn them over time,” he said. “We stay engaged with distilleries, tastings and industry events, which helps us identify unique opportunities before they hit the broader market.”

  This goes back to the idea of intention.

  “In a liquor-focused concept, the bar is the point, not the support,” Cragg said. “The selection is tighter and more intentional. With fewer options, consistency and attention to detail matter even more than they do in a traditional restaurant.”

  Ultimately, there are nuances with each individual establishment. However, overall success comes with putting hospitality first.

  “Great bars and restaurants aren’t built on menus or bottles alone,” said Knapp. They’re built on people, consistency and attention to detail. If you get those things right, everything else follows.”

  Cragg added, “I have learned that consistency and honesty go a long way. Trends change, but good hospitality, a well-run bar and a team that cares will always matter.”

  Dennis Shaw took ownership of Phoenix City Grille (PCG), continuing the legacy that founder Sheldon Knapp built when he opened the restaurant in 1997, while elevating the guest experience through food, service and beverage programs. Shaw co-owns Still & Barrel with Knapp. He calls the opening a natural extension of that journey—taking everything they have learned at PCG and applying it to a more focused, spirit-driven concept.

  Cliff Cragg is the general manager of Still & Barrel. He has more than 20 years of hospitality experience, previously operating a concept where he built the whiskey program from the ground up, which was recognized as one of the top whiskey programs in the United States by the time he left.

What’s Your Brews Resolution

Cyndi

Another year, another resolution.

two beer mugs clinking together in front of a clock about to turn midnight on New Years Eve

By Hanifa Sekandi

What are your brand’s goals this year? What do you want to achieve? Did you meet your goals last year? When most people think about a New Year’s resolution, they think about personal goals and solutions to improve their lives. Your brand is always looking for fresh solutions. It may be a complete revolution—an overhaul of what once was for something new and inspiring.

  The beauty of this time of year is that it forces everyone to dig a little deeper and think critically about what kind of impact they would like to have. Seeing your brand as a movement, a cultural wave that people desire to be a part of, will allow you to see your consumers authentically. Understanding how your beverage fits in their lifestyle, their personal brand ethos, particularly for those who imbibe mindfully.

  As you draft this year’s creative brief and refine your band guidelines, change your approach. As a team, come together and create a resolution board. A visual tool that will allow you to dream up ways to be an industry disruptor in the best way possible. Think big and be bold. Include places around the world that inspire you, food, culture, fashion, and every facet of life that will help your beverage become more than just another drink, but a lifestyle brand.

  This allows you to see your brand in motion. Perched on a table at a cafe by the beach or poured while dining on a gourmet meal at a high-end restaurant in Paris. While you create this vision, do not think about trends. You are the trend; you are the movement. When you visualize your brand this way, you will not get lost in the race because you will focus on who is running next to you. Also, remember, having a community of other beverage brands is important. Do not compete, disrupt.

The Shift is Possible

  It is easy to believe that, as a brand, you are stuck. The notion that you need to move full steam ahead with the way things are and have always been. Why would you purposely implement a brand shake-up? What about all the time, money, and effort spent on past initiatives? Should you abandon them? Remember, you are always stacking your brand wheel. Even during a brand revolution, you keep elements that have worked for your brand. It is not a complete elimination of everything.

  A good example is when you decide to embark on a wellness journey. Yes, you are shedding parts of yourself, but the good parts remain intact. It also allows the best parts of you to shine. We often hide the best parts of ourselves beneath the things we do not like. Brands do this when they refuse to change. They refuse to make bold moves that, eventually, will prove to be beneficial. Do not change identifying markers that make you unique. Instead, think of ways to take the good and make it impactful.

  So how do you get started? How do you make the shift? Look at your product performance. Review campaigns that had a great ROI. Then analyze areas where you missed the mark. Your answers are always found in the steps you have already made. You do not need to hire an agency or consultant to tell you this. A vision board will help you visualize this. This is a visual anchor to remind you of where you want to be or plan to go in the next 5 to 10 years. If you decide to hire someone to help you bolster this vision, you will avoid those who don’t see it and try to convince you to go in another direction.

  Not all experts are gold stars. Even great advice can be bad advice. So many people had great ideas but then were steered away from them because they trusted someone else’s vision. Your vision was planted in your heart for a reason. So, remain clear and steadfast. Stay the course, like the best of the best who were beverage innovators of their time.

You’re Not Stuck

a chalkboard showing the steps from vision to mission to strategy to action plan

  Once you have decided to make the shift and start devising a plan to make your beverage stand out, do not limit your possibilities. You are never stuck; you are just afraid. People often confuse fear with being stuck. With limited budgets or teams, it can appear this way. Fortunately, we live in a world where communication is at your fingertips. Your entry into the market is made easier, and barriers can be overcome.

  Did you know that the founders of Airbnb first started their business by renting air mattresses to pay their rent? Or that John Schnatter, the founder of Papa John’s, started with rented equipment in a broom closet, his goal was to make enough money to date? You could be the next Ben Weiss, who launched his beverage brand Bai in his basement. His brand was acquired for $ 1.7 billion. When there’s money, there’s a way, of course, but when there is a WILL, there is a way.

  The problem most people face is that they are not running their own race. Competition will always exist. Consumers will always have choices. Spending your time worrying about this will set you back. Look ahead and be thankful that the market exists. Imagine a world where only one beverage existed. Only one flavor by one brand. Life would be quite boring. Like nature, a forest full of trees is a forest full of trees, each with a unique story and distinct markings. Your beverage is a tree in that forest, and the people going on a hike through it will see you. They want to know what your story is and how you contribute to the beverage ecosystem.

Start the Beverage Revolution

the people's brew and beer revolusion poster

  It is exciting to think that there is a founder somewhere crafting a new beverage idea from their kitchen. It is exciting to know that there are beverage brands that are bold enough to try something new, to be the rebels of the beverage industry. What do you have to lose? There is so much to gain if you approach this with a fearless mindset. There are so many reasons why you should not start. If you ever ask someone in the beverage industry, they will often tell you all the reasons why it is a bad idea.

