Category: General

From the Ground Up: Building a Brewery

Cyndi

Expertise Now Rescues Craft Brewers from Costly Headaches Later

brewing materials in a convention

 By: Cheryl Gray

Quality, precision and productivity are just some of the elements that factor in when deciding what brewery equipment to install.

  Whether for a start-up or an expanding operation, equipment is a major investment, and there are companies whose expertise is to help guide their brewery clients toward making that investment pay off.

  One of them is Craftmaster Stainless, a full-service stainless equipment provider that provides an expansive list of products for breweries, wineries and distilleries. The California-based company has clients across the United States and Canada. The company prides itself on the detail and finishing of every product its manufactures, as well as the customer service it provides before and after the sale.

  Mackenzie Sant is a sales and equipment specialist for Craftmaster Stainless. He says that learning about craft brewing from the ground up introduced him to the company’s products. The team behind Craftmaster Stainless, Sant explains, has multiple years in brewing, technical detail and customer service. That experience supports the company’s ability to translate a client’s equipment wish list into a customized experience. It is just one of the company’s assets that Sant believes puts Craftmaster Stainless ahead of its competitors.

  “We offer every piece of equipment someone needs to start a brewery. We want to be your one-stop shop. We won’t furnish your taproom or install your walk-in cooler, but we have all the equipment you need to upscale that popular homebrew batch or to upgrade from the ugly  brewhouse you have been brewing in for four years. We wish we could have in-person meetings with everyone shopping for a new brewery, but a phone call works wonders. Tell us your business plan, what styles of beer you want to brew and projected production numbers, and we can spec out the equipment you need. We work closely with other manufacturers and suppliers in the U.S. to source equipment that we don’t produce, from the start of the brew day milling the grain, to chilling and carbonating before pouring a crispy pint.”

  And just what does a newly-minted brewing operation need? Sant provides a checklist of essentials, beginning with a business plan and a building followed by must-have equipment, such as a mill/auger for crushing and transporting the grain to the mash tun, a mash tun/lauter tun for converting complex malt sugars into fermentable sugars and a kettle for “cooking” unfermented beer (wort), as well as for adding hops/adjuncts and pasteurizing the liquid to ensure a clean fermentation.

  Sant adds that additional essentials include a heat exchanger to cool the wort down to fermentation temperatures, pumps for cleaning or transferring liquids, unitanks/conical fermenters for the bulk of fermentation, brite tanks for conditioning, clarification and carbonation and, lastly, a glycol chiller for controlling fermentation and conditioning temperatures. The latter, Sant advises pairs well with a cellar control panel to control each tank.

  Regarding some of the most popular items on the product list for Craftmaster Stainless, Sant points to a number of items that highlight the company’s unique feel for what breweries need, including one piece of equipment that takes the tedium out of a very mundane but necessary chore.

  “I would say our keg washer is the most popular piece of equipment at the moment. I think I speak for most brewers when I say that keg washing is probably one of the most repetitive jobs in the industry. This machine makes that job easy. It is seriously your best ‘employee.’ Once again, our customer service is always there to help with any trouble shooting. We understand downtime is not profitable, so we are always available to help. I would say our brewhouses are popular as well. They look great and they get the job done. Our level of customization on our brewhouses will catch your eye. We do have a couple other products releasing this year that will steal the spotlight for a while.”

  The company’s new product launches include the Craftmaster Stainless Semi-Auto ‘Keggernaut’ Keg Washer and another new equipment item.

  “We just released our Three Gallon Hop Doser. The Hop Doser is a great attribute in our equipment line up. When introducing hops into the brewing process, you don’t want to introduce oxygen. This hop doser allows you to dry hop without oxygen ingress. It can be used for other adjuncts as well, so use your imagination. Keep an eye out for equipment to come. There is so much technology in the industry that isn’t being used, and we have big plans for the future, while staying competitive.”

  From Lincoln, Nebraska, is ABE Equipment Company, which designs and manufactures a variety of equipment for breweries. The company’s brewhouse equipment is custom-built, paying special attention to solving problem areas such as low ceilings, tight spaces, ventilation barriers and utility requirements. Ashlei Howell is the marketing manager for the firm’s parent company, Norland International.

  “Our sweet spot is the 1,000 BBL to 5,000 BBL per year brewery. Our products cater to much larger breweries, and much of our equipment can be used on a much smaller scale, but the niche we serve will be a bit on the higher production end.

  We pride ourselves on being able to offer a complete solution at a fair price. We handle everything from grain to glass. Everything is designed and assembled in Lincoln, Nebraska, and we employ over 130 hardworking Americans to make our suite of products. Our dedicated customer service technicians train our customers and make themselves available nearly anytime to answer questions.”

  When it comes to introducing new products to the market, Howell explains that ABE Equipment Company is focused on what will increase its clients’ bottom line.

  “Our newly released products have changed how breweries and distilleries package their product. The new CraftCan Go is a small footprint, one operator and a dual-purpose (atmospheric and counter pressure) canning machine. Breweries are packaging so much more than just beer in today’s environment.

  A canning line capable of making beer, coffee, seltzer, tea, and anything else that may be high or low in carbonation adds versatility to the brewery. It sets that particular machine apart from anything else on the market.

  The Patriot Fill Station allows companies to package virtually any beverage on a budget. It is a manual fill station allowing the user to package around eight bottles per minute. This machine can handle alcohol, syrups, oils and many more viscous or non-viscous liquids. With so many craft beverage companies coming to the market, having an affordable machine to get a product into a package at a reasonable price is a must for any beverage company wanting to stay ahead  of the game.”

  Howell offers input on some advanced equipment choices for breweries to consider.

  “There are numerous products a brewery can add to its lineup to optimize production, save time, cut costs and much more. A yeast brink allows breweries to reuse yeast and can easily be added to your equipment lineup. If harvested and stored correctly, you can sometimes yield up to 10 generations of yeast, spreading the cost across multiple brews. With rising grain costs, adding a bulk grain silo is becoming a more economical option for breweries. Buying in bulk saves time when brewing, but you can cut significant costs when ordering large amounts of grain at a time. The ROI on a silo is easier to prove now more than ever. There are also a variety of smaller, simpler items, such as brite tank monitors, CIP carts, and brewhouse automation options that help improve production within a brewery.”

  MISCO Refractometer and its 70-year history have earned a place in the specialty field of refractometry. Refractometers in the brewing industry are among the equipment needs experts say breweries should have on their checklist of items designed to ensure quality control. As the singular item that the company manufactures, MISCO offers a wide range of refractometer choices for different industries, but one specifically designed for brewing. The company says that its MISCO Digital Beer Refractometer deploys a patented design specific to wort and eliminates the need to use a refractometer correction factor when placing measurements into beer calculators.

  Another advanced equipment option for breweries is a set of sieve plates for the mill. According to experts like Sant, even a one percent efficiency loss in this area could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in a single year. Along with this, brewers may want to consider keg washers along with portable and inline flow meters. Sant recommends breweries make equipment choices with long-term gain in mind.

  “Can you save money in the beginning by cutting cost on your equipment? Absolutely. But what about labor cost, repair cost for failing equipment and bad batch efficiency? The list goes on. Spend less time worrying about the equipment and more time worrying about the beer you are creating. A popular beer podcast said that every 10 minutes you save brewing is a cold beer at the end of the day. Spend that extra time focusing on different aspects of the process.”

S & B Farms Distillery 

Cyndi
man and woman in a bar

By: Gerald Dlubala

Some distilleries begin with a vision or dream that ultimately comes to fruition after years of systematic, careful research and planning. Some get their start by currently employed, industry-trained distillery professionals that feel they have something unique and personal to offer the distilled spirits world. However, few business plans begin with a strategy that includes jumping in with both feet without prior distilling knowledge. Yet for owners Sara and Brian Winkleman of S & B Farms Distillery in Bancroft, Iowa, this was the chosen path to an award-winning, sought-after line of spirits that continue to impress even the most discerning of bourbon and whiskey drinkers.

  The path to distilling started with a simple request from a friend to use Winkleman’s Iowa-grown corn, raised in the rich, nutrient-rich soil widely known to produce exceptional quality crops, to create a quality moonshine. Sara became intrigued as she watched the process of turning their family farm’s corn into moonshine at a Georgia distillery and never looked back. The distilling process piqued her interest, transformed into a fascination and finally resulted in a full-blown infatuation that flared up in her like the burner on a moonshiner’s still. She was hooked, and although her background in cosmetology and her family’s farming experiences hadn’t provided the expertise typically needed to jump into the distilling business, Winkleman would not be denied. She jumped in with both feet for what she described as a turn-and-burn learning experience that would culminate with an award-winning destination distillery that continues to grow and evolve.

  “It was not an easy path that I chose, that’s for sure,” said Winkleman. “I really was clueless about the industry, regulations and the whole nine yards. Mentors were critical, and I have to mention Mike Norman, who initially got us into the process, and Dwight Bearden, who helped us with the technical aspects. Our mentors were everything to us. We brought Mike Norman (yes, that Mike Norman) back to Iowa to teach us the most critical and crucial things we needed to know and fully understand. His experience and knowledge were an invaluable part of my passion and infatuation with distilling. At that point, my only way was forward. Having the ability to be taught and learn from a professional using a complete, hands-on approach was a blessing. We had immediate access to all the critical and hidden skills and trade secrets you can’t acquire from books or training videos, like recognizing the right textures and aromas. It can take some distillers years to learn these things without professional help or mentoring.”

  S & B Farms Distillery is 17 miles from the Winkleman family farm, where all the corn used in their distillery is still grown. The farm also has cattle, hogs, soybeans, peas and green beans for the nationally recognized Green Giant brand. The field corn is milled on-site weekly, providing the freshest ingredients to use in their spirits, with used mash returned to the farm for the cattle.

  “Our distillery, market and tasting room are about 17 miles from the farm,” said Winkleman. “The location was originally a dentist’s office with 13 small, divided rooms constructed of cinder block that we gutted and reconfigured into a distillery production area, tasting room and retail space. Our main and immediate focus at this point was production capability.”

