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Varieties of Gin Botanicals in the Pacific Northwest

October 2, 2020April 16, 2025 Cyndi

By: Becky Garrison

The recent sale of Aviation Gin to Diageo in August 2020 put the Portland, Oregon, distillery scene, and gin in particular, back on the national map. Aviation’s history can be traced back to 2004 when Christian Krogstad and his wife, Christina, launched House Spirits Distillery intend-ing to make American single malt whiskey. However, as whiskey requires a significant time in-vestment, they decided to generate some revenue by redistilling a neutral grain spirit-based gin that could be brought to market relatively quickly.

They chose to deviate from the other gins on the market at the time, which they found to be juni-per heavy. They began experimenting with different botanicals and spices in a quest to manufac-ture a truly American spirit.

“When I started a beer business, I learned from my brewing experience that you really have to innovate. You can’t just do what other people are doing,” Krogstad said.

A year later, Ryan Magarian joined the team and came up with the term “New Western Dry Gin.” The first taste of Aviation’s new style of gin was not juniper, but a balanced blend of bo-tanicals that included cardamom, coriander, French lavender, anise seed, sarsaparilla, juniper and two kinds of orange peel.

These botanicals are steeped in neutral grain spirit for about 18 hours and then combined with water and distilled in a steel still for about seven hours. The resulting product is 142 proof initial-ly but cut to 84 proof for bottling.

The name Aviation came from the iconic Aviation Cocktail created in the early twentieth centu-ry. Their bottle design, Krogstad noted, is “almost reminiscent of the Chrysler building in New York City,” and brings to mind the style of the TV series “Mad Men,” circa 1960.

In 2016, owners Christian Krogstad, Thomas Mooney and Ryan Magarian sold the Aviation brand to Davos and put their money and energies toward expanding production of Westward Whiskey. (Incidentally, Westward Whiskey is also partly owned by Diageo).

Cask Finished Gin at Copperworks Distilling Company

Jason Parker, first head brewer at Pike Brewing Company and co-founder of Copperworks Dis-tilling Company in Seattle, Washington, took a somewhat similar route to Krogstad when he founded Copperworks in 2013 with fellow craft beer maker, Micah Nutt. They began distilling their small batch gin so the proceeds could keep their business afloat until their American single malt whiskey matured and could be marketed. Their gin is distilled from a base of Washington-grown malted barley with a balance of juniper and hints of coriander, citrus and other exotic bo-tanicals.

They also began experimenting with cask finished gins. Copperworks New Oak Cask Finished Gin is finished for roughly three months in charred, new American Oak barrels, the same barrels used to age Copperworks’ single malt whiskies.

Cask finishing brings forward floral, coriander and cinnamon notes and softens the juniper. Also, the presence of caramel and vanilla comes from the barrel. “The other spices really pop forward, and you get this kind of burnt character to the orange. It’s really delicious,” Parker said.

This venture led to an experimental cask finished gin series that includes limited-edition gins fin-ished in casks that previously held spirits such as Laphroaig Single Malt Scotch Whisky and Caol Ila Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

Surveying Other Gins in the Pacific Northwest

In what appears to be a trend, Freeland Spirits in Portland, Oregon, founder Jill Kuehler also be-gan distilling gin while waiting for their bourbon to mature. Named in honor of Kuehler’s grandmother, Meemaw Freeland, this women-owned distillery seeks to capture the flavor of Meemaw’s garden gin. Kuehler’s team combines traditional heat distillation with vacuum distil-lation to turn fresh Pacific Northwest grains, ingredients such as cucumber, rosemary and mint, as well as other dried botanicals, into the small-batch gin. They also produce an award-winning canned gin and tonic cocktail, and Geneva, a spirit inspired by genever that showcases Oregon-grown rye with savory botanicals.

Scratch Distillery in Edmonds, Washington, was born out of Kim Karrick’s passion for making gin– from scratch–using locally sourced organic ingredients. Scratch Gin is crafted from the dis-tillery’s organic, non-GMO, wheat-based vodka, and vapor infused in the still using a gin basket. Customers can choose from a barrel-finished, martini-style or gin-and-tonic-style gin, depending on their taste preferences. Knowing that each person has a unique palette, Karrick also developed the GINiology program. Here, participants choose from more than thirty different botanicals, spices and other flavors to create a personalized gin to take home.