  Isn’t it funny that someone who is doing something you desire deters you? You can see this as an opportunity to propel yourself forward into the unknown and write your own beverage brand story or give up. Look back and realize the what ifs you had control of.

What if you tried? What if you did things a little differently? What if their story is not your own?

  No one will know unless you try. What is in a world-class beverage brand is the person who believed in their product. That never doubted that theirs is nothing like the others, just one sip, taste buds enlivened, and an industry transformed by you and your beverage.

From Distilleries to Destinations

Cyndi

Exploring the whiskey tourism trend

Water tower with Buffalo Trace Distillery on it

By Alyssa L. Ochs

In recent years, there’s been a rise in whiskey tourism experiences as people seek to dive deeper into whiskey-making traditions and experimentation. Whiskey tourism is a travel experience that goes beyond basic tours and tastings, offering enthusiasts immersive journeys that pair rich local history with artisanal craft, and perhaps even food pairings and special events.

  Industry experts have been predicting a boom in whiskey tourism in 2026 and beyond, as more distilleries explore the possibilities of becoming weekend getaway destinations. Rather than just stopping by for a tasting, there’s a push for authentic, hyperlocal, sensory travel experiences, such as behind-the-scenes tours and themed educational sessions.

  Beverage Master connected with a few distilleries to learn more about whiskey tourism offerings and what whiskey lovers are looking for in their next big adventure.

Buffalo Trace Distillery – Three Unique Experiences 

  Based in Frankfort, Kentucky, Buffalo Trace Distillery’s general manager, Tyler Adams, told Beverage Master about their three unique tour experiences for guests. He said that all tours are complimentary and include a tasting at the end.

  Adams explained that the Trace Tour is Buffalo Trace’s introductory tour that covers history and production methods.

  “Guests will walk the path of rolling bourbon barrels and be captivated by the smell and atmosphere of bourbon in the air,” Adams said. “Highlights of this tour include learning how the barrel gives flavor to the bourbon, stepping inside aging warehouses to discover aging techniques and seeing bourbon being dumped from barrels before heading off to see the craft of hand-bottling in in our Blanton’s Bottling Hall.”

  The second option is Buffalo Trace’s Old Taylor Tour, which offers a deeper exploration of the history of the distillery.

  “Guests will visit the Old Taylor House, the O.F.C. Building, O.F.C. Fermenter #7 nicknamed “Old Taylor” and finally Warehouse C, where you will see both the remnants and still-standing structures of what Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Taylor built,” Adams said. “Those on this tour will learn about Taylor’s desire for perfection and purity in the bourbon making processes and how he helped craft the industry as it is today.”

  A third option is the Hard Hat Tour, a behind-the-scenes journey through the entire bourbon-making process.

  “Guests will see the distillation process first-hand: from the grain delivery and mashing in our recently installed 20,000-gallon mash cookers, to fermentation and distillation,” Adams said. “The tour includes a stop at the E.H. Taylor, Jr. Microstill, where the Distillery’s unique and award-winning Experimental Collection whiskeys are made, and finishes in our state-of-the-art Dryhouse in the repurposed Warehouse B, built in 1881.”

  For guests who don’t have time for a full tour, Buffalo Trace Distillery also hosts guided tastings every day, and walk-ins are welcome.

  When asked about the favorite parts of customers’ visits, Adams shared the variety of after-hours events, such as seasonal experiences and brand programming.

  “All events at Buffalo Trace Distillery are designed to be welcoming to all guests, whether bourbon enthusiast or bourbon curious,” Adams said. “We believe our guests most appreciate how up close and personal they are with the distillery’s operation. Authenticity is very important to us, and we love that our guests can be ‘in the action,’ seeing barrels rolling, barrel dumping and hand bottling.”

A. Smith Bowman Distillery –An Immersive Stroll Through History

tour guide speaking to tourists at A Smith Bowman Distillery

  Beverage Master also asked David Bock, head distiller for A. Smith Bowman Distillery in Fredericksburg, Virginia about his opinions on whiskey tourism. The A. Smith Bowman Distillery is a small craft distillery and the oldest distillery in the state. Until the 1950s, it was the sole producer of legal whiskey in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

  Bock said that his distillery tour takes guests on a stroll through time to learn all about the distilling, barreling and bottling processes.

  “See up close the details on every process, from fermentation of our mash to filling our stills – nicknamed ‘Mary’ and ‘George,’ which pay homage to the parents of the Bowman Brothers. At the end of the tour guests will enjoy a delicious, guided tasting of our award-winning bourbons and other spirits.”

  Bock has found that guests are drawn to A. Smith Bowman Distillery’s interactive cocktail classes, behind-the-scenes access, small-group settings, and direct interaction with the distillery staff. He said these are favorites because they make the experiences feel immersive and intentional.

  “Small hands-on demonstrations give guests practical skills they can use at home, which increases their knowledge of our products and enjoyment beyond the event itself,” Bock explained. “During these events, they enjoy the opportunity to engage directly with distillery staff, making the brand more approachable and memorable. Select events offer access to areas of the distillery not typically offered on a standard tour, which fosters a deeper connection to the craft. This exclusive access is especially favored by our repeat customers because it keeps the experience feeling new and exciting each time.”

Kings County Distillery – The “Why” Behind the Craft

tour guide showing tourists Kings County Distillery

  Another distillery, Kings County Distillery in Brooklyn, New York, also shared its take on whiskey tourism with us. The distillery’s co-founder and distiller, Colin Spoelman, told Beverage Master Magazine that they offer two different tours, the Distillery Tour and Top-Shelf Tour.

  “The Top Shelf Tour is a little longer and goes into the history of distilling in New York City and includes a tasting of our more high-end spirits,” Spoelman said. “We also offer a whiskey tasting class twice a week.”

  “We also offer seasonally inspired thematic tours, including our Dead Distillers Tour, Bluegrass in Brooklyn, pirate tours, and women’s, Irish-American, and Black history-focused offerings,” Spoelman continued.