  As daunting of a task as it all seemed, trying to accomplish it was admittedly overwhelming at times.

  “Networking was everything,” said Winkleman. “And truth be told, I had to walk away for a couple of weeks just to get some mental downtime and refocus. We had the distilling side of the business, but we also had to address the federally regulated side. And Iowa is a controlled state with a different set of rules than other areas. So again, networking played a major role in our success, this time with native distillers, so we could learn how to navigate Iowa’s regulations. We counted on many awesome people and had amazing support, creating a family atmosphere and team system.”

  S & B Farms Distillery officially opened in 2018, only a couple of short years after the initial spark of curiosity and twinkle in Sara’s eye. The first products offered to consumers included a spicy pineapple jalapeno moonshine named Field Fire, a bold-spiced savory spirit, and Private First Class, named in honor of Sara’s grandfather, Ray Baade, a World War II veteran and one of her biggest supporters along the distilling journey. There was also their Hog Wild Cinnamon, providing a fresh take on the beloved red-hot candies.

  “We never thought about growth potential at the start,” said Winkleman. “Honestly, I just concentrated on trying to hit that sweet spot across the board by producing something that we thought had a pleasing flavor and aroma but also appealed to the tastes and appreciation of consumers. It started great, with immediately positive feedback. We knew we had production where we wanted it to be, and then, of course, the pandemic hit and changed everything. So, like many distilleries, we pivoted to making sanitizers and secured the business of 15 Iowa counties, along with part of Iowa State University.”

  Ironically, this COVID-mandated pivot in their business led S & B Farms Distillery to win the 2020 Iowa Farm Bureau’s Renew Rural Iowa (RRI) Award while they grew their network of business contacts across the state.

  “Ironically, the whole COVID situation became a bit of a blessing for our business,” said Winkleman. “Our network grew through the sanitizer business. That growth led us to work with knowledgeable people that helped us develop and formulate a solid, workable business plan, find accessible funding, and source local, quality ingredients without the price-gouging that was going on with some suppliers. To this day, we maintain these awesome relationships to consistently review our business plans and change them to include things we never thought of initially, like how to bring our daughter into the business when the time comes.”

  The pandemic brought about a nationwide call to support local businesses when possible. That call to action, combined with the surge in consumers buying alcohol for home consumption, meant the demand for S & B Farms products increased while it cut spirits production to meet sanitizer demands. 

  “With the focus on local support, customers started purchasing more of our products for home use,” said Winkleman. “As that happened, our sales increased. In addition, our Sir Winston Peach Whiskey became wildly popular and was chosen by Casey’s to sell in their stores, further increasing visibility, sales and demand. As a result, we quickly outgrew our small production space and went through a 7,000-square-foot expansion in 2020. We added another still and four fermenters, essentially doubling our production capabilities. We blend, label and bottle on-premises in our controlled environment. I learned the hard way that the steam and humidity put off by the stills can affect proof, which has to be right on. One thing with me is that when I make a mistake, I will never make that again. It’s a learning experience and a teaching lesson.”

  If you, like I, were wondering how someone with little to no distilling knowledge or experience goes from deciding to make distilled spirits to an award-winning destination distillery within just a couple of years, Winkleman says it was a true turn-and-burn type process where a lot of things went in their favor once they started. With the help of friends and acquaintances and being the lucky winner of a government draw that helped small businesses get permitted, Winkleman’s business and licensing paperwork was immediately reviewed, deemed correct and accepted for approval. That meant that work could begin immediately instead of having the traditional, more extended wait period that usually occurs.

  “We were very blessed and fortunate to be able to open that quickly,” said Winkleman. “I don’t take that for granted. When I left Georgia, I jumped in with both feet to learn and digest all the needed information. There were many 16-hour days of research and learning, not just the process but what type of equipment we needed, how to locate and get that equipment and how to install it. Shop talk with my mentors was crucial and is still as important today as it was back then. It still happens regularly, and I’m truly grateful to have that knowledge base at my disposal.”

Products Reflect Personal Connections

  S & B Farms Distillery offers a range of products to please a wide range of palettes. S & B Farm’s Field Fire, Private First Class and Hog Wild accompany the Sir Winston line of spirits, named for their canine family member. Consumers will enjoy the easy-going, laid-back Sir Winston Wheat Whiskey, the classically flavored Sir Winston Bourbon with notes of vanilla, fresh oak and caramel and Sir Winston Peach or Apple for flavored spirit aficionados.

  As initially demonstrated by the release of Private First Class, Winkleman has always held great respect for military veterans. That respect and support continue with a non-profit she is starting called “Beyond The Still” to provide support and give back to veterans.

  “We bought an old house and property across from our distillery with a vision to transform it into a true veteran’s memorial park, honoring all military veterans within a large memorial area,” said Winkleman. “We estimate that it will take four to five years to complete. Additionally, we continue to offer Coming Home Bourbon, an annual special release that occurs every Veteran’s Day. As you can expect, it is very much in demand and sells out quickly.”

Priority on Flavor Leads to Awards

  Winkleman spends a lot of time on her recipes before handing them off to her husband, Brian, for distilling. She tells Beverage Master Magazine that it takes a lot of trial and error, with the ultimate goal of developing a taste that is both satisfying and remarkable in its palette-pleasing qualities. Until she hits on a flavor profile that she deems superior, she doesn’t settle. This way of coming up with her flavor profiles has been very successful, with S & B Farms Distillery winning numerous awards early-on, the latest being a gold medal for their Private First Class at the 2022 Las Vegas Spirits Awards.

Previous Awards and Recognition:

Private First Class – Spiced Spirit

•    2020 USA Spirits Ratings – Silver Medal

•    2019 North American Bourbon and Whiskey Competition – Bronze Medal

•    2019 Denver International Spirits Competition – Silver Medal

Sir Winston Bourbon

•    Sir Winston Bourbon Barrel Proof – 2021 North American Bourbon and Whiskey Competition – Silver Medal

•    Sir Winston Bourbon 93 Proof – 2021 John Barleycorn Award – Gold Medal

•    Sir Winston Barrel Proof – 2020 American Distilling Institute (ADI) Judging of Craft Spirits Awards – Silver Medal

•    Sir Winston Bourbon 93 Proof – 2020 Las Vegas Global Wine and Spirits Awards – Gold Medal

•    Sir Winston Barrel Proof – 2020 USA Ratings – Gold Medal

•    Sir Winston Bourbon 93 Proof – 2019 Great American International Spirits Competition – Bronze Medal

•    Sir Winston Barrel Proof – 2019 North American Bourbon and Whiskey Competition – Bronze Medal

Sir Winston Wheat Whiskey

•    2021 John Barleycorn Award – Silver Medal

•    2021 21st Annual Finger Lakes International Wine and Spirits Competition – Silver Medal

•    2021 North American Bourbon and Whiskey Competition – Bronze Medal

•    2021 Denver International Spirits Competition – Gold Medal

•    2020 USA Spirits Ratings – Bronze Medal

Sir Winston Peach

•    2022 Las Vegas Global Spirit Awards – Gold Medal

•    2021 21st Annual Finger Lakes International Wine and Spirits Competition – Silver Medal

•    2020 Denver International Spirits Competition – Silver Medal

•    2020 USA Spirits Ratings – Silver Medal

Hog Wild Cinnamon

•    2020 USA Spirits Ratings – Silver

•    2019 USA Spirits Ratings – Bronze

Field Fire – Spicy Pineapple Jalapeño Moonshine

•    2021 21st Annual Finger Lakes International Wine and Spirits Competition – Silver Medal

Looking Toward Expansion and

Possible Product Additions

  “Well, we’ve already maxed out our production capabilities and outgrown our latest 7,000-square-foot production expansion,” said Winkleman. “More expansion will come soon, although we haven’t detailed those plans yet. But it’s coming.”

  When asked if she would branch out into perhaps a gin or vodka, Winkleman hesitated a bit and said that currently, there really are no plans to pursue a vodka. But then a spark came through in our conversation that I expected accompanied a twinkle in her eye. “There is, though, perhaps an interest in a rum that’s been running through my mind.”

  And by now, I think we all know where that will lead.

For more information please contact…

 S & B Farms Distillery

212 E Ramsey St. Bancroft, IA 50517

Email:  sbrfarmsdistillery@gmail.com

Website:  https://sbfarmsdistillery.com

Embracing the Creative Niche of Craft Beer Cocktails

Cyndi
barrista placing cherry on a cocktail

By: Alyssa L. Ochs

The basic concept of the cocktail revolves around mixing ingredients with traditional spirits, such as vodka, gin, whiskey and rum. However, craft beer can blend surprisingly well into cocktails, too – if you only have an open mind and give it a chance!

  Mixing beer with other ingredients is nothing new, but it has never caught on popularly in the brewing industry. This drink strategy is still attempted mainly by at-home mixologists looking to entertain guests at parties. But as an increasing number of breweries are now branching out to offer wine and cocktails for non-beer drinkers, there are excellent opportunities to add craft beer cocktails to the menu for an even greater diversity of choice.

What’s In Craft Beer Cocktails?

  Although you can use any kind of beer to make a cocktail, certain beer styles lend themselves better than others to mixing in creative ways. It is very common to see light, easily palatable beers, such as lagers and blonde ales, in beer cocktails because they are not overpowering and can easily take on the flavors of other ingredients. Dark and rich beers, namely stouts and porters, work well with cocktail recipes because of their inherent sweetness and full-bodied nature that pairs well with chocolate, coffee, caramel, berries and vanilla.

Some adventurous mixologists have found success mixing bright and hoppy IPAs with other ingredients to tame down a bold beer and make it more versatile for different palates. With a bit of mixing practice, certain cocktails, such as the Long Island iced tea, can work exceptionally well with an IPA or hoppy pale ale. Aside from the traditional beers that you’ll find at breweries, hard ciders are becoming especially popular in cocktails because of the sweet and tart flavors that work well with fruity mixers.