AJ Temple of Temple Distilling Company in Lynwood, Washington, distills his gin using a cus-tom stainless steel and copper bain-marie style pot still. This double boiler heating method lends an even and soft heat to the botanicals. Temple Distilling’s first and flagship spirit, Chapter One London Dry Gin, was made to showcase a love for old world-style gins. Other offerings include Navy Strength gin, aged in once-used bourbon casks, and a limoncello. Since Temple discovered citrus oils play better at higher strengths, they use fresh lime peel and dried grapefruit, as well as cassia bark for added body, when making their Navy Strength gin.

Rusty Caldwell, co-owner at 503 Distilling in Oregon City, Oregon, views gin like a calling card. Every distiller tells their story by showing what they find tasteful and elegant through their choice of botanicals. “Like wine, our Circa 17 gin tells the story of terroir,” Caldwell said. “Our use of Oregon juniper, fresh-cut spruce tips, gardened rosemary and other herbs represents a taste of our environment in the Pacific Northwest.”

Distilled in Seattle, Washington, Big Gin is named after founder and third-generation distiller, Ben Capdevielle’s father, Big Jim. The juniper, sourced in Italy, Albania and Macedonia, along-side cardamom, cassia, and Tasmanian pepperberry, gives the gin a complex peppery or spicy flavor, while the angelica, coriander and bitter orange peel add citrus and savory flavor. Now owned by Hood River Distillers, Big Gin offers a London Dry gin, along with Big Gin Bourbon Barreled, Big Gin Peat Barreled and other Big Gin Single Barrel releases.

Aria Gin: Dry London Gin Infused With the Pacific Northwest Spirit

In response to this ginned up craze, Aria Portland Dry Gin, established in 2012, set out to pro-duce a top-shelf classic dry London gin. As much as co-owner Ryan Csanky loved gins like Avi-ation, he found they did not work when he would make a classic martini for his older clientele.

“Distillers would use all these innovative and creative flavors like prickly pear, spruce tips and lavender, and build a drink around them. But they don’t always plug directly into some of the classic gin cocktails that people like,” Csanky said.

Rather than push the boundaries of flavor even further than Aviation, Csanky decided to pursue another route. “We had this aha moment where we decided to take a big step back and shift our focus to doing something that is not being done. For us, that was a high-quality, independently-made alternative to the mass-produced gins.”

They experimented with traditional English botanicals, searching for the right harmony and bal-ance in crafting a classic dry London gin. “I didn’t want the gin defined by a single ingredient or a single component of the flavor profile,” Csanky said. “The art of this gin is all about how we paint the picture with the botanicals.”

Two years into product development, they realized they did not need to use nearly as much product. So they moved away from the heavy-handed, intense flavors Csanky found were present in many independent gins, in favor of flavor combinations that were bold but also delicate. Even-tually, they settled on a recipe that combines the ten-ingredients they list on the bottle: juniper, coriander, angelica root, grains of paradise, cubeb berry, orris root, lemon zest, orange zest and cassia bark.

Presently, Csanky does not plan on distilling other products. “I don’t want to make a little bit of everything and do it all kind of decently. I want to make one thing and be known for doing it well.”

Moving forward, Caldwell of 503 Distilling offers a reflection on the future of gin. “One of the things I love about gin is that within recent years distillers–and consumers–have opened their minds to appreciating gin like they would whiskey. Until recently, gin has always been given the distinction of a mixer spirit, which means that it must be neutral enough to be blended into an-other substance. However, among craft distillers, there is now the trend to treat botanicals like a brewer treats hops.”

Distillery Startup: Where the Journey Begins

October 2, 2020April 16, 2025 Cyndi

By: Gerald Dlubala

“You want to start a distillery? Try not to be overwhelmed, but by all means, prepare to be overwhelmed,” said Patrick Kelty, President of VITOK Engineers, Inc. VITOK Engineers help design and optimize every element of the distillation process, from raw material receiving to proofing and bottling. Their clients range from craft distillery startups to the likes of Wild Turkey and Jack Daniels. And if nothing else, Kelty wants potential distillers to remember a few things.

“Educate yourself about the distilling process and business,” said Kelty. “Talk to other owners. Learn from their mistakes and successes and apply them to your situation. Get to be best friends with your Fire Marshal, insurance agents and inspectors. They are the ones with intimate knowledge of the specific rules and regulations of your location. Base your design on your current situation, your forecasted production numbers and goals and your target customers and marketing plans.”