  Spoelman said that for most distilleries, the tour is a creation that follows an existing brand, whereas Kings County Distillery began with education to help consumers understand how different they were from the standard whiskeys.

  “We make all our spirits in house, something that was rare for distillers when we first launched 16 years ago,” Spoelman explained. “So, understanding why that was important and different was crucial — we led people down a rabbit hole that clued them into the idea that everything they had learned about whiskey, all the small batch, and down-home marketing was really a pretense from global, often absentee owners that didn’t really know American whiskey consumers and what they wanted. We were happy to give it to them: both in the form of the what but also the why. That was particularly important to our visitor experience. We also put a lot of focus on our physical space, in historic buildings in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, next to the former distillery district of Brooklyn in Irishtown.”

Whiskey’s Appeal to Weekend Travelers

  Adams from Buffalo Trace Distillery shared with Beverage Master Magazine that there are excellent opportunities in the industry to attract visitors beyond loyal locals.

  “Travelers are often looking for little getaways and it’s important to offer something that goes a little further than a standard tour offerings,” Adams said. “This could be an exclusive tasting, chance to buy a special bottle of bourbon or meet someone from the team. We also think there is a great opportunity to welcome those who are bourbon curious but might find a distillery experience intimidating. For this, curating an experience that meets these guests wherever they are in their bourbon journey is key.”

  Bock from A. Smith Bowman Distillery has observed that guests are looking for an immersive experience that engages in as many senses as possible.

  “At A. Smith Bowman Distillery, we offer guests the opportunity to see up close how our spirits are made, to speak directly with tour guides to ask questions about our history, to taste our spirits in a guided setting and to leave with their favorite bottle in hand,” Bock said. “Attracting guests beyond local whiskey enthusiasts can come in many forms, such as signature tasting events, cocktail tastings or events that incorporate music or food. We believe the key is to offer an experience that meet guests where they are, either bourbon novice or bourbon curious.”

  Spoelman from Kings County Distillery told Beverage Master Magazine that it has been more challenging to attract travelers post-pandemic, but that they are finally starting to see a more adventurous mindset return.

  “We’ve also seen less interest as wellness trends push people away from alcohol,” Spoelman said. “Still, we think knowing about booze and being educated is the best way to be mindful and thoughtful about consumption, and to that end, we do think we can attract more of the general population. It’s a challenge to be able to offer an experience that caters both to total novices but also great enthusiasts, and yet the very best immersive tours and experiences manage to do this — you could argue it’s the fundamental challenge and how you organize speaks to the ambitions of a brand.”

Whiskey Tourism and Local Economies

  Travelers are increasingly seeking the next exciting thing when planning a trip, and whiskey tourism is often a unique and enticing option. Adams from Buffalo Trace Distillery explained that, where they are in Kentucky, whiskey tourism is a major driver of the state and local economies.

  “Distilleries like Buffalo Trace play a meaningful role in sustaining this year-round, as visitors come to experience the history and craftsmanship of Kentucky bourbon at any time,” Adams said. “Most often, visitors build entire trips around visiting Kentucky distilleries, which drives extended stays and supports hotels, restaurants, transportation providers and small businesses throughout the region.”

  Bock agreed that whiskey tourism is a powerful economic driver because it attracts visitors from across the country and around the world to spend time and money locally.

  “Guests who come for a distillery tour often extend their stay to dine at nearby restaurants, shop local retailers and stay at hotels,” Bock said. “When done thoughtfully, whiskey tourism strengthens the connection between a distillery and its community, while contributing to long-term growth for the region.”

  “I’ve always felt that we have something in common with breweries and baseball teams — we help define a city’s culture and hold a much more important role in that than sales always determine,” said Spoelman from Kings County Distillery. “That’s also a great responsibility.”

  He explained that when you make whiskey for Brooklyn or even all of New York City, you must speak to the entirety of the community.

  “Fortunately for us, New York is a city that is ambitious, smart, savvy, creative, gastronomical, infused with history, brash, bold…all the things you could ever want in a whiskey,” Spoelman said. “So, to be able to embody that spirit – in our spirits –  is a great opportunity that we enjoy and a great challenge we are excited to meet every day.”

Welcome to the New Future of Whiskey Tourism

  As distilleries like these three have discovered, whiskey tourism is more than just a fad – it has become a thriving sector of the travel industry. Distilleries that are now open to innovating their offerings offer a rich menu of experiences to explore. Meanwhile, tourism initiatives like the American Whiskey Trail, which spans multiple states, are combining education and cultural heritage with the history of American spirits.

  For experienced spirits enthusiasts and adventurous travelers alike, the whiskey tourism of the future promises a journey that’s just as memorable as the pour.

American Single Malt Whiskey

Cyndi

Celebrating the first anniversary of American single malt whiskey

A bottle labled Copper Works distilling co laying in a bed of barley

By Becky Garrison

January 19, 2026, marked a historic milestone—the first official anniversary of American Single Malt Whiskey’s (ASMW) federal recognition as a distinct category, the first new whiskey type added to U.S. regulations in over 56 years. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau officially added the new Standard of Identity to Part 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations on December 18th, 2024. This regulation went into effect on January 19, 2025.

  According to Jason Moore, Managing Director, Westland Distillery (Seattle, WA), given that American Single Malt has always been at the core of who they are, seeing it formally recognized as a category feels like a milestone not just for Westland, but for everyone who’s been working toward this for years.

  Steve Hawley kickstarted the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission (ASMWC) while he was at Westland, along with co-founder Matt Hofmann, who is currently overseeing the whiskey program at Talking Cedar. Quickly, they recognized that, as a distillery exclusively dedicated to ASMW, they would face major challenges competing commercially without a formal category to hang their hat on.

  They put out an invite to those distilleries they knew were making ASMW to join them for a meeting in Chicago in March 2016 during the American Craft Spirits Association’s  annual convention. The goal was to outline a definition for the category and discuss what steps we could take to not only petition for that definition to be adopted by TTB but also what other activities we could do to establish and grow the category in the marketplace.