  Some of the most common ingredients that you’ll find mixed with craft beer to make cocktails are non-alcoholic beverages, such as lemonade, orange juice, sparkling soda and ginger beer. To give beer cocktails an extra kick, mixologists can use hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce, or to make them sweet, they can add a bit of simple syrup or fruit-based liquor, which also increases the overall alcohol content. Garnishes make craft beer cocktails festive and fun, so, depending on the flavor profile, you can top them off with a lemon wedge, orange slice, cherry or salted glass rim.

Beer Cocktail Recipe Ideas

  Within the realm of spirit-based cocktails are the tried-and-true favorites, such as the Manhattan, gimlet or martini. Even though craft beer cocktails aren’t quite as famous, there are still traditional recipes that are easy to make and familiar to recognize.

  For example, a summer shandy recipe may mix wheat beer, lemonade, a splash of sparkling soda and lemon garnish. If you prefer beer over Champagne, try a beermosa, a beer-centric version of the mimosa that mixes a lager with orange juice and has an orange slice for the garnish. Yet one of the most common beer cocktails you will see on brewery menus is the michelada, a tamer take on a traditional bloody mary. A michelada mixes a light Mexican lager beer with clamato or tomato juice, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, soy sauce, Tajín seasoning and a lime wedge for garnish.

  Beyond these classic recipes, brewery bartenders can use their imaginations and get creative with mixing their own beer. Beer cocktails are ideal drinks for brunch because they’re light, fun and don’t take themselves too seriously. At your favorite local brewery, would you try a porter mixed with cold-brew iced coffee and a bit of cream? Or perhaps you might kick your weekend off with a peach-inspired beer cocktail that mixes an IPA with vodka, peach nectar and lime juice? Of course, these are just a few examples, but the sky is the limit with how you can alter your beer to create interesting combinations that excite the tastebuds and entice beer fans to walk into your tasting room.

The Appeal of Craft Beer Cocktails

  When local craft beer scenes started emerging all over the country in the 2000s and 2010s, brewers focused on making traditional beers well, with some experimentation thrown in to keep things interesting. But these days, some beer aficionados will tell you that the craft beer market is oversaturated and that too many breweries are producing similar products for any one of them to stand out as unique and be successful.

  In many places, breweries have become social gathering places, food destinations and event spaces just as much as they are beer providers. Consumers are always looking for the next big thing from their local breweries, whether it is a rotating schedule of events, versatile venues that welcome kids and dogs or expanded menus that cater to diverse tastes.

  This evolution of modern breweries creates opportunities for craft beer cocktails to emerge and brewpubs to stand out in the competition. These cocktails have a unique appeal because they can be lighter and more balanced than a standard pint of beer. When you mix beer with other ingredients, the result is often a more complex body, enhanced carbonation, less acidity and altered sweetness or bitterness, depending on the desired style. Beer-inspired cocktails also challenge brewers and consumers to rethink everything they thought they knew about the taste of beer and celebrate the changing seasons.

Breweries Giving Beer Cocktails a Try

  However, you still won’t find a list of craft beer cocktails on most breweries’ menus today. The trend has yet to catch on significantly, as these drinks remain niche and are only offered by the occasional brewery bartender with a cocktail background. Yet this only makes breweries with an open mind and spirit of experimentation stand out in the industry even more.

  Located in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, Brew Lab 101 is a family-friendly brewery and cidery with an extensive cocktail list. In addition to serving spirit cocktails, Brew Lab 101 also serves beer and cider cocktails. Examples are the A La Chelada, a Mexican lager paired with bloody mary mix, and Dill with Pickle Beer, a blend of a lager or blonde ale with pickle juice and served with a big slice of pickle.

  Dry Dock Brewing of Aurora, Colorado, introduced its Docktails line of drinks based on classic cocktails. The brewery’s first releases in this series were a beer-based strawberry basil daiquiri, cucumber margarita and paloma. Another Colorado brewery, Living the Dream Brewing Company, has released beer cocktails in cans to tap into this market. Living the Dream has produced beers replicating classic cocktails that people know and love, such as the old fashioned, Moscow mule, margarita and mojito. The Durango, Colorado-based Ska Brewing has offered a barrel-aged whiskey sour and raspberry julep on its menu to combine both beer and spirits – the best of both worlds.

  Meanwhile, some breweries have also become interested in distilling spirits and dabbled in both industries at the same time. This unique craft beverage model lends itself well to craft cocktail mixing and individual experimentation. Maplewood Brewing & Distilling in Chicago, Illinois, is an excellent example of this model and has developed beer-inspired spirits, such as the Fat Pug American Malt Whiskey, inspired by the brewery’s popular oatmeal stout. Other Chicago breweries, including Burnt City Brewing and Casa Humilde, have been leaning into the michelada-inspired cocktail and hard soda trends to test the waters of alternative beverages and meet the demands of customers who want greater variety.

  Proper Brewing Company in Salt Lake City, Utah and Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown, New York are a couple of other breweries to keep an eye on if you are interested in what’s next for beer cocktails. In addition to breweries that produce their own in-house beer, trendy craft beer bars are also jumping on the beer cocktail trend. Vandaag in New York City, Jasper’s Corner Tap & Kitchen in San Francisco and The Tripel in Playa del Rey, California, are just a few examples of bars experimenting with beer mixology.

Integrating Beer Cocktails Into the Menu

  Indeed, some challenges are involved in creating beer cocktails and serving them at local breweries. To start, traditionalists may scoff at the very notion of mixing beer with anything else and reject the idea because it ruins the way beer was intended to be. Adding beer cocktails to a brewery’s menu showcases the mixology talents of the brewery team, but it can also require additional training for the staff. In these post-pandemic times, many breweries are still struggling to retain staff at all, and adding more work to their teams could put a considerable strain on more essential operations.

  Yet there are plenty of potential benefits to adding craft beer cocktails onto a brewery’s menu and seeing if this trend resonates with a loyal customer base. It may be worth offering discounted specials on beer cocktails on particular nights of the week to entice customers to try them. Seasonal-inspired beer cocktails featuring the flavors of pumpkin, apple and cranberry can be festive additions to a rotating menu lineup. Yet it’s essential to provide detailed descriptions of what is contained in each beer cocktail so that patrons understand exactly what they are and appreciate the flavor pairings. Mixing other ingredients with beer on tap is a great starting point for local breweries to try this trend, but there are also opportunities to branch out into pre-mixed, packaged beer cocktails for retail sale.

  It’s impossible to tell whether craft beer cocktails will catch on in the industry in a big way or whether pure, authentic beer will always be the preferred drink of choice in the end. But for now, it’s definitely a fun way to switch up your standard drink order at the local watering hole or get crafty with a few ingredients in your kitchen for a cozy night at home.

Uncovering the Hazards of Adulterated Tequila

Cyndi

Keeping Your Products Pure for Better Taste and Quality  

tequila bottle in a bar

By: Alec and Ana Tesa

When it comes to distillation, quality and consistency are key components for a product that is worthy of consumer loyalty. Unfortunately, as the alcohol industry continues to grow, so do the possibilities of encountering counterfeit spirits or poor-quality imitations – particularly when discussing tequila. While it’s easy to overlook minor discrepancies in taste or color caused by adulteration during production, these small changes can add up quickly and adversely affect your business.

Quality Issues Associated with Tequila Production

  The production of tequila has been around for centuries, and it has long been celebrated as one of the most popular spirits consumed worldwide. However, with such a high level of popularity comes an increased demand for the product, which can lead to quality issues in its production. One major issue is the agave plant, the main ingredient used in tequila production.

  Many producers have resorted to using poor-quality, premature agave plants or adulterated mixtures in order to cut costs and boost their profit margins. This can result in substandard tequila that lacks flavor or consistency. Additionally, many producers take shortcuts during the distillation process, resulting in a spirit that is not up to standard quality requirements.

  Another issue surrounding tequila production is related to the fermentation process. Certain profiles of Tequila (Reposado and Anejo for the most part) must be aged in oak barrels before it can be sold on the market, but some producers may opt to use non-oak barrels or even plastic containers instead. This results in an inferior product with lower levels of flavor and complexity due to oxidation being prevented by non-oak containers. Moreover, improper fermentation processes can also create off flavors, aromas, and contamination from undesired microorganisms.

  Lastly, another quality concern regarding tequila production relates directly to labeling regulations and accuracy. In Mexico, and most other countries for that matter, there are strict labeling regulations when it comes to spirits like tequila.

For example, bottles must clearly state what type of agave was used and if any additives were added during production (e.g., sugar syrup). Moreover, labels must also display information about alcohol content and aging time for each product too.

  Without accurate labeling standards being enforced by lawmakers, it’s difficult for consumers to know exactly what they are purchasing – leading them vulnerable to unknowingly consuming low-quality products with inferior ingredients or distillation methods employed during production.

The Risks of Adulterated Tequila and its Impact on Future Sales

  Tequila, historically, has been known as a spirit made from blue agave and produced in Mexico. It is an iconic beverage that has become popular among many cocktail enthusiasts and drinkers. Unfortunately, over the years, there have been cases of adulterated tequila being produced and sold on the market. This type of tequila contains additives or substitutes that are not traditionally used in the production process and can result in a product that may taste different or have negative health consequences.

  Adulterated tequila is often created to cut costs and increase profit margins for producers. This can lead to dangerous consequences for unsuspecting consumers who buy what they think is pure tequila but isn’t. Some of these risks include potential allergic reactions caused by added preservatives or coloring agents and problems with alcohol content if the tequila does not contain all-natural ingredients. Furthermore, it is important to note that this type of alcohol can also lack flavor and complexity compared to traditional tequila due to its lower-quality ingredients.

  The impact of adulterated tequila on future sales could be significant if consumers become aware of its dangers. People looking for an authentic experience may be hesitant to purchase any product that could be an imitation or an inferior version of what they thought they were getting. In addition, retailers may decide not to carry certain brands if they suspect the tequila might be counterfeit or unsafe for their customers. As a result, producers who produce authentic tequila have a responsibility to ensure that their product is safe and meets regulatory standards in order to protect their brand’s integrity and consumer trust.