Kelty said that too many distillery startups begin with the owner blindly agreeing to options and amenities before obtaining proper cost estimates, causing hard decisions regarding cost-cutting and expense squeezing later. Collecting accurate cost measurements before startup is a lot of work, but it ensures that the owner gets the equipment and machinery based on what they have right now and what they want in the future.

“For example, going with a column still means you’ll be installing the entire system upfront, even if you don’t yet need it,” said Kelty. “You may only run it on a part-time basis, but with a column still, once you reach max productivity, you have to install additional column stills to increase production. One fermenter is generally needed per eight-hour shift, so if you run continuous shifts, you’ll need up to three fermenters per 24-hour cycle. A simpler pot still can be run on a batch basis and, if needed, can also be used after fermentation as pre-bottling holding bottling tanks. They are multi-functional and can be added to, but they require more attention than a column still.”

Kelty told Beverage Master Magazine that using experienced professionals in distillery design is a must. Roughly half of VITOK’s distillery design business includes the trendy retrofitting of old buildings into new distilleries. Often, these buildings need redesigning to accommodate the potential hazards of distilling. New construction is costly upfront but allows optimal design based on current and future plans.

“All architects, designers and engineers must have a safety-first mindset because of the inherent dangers of distillery operation. VITOK started as chemical plant engineers, so safety is ingrained in our way of thinking. Others may not necessarily have that same mindset,” Kelty said. “Did you know that commonly installed PVC drains installed under slab concrete floors can melt if distillery wastewater is pumped through them at too high of a temperature? Neither did the particular distiller that this happened to. That’s just one example of things that experienced distillery professionals know, and some unexperienced general contractors in the distillery construction field may not.”

Future goals and expansion plans should include the possibility of increased deliveries, the need for additional raw materials storage and what happens to your spent grain. Farmers used to take all they could, but in Kentucky, Kelty said there’s now an overabundance of distilleries and spent grain, so farmers are now charging to haul it from the distillery, meaning additional costs.

A project manager is also critical, he said, to keep the project on deadline, within budget and moving smoothly.

“And then assemble as much of a dream team as you possibly can to keep all parties moving in the same direction towards the same goal. The owner, architects, engineers, lawyers and marketing consultants need to start at the same time to be on the same page and working towards the brand story or identity that the distiller wants to convey. Having that singular vision helps avoid cost overruns and delays.”

“Just learn as much as you can, talk to those that have gone through it, and partner with those having verified experience in distillery startup equipment, procedures and practices,” Kelty said.

Don’t Forget About Grain Handling

“Grain handling is usually an afterthought,” said Adam Dubose, Sales Engineer at ABM Equipment (See their ad on the Inside Front Cover). “It’s just how it is. By the time we get involved, it’s usually the last step, and we have to deal with the leftover space. But that’s okay because that’s what we do.”

“Most brewers will mill their grain if they can,” said Dubose. “If you can do that, you have total control over the coarseness, the makeup and the content while saving significant money. You’ll find out just how quickly you go through grain when you only buy small bags of pre-milled grain. The costs will add up quickly, so if possible, it’s best to mill it and start with one silo. Just keep in mind a plan and a place to install two or three more down the road.”

ABM Equipment helps brewers design a future-friendly brewery layout to efficiently use the available space to maximum advantage. They take the needed time to go through plans and goals and develop an agreed-upon design to match each brewery’s specific needs. This method heads off potential problems and headaches before installation begins.

“Good planning with good future projections is the key,” said Dubose. “With grain, milling and conveyance equipment, you need to plan as far into the future as you can. Budget will always be a factor. Get what your budget allows, and add the needed equipment later, but good planning and foresight with design and space will make any future additions easy to implement.”

Been There, Done That, and Willing to Help

Starting up a distillery is unlike any other business startup. It’s critical to take advantage of the information and help from those that have traveled the path. People like Patrick Heist, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of FermSolutions and Co-owner of Wilderness Trail Distillery, are a wealth of knowledge, from questions about the startup process through full-service consultation and design of your distillery.

“We engage with customers from the conceptual phase through the distillery construction,” said Heist. “FermSolutions was started in 2006 and works directly with hundreds of distilleries on process optimization and problem-solving. By starting Wilderness Trail Distillery as an extension of FermSolutions, we have real-life experience in the right versus wrong ways of doing things to help solve issues for other distillery startups. Once they are running, we offer our expertise-driven fermentation products like yeast, enzymes, lab services and more to make sure the process is optimized and producing the best possible yields and flavor. We’ve expanded three different times since, from a one barrel per day operation to now being the fourteenth largest bourbon producer and the eighteenth member of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.”