  According to Hawley, “Without our petitioning the TTB for a formal definition and the nearly nine years of education, advocacy, and pressuring, this would never have happened.” Among the challenges the ASMWC faced in getting this designation approved were the need to draft a Standard of Identity (definition) that met the expectations globally of what single malt whiskey is but still leave room for American creativity. As expected, they received pushback from those who own brands in Scotland and insisted that ASMW needed to follow the strict rules established for Scotch in order to use the word “single malt.”

  Ultimately this definition needed to be in line with how TTB defined the broader classes of whiskey and conform to the way regulations for whiskeys are articulated. The criteria for a whiskey approved by the TTB to be designated as an American Single Malt can be found in this article (Beverage Master, February/March 2025).

  Another key challenge was the need to gain industry census among fellow distillers as to how to distinguish ASMW from other whiskeys. While most distillers concurred with the criteria for a whiskey to be designated as an ASMW, a few distillers producing a single malt at over 160 proof objected to being excluded from this designation that requires that ASMW are distilled to a proof of 160 or less. In addition, some distillers producing other single-grain whiskeys indicated a desire for these whiskeys to achieve recognition as well.

  Also, those distillers who blend whiskeys from barrels distilled at multiple locations expressed concern that whiskeys not originating from the same distillery location could not be labeled “single malt” even though they were produced by the same company or brand. Under the final regulations, the wort can be produced elsewhere but any whiskey labeled “single malt’ must be distilled at one facility.

  Along those lines, the ASMWC needed to educate key staff at TTB about the nuances of ASMW, and how this whiskey differed from the other whiskeys already approved by the TTB such as corn, rye, rye malt, and wheat. Finally, they needed to demonstrate that their petition was in the best interest of consumers, especially those accustomed to Scotch Whisky.

How This ASM Designation Impacted Pacific Northwest Whiskey Distilleries

  For Caitlin Bartlemay, Master Distiller for Clear Creek Distillery and Hood River Distillers (Hood River, OR), the ASMW designation was the final hurdle in legitimacy for McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt, the first single malt whiskey distilled in the US by Steve McCarthy over 25 years ago. As she proclaims, “The passion that formed the ASMWC, the creativity that has spawned over 250 entries to the category BEFORE it was an official category, and it’s an incredible thing to be part of the continued drive we all share to see American Single Malt flourish across America.”

  Jason Parker, co-founder of Copperworks Distilling Co., recalls feeling relieved when the TTB announced the news of this new category before the close of 2024. “We all just felt it was really important for the TTB to publish the final rule before the end of the year, because who knew what was coming next year.” Following this ratification, Copperworks spent the next year celebrating this news by educating consumers and whiskey distributors along with bars and restaurants, about this new category.

  While the distinctive characteristics of a “good bourdon” have been standardized, Parker notes how American Single Malt Whiskey doesn’t have that requirement. He reflects, “With American single malt whiskey, the consumer can experiment even further with flavors.”

  The Pacific Northwest’s focus as a hub for growing barley creates opportunities for considerable innovation for both brewers and single malt producers with a sizable number of distillers coming from brewing backgrounds. For example, Parker was the first head brewer for Seattle-based Pike Brewing Company when it opened in 1989. Also, this region’s strong food and drink culture focuses on local products made using organic and sustainable means including ASMW.

  Moore has observed how this destination gives whiskey consumers clarity. “Before, American Single Malt required a lot of explanation. Now there’s a shared language that helps people understand what they’re buying and why it’s different. We’ve seen growing curiosity and confidence from both consumers and the trade. The category feels more legitimate, more discoverable, and more future facing, which has helped accelerate interest in a meaningful way.”

The Future of

American Single Malt

  While American Single Malt remains a small percentage of the overall whiskey sales, it appears to be the one category not impacted by the recent downturns in whiskey sales. Parker attributes this in part to their focus on supporting local producers and making community connections. “Unless you’re one of the big brands that can continue to fight by lowering prices, becoming a national brand is too expensive to win.” But by maintaining their regional focus, Copperworks along with select other Pacific Northwest distilleries like Westland can offer flavor-focused single malts unique to this region. As Moore notes, “This opportunity isn’t just to grow volume, but to build a category that earns long-term trust and relevance.”

  Bartlemay adds that in this challenging marketplace ASMW is winning its fight for shelf space. “There is more consumer interest, which is driving media interest, which drives consumer interest!” She observes how ASMW events are getting bigger and taking place more often, with events happening across the country. “It is an amazing position as a category to be standing at the crossroads of tradition, innovation, creativity, and flavor,” she adds.

  Moving forward, the ASMWC has several trade-focused programs in the works and continued consumer education programs as well as working to spread the word for their members. According to Hawley, they’re also looking to engage new distilleries all the time. Currently, they have 116 members in the Commission but there are about 250 distilleries or so in the U.S. currently making single malt. They hope they can grow their ranks in 2026 to make their voice even louder.

Minding Your Beverage Business Mantra

Cyndi

The power of manifestation through positive affirmation

human head with a symbol of bright light and intersecting curves and shapes

By Raj Tulshan, Founder & Managing Partner, Loan Mantra

New year, new you! A new year brings the opportunity for a business refresh and positive change. Many Americans turn the calendar and plan New Year’s resolutions as rite of passage each year.  But planning and keeping these resolutions is often easier said than done. However, a Quickbooks survey indicates that business owners may carry higher levels of ambition than those with no entrepreneurial interest. Business owners are more likely to make (and stick to) financial goals than the average consumer—65% say they tend to keep their financial resolutions.1 

  Interestingly, new data also shows that what’s on the mind of business owners in 2026 is different than in year’s past. New Year’s Resolutions made for 2026 reveal notable shifts in how business owners view the current business climate and what priorities matter when compared to resolutions that were made in previous years.