The Dangers of Spoiled Ingredients During Distillation

  When it comes to distilling alcohol, understanding how to handle spoiled ingredients is essential. Spoiled ingredients can not only affect the flavor of the end product but can also introduce bacteria into the process, leading to health and safety risks. To avoid these dangers, it is important that distillers always check the quality of their ingredients before they begin distilling. This means examining the color and smell of each ingredient, as well as checking for any visible signs of spoilage. If any ingredient is found to be spoiled, it should not be used in the process.

  In addition to examining each individual ingredient, it is important for distillers to take special care when sourcing their supplies. Ingredients should come from trusted sources with a good track record in terms of freshness and safety.

  It is also important that all ingredients are stored properly prior to use; refrigeration is often necessary for food-based ingredients like fruits and grains, while other materials such as alcohol must be stored away from light and heat sources.

  Regularly inspecting storage containers can help ensure that spoiled or contaminated materials are not inadvertently used during the distillation process.

Identifying Untrustworthy Suppliers in Tequila Production

  The importance of identifying untrustworthy suppliers in tequila production is paramount to the success and safety of your business. There are a few key steps to take when evaluating potential suppliers for tequila production.

  First, research the company’s history and track record. Take a look at how long they have been in business, their past experiences with customers, any complaints filed against them, and more.

  It is also important to look into the quality of the products and services they provide. Make sure to ask any questions you may have about how they produce their product, what process they use, how often they test it and what happens if there is an issue with the quality of their product.

  Look at the supplier’s financial stability as well. Make sure that they are able to meet all of your requirements for payment terms and that they can continue to provide quality supplies over time without going out of business or becoming unreliable. You should also ensure that you have access to their up-to-date contact information in case any issues arise during your transaction with them.

  Finally, make sure you thoroughly review any contracts or agreements you enter into with a supplier before signing them. This includes ensuring you understand all of the terms and conditions and verifying that everything written in the contract is accurate and legal. Doing this will help ensure that all parties involved are protected from any future misunderstandings or disputes.

  Overall, taking the time to identify untrustworthy suppliers in tequila production is essential for ensuring the success of your business’s operations moving forward.

Minimize Risk by Ensuring High-Grade Spirits Are Delivered to Consumers

  When it comes to the consumption of alcoholic beverages, safety is a priority. The risk associated with consuming low-grade spirits can be potentially dangerous and even fatal. That’s why ensuring that only high-grade spirits are delivered to consumers is important. Doing this can reduce the risk of adverse health effects from consuming these beverages.

  High-grade spirits are defined as those that have been produced under stringent quality control processes and contain higher levels of pure alcohol, such as vodka and other distilled liquors. These products must meet certain standards in order to be classified as “high grade,” which include passing through all necessary steps in the distillation process and passing tests for purity and alcohol content. Furthermore, they must also have a long shelf life in order to provide consumers with the highest quality product possible.

  The importance of ensuring that only high-grade spirits are delivered to consumers cannot be overstated – these products provide a higher level of safety and can also reduce the risk of intoxication due to their higher concentrations of alcohol. Furthermore, by providing consumers with high-grade spirits, they can enjoy the taste and quality associated with drinking them without any fear of health risks or potential intoxications due to low-grade impurities or chemicals in lower-quality products. This not only protects people from possible harm but helps them maintain a healthier lifestyle as well.

  Overall, minimizing risk by ensuring high-grade spirits are delivered to consumers is essential for protecting public health and safety both now and in the future. By taking this approach, we can help ensure that people remain safe when consuming alcoholic beverages while still being able to enjoy their favorite drinks with confidence, knowing that they are made from the highest quality ingredients available on the market today.

  Ultimately, all these factors together – quality assurance, reliable suppliers and attention to detail during distillation – ensure that customers receive only the best tequila available. If companies in the industry can focus on delivering high-grade spirits with safety and trustworthiness as their top priorities, they will be able to provide superior customer experiences while also safeguarding their bottom lines.

About Eleven20 Tequila

  Eleven20 Tequila is an award-winning tequila crafted with traditional distilling techniques and a passion for excellence. Founded by a husband and wife team, the brand uses only premium blue agave sourced from producers in the region. Through their commitment to quality, Eleven20 Tequila has become recognized as an innovator of flavor and aromas, with its signature blend being celebrated by mixologists and connoisseurs alike. With a culture rooted in respect for tradition, expertise, and craftsmanship, each bottle of Eleven20 Tequila is a testament to the highest standards of excellence.

The Growth of Northwest Portland’s Gin Distilleries    

Cyndi
4 alcoholic bottles in ocean scenery

By: Becky Garrison

On September 23, 2022, Aviation Gin celebrated the opening of the Aviation American Gin Distillery and Visitor Center.  Per their press release, “this state-of-the-art, nearly 33,000-square-foot facility features an intimate tasting room, exceptional draft cocktail bar and gift shop.” This facility has been in development since Diageo acquired Aviation American Gin with the Davos Brands portfolio in 2020.

  The spacious tasting room and well-stocked gift shop modeled after a 1960s-era airline terminal, with airplane-related artifacts, photographs and ad posters to give the space a distinctive Mad Men vibe. A life-size cutout of co-owner and actor Ryan Reynolds greets visitors, while video clips featuring Reynolds create a Hollywood-esque feel. In describing his new venture, Reynolds’ issued this statement: “If a grown-up theme park and a bartender fell in love and produced offspring, it would be this gin factory.”

  Educational tours allow visitors to fully immerse themselves into the Aviation experience through interactive experiences, such as connecting with the various botanicals used in making Aviation gin and a sneak peek at Reynolds’ office. This space doubles as an escape room, inviting guests to solve a series of puzzles and identify various “Easter eggs.” Fans of Deadpool and other Reynold’s flicks will find this exercise particularly amusing.

  When asked why they chose to build this distillery in the industrial section of Northwest Portland nicknamed “Slabtown,” distillery director Hollie Stephenson stated, “This specific space is in a great location, meets operational needs and provides us with a place to give the brand an official homebase. Portland is a vibrant city with a rich, unrivaled spirits and cocktail scene, and we’re so glad that we can provide consumers and Aviation fans with the opportunity to visit a space that is dedicated solely to Aviation American Gin, where they can sip and learn about how our premium, uniquely American-style gin is distilled.”

  Stephenson describes the company culture at Aviation Gin as lively, with a 25-member team of dedicated, hard-working, creative and kind people. “We work hard, support each other and of course, have fun,” she notes. At present, they bottle roughly 15,000 bottles per day. For the foreseeable future, they plan on focusing on the production of what Stephenson describes as a “unique American-style gin that is crafted with a blend of botanicals.”

  While the bulk of the mainstream media coverage surrounding this opening of Aviation Gin focused on the Hollywood-esque nature of the experience, the history behind this iconic brand was lost in this coverage. As reported in Northwest Travel & Life, when Christian Krogstad and his wife launched House Spirits Distillery in Portland, Oregon in 2004, he took the innovative streak he developed as a brewer to collaborate with bartender Ryan Magarian to produce a “new western gin” inspired by the Aviation Gin Cocktail. This gin’s original, balanced blend of botanicals included cardamom, coriander, French lavender, anise seed, sarsaparilla, juniper and two kinds of orange peel.

  With the introduction of this distillery into the neighborhood, visitors can now plan a self-guided walking tour of the area’s distilleries with Bull Run Distillery, Aria Gin and Freeland Spirits – all within easy walking distance and the last two distilleries known for their craft gins.

  Aria Gin is located south of Aviation at 2304 NW Savier Street. This company’s Aria Portland Dry Gin (45%ABV) offers a classic London gin experience, and the distillery offers tasting flights and specialty cocktails, along with the opportunity to purchase a range of bar accessories, mixers and other products for those desiring to try their hand at making craft gin cocktails at home. The pristine Bull Run water used to distill Bull Run Distillery’s gin speaks to this gin’s origins in the Pacific Northwest. In addition, they collaborate with other producers, such as Ken Wright Cellars in Carlton, Oregon, to create cask-finished gins. They produce Distiller’s Reserve Gins, limited edition releases with unique barrel finishes as well.

  Freeland Spirits, a women-owned distillery has a homey, welcoming feel. Founder Jill Kuehler found inspiration for her Meemaw Freeland garden gin in selecting the fresh Pacific Northwest botanicals. When possible, they source their botanicals from local producers, such as the woman-owned farm, Vibrant Family Farm. Also, they partnered with Wildwood Candle Co. to produce a candle with an aroma reminiscent of the botanicals used in making their gin. In addition to their gin (45%ABV), they distill a dry gin (57%ABV), a Navy-strength gin made with a high juniper content and a subtle herbaceousness. Also, they produce gin & tonic and French 75 canned cocktails. Tasting flights, mini cocktails and small snacks are available at their tasting room, along with distillery tours.

Other Portland Distilleries

That Produce Gin

 Following are other distilleries located in Portland that distill gin with their unique craft focus.

•   503 Distilling’s use of Oregon juniper, fresh-cut spruce tips, gardened rosemary and other herbs in their Circa 17 gin (43% ABV) speaks to the terroir of the Pacific Northwest.

•   The Aimsir Distilling Company, a husband and wife-owned distillery, features spirits like their Aitil House Gin (ABV 45%) that focus on local Pacific Northwest resources. Other local influences include their seasonal Rosé Gin distilled from Willamette Valley wines and their Holiday Gin made with mulling spices and barrel-aged in pinot noir barrels. 

•   New Deal Distillery offers three gins: New Deal Gin No. 1 (45% ABV), New Deal Old Tom Gin (45% ABV) and Portland Dry Gin 33 (46% ABV).

•   Shine Distillery & Grill features their Batch One Gin (45% ABV) and a very hibiscus-forward Pink Hibiscus Gin (42.5% ABV).