Heist said that there are numerous questions to consider when starting a distillery, and as expected, the big one involves funding. “Make sure you are properly capitalized, not only for seeing the project through but for any unforeseen situations that will arise. Make sure you can wait, if you haven’t already, for the aging process before you start realizing a cash flow. Some distillers are trying to get initial cash flow through products that can be ready to sell in short order, like moonshine, vodka or gin. I will warn you that sometimes the marketing required to get any meaningful revenue out of these types of spirits is cost-prohibitive. Make sure you have your priorities in order. You should already know the types of distillate you plan to produce along with what feedstock you’ll use for each type. What recipes will you follow? Are your sources reliable? What are your plans to meet future growth and demand? What type of equipment do you need to meet these goals? Are your building utilities proper for your distillery plans?”

Heist suggests that just as you use your budget efficiently and wisely, so should you use your time. For example, if you’re planning on making a straight whiskey, you likely have at least two years to design a bottle and work on marketing plans, so stay focused on the current operation itself, including yields and great flavor profiles. Legalities, laws and regulations must be precisely met and followed, so it’s mandatory to get help in these areas. FermSolutions can provide guidance, but the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) are also great resources. Tap into other nearby distilleries that have already navigated those waters, and don’t be afraid to ask for help and guidance.

“Be a student of the process,” said Heist. “Take the initiative to get yourself going and choose help based on actual need. A lot of money can be spent on non-essential consulting services that could be put to use in production. Because when you get down to it, it’s about what you can afford. Some say to go with bigger equipment, like stills, to support future growth and production increases, but along with that comes more energy requirements, the need for bigger boilers, chillers and so on. Focus on getting equipment that will serve your immediate needs within your current budget constraints.”

Addressing COVID-19 During Startup

“You normally have the big five concerns when starting a business: namely, your business model, portfolio mix, funding, appropriate licensing and equipment, but 2020 has put a whole new spin on things, especially where the public is concerned,” said Donald Snyder, founder of Whiskey Systems, a complete craft distillery management service. “You’ve now got to also ask yourself how you’re going to comply and maintain the safety requirements for your area, including OSHA-based requirements and more, and of course, social distancing if it’s still mandated later this year. In my experience, most new startups don’t consider the current requirements for their locality. How are you going to achieve and continually manage the mandates needed to comply with your local safety, health or fire regulations?”

Snyder told Beverage Master Magazine that while opening and building anticipation of a new distillery in today’s market can be done within local requirements, it’s a different story moving forward. “You’ve got to have some sort of system in place to build on and meet your needs while remaining current on, and working within, those state and local allowances and restrictions. You may, for example, have to prepare to spend money upfront and wait the necessary number of years to age and produce a quality product. White spirits and moonshine age faster and are available to sell quicker, so you just have to be creative and use what you are given.

“A good example is the option to sell your full bottles, mixed cocktails and related items to go,” said Snyder. “If you’re in one of the states that allow that, then great, that’s a quality feature you can build and design your business model around while waiting for the restrictions to ease up, hopefully in a reasonable time. If you aren’t allowed to do that, then for now, at least, your storefront has to be built around merchandising and awesome consumer experiences. When I walk into your place, the customer experience should be your number one concern, followed by the tasting and the tasting room experience.”

Snyder believes in having something to show for your investment, so it’s best to purchase or lease-to-own quality equipment. Financing can work, but the thing to remember is that, unlike the beer or wine industry, distilling equipment holds its value exceptionally well. It won’t depreciate like other manufacturing machinery, so, many times, you’ll get your full or near full investment back. With leases, it can be easier to have someone take over the lease and be on your way. A lot of the equipment for wine and beer can be interchangeable, but distillery equipment is different.

“Little things that have big meaning for distilleries can be overlooked if you’re not using engineers and architects experienced in distillery design,” said Snyder. “One mistake I see made a lot is the absence of roll-up or dock doors. How are you going to move your glass, cans, grain, spent grain and materials? Prepare for the cost of employees, rent, any leases, etc. You’ve got to stay aware of long-term logistics for business expansion or the addition of future lines or products. Don’t layout your distillery in a way that restricts or financially inhibits future growth and expansion. Safety is another important area of concern, so it’s important to consult with engineers and architects that are familiar with and understand the workings of a distillery and the relatable OSHA regulations. Distilling and grinding your grain produces natural explosion hazards, so it’s critical to design your spaces accordingly.”