  Prior to 2026, we see resolutions centered on increasing sales, improving marketing efforts, cutting costs and boosting efficiency. In contrast, 2026 New Year’s Resolutions are more future focused with long-term thinking in mind. Goals for 2026 focus on building financial resilience, accelerating adoption of smart tools and technology, strengthening digital presence, sustainability and investing in workplace culture and people says findings from a Bank of America Study. The research further reveals that 74% of small and midsize business owners anticipate revenue growth in 2026 with over half, (60%) planning to expand their operations.2 

  So, what is the key takeaway? A renewed focus on the positive in the business landscape.

A Positive Focus

  Focusing on the positive, re-enforcing and repeating positive statements, or affirmations can have a powerful effect. Studies indicate that affirmative self-talk can re-wire critical neurotransmitters that fuse connections together in the brain. Writing down these affirmations further engages the reward and self-processing areas of the mind, enhancing concentration, improving performance under stress. Positive affirmations don’t just feel good—there’s research to back up their many benefits. Whether it’s improving mental well-being, shaping attention toward success-oriented actions, or aligning with a deeper purpose, the benefits are real and the impact is measurable.

A Mindful Purpose

  Developing a mantra is one way to use positively focused affirmations with intention. The word mantra originated in India and was derived from combining the Sanskrit, root word man- “to think” and -tra meaning, “tool”, together to mean “instrument of thought” or tool for the mind. Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism use mantras as part of sacred ancient practices to harness spiritual power and alter consciousness. Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Islam and Christianity also use a similar idea of repeating words, either a prayer or phrase to bring enlightenment or as way to worship.

  In the secular space, mantras serve a variety of functions and are especially popular as aids to help mindfulness, deepen concentration and increase awareness. In business, a mantra is a future-focused statement that defines your business as you want it to be. Clarity of your business purpose is not only important to business owners, employees, and shareholders, but clients and potential customers too. Research by McKinsey shows that 82% of respondents say purpose statements are important in business, and 72% believe purpose should outweigh profit.3

  Mantras help shape what we notice and focus on collectively in a positive direction. Psychologists call this confirmation bias. This means your brain starts noticing and signaling opportunities that align with your desired outcome. Practicing and repeating mantras helps replace negative thoughts with positive ones, encouraging optimism, resilience, and growth. In a study done with U.S. Veterans, mantra repetition was associated with greater reductions in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and anger and helped improve mental health.

Team Alignment for Successful Outcomes

  Mantras are part of our company culture and belief systems – so much so, that we use this practice daily. We are convinced of the power of positive suggestion and manifestation, which have made a big impact on our growth. When creating our mantra, we wanted to convey how our human expertise, secure technology, and painless platform allow borrowers, lenders, and partners to fund loans easily and efficiently anytime and anywhere. With this in mind, we created the mantra: Democratized lending for all.

  Business owners and leaders are discovering the performance secrets that elite athletes already know.5 Intentional thoughts or minding your mantra, repetition, and focusing on the desired outcome can help manifest your dreams in personal and professional life, leading you on the road to victory and long-term value.

How to Create Your Own business Mantra

  Ready to develop a business mantra that reflects your company? The first step is to write a few short powerful phrases that capture the essence of your business. Ask yourself (and maybe grab partners, customers or associates to help) — why does your business exist, who do you serve, what sets you apart and what feeling you deliver. Think beyond the obvious answers. To create a compelling business mantra, follow these steps:

1.  Craft Short, Powerful Phrases:  Begin by capturing the essence of your business in just 2-5 words. Reflect on your core purpose, the audience you serve, and the impact you wish to make. Keep in mind that a mantra is more than a tagline—it’s an expression of your business’s truth.

2.  Clarify Your Why: Articulate the true impact of your business in 1-2 concise sentences. For instance, you might say, “We help small businesses feel confident managing their finances.” This step requires you to dig deep into the real reason your business exists and the difference it makes.

3.  Define Your Audience and Impact: Specify who your audience is and what you offer them. Consider the transformation or change your brand brings to your customers. An example statement could be, “We turn confusion into clarity.” This ensures that your mantra is aligned with the needs and experiences of your audience.

4. Describe Your Actions:

     Use strong, active language to describe what your business does. Choose words that are bold and human. Examples of action-oriented phrases include Inspire Confidence, Simplify Growth, or Empower Every Client. These should reflect the dynamic actions your business takes to achieve its goals.

5.  Choose the True Mantra: Gather feedback from your team or customers to ensure your chosen mantra resonates well with them and aligns with your brand values. This collaborative step helps in fine-tuning your mantra to reflect the collective vision of your business.

6. Test, Trial and Use Your Mantra: Say your mantra aloud to confirm it energizes and motivates you. Integrate it into your internal materials and use it as a guide in decision-making processes. Consistently reinforce it within your company culture and marketing efforts to ensure it becomes an integral part of your business identity.

  For more information contact Raj Tulshan the author, visit loanmantra.com or https://www.linkedin.com/in/tulshan/.

Sources:

1.    QuickBooks. “Entrepreneurship in 2025: The Trends and Insights You Need to Know | QuickBooks.” Intuit.com, 17 Dec. 2024, quickbooks.intuit.com/r/small-business-data/entrepreneurship-in-2025/#resolutions. Accessed 20 Nov. 2025.

2.   “BofA Report: 74% of Small and Mid-Sized Business Owners Expect Revenue to Increase in the next Year.” Bank of America, 2025, newsroom.bankofamerica.com/content/newsroom/press-releases/2025/11/bofa-report–74–of-small-and-mid-sized-business-owners-expect-r.html. Accessed 20 Nov. 2025.

3.   Mckinsey. “Corporate Purpose: Shifting from Why to How | McKinsey.” Www.mckinsey.com, 22 Apr. 2020, www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/purpose-shifting-from-why-to-how.

4.   Malaktaris A, McLean CL, Mallavarapu S, Herbert MS, Kelsven S, Bormann JE, Lang AJ. Higher frequency of mantram repetition practice is associated with enhanced clinical benefits among United States Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2022 Jun 10;13(1):2078564. doi: 10.1080/20008198.2022.2078564. PMID: 35713599; PMCID: PMC9196752.