•   Stillweather Spirits offers an American Gin (45.4% ABV) described as  London Dry meets Pacific Northwest New World and a contemporary style West Coast Gin (42% ABV).

•   Wild Roots Spirits produces handcrafted gins in three varieties: London Dry Gin (46% ABV), Orange & Bergamot Gin (44% ABV) and Cucumber & Grapefruit (44% ABV).

Oregon Gins with a Portland Presence

  While JAZ Spirits is distilled in Albany, Oregon at Vivacity Spirits, a  woman-owned distillery, most of their business presence is in the Portland area, where founder Faith Dionne lives. Their JAZ Spirits Dry Gin (45%) and JAZ Spirits Old Tom Gin paint a picture of Oregon forests. The idea for Riverain Dry gin came from one of Dionnes favorite spots in Mount Hood National Forest on the upper Clackamas River. “Smooth basalt boulders, rippling snowmelt and a lush riverbank of cottonwoods and Douglas fir are the inspiration for the botanicals in our Dry Gin. We hand-forage sticky cottonwood buds and wind-fallen Douglas fir from that same riverain forest in late winter,” Dionne opines.

  Also, Pilot House Distilling’s distillery is based outside Portland in Astoria, Oregon. However, they have tasting rooms in Portland and Cannon Beach, where visitors can sample their ranges of spirits, including their variety of gins. Their current selections of gins include Painted Lady gin, a new American style. A barrel-aged version of the Painted Lady, which is aged in pinot noir barrels from the Willamette Valley, and a London dry-style gin. In creating the Painted Lady Gin, Lawrence Cary, the original founder of PHD, wanted to produce a gin that even gin-haters love. He began playing around with different recipes until he found the perfect one, Painted Lady. This gin contains hints of lavender, rose hips and chamomile, with a name that speaks to Astoria’s history. The name, Painted Lady, references butterflies, the beautifully bright painted houses and women of the night.

  While these distilleries’ tasting rooms are open to the general public without reservations, a PDX Distillery Row Passport enhances these visits by giving passport-holders exclusive promotions and prizes when visiting the participating distilleries. Of the distilleries featured in this article, Aria Gin, Freeland Spirits, New Deal Distillery and Wild Roots Spirits are part of this program.

Vodkows, Crystal Heads and Icebergs-Oh, My!

Cyndi

By: Tod Stewart

Writing about vodka some years ago, I joked that for $25, you could get something that smells and tastes like nothing $55 gets you the “premium” version of something that smells and tastes like nothing, and $100 gets you the “ultra-premium” version that’s been distilled nine times and filtered through six feet of diamonds, ensuring an ultra-premium smell and taste of nothing. Somewhat ironically, the top-selling vodkas at the time were the flavored variety.

  Technically, vodka is deemed a “neutral” spirit and is produced as such in most international markets. In Canada, however, more and more vodkas are becoming less and less bland.

  “Vodka! Tasteless alcohol in most places but not here in Canada,” reports Davin de Kergommeaux, co-author of The Definitive Guide to Canadian Distilleries. “Our regulators have decreed that traces of the feedstock can remain in the spirit, and so we have apple-based vodka with almost-hints of fruit, crispy rye vodkas and a most revolutionary Vodkow, distilled from fermented milk sugars. It’s creamy palate nearly betrays it, but no, it really is vodka.” More on Vodkow in a bit.

  To understand the evolution of vodka in Canada – and to better understand how some changes to Canadian regulations have altered the playing field for makers of “craft” vodka – it helps to get a high-level view of the industry.

  “Vodka, by tradition, is neutral, for sure, and it is also very boring until mixed with something,” de Kergommeaux concedes. “What many people do not know is that – across North America at least – some of the biggest names simply purchase beverage-grade alcohol from alcohol plants, filter it until it matches their profile and bottle it as their brand. By definition, each country makes its own laws, and in Canada, our laws – regulations really – require distillers to filter the spirit they use to make vodka but do not require that they remove all the flavor.

  “American regs are equally permissive, but in a different way, in that they define “neutral” as something that we in Canada do not consider to be neutral, and definitely not flavor-free. This focus on laws and what is legally vodka has pushed spirits production towards finding the legal loopholes, then filling them as inexpensively as possible. But that is not what is happening here. If the big players can buy alcohol from fuel plants and call it vodka, then I think it is fair that the smaller players be permitted to make vodka within their practical limitations, and that means leaving some traces of feedstock flavors in the final spirit. And we, as consumers, benefit because some of these new vodkas are quite tasty.”

  Going back to the Canadian regs de Kergommeaux cites, they were originally introduced by the federal government in 1959 and remained unchanged until a couple of years ago. The old definition stated that for a spirit to be labeled as “vodka,” it “…shall be a potable alcoholic beverage obtained by the treatment of grain spirit or potato spirit with charcoal to render the product without distinctive character, aroma or taste.” As of 2019, the definition reads that vodka “…shall be a potable alcoholic distillate obtained from potatoes, cereal grain or any other material of agricultural origin fermented by the action of yeast or a mixture of yeast and other micro-organisms.” The move was introduced to “…enhance economic competitiveness and improve trade.” Raw materials can now include things like honey, apple or dairy in vodka production in order to expand consumer choice and be more in line with vodka definitions in the United States and the EU.

  The upshot of the easing of restrictions has, as de Kergommeaux alluded to, been an uptick in the number of rather unique vodkas produced across the country, with a few of the smaller craft distillers definitely pushing the envelope. While the regulations still state that a Canadian vodka must be “…without distinctive character, aroma or taste,” one wonders exactly what defines “distinctive.”

  For example, the Liberty Distillery on Vancouver, British Columbia’s Granville Island distills a vodka that uses local, organically-grown oats as its base ingredient. It’s definitely aromatic, with traces of toasted nuts, white flower blossom and subtle fruit. It’s nicely viscous on the palate, with peppery end notes. Then there’s the aforementioned Vodkow.

  Though whey-based spirits are not unheard of (Wisconsin’s Copper Crow distillery and the UK’s Black Cow Vodka both produce them), they are hardly staples in most people’s liquor cabinets. (As an interesting aside, records indicate the indigenous people of the Steppes region of Central Asia had been converting milk to alcohol for thousands of years.)

  About a 40-minute drive southwest of Canada’s capital of Ottawa lies the sleepy town of Almonte, home of Dairy Distillery. It specializes in turning permeate (not whey, per se, but another milk processing byproduct obtained by removing protein and other solids from whey) into vodka. This is a beneficial thing for a couple of reasons. The first, obviously, is the end result: vodka (produced via the fermentable – and ultimately, distillable lactose). The second is that permeate disposal is headache-inducing, and anyone willing to take the stuff off a dairy farmer’s hands immediately becomes a good friend. A third bonus is that both distillers and dairy farmers can share in a revenue source.

  Unfortunately, fermenting milk sugar, as distillery owner Omid McDonald found out, isn’t quite as easy as fermenting fruit sugar. Regular distillers’ yeast doesn’t do the job. Learning of a yeast strain used in New Zealand to convert milk byproduct into fuel alcohol from a University of Ottawa biology professor (and employing the research of one of his students), a suitable strain was isolated, and Dairy Distillery was in business. Today it produces not only the original Vodkow but a range of (wait for it) cream liquors.

  I’m not sure how you’d react, but when I was first presented with a sample of Vodkow, I approached it with a degree of trepidation. I mean, there was something about a fermented, distilled, milk-based liquid that struck me as just, well, wrong. I was quite pleasantly surprised by what I tasted.

  Perfectly vodka-like in appearance (so, yes, the “colorless” part of vodka: check). Odorless? No way. I’d even go as far as to say the creamy, almost vanilla aromatic profile is decidedly “distinctive.” More vodka-like in flavor (meaning less of it), there were still sweet cream notes nestled among the peppery nuances. And there were certainly some lingering lactic notes in the otherwise clean, crisp finish.

  Of course, not all Canadian vodkas deviate from what would be considered more or less “traditional” local ingredients.

  Up until a few years ago, Prince Edward Distillery, situated not surprisingly on Prince Edward Island, was making vodka from locally-grown potatoes, a ubiquitous island crop. It’s now permanently shuttered, but the potato vodka torch is currently carried by Blue Roof Distillers in neighboring New Brunswick. In Alberta, rye whisky specialist Alberta Distillers Ltd. (ADL) crafts Northern Keep Vodka from a mash of primarily prairie-grown rye, with a percentage of winter wheat, while Dillon’s Distillery (see the December – January issue of Beverage Master for more on Dillon’s) in Niagara, one of Ontario’s wine regions, crafts a grape-based vodka (this would fall into the “less traditional” bucket, but it’s certainly local). And could there be such a thing as “varietal” vodka?

  Crystal Head Vodka, the one co-conceived by actor Dan Aykroyd and that comes in a bottle shaped like a glass skull, produces a range of vodkas, each using a different base to impart distinctive qualities.

  “Crystal Head uses only the highest-quality ingredients to create unique expressions of ultra-premium vodka,” points out  Daniella Vizzari, the brand’s marketing manager. “Our original vodka is crafted from locally sourced Canadian corn, offering a silky-smooth vodka with a hint of sweetness and vanilla. Aurora uses the highest-quality English wheat, offering a crisper, drier, bolder vodka. Our latest expression of vodka, Onyx, is the first globally available agave-based vodka with subtle hints of agave, citrus, green grass and white pepper. As a final distinctive touch, all expressions of Crystal Head Vodka are blended with Newfoundland water and filtered through Herkimer diamonds.” (See, I wasn’t kidding about the diamond-filtering thing.)

  Incidentally, the skull-shaped bottle caused much consternation among the province of Ontario’s liquor board (LCBO) executives, who worried that such a package might cause acute psychological trauma to any customer exposed to it – and bring on an inevitable lawsuit. I’m likely exaggerating things just a bit (but just a bit). Yet initially, the possibly offensive vodka was banned from the market. The public was not amused (nor traumatized when the bottles finally hit the shelves). If other Canadian markets could have it, why not Ontario?