“As important as all these other things are, it’s just so critical to stay in compliance with state and federal reporting regulations,” said Snyder. “It’s so important to start your reporting and tracking before you get audited. Choose a system similar to Whiskey Systems that fits your needs and provides an audit-ready place to manage your records.”

Canadian Brewery Turns Wastewater Into Beer

October 2, 2020April 16, 2025 Cyndi

row of beer cans — Advancing Canadian Wastewater Assets (ACWA) has partnered with Village Brewery and Xylem Inc. to brew Alberta’s first beer made with reused water. Christine O’Grady is the ACWA employee who led this project, and Jeremy McLaughlin is the Brewmaster from Village Brewery.

By: Briana Doyle

It’s one thing to turn lemons into lemonade, but will customers buy turning wastewater into beer? On August 22, Village Brewery released a blonde ale produced in collaboration with University of Calgary researchers and the U.S.-based water technology company, Xy-lem, to create a limited-edition ale from water sourced by a Bow River wastewater treatment plant. The purpose of the project was to address water scarcity by proving that “dirty” water can be safely purified for drinking purposes.

The beer’s launch was initially pegged for March 22, which is U.N. World Water Day, but was delayed due to COVID-19.

“There’s a mental hurdle to get over of how inherently gross this could be,” said Jere-my McLaughlin, head brewer at Village Brewery. “But we know that this water is safe, we know that this beer is safe, and we stand by our process.”

Before brewing, the water was tested by Alberta Health Services to ensure it met pro-vincial quality standards for drinking water. The partially treated water was purified us-ing ultrafiltration, ozone, ultraviolet light and reverse osmosis.

“This beer shows that water reuse can be a safe and important part of our sustainable future,” said Christine O’Grady, program co-ordinator at Advancing Canadian Water Assets, another key partner in the project. “Wastewater can be treated using advanced treatment technology, making it into a reliable and safe water supply for many uses.”

ACWA is a unique test bed and research facility where researchers, municipalities and industry professionals collaborate to improve wastewater treatment and monitoring technologies. It is a partnership between the University of Calgary and the city of Cal-gary.

Reusing wastewater where possible is a practical solution to improve sustainability of our freshwater resources, O’Grady said, because it can reduce the amount of freshwa-ter needed for human consumption, lowering the demand for freshwater sourced from sensitive ecosystems.

“AHS was happy to be part of this project to help develop a water safety plan and en-sure the water met drinking water standards,” said Jessica Popadynetz, AHS public health inspector. “With the right measures in place, alternative water sources such as wastewater, grey water, rooftop collected rainwater and stormwater can be made safe for many potable and non-potable end uses.”

Xylem has been involved in similar projects to explore potable water reuse in the pro-duction of beer, wine and spirits throughout Europe and the U.S. In 2019, they part-nered with the city of Manchester, Heineken’s Manchester brewery, and the Manches-ter City Football Club to produce “Raining Champions,” a limited-edition beer brewed with purified rainwater collected from the rooftop of Manchester city’s Etihad Stadium.

The company was also involved in the Pure Water Brew competition in Oregon last year, which challenged local homebrewers to create the best beer possible using sew-er water from Clean Water Services’ Durham treatment facility in Tigard, Oregon. The water was run through an additional high purity water treatment system. Brewers were then able to use the high-purity water, along with selected minerals, to custom-tune the water in order to modify the flavors of their beer.

“Water scarcity continues to be a global challenge as populations keep growing,” said Albert Cho, vice-president and general manager of Xylem Inc. “Innovation and reuse are essential parts of the solution. Xylem is proud to partner with Advancing Canadian Wastewater Assets and Village Brewery in Calgary to demonstrate how we can all make this happen together. And we’re excited to try the beer!”

Upstart Alberta Brewery Takes the Crown in 2020 Canadian Brewing Awards; Quebec-Made Gluten-Free Red Wins Beer of the Year

The verdict is in: Canada’s best brewery in 2020 is a three-and-a-half-year-old brewery in Calgary.

Common Crown Brewing Company took top honors at the Canadian Brewery Awards, an annual competition that judges Canadian-made beer based on blind tastings from certified judges. The competition is open to domestic breweries of any size from across the country.