5.         Hatzigeorgiadis, A., Zourbanos, N., Galanis, E., & Theodorakis, Y. (2011). Self-Talk and Sports Performance: A Meta-Analysis. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6(4), 348-356. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691611413136 (Original work published 2011)

American Gin

Cyndi

Your how-to guide for developing world class gin

a glass of gin next to various small bottles containing herbs and spices and other ingredients

By Kris Bohm, Distillery Now Consulting

The process of developing a new gin can be a fun trip into the world of flavor and the many possibilities of flavors that can be extracted from unique botanicals through ethanol distillation. While at first the concept of developing gin may seem daunting to a distiller, the process of making a great gin can be simplified by following our handy dandy gin distillation guide.

  Before we jump right into the process let’s take a quick moment to go over what gin is and is not. In America gin is traditionally made from a neutral spirit that is redistilled with botanicals to create a flavored spirit that is gin.

  A typical gin will have juniper and coriander as its primary botanicals with many other botanicals also adding flavor to the spirit.

  In Europe and beyond gin is often a much broader term to define a spirit redistilled with almost any type of fresh botanical or ingredient. There are even some gins that taste more like fresh cucumber than juniper. I find it helpful for a distiller who is looking to make gin to understand the category of gin well, before beginning the endeavor of developing their own. This process of tasting some commercial produced gins made by other distillers is an excellent way to find inspiration for your own gin.

  With that said let’s dive right into the process of distilling with botanicals to start your journey with gin. It is important we take a moment to note that home distillation is not legal on a federal level in the United States. As always, if you intend to distill, we recommend doing it legally and that you secure the proper state and federal permits.

  For initial product development it is best to distill on a small scale and do concept trials. You can do good product development work with a small lab 1 liter glass still. Glass lab stills which utilize hot plates as a heat source and domestic water for condenser cooling are easy to work with and relatively inexpensive. Glass laboratory stills can be procured with a botanical basket for vapor infusion of botanicals.

many ingredients used to make gin are spilling out of glass bottles onto a table

  For the neutral spirit being redistilled, we recommend a sourced a clean neutral spirit (like vodka or grain neutral spirits) diluted to 40% ABV. It is unsafe to place any spirits in a still higher than 50% so we recommend 40% as a starting point for botanical distillation. It is critical to take detailed notes throughout this process to create replicable results.

  The only difference between science and screwing around is taking good notes. So, take good notes though the whole process and you’ll be better able to produce replicable results. Weigh all ingredients, take notes on yield. Take notes on flavors. This process of note taking will be essential as you move further into product development.

  The botanicals themselves are essential to the quality of your gin. Not everyone has fresh juniper growing in their backyard, so a distiller often must look to buy juniper from a commercial botanical supplier.

  Now, while you can find botanicals quick and easy on Amazon, it is important to talk about freshness and quality. The freshness and overall quality of a botanical is paramount in producing a good gin. Buying botanicals directly from reputable botanical companies will help to ensure you are working with high quality ingredients. Fresh juniper will be soft when squeezed, slightly sticky inside and very aromatic.

  If you buy juniper that is shriveled and bone dry, it will likely not make a good gin. Botanicals of all varieties are a seasonal agricultural product. Taking the time to understand the seasonality of some ingredients can help to make the best possible gin. For example, if you are making gin with citrus, it is helpful to buy it and distill it fresh during harvest season.

  Distillers frequently contemplate using many different botanicals when crafting a gin. Understanding how each botanical contributes to the flavor of gin is not easy to do.

  During product development the best way to develop your palate to recognize botanical influence is through single botanical distillation. This process is in essence placing neutral spirit in your still and adding a single botanical to the still, then distilling the spirit to extract flavor from the botanical. This will yield a spirit that is solely the single flavor of a botanical.

  By doing a single distillation of each botanical it will help you develop your product in two ways. First it helps in that you can taste each botanical individually to understand the essence of its flavor. Once you have gained an understanding of flavor you can then work on blending the spirits from your single botanical distillations to create a complete gin. As we get in more detail, we discuss quantities and ratios to give you a starting point for development.

  Now that you have a variety of flavored spirits you have distilled via Single Botanical distillation it is time to get into blending. The best starting point for blending is to understand common gin botanical ratios.

  In a glass while weighing out your distillates a simple starting point could look like…

60-grams juniper

10-grams coriander

2-grams Angelica

2-grams bitter orange peel

2-grams lemon peel

1-gram orris root

1 gram cardamom

1-gram cinnamon bark

1-gram grains of paradise

1 gram cassia

  After you have blended all these individual distillates into a jar, you should take a moment to make sure you have written down all the blending work that created this gin. This newly created gin will need to be diluted to bring the spirit down to a bottling strength. Add a bit of distilled water to reduce the concentration of alcohol.

  The ideal concentration is somewhere between 40-50% Alcohol by volume. Your gin is now ready to taste. Taste the gin and consider the overall flavor profile. If some botanicals are lacking, then add a bit more of that botanical distillate to the blend. If a certain botanical is overpowering, then create a new blend with different ratios.

  This process of blending and tasting can feel arduous and may take many tries to get just right. It is worth the work to do this blending process. It will not only ensure your gin is excellent but create a solid base to scale up your gin production. Once you have found a blend that you love it is time to scale up the recipe and make a big batch of gin.

  Scaling up production can be done in a few different ways. The most common way to scale up is to do what is known as single shot gin distillation. Single shot distillation consists of adding neutral spirits to the still along with all botanicals then redistilling the spirit to create a gin.

  After distillation the only thing added to the gin is water to dilute its strength. Determining how much of each botanical to add to the gin should be done using a multiplier based upon the quantities that went into your original blends. It is important to note that all stills behave a bit differently.

  You may find that your scaled up gin recipe may differ a bit in flavor from the lab scale recipe. As you have individual botanical distillates you can tailor the gin with the additional of single botanicals to adjust the flavor of the product if adjustments are needed.

  The development and creation of gin is a fun endeavor in the world of botanicals. Good gin takes work to create and has the potential to be a great product in your distillery lineup.