  “The LCBO believed the skull-shaped bottle represented death,” recounts Vizzari (likely with a smirk…just saying). “Our bottle has always been a happy skull and a symbol of life. During this time, consumers pulled through for us. They wrote letters and web campaigns asking why it was unavailable in Ontario. Crystal Head Vodka was designed with the creative spirit in mind by creative people. Today, we continue to disrupt the industry with one-of-a-kind packaging and innovative thinking.”

  Of course, one very important vodka-distilling component hasn’t been mentioned yet: water. Marketers love to prattle on about cool crystalline waters bubbling down from glacier-fed mountain springs (and blah blah blah) as the water source for their brands of vodka. Newfoundland’s Iceberg Vodka would appear to have them all beat.

  I was somewhat skeptical about the brand’s claim to use water actually sourced from north Atlantic icebergs. I mean, c’mon. So I posed the question to Iceberg brand manager Karen Lai: Do you actually harvest icebergs to produce Iceberg Vodka? If so, how exactly is this accomplished?

  “Yes!,” she enthusiastically replied. “We use actual iceberg water in our iceberg vodka, which is what makes our vodka so smooth. It is the purest water you can find since it’s been frozen for tens of thousands of years. The process begins when iceberg bits break off from the Arctic and floats down past the coast of Newfoundland. The iceberg bits are tracked, then melted down to water that is used in our vodka.”

  Who would have thought?

  Vodkows, Crystal Heads and Icebergs: just a few of the characters redefining the spirit of Canadian vodka.

Buying New or Used Equipment & How to Decide

Cyndi
bronze brewing machine

By: Kris Bohm, Owner of Distillery Now Consulting

When it comes to starting a distillery or a brewery it takes money to make it happen. In most cases it can literally take millions. The cost of the equipment is a big chunk of the cost required to start up a beverage alcohol business. Most folks who start a business will buy all new equipment. An alternative to the high price tag and long lead times of new equipment is to buy used equipment. When it comes to buying used equipment there can be many hidden costs and problems that come with what outwardly appears to be an excellent deal. By seeking to understand the hidden costs and potential problems that come with used equipment you may just uncover the perfect opportunity to land a deal on the equipment you need to start your business. Our aim is to help you avoid falling into the proverbial used equipment money pit. Let’s look through key considerations of buying used equipment and explore its potential.

  There are many reasons for wanting to buy used equipment instead of new equipment for a brewery or distillery. Lead time is a strong factor that drives folks to look at used equipment. In 2022 there have been massive disruptions to supply chains across many industries. Beverage manufacturing equipment is certainly one of them. For many manufacturers of equipment they now have lead times of well over a year. That means from the time you put a deposit on equipment to that equipment being delivered will almost certainly be beyond 12 months.

The opportunity to buy used equipment and take possession of it quickly has become an attractive option as a result. The downside here is that used equipment is in high demand these days and as a result the price on used equipment has gone up.

  There are many factors to consider when looking at used equipment. Age and condition are the two that are most important. As equipment gets older it can sometimes become hard to source replacement and repair parts. In some instances replacement parts do not exist and will need to be manufactured or redesigned which can be costly. The key here is to be diligent. Take some time to talk with the manufacturer and ask if they are available and willing  to continue to support the equipment they built. Here is an example of a situation where this occurred.

  There was an equipment manufacturer (who will not be named) but we will call them Acme in this example. Acme Company built equipment that looked great but their engineering and quality of manufacturing was shoddy. Acme went out of business only several years after opening due to lawsuits from equipment buyers.  A person new to the industry bought some equipment from Acme second hand that was still in crates unused. The buyer quickly bought the new and unused equipment from a 3rd party seller at what appeared to be a good price but did not do any research. Acme is no longer in business, and buying replacement parts for the equipment is impossible. When the time came to assemble and start the equipment there were many missing parts. To make it worse the equipment needed major repairs just to function as parts of the equipment were not operable. For the folks who bought this equipment, they had to spend lots of money and time to have custom work done just to make the equipment function. The repairs and replacement parts were so costly that the buyer would have spent less money on new equipment from a reputable manufacturer. 

  If the equipment comes with automation and controls the age of the equipment is critical to consider. Some older equipment does not age well and can in fact be more outdated than an 8 track cassette player. This is not to say that old controls or automation will not work, but there is a strong chance they can break and become unrepairable. If the used equipment is decommissioned and sitting in a warehouse it may not be possible to test the controls. If the controls cannot be repaired they may likely need to be replaced. The cost of replacement can eat up the money saved from buying used in the first place. Furthermore the cost of parts on older controls can sometimes be astronomical. The best way to test this before buying it is to buy equipment that is currently operational and can be tested.

  An important consideration is the cost of relocation. The cost of taking possession of the used equipment can vary hugely from one opportunity to the next. In most cases the equipment can be removed quickly and cleanly in the hands of skilled tradesmen. Most of the time there is room to disassemble and remove the equipment and also a door that allows for easy removal. In some instances this is not that case. There are some facilities that are literally built up around the equipment. In most cases continuous column stills in distilleries are installed via crane. In these cases removal of the equipment can be quite costly and require extensive building demolition and heavy equipment to carefully extract the equipment from a building. In one instance we saw a distillery in which the column for vodka distillation was encased in a metal and glass shaft. To remove the column required extensive demolition and a crane to extract the column from the building. After reviewing a plan and considering the value of the column we found that the cost of removal and relocation was going to negate any savings from the lower cost of the used equipment. This instance was one in which the buyer backed out of the purchase after investigating the cost of relocating the equipment.

  A common question asked by those buying used equipment is why are they selling it. The owner of the equipment can be selling it for a multitude of reasons, and it is an excellent question to ask. It is common for a business to outgrow its equipment capacity and sell its equipment to make room for larger equipment. Sometimes a business is closing permanently and is selling its equipment to liquidate the business. New entrants to the industry often ask how it works to buy used equipment. The transaction of buying used equipment is straightforward.  The seller of the equipment and the potential buyer connect and work to meet an agreed upon price and terms on purchasing the equipment. The agreement will often include a written contract that stipulates what equipment is being sold, how much time is there for the equipment to be removed, timeframe for deposit and payments, details on process of decommissioning and costs associated. If the buyer of the equipment is unsure of how to approach this process it is wise to hire a group or consultant to assist with this process. Typically a 3rd party will handle the disassembly, crating and relocation of the equipment. The process of decommissioning and relocation definitely has a cost so it is important to consider this in the overall cost of purchase.

  There are many factors to be considered here before buying used equipment. Although there are stories of bad deals, there are many more stories of success. In some instances, we have seen and helped folks save tons of money through buying used equipment. We hope you will give careful consideration when buying used equipment. If you are unsure whether or not to buy used equipment, it is best to bring in a professional to aid in your assessment of a potential purchase.

Retaining Loyal Customers

Cyndi
customer retention statement

By: David Wachs, CEO of Handwrytten

Nearly every industry has been impacted by rising prices. While the price of craft beer, hard seltzer, and cider has not risen nearly as quickly as gasoline or groceries, prices have gone up. In addition to ongoing shipping delays and labor shortages, rising prices for grain and fertilizer after Russia’s war against Ukraine is intensifying price increases. Restaurant prices have had the largest gains since the 1980s, also reflecting higher costs for food and workers. As consumers become more discretionary with their spending, they have been paying more attention to prices across brands and have even been willing to ditch brands they have been loyal to for years to spend less whether they are enjoying a beverage at home or at a restaurant.

  Retaining loyal customers and recapturing their purchasing power once their budget can afford it or prices return to lower levels is reliant on brands having open and transparent communication with customers during inflation. While no one enjoys paying more for goods and services, it is something everyone is being impacted by, creating a universal understanding and acceptance that prices must go up. However, that does not mean that customers will be amenable to drastic or sudden price jumps, increases that seem out of alignment with competitors, or higher prices that appear to last longer than necessary.

  Most marketing and sales experts would agree that customer retention is more cost-effective for a business than new customer acquisition. As consumers and businesses watch their discretionary spending and cut back on perceived extras, savvy companies will invest more effort into maintaining positive relationships to protect their bottom lines. However, receiving an email, text message or phone call may be the last thing a customer wants. 

  They might also be the last thing a customer pays attention to. The amount of promotional email the average person receives on a daily basis can be overwhelming. Not to mention that many email services now allow users to filter emails considered to be promotional into folders where they may never be seen, let alone opened and read. Text messages from unknown numbers typically stir feelings of suspicion. An unexpected text message might even be viewed as a smishing scam trying to steal personal information. A handwritten note is entirely different, it invokes curiosity versus fear or annoyance.  

  Nothing says “pay attention” like a personalized handwritten note. No one flips past or does not see a handwritten envelope in their mailbox. These stand out from everything else that was delivered. Recipients wonder what could be inside and while envelopes that look like bills or advertisements and graphic postcards are set to the side, handwritten envelopes are usually opened immediately. The attention-grabbing nature of a handwritten envelope provides an instant advantage that even the biggest and most prevalent direct mail marketers cannot overcome.  

  Spending hours writing notes by hand can be prohibitive, especially for businesses that have been struggling to hire, so consider hiring a robot to pick up a pen and do the writing instead. Handwritten envelopes have been found to have a 300% greater open rate than standard envelopes. And handwritten marketing has response rates 7-21x greater than printed mail, with a return on investment 3-7x greater than print. Some companies have even found that retention rates are 50% higher for customers who receive a handwritten thank you note.  

  The value of sending a handwritten note is enhanced by integrations with CRM systems that automate the process of when to send a note to a customer and what message to include. For example, a brewer can automate notes to send to customers on the anniversary of their joining a loyalty program, when there are special deals or limited time offerings, events taking place at local tasting rooms, or on other special occasions like customers’ birthdays. 