In addition to winning Brewery of the Year based on the strength of the beers submit-ted, Common Crown was also awarded three gold medals for specific beers: the Ploughman Wheat Ale in the North American-style Wheat category, Andy’s Wee Heavy Scottish Ale in the Scotch Ale category, and Coppersmith Brown Ale in the Brown Ale category.

The prize for Beer of the Year, however, went to Montreal, QC’s Brasseurs Sans Gluten for its chestnut-infused Glutenberg Red. The brewery’s Glutenberg brand, which launched in 2011, is not just a Canadian phenomenon; the company said half of all production is exported to the United States.

In addition to the company’s flagship blonde, pale ale and red beers, the Glutenberg line also includes some more unusual varieties, including a gose, stouts and a double IPA.

To achieve a 100% gluten-free beer, the company brews strictly with gluten-free grains such as millet, buckwheat, corn, quinoa and amaranth, sourced primarily from farmers at nearby Ferme Sans Gluten. After brew day, spent grain is returned to the same farm, where it is used as compost in the millet and buckwheat fields that supply the brewery.

Sales at Canadian microbreweries across the country were hit hard this year when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the whole country went into a months-long lockdown, and Common Crown was no exception.

Co-founder Damon Moreau told Global News that being able to quickly pivot to home delivery when the pandemic hit helped “keep the lights on” when on-premise sales at the brewery and local restaurants and bars plummeted during confinement.

B.C. Brewery’s Popular Charity Program Returns After Pan-Demic Pause

In September, British Columbia’s Fernie Brewing announced the return of its popular fundraising program for local charities.

The brewery’s established Cheers for Charity program, in which a portion of sales from flights in the tasting room is given to a different local charity each month, was put on ice during the spring quarantine.

Although the taproom has now reopened, tasting flights are still not permitted by local health order. Cheers for Charity will return in a slightly different format. One of the brewery’s 12 beers will now be selected as a “featured beer,” and proceeds of all sales of that brew will be given to the charity of the month.

Since it launched in December 2013, Cheers for Charity has raised more than $150,000 for local charities, groups and clubs. The program is designed to support Fernie-based community groups.

Past beneficiaries have included the Old Type Music Society bluegrass appreciation group, Fernie Friends of Refugees, WildSafe B.C., wildfire relief efforts and more. September sales will contribute to a fundraising effort for a new ultrasound service at the local hospital.

Pike Brewing Company Cofounder Rose Ann Finkel Leaves Behind Pioneering Legacy as Seattle Food-scene Entrepreneur

August 17, 2020April 16, 2025 Cyndi

couple smiling enthusiastically — Rose Ann Finkel with her husband, Charles.

By: Becky Garrison

After the July/August issue of Beverage Master Magazine featuring an article highlighting the 30th anniversary of The Pike Brewing Company went to press, news broke of the death of Cofounder Rose Ann Finkel. She died on Tuesday June 16, 2020 at the age of 73 from Myelodysplastic syndrome blood cancer.

“We have had a wonderful experience for almost 52 years,” Charles says of Rose Ann. “She had a lot of friends, a lot of people who loved her. She made a really great impression on everyone she met. I miss her, obviously. But I’m very happy she died in peace surrounded by people who loved her.” (Forbes, June 17, 2020).

As reported by the Seattle Times, It’s impossible to talk about Seattle brewery history without mentioning Rose Ann Finkel. From her arrival in Seattle in the mid ‘70s, she helped shape the way this city ate, thought about beer and how the two best complemented each other.

Jason Parker, Co-Founder/President Copperworks Distilling Co., who served as Pike Brewing Company’s first head brewer, reflected on Rose Ann’s legacy.

Rose Ann was the perfect dance partner to Charles in life, love, and in business, which for the Finkels, were one in the same. Though frequently in the spotlight with Charles, Rose Ann also worked behind the scenes to pull deals together and lead the business of their endeavors, from importing containers of malt to picking out tee shirts for the staff. Transcending her contributions to helping the company succeed was her influence on folks, and especially women, in the industry, who looked at Rose Ann as a role model for enjoying life, getting things done, and encouraging others, all at the same time.

After finding Merchant du Vin in 1978, the Finkels became known in international beer circles due to their success introducing Americans to specialty beers brewed by family-run breweries from England, Germany, and Belgium, as well as other places throughout the world including the United States. Along with this commitment to craft culture, Rose Ann championed community causes through events such as Pike’s Women In Beer. This annual cerebration of craft beverages, local foods, and the women who make them, benefits the Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest & Hawaiian Islands.