  How Aviation Gin is Made

Kris Bohm is the owner of Distillery Now Consulting and over 10-year industry distiller. When Bohm is not making gin, you can find him pursuing two wheeled adventures around the world.

The Evolution of Craft Beer 

Cyndi

The craft beer industry was built by people who had been to the promised land and seen the light!

two beer mugs full of beer clinking together and causing beer foam to shoot up out of the mugs

By Erik Lars Myers

That promised land was usually somewhere in Europe, and the light was not all that light. It was a revelatory moment in which a drinker found themselves confronted with beers that were not the light, bland, American-style macro lager they knew at home, but rather beers that were dark, moody, and hoppy. They were beers bursting with flavor and individuality, something that those American beers lacked. Those people returned from their promised land as evangelists, priests of a new order built to spread the gospel of those beers to a new, insulated, naïve market. Craft beer was born.

  The roots of what we learned to see as normal craft beer offerings came through the lens of one book. It is so ubiquitous in the craft beer industry that some older beer veterans have referred to it as “the Bible”. The reverence with which Charlie Papazian’s book The Complete Joy of Homebrewing has been treated, as well as Papazian himself, who recently retired from the Brewers Association, makes it easy to draw a direct line from that book to the development of the modern beer industry.

  Ignore, for a moment, that many professional brewers still brew with the dated knowledge presented in that book: knowledge that still makes great homebrew but is fairly basic for a professional brewery. The recipes presented in the book in the 1970s are the harbingers of the industry’s path to maturation some 15 to 20 years later.

beer glasses full of beer of different colors and glasses different sizes

  By the 1990s, in the first big boom of the craft brewing industry, every brewery in the country worth its salt was putting out the same simple lineup: Golden Ales, Brown Ales, Pale Ales, IPAs, and Porters or Stouts. All the flavors of beer. Breweries with extra tank space might have thrown in the occasional lager, but since money and space were often limited, lagers sometimes fell by the wayside. Invention and innovation in the brewing industry leapt directly from Charlie’s books. He published what was probably the first pumpkin beer recipe. He let us know that honey was a great addition to brown ales, that fruit belonged in dark beers, and that historic styles that no longer existed were cool.

  At the same time, the beer industry itself was working as hard as it possibly could to lower the barrier of entry to open a brewery. As startup brewers were treated like royalty by eager homebrewers, those brewing pioneers began to release books regaling fans with the tales of opening a brewery and all of their mistakes, so that you – the eager reader – would not be doomed to repeat them. It seemed like writing a business book was a prerequisite for owning a nationally-distributed brewery for a decade or so. Ken Grossman (Sierra Nevada), Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head), Jim Koch (Sam Adams), Tony Magee (Lagunitas), Steve Hindy (Brooklyn), Tom Schlafly (Schlafly), and James Watt (Brew Dog) among others have all written books about starting their breweries that, to some degree or other – mostly blatantly – encourage the reader to believe the idea that starting a brewery is an achievable task, even if you don’t know what you’re doing.

  The Brewers’ Association itself followed suit by releasing a book plainly titled “Starting Your Own Brewery”. The first edition was a loosely tied together collection of academic articles and essays that acted as a dry review of boilers and floor sealants of the 1990s, but the second edition was transformed into an easy manual to start a brewery by Dick Cantwell (Elysian, Magnolia). The Siebel Institute of Brewing Technology even went so far as to hold a “How to Start a Brewery” course using that book as a rough textbook. The course did not teach people to make beer or run a business. It taught people how to start a brewery.

man holding glass full of beer in the production room of a brewery

And so, the barrier to entry became the notion that “It’s just so crazy it might work” and the finances to afford the most minimal amount of equipment. Buoyed by an industry (and industry association) that boasted double digit growth numbers for 20+ years, banks were eager to throw loans at anybody who could write a passionate business plan.

  But when those breweries started, they were different than the earlier ones. They were not built by the originators and inventors, the people that had traveled abroad and found new ideas to bring home. They were started by their fans. They were started by eager homebrewers who wanted to do the same thing their heroes did, and when they started breweries, they started homebreweries instead.

  Over the past decade and more, homebrew took a natural step from Charlie Papazian’s creative recipe starts into the concept of Extreme Brewing. You can thank Beer Advocate for it. Though their tame definition, “A beer that pushes the boundaries of brewing” is an easy definition to apply to even, say, the latest trends of non-alcoholic beers and low-cal IPAs, their intent was made clear in their preference for high alcohol offerings and rare, outlandish ingredients that was showcased on their website, and at Beer Advocate’s Extreme Beer Fest.

  In breweries at the time, these extreme beers were fairly uncommon. Dogfish Head’s brewers stood out among their peers as the people who were most likely to throw lobster in the boil kettle, or have their entire staff chew corn to make a traditional chicha, but in homebrew it was an easy step. Ingredients that are off-limits to commercial brewers due to cost, scale, or regulatory reasons pose no impediment to a homebrewer.

  The only thing stopping any homebrewer from making a beer out of 10 lbs of Snickers bars is the cost of 10 lbs of Snickers bars.

  For years, the Brewers’ Association had a mantra based on fear: Quality is the most important thing. The fear was that a potential customer would try craft beer for the first time and it would be terrible and they would never try any craft beer ever again. The idea that a macro American lager drinker would walk into a craft brewery, drink a sub-par IPA, and then give up forever is a myth. Instead, that drinker tried beer again, maybe not that day, but at some point. Everybody drinks craft beer now, macro American lager drinkers.

  For years, craft breweries were not at the mercy of their customer’s tastes, they defined them. Now, the educational period is over.

  When thousands of homebreweries started throughout the country, they brought their recipes with them and taught millions of craft beer fans to love what they made: chock full of lactose, breakfast cereal, candy bars, fruit, and all kinds of sugars. More and more brewers experimented with more and more ways to get hops into beer, because they had been trained by those giant hopheads of yesteryear, and they found the gold mine in New England IPAs.