  A handwritten note could even be used to explain to customers why price increases are happening. While an end consumer might have heard that the cost of fertilizer has gone up, that there is an aluminum can shortage, and that labor costs are rising, that does not mean the will think of these things when they are standing in the refrigerated section at the grocery store or ordering from a menu at a restaurant. In that decision-making moment, brewers do not want to be a faceless corporation that is raising prices to take advantage of a consumer. A more advantageous situation would be to be the brewer who sent a handwritten note thanking that customer for remaining loyal to the brand, when possible, despite price increases that were necessary for x, y and z reasons. Reminding customers of the people behind the production scenes of their favorite beverage and explaining the challenges being face humanize the situation and remind customers that everyone is in this together.

  Not all of the information a brewer may want to communicate to customers could be explained in one card, but that tool could be the gateway inviting a customer to visit a landing page that breaks down the need for price increases. Instead of just skirting the issue with a message from the founder, dive into the issue. Profile employees who go to great lengths to get to work on a daily basis and highlight the increased cost for them to put gasoline in their vehicles. Explain the challenges being faced by farmers who have had to pay more for diesel to run farm equipment, on top of fertilizer costs that rose 80% in 2021 and another 30% or more in 2022. Provide insights into the costs of operating the brewery and how higher energy bills might be impacting the bottom line. Knowing they why and how behind price increases will certainly not help retain or win over every customer but making the effort could be the difference-maker for some people. And if others cannot afford to continue buying while prices remain high, the good intentions of a brewer’s transparency could be what brings that customer back sooner or wins them over from another brand once prices are reduced. Especially if they feel a brand that they were fans of in the past took advantage of the situation and turned inflation into “greed-flation”.

  In addition to providing insight to customers about why price increases are happening, invite and give them the opportunity to provide feedback and ask questions. Ensure that customers have multiple avenues to contact a customer service representative at the company and that feedback and answers are provided in a timely manner. Allowing customers to provide feedback makes them feel more invested in the brand and can help build stronger relationships that can withstand difficult times.

  By offering customers opportunities to provide feedback via the company website, email, or social media channels, brands can have more control over their ability to monitor and respond to the feedback they are receiving compared to customers leaving feedback and reviews on public forums or other social channels that are more difficult to track and can damage reputation. Responding to customer feedback is just as important as asking them to provide it.

   Customers will feel more valued, appreciated, and heard by a company that thanks them for supporting the brand. And if feedback is negative, a brand might be able to win over a new customer while impressing those that are already loyal by listening and maybe even implementing change based on customers’ opinions. This makes customers feel that their feedback did not go to waste and was important. Building a feedback loop with customers creates more of a community, can help with customer retention, and is what brands that last the tests of time get right. Imagine getting a thank you note from a brand because of a review left on a website or commentary posted on a social media channel. Most customers would be amazed that a brand would care enough to go to that effort and would remember it.

  There is no quick fix to help businesses recover from pandemic complications and now inflation. How deeply inflation will impact consumer spending habits remains to be seen. Identifying ways to recruit and retain employees as costs increase and labor shortages persist will take creativity and new approaches. As brewers develop solutions and evolve to thrive in the post-pandemic era, the need for effective communications will not diminish. After two years of a seemingly never-ending stream of new problems, making the most of upcoming opportunities will be critical to making 2022 as successful as possible.

CO2 Struggles Breed Innovative Practices & Alternative Gas Use

Cyndi
bubbles accumulation close up

By: Gerald Dlubala

Shortages, surcharges and sketchy availability: that’s not what any craft brewer, distiller or winemaker wants to hear about their supply stream. Yet that’s the reality that many brewers have been, and still are, living with after the pandemic played havoc with CO2 (carbon dioxide) availability.

  The lack of regular, planned delivery and variable costs and surcharges of CO2 has brewers looking at ways to cut their costs or amount of usage of CO2, including replacing CO2 with nitrogen in some capacity. Nitrogen is readily available and an inert gas that does not typically   react with its surroundings, so there’s no worry of adverse reactions with the brewed products.

Reducing and Replacing CO2 Use

  Matt Malloy is the founder and CEO of Dorchester Brewing in Boston, Massachusetts, a contract partner brewery usually brewing for and partnering with 12 to 15 breweries at any given time. When facing a 75 percent reduction in planned CO2 deliveries from their supplier, Malloy knew it was time to look into new and alternative ways to keep his taphouse and brewery producing, especially as he is responsible for brewing beer for his partner breweries.

  “We’ve long had a great relationship with our gas supplier,” said Malloy. “But this became a serious issue for us. We are a contract brewer for others, so production and quality are always our absolute priorities. We adhere to strict best practices with the required equipment for our industry and have to perform at a certain expected level. We have a bulk CO2 tank but couldn’t get the supplies necessary to keep us going, so we had to start looking at other options and even other suppliers than we had previously. We began by looking at where we use CO2 in our production. (Like other brewers, they found it in use virtually everywhere in their process.) We decided that the 25 percent supply we could get would go towards the most needed tasks. Then we would look for alternative solutions for other tasks that would cut the CO2 usage or, in some instances, replace the need for CO2 altogether with a better, more economical option. In our research and testing (Dorchester Brewing has a full-time quality control and testing lab), we found that we could initially replace CO2 with nitrogen in our canning, seaming and kegging operations. Additional notable savings came from using it to purge our two 60-bbl and one 120-bbl brite tanks. It was pretty much a one-for-one swap between CO2 and nitrogen. Our gas supplier helped with suggestions, and we were able to use our current piping systems by installing T-valves for switching use to liquid nitrogen supply, vaporizers and dewars when needed. We also found that cleaning under pressure used less gas than cleaning in place. All of these changes were made incrementally, using slow and steady testing to ensure that using nitrogen in place of CO2 did not compromise the quality of the beer in any one step of change.”

  Malloy told Beverage Master Magazine that one very effective thing he and his brewers started doing is incorporating the German method of Spunding in their brewing process, using special valves attached to your tanks. Spunding literally means bunging, and the old German technique is making a comeback and something that Malloy says every craft brewer should at least try. It involves carefully monitoring the present gravity and sealing off the tank after the initial, aggressive fermentation stages have been completed. Once the wort ferments to near the targeted final gravity and orifices are closed off, you set the Spunding valve on the tank to your desired hold pressure setting. The valve’s attached gauge monitors PSI levels, and any levels above your set pressure tell the variable pressure relief valve to open automatically and release pressure down to the preset level when the valve will once again close. Spunding traps the naturally occurring CO2 created during fermentation so that it absorbs into the wort as it turns into beer. When done correctly, a brewer ends up with a perfectly carbonated beer ready for packaging and a decreased need for additional purchased CO2.

  “Right from the start, we reduced our CO2 needs by 30 percent,” said Malloy. “Spunding saves us money, but I also believe it makes better beer. There is an increased sense of quality with better aroma components. We are making better beer, with less cost and more flexibility.”

  Malloy encourages brewers to initially consider ways to save on and reduce CO2 usage before blindly transitioning everything to nitrogen.

“As brewers, we have to be super nimble and flexible in our thinking,” said Malloy. “Here at Dorchester Brewing, we’ve looked at and studied every step in our brewing and production process. As a result, we now see some of the duties that traditionally call for CO2 use, like purging and blowing down, as valid ways to use nitrogen instead and save money.”

  Malloy says that Spunding, combined with an intense review of brewery practices, has gotten their facility down to a 50 percent reduction in the amount of CO2 they would typically require, but he’s not stopping there. He is currently testing nitrogen use in his can seamers and fillers. As a result, he expects to reduce his CO2 deliveries from once a week to once a month, resulting in even more savings.

  Nitrogen offers a way to create your own gas supply or have a less costly bulk option. Onsite nitrogen generators provide nitrogen on demand and, depending on use, can pay for themselves in a short time, sometimes within the same year. Cryogenic bulk tanks offer an onsite nitrogen supply with fewer deliveries, and dewars are available for more minor production needs.

Innovation Leads to a Change in Philosophy and Brewery Practices

  “Spunding and nitrogen use have changed how we approach brewing, but those practices have also built a new philosophy within our brewery,” said Malloy. “We are always looking to improve, and now we see a change in behavior within our team. We’ve changed cleaning protocols and team behavior. Our team now sees value in every pound of gas used. Each pound used is sacred, and this type of thinking breeds innovation. We’ve used these protocols with all our brews, with no issues, differences or deficiencies noticed.”

  Malloy says that these changes help production, but just as significantly, they also add up to reduced costs for brewers. The cost savings in buying bulk is significant, with some breweries paying up to eight times as much for supply as Dorchester Brewing.

  “I would recommend that craft brewers first look at all of their production tasks in detail and, where applicable, incorporate the Spunding valves in their process,” said Malloy. “The upfront cost would be that of the valves, but the savings resulting from Spunding can be significant. Getting caught short can cause irreparable harm as a craft brewer, so you should also work with your gas supplier to investigate and research the possibilities of using nitrogen for as many practices as possible. It’s a win-win situation for both of you.”

  Malloy is invested in the brewing community and is willing to discuss his experiences and help to show other craft brewers how they can start reducing costs through Spunding, nitrogen use or both in their brewery, pub or taproom. In addition, Dorchester Brewing offers free lid seaming checks and DO (dissolved oxygen) testing for area brewers.

Reusing Produced CO2 Through Carbon Capture: Earthly Labs

  Due to the nature of the brewing process, breweries produce large amounts of CO2. With CO2 supplies being in such short and erratic supply, plus variable pricing structures, it may make sense for breweries to consider recapturing some of that produced CO2 for their use. Earthly Labs, a division of Chart Industries, is at the forefront of CO2 capture technology, manufacturing plug-and-play carbon capture units that enable a brewery start capturing and using their own produced CO2 within one day of installation.

  The Earthly Labs CO2 capture technology is designed to capture CO2 waste from smaller sources that ultimately make up more than half of all CO2 emissions. For breweries specifically, this translates to allowing brewers to capture their own produced CO2 and subsequently purify it to food-grade gas for reuse in the packaging and carbonating processes.