When asked how Women in Beer tied in to Pike’s company philosophy, Rose Ann offered this response.

Pike’s community mission is focused on being good and doing good. Whereas brewing great beer is in itself a laudable goal, it is our mission is to provide employees with a happy, artistically driven, and soul satisfying experience. To build a team of diverse employees who share our vision to be good community citizens, supporting non-profits whose mission is in concert with ours.

As an example of the Finkels’ commitment to building a better world, the aforementioned Forbes article noted how Charles concluded a phone call. “He didn’t elaborate on how he wants to get back to work at the agency (he does) or lament that COVID is keeping his family from holding a proper funeral for his wife (he hopes a memorial service will happen at some point in their home garden) but enumerated more than half a dozen civil rights movies he recommends. There may not be a more illustrative example of the Finkel spirit: forward-looking, optimistic, pragmatic, gracious and genuinely working for the betterment of the community – not just their own but everyone’s.”

People have inquired about her favorite charities. They include The Weizmann Institute of Science, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research, Planned Parenthood, The Southern Poverty Law Center, and College Success Foundation.

Growing Your Brewery’s Brand

July 21, 2020April 16, 2025 Cyndi

By: Lewis Barbera – Vice President, Sales

There are currently more than 7300 regional breweries, brewpubs and microbreweries in the United States. Even during difficult times, the popularity of the craft brewery continues to grow. For many home brewers and beer aficionados, the prospect of owning and operating their own brewery is a dream come true. It’s an opportunity to expand their personal recipes that they have refined over the years as a hobbyist and share them with a wider audience.

Making your mark within the industry is not an easy task to accomplish. Perfecting your craft is an important start in staying relevant. But satisfying your regulars and marketing through word of mouth is just the beginning. It’s the additional, day-to-day business details that become so incredibly important. Maintaining your brand and ensuring that it reaches the widest audience possible will help you to stand out in a crowded market.

Brand Identity

One of the benefits of owning and operating your business is the freedom associated with developing its brand. From the name to the logo, this is an opportunity for you to work closely with your business partners to establish something catchy and unique, while also cutting through the clutter and staying top of mind with your customers. But once you’ve picked out your colors and have come up with a memorable catch phrase that highlights your craft, what’s next?

In today’s market it’s not uncommon to promote your brand through a variety of related products. Whether that’s pint glasses and coasters, umbrellas, signage or an oversized Jenga set reserved for outdoor events, merchandising your business in creative and unique ways is critical. But there are numerous moving parts that inevitably get in the way. Working with your local Kinkos and your cousin (twice removed) to help with the graphical design will only get you so far.

Properly sourcing your merchandise is an indispensable asset to your overall brand marketing initiatives. Working closely with a partner capable of assisting with the delivery of your products can make an immense difference in your day-to-day operation.

Understanding the ins-and-outs of product sourcing often includes first-hand experience in knowing what works and what does not. These conversations can help steer you in the right direction, while also shielding you from potential missteps. Promoting your brand with a Point of Sale (POS) system capable of delivering the best return on investment (ROI) in a growing market will help you to realize even greater success.

Off-Premise Initiatives

Traditionally, craft beer has primarily been sold on-premise. The experience of enjoying a freshly tapped beer while socializing at your local brewery is one of the reasons the craft beer industry has stayed consistently strong. When combined with ongoing marketing and merchandising efforts, off-premise sales has the strong potential to develop into an additional sales and distribution plan.

Some beer aficionados might argue that traditional retail sales takes away from the uniqueness of the craft beer experience and no longer differentiates itself from large national brands. However, retailers are very much in tune with consumer preferences and will always be looking for opportunities to emulate the success of on-premise craft breweries through off-premise sales.

It’s important for every craft brewery to take the steps necessary to continue promoting their name and their brand. As such, there are several opportunities worth considering for an off-premise strategy:

• Stand Out in a Crowded Space: Whether you’re positioned within a local liquor store or the corner grocer, make sure your branding is prominently displayed and catches the eye of every customer. Proudly present your most popular beer or newest recipe on shelves, stackers and corrugated risers that clearly exhibit your branding. Make sure the colors are bold and vibrant, and that the wording can be read from across the aisle. Take pride in your craft and give it the attention it deserves.

• Small Idea, Big Impact: Even the smallest idea can have the biggest impact when it comes to branding and product marketing. Sticky shelf talkers, ceiling danglers, window clings and floor placements. Make it so that no matter where the customer is looking, your brand is sure to grab their attention. And it’s not always about how big of an impression you make or how much real estate your branding utilizes. A strategically placed logo can help even the most undecisive beer drinkers make the right choice.