  Today, our most successful small breweries flourish on a small variation of hazy IPAs, fruited sours, and dessert stouts. Our most successful large breweries cling to the waning popularity of their flagships in a broken distribution system.

  Now, most craft beer fans value alcohol, adjuncts, and adjectives over quality and classic styles.

  And they should. We taught them to.  The only way back to classics is forward through education and inspiration of a whole new set of craft beer fans.

  Erik Lars Myers is an author, brewer, and lover of beer. He strives toward innovation every day while supporting the Southern Beer Economy by using brewing ingredients sourced and grown across the American South.

Stop Playing Safe!

Cyndi

What a frozen herb brand can teach beverage makers about standing out

stop playing it stafe start standing out

By Jake Ahles, Morel Creative

Too often, beverage brands play it safe. Scroll through social feeds or flip through trade publications and you will see the same creative patterns on repeat: a glistening bottle, a slow pour, a moody cocktail in soft window light. It’s beautiful, but predictable.

  And predictability rarely builds momentum.

  That’s why one of the most inspiring campaigns I have seen recently didn’t come from a distillery or brewery — it came from a frozen herb brand.

The Safe Trap

  In the craft beverage world, “good creative” often means “safe creative.” Founders and marketers play by invisible rules meant to fit the category:

•     Use lifestyle photography, not humor.

•     Talk about the process, not the people.

•     Highlight the ingredients, not the impact.

  But safe creative doesn’t drive sales. It preserves comfort.

  When everyone’s following the same playbook, the brands that win are the ones bold enough to break patterns – not by being loud, but by being real.

That’s what Dorot Gardens did. And it is exactly what beverage makers can learn from.

The Dorot Story: From Freezer Aisle to Brand Momentum

  Dorot Gardens makes pre-portioned frozen herbs and vegetables. A category that’s functional, not sexy. A product people love when they try it but often forget exists.

  When our team collaborated on their new campaign, the goal wasn’t to invent a new story — it was to reignite an old one with clarity and energy.

  The concept was simple: “Make a Note to Grab Dorot.”

  Instead of over-romanticizing fresh herbs or focusing on ingredients, we leaned into honesty and self-awareness. The campaign admitted exactly what it was — a reminder. A wink to the shopper who forgets until they’re already in the store.

  The tone was fresh, fun, and confident. The visuals were bright and intentional. Every shot, every tagline, every frame was designed to make you smile and remember.

  The result wasn’t just a clever ad — it became an organizing idea that unified the brand’s story across packaging, digital, retail, and trade.

Why It Worked (and Why Beverage Brands Should Take Note))

  Dorot’s success came down to three core principles that apply just as much to spirits, beer, and RTDs as they do to frozen garlic cubes.

1.    Energy is Contagious:

      When a brand expresses joy and confidence, it changes how people engage with it.

      Too many beverage campaigns feel restrained — technically beautiful, but emotionally flat. Dorot took the opposite route: every frame buzzed with energy.

      That vibrancy doesn’t just appeal to consumers; it gives your sales team and distributor reps something to rally around. It makes people proud to represent the brand.

      Because internal energy translates to external momentum.

2.   Clarity Wins Over Cleverness:

      Dorot’s story was clear enough for anyone — a retail buyer, a merchandiser, a busy parent — to get instantly.

      No over-explaining. No long ingredient lists. Just: Here’s what we do. Here’s why it matters.

      In the beverage world, clarity can be the difference between staying regional and scaling nationally. If your buyer deck or sales call requires explanation after explanation, the story’s not clear enough yet.

      A great brand story can be told in one breath — by anyone, anywhere.

3.   Consistency Builds Belief:

      Every element of Dorot’s campaign worked together: social clips, POS, packaging, and internal sales tools all spoke the same visual and verbal language.

      That consistency built trust – not just with consumers, but with retailers and investors too.

  In the craft beverage world, fragmentation kills belief. When your Instagram looks one way, your sell sheet another, and your distributors are saying something completely different, buyers lose confidence.

  The strongest brands build creative systems, not just campaigns.

Lessons for Craft Beverage Makers

  So, what can beverage brands actually do with this?

Here’s how to translate Dorot’s principles into your own storytelling system:

1.   Audit Your Content for

     Clarity:  Gather your sales materials, brand deck, web copy, and social posts. If someone new to your brand can’t tell what you do, who it’s for, and why it matters within 10 seconds — simplify.

2.   Build a Repeatable Story System:  Create assets that work across sales, trade, and consumer touchpoints. Your content should help distributors pitch you as confidently as your founders do.

3.   Embrace Personality: Humor, wit, and authenticity don’t make you less premium. They make you more human. Dorot leaned into personality — and that made their utility product memorable.

4.  Stop Hiding Behind “Craft”:  Craft isn’t a differentiator anymore. Clarity is. The more your brand story focuses on how you help the buyer or bartender win, the more doors you will open.

What Happens When You Stop Playing It Safe

  After Dorot’s campaign launched, something interesting happened. The creative didn’t just perform well externally — it energized the brand internally.

  Sales teams started using the new content in presentations and follow-ups. Retail partners requested assets for digital displays. Even long-time employees said they finally felt the brand had a clear, confident voice.

  That’s the ripple effect of aligned storytelling: it creates pride, momentum, and market presence.

  And that’s exactly what every craft beverage brand needs right now — in a category that’s more competitive than ever.

From Frozen Herbs to Craft Spirits: The Shared Truth

  At the end of the day, what Dorot proved is the same truth that drives every successful brand:

  Clarity and consistency are not creative constraints. They’re competitive advantages.

  Whether you’re selling gin, hard kombucha, or frozen herbs, the brands that grow are the ones that know who they are, what they stand for, and how to say it — repeatedly.

  Because when you stop playing it safe and start showing up with clarity and confidence, you stop asking for space. You start earning it!

  Jake Ahles is the founder of Morel Creative, a visual strategy studio helping purpose-driven beverage brands build storytelling systems that scale. Feel free to contact Jake: jake@wearemorel.com