  Using recaptured CO2 for your beer immediately allows a brewer to reduce CO2 purchases and the associated delivery fees and surcharges. Additionally, peace of mind comes with decreasing worries and making an environmentally conscious decision to increase sustainability. Earthly Labs compares the capture and reuse of CO2 to brewers or distillers disposing of spent grain because it is also a way to become more sustainable while also simultaneously benefitting your brewery’s bottom line.

  Amy George, founder and CEO of Earthly Labs, says that while distilleries and wineries don’t have the amount of need that breweries have, they are also in the early stages of showing interest. Distilleries are continuously looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint, with some having plans featuring net zero carbon futures. Wineries are also exploring ways to capture and reuse CO2 onsite to help with tank purging or carbonation needs for specific products.

  George says that their CO2 capture units are about the size of a double-door refrigerator and can be running and capturing gas the next day after installation if the brewery is producing gas. Training is straightforward, taking one to two days. After that, the brewery employees will be fully able to use the system under the oversight of the Earthly Labs team. Additional support is always available, including the possibility of remote monitoring. Return on investment timetables varies by producer, based on the amount of gas captured versus what a craft producer would have to pay for supply, surcharges, frequency of delivery, and more. As the price of CO2 rises, the return-on-investment timeline shortens, but on average, the client can expect the units to pay for themselves within two to three years.

  Earthly Lab’s units are currently in use by breweries and craft producers of all sizes, but George says that the sweet spot for their workhorse unit, the CiCi ® (Oak), is for producers in the 5,000 to 20,000 bbl range. They can accommodate smaller producers with their CiCi ® (Teak) units, and larger producers will benefit from their CiCi ® (Elm) units.

  George believes the complex, ongoing supply and delivery conditions will ultimately lead breweries to explore ways to remain viable and become more efficient in their operations. This includes capturing the CO2 waste for reuse that would typically be released into the environment and looking at replacement alternatives for CO2 within production operations. 

  Earthly Labs works to accommodate all producers, including offering a winery leasing program to provide flexibility during harvest seasons and to help eliminate the upfront expenditure by spreading payments into more manageable monthly programs. Additionally, the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act also allows for tax credits for these types of purchases.

  Chart Industries CO2 storage solutions and partner networks offer opportunities to turn waste streams into value for businesses while reducing environmental impact. Chart also partners with buyers and distributors to help sell excess CO2 to other partners in the exchange ecosystem. The ultimate goal is to reduce as many emissions as possible to help achieve overall climate goals.

Customizing Beverages the Easy Way

Cyndi
can beers in a beer table

By: Angelo Coletta, CEO – Zakeke

Enabling customers to customize their purchases is a quick and easy way to expand into new markets and boost profits. Some distilleries and craft brewers are beginning to take advantage of this innovative approach to scale their businesses. For example, Silent Pool Distillers increased their orders fivefold in 2020 in part with the help of product customization.

  Possibilities abound for other distillers and craft brewers to do the same. Moreover, it’s easier to enable customization than most business owners think. Today’s product customizers offer automated processes that reduce the required amount of attention and manual labor to little or nothing.

What is Product Customization?

  Product customization allows customers to change the visual appearance of products according to their own individual needs and desires. Sellers empower consumers to build their own unique products, perhaps by adding their names or those of others. Depending on the specific product and customization service, customers may also be able to add photographs or longer messages of their own writing. In a sense, the product becomes a canvas for them to create upon.

  Some of the beer, wine, and spirits industry’s biggest names allow their bottles to be customized, offering proof of concept. Tito’s Vodka and Hennessy VS Cognac bottles can be etched, and a large selection of bottles can be engraved, including Don Julio tequila, Woodford Reserve bourbon, and Dom Perignon champagne. Other makers, such as Maker’s Mark, Jameson, and Jack Daniel’s, offer bespoke labels. Silent Pool Distillers does this for four of their distinctive gins.

  A wide range of items can be customized, including purses, jewelry, keychains, apparel, towels, and bedding. There are even services that customize things you wouldn’t expect, like USB drives, coffee sleeves, drinking straws, bobbleheads, and — believe it or not — cookies or cakes.

Why Enable Product Customization

  The answer is simple: product customization improves the bottom line. According to a 2019 Tech Clarity survey of 285 companies that offer customization, 71 percent listed increased sales as one of its benefits. More than 50 percent pointed to differentiation and higher margins. Thirty-five percent nodded toward customization’s “cool factor,” and 34 percent said they experienced higher close rates. Forty-two percent indicated that offering customization had become a necessity in their industry to stay competitive.

  Product customization elevates profitability for a number of reasons. First, customers are willing to pay more for customized products. According to Bain & Company, they will reach into their wallets to the tune of 20 percent more than the uncustomized version. This means manufacturers who customize can set higher prices. Meanwhile, they don’t incur new costs, since automated processes minimize the work required. While customers may only purchase a single customized item or a small lot, these sales are a painless way for the business to expand, and they do add up.

  Secondly, product customization encourages customer loyalty. The same Bain & Company report also found that, “customers who had customized a product online engaged more with the company. They visited its website more frequently, stayed on the page longer and were more loyal to the brand.”

  Happy customers can result in repeat business and referrals to their friends and family. The ability to customize sets a business apart, distinguishing it from competitors in the eyes of consumers.

  If that wasn’t already enough, Bain reported lower rates of return for customized products than for their mass-produced counterparts. When customers take ownership of the look and feel of their purchase, they tend to be more satisfied with the outcome and less likely to change their minds.

  All of this adds up to increased sales and a better business.

Why Customers Love Customization

  Customization appeals to customers for many reasons. Part of the draw is that it makes customers feel special. They are willing to invest their time and effort into creating a unique product that is tailored to their own tastes and exacting requirements. Since they are the ones who determine what the final product looks like, it is sure to please them.

  Another reason is that customization provides customers with a sense of control, that all-too-scarce commodity in today’s hectic, stressful, and sometimes overwhelming world. They are in the driver’s seat throughout the process. This is one element of their lives that they can impose their will upon and be confident of receiving gratification.

  It can also be just plain fun. For instance, Silent Pool Distillery’s user-friendly website steps prospective customers through the creation process. After clicking on the option to personalize their gin, they are taken to a new web page with four varieties that may be customized: Original Juniper, English Garden, Fresh Grapefruit, and Spiced Pepper. When customers click on the name of the flavor they want to purchase, a new page comes up with the product’s specifications.

  Beneath the “Add to Cart” button, a “Customize” option takes customers to an interactive interface where they design their bottle’s label. A large button with an upward-pointing arrow invites them to upload photographs of themselves, their loved ones, pets, or places special to them. Alternatively, they may choose from a library of 140 million stock photos arranged by helpful categories like “Business & Finance,” “Sport & Extreme,” or “Travel and Vacations.”

  Next to the upload arrow is a button that allows clients to add text to the label, giving it a special name or writing warm messages to recipients. Customers can change the font size, make the text bold, position it anywhere from top to bottom, center the words, or align them to the left or right. They can even bend the letters along a curve of their own making. Magnifying glass icons allow them to zoom in to view fine details or zoom out to gauge the overall look.

  If a given component starts to mess up the label, then the customer can delete it. If the whole design ends up being a disaster, they can reset the label with the click of a button and start over.

  The result is a unique, bespoke bottle of high-quality, sustainable gin that’s perfect for gift-giving on birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays, as well as for celebrations, bachelor and bachelorette parties, showers, and weddings.

  Throughout the process, customers delight in the knowledge that they are putting together a one-of-a-kind present. Surprise is guaranteed: No matter how hard the recipient might try to guess what’s coming, they will never be able to guess what this gift is going to look like. Connection also seems assured — people tend to react positively to seeing their own name on an item, which often translates to feeling good about the person who gave it to them.

No Hassle Customization for Sellers

  Savvy distillers and craft brewers are understandably wary about adding a new feature to their already complex businesses. The last thing sellers want is to labor over a single item. Luckily, those days are over. Today’s customization services integrate with business’s existing websites and simplify the customization process itself.

  Take the case of Silent Pool Distillers. The distillery got their start offline, producing artisanal spirits with local ingredients in the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a nationally protected landscape in the United Kingdom. To take advantage of online sales, they built an online storefront on the e-commerce platform BigCommerce. Thus, the distillery was well positioned when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, closing pubs and restaurants in droves. The spurt in online shopping boosted their sales to new levels.

  When the business sought a way to start customizing their products, they wanted a service that would integrate with BigCommerce and not force them to reinvent their online shop. They chose Zakeke, a visual commerce platform that works seamlessly with not only BigCommerce, but also many other ecommerce platforms, including Shopify, Etsy, Wix and WooCommerce. It can also employ an application programming interface (API) for integration if needed.

  Silent Pool Distillers installed Zakeke’s software and configured its easy-to-use “plug and play” system. In the context of information technology, “plug and play” means software that does not require users to understand programming or make any adjustments. Instead, it is designed to work well immediately from the moment it is brought to life.

  After this initial setup, the distillery’s preexisting online shop gave customers access to Zakeke’s cloud-based platform for designing their own labels for certain products. Since the process is automated, this personalization happens without requiring attention from the seller. Once an order is placed, all employees at Silent Pool Distillers need to do is download the customer’s file, print it out, and attach it to an appropriate bottle.

  By equipping the Silent Pool Distillery to offer bespoke labels on their bottles, Zakeke boosted their sales while allowing the distillers to remain focused on what they do best: making high-quality spirits.

The Power of Personalization

  Today’s customers increasingly expect the ability to personalize their products. A 2020 report by Dassault Systèmes and CITE Research found that 83 percent of consumers “expect products or services to adapt [to their individual specifications] in a matter of moments or hours.”

  The future belongs to businesses who can meet this challenge. Local distilleries and craft breweries stand to gain by incorporating customization, just like the big names in the industry. Branching out in this direction enabled Silent Pool Distillers to capture a valuable new market segment and increase sales even during the dark days of the pandemic.

  The power of personalization helps retailers please long-standing customers and attract new ones. That’s why distilleries and craft brewers of all kinds should consider adding product customization.