• Your Fans are Your Biggest Advocates: Don’t overthink it. The practicality of the idea often becomes the biggest win for off-premise business. Let your fans do the “heavy lifting”. Selling a variety of tote, lunch coolers and brown paper bags, each with your branding clearly identified for everyone to see, is a great way to continue getting your name out there. Used at work, on vacation or attending any number of social events, your biggest fans will be promoting their favorite beer without ever saying a word.

• The Signs Are Everywhere: Chalk-based A-frame menu boards. LED light boxes. Laser cut, digitally printed hardboard wood. What do all these different types of signage have in common? They’re the most classic form of beer advertising you can think of. People of all ages collect them and prominently display them in their homes, garages and on the walls of the businesses they own. They catch your eye, make a statement and get you thinking about one thing, and one thing only – BEER!

Product Management

Having access to your own, business-specific e-commerce website is an opportunity to more effectively manage your growing list of products. When conveniently organized by category, a robust e-commerce solution is more likely to yield an increase in the number of merchandising orders placed. By providing your sales group, wholesalers and consumers 24/7 virtual access to your products, you’re removing yourself from the time-consuming difficulties and headaches of manual maintenance and upkeep.

An effective e-commerce portal is not only a reliable source for managing your inventory in an organized fashion, it can also be seamlessly updated to accommodate for new products and inventive promotional efforts. Including pre-order windows and making them available to your distributors will help to better gauge the potential success of your latest product promotions before taking the plunge and jumping head first into a new initiative.

Planning for the upcoming year’s promotions, brand launches and seasonal programs is an important function critical to the ongoing success of your business. Having access to online ordering is a great resource to take advantage of when working toward upcoming events. Providing your distributors access to your ecommerce site makes the process of managing and expanding your brand a seamless activity.

However, maintaining your inventory and shipment data can often be challenging. Working from a comprehensive and reliable report – one that details the data needed to drive a successful program – saves time and increases productivity, allowing you to focus more on your craft. Accessing these reports, whenever needed, makes the process of future inventory planning and promotional efforts even easier and more sustainable.

Inventory Optimization

Space is a commodity. You’ll never have enough and will always be needing more. When owning and operating your craft brewery, you’ll quickly realize that as more of your space is consumed by branded merchandise, less will be available for that essential, behind-the-scenes equipment – brewing systems, canning lines, tanks, fermenters and more. Working with a total fulfillment partner opens up the possibility of maintaining and safely storing your merchandise stock.

At its core, inventory optimization and supply planning answers the question about how much merchandising inventory should be carried. Working with your fulfillment partner, you’ll be able to better understand the complexities of supply and demand and more accurately identify inventory targets. By maintaining appropriate levels of merchandising stock you’ll greatly reduce the chances of inventory obsolescence, thereby freeing up capital that can be applied elsewhere throughout your business.

Fulfillment partners often include consignment opportunities, giving you the option to store your products offsite while still retaining ownership. As the products begin to ship, you’ll be able to track how much inventory sold and work closely with your fulfillment provider on the transactional details.

When tied directly with your unique e-commerce platform you’ll have even greater flexibility and control over the number of products sold, understand when and how they have shipped and be able to effectively report – from week-to-week and month-to-month – for better management of your business’s overall expenses and profits.

Pre-orders are also designed to increase profitability. Utilizing your fulfillment partner’s expertise in identifying products that are best suited to both order windows and the make-and-ship process, you’ll capitalize on an effective solution to the POS puzzle. This pre-order option provides greater overall flexibility when planning for upcoming events and seasonal placement.

Dedicated Support

Whether it’s the account manager, sourcing, logistics or warehouse, the various touchpoints of a fulfillment team provide the support needed to effectively operate your business. Their focus is helping you maintain yours. In doing so, you’ll have greater opportunities to further pursue your passion.

A committed support team should be analyzing your POS operations on a quarterly, bi-annual and annual basis, and provide feedback to assist with any changes that may be needed. Their long-standing relationships within the industry are designed to support your needs and ensure that your business realizes continued success.

Your merchandising efforts are directly connected to establishing your brand and helping your business thrive in an increasingly competitive market. Aligning yourself with a reputable fulfillment program will assist you in meeting the goals you have established for your business. When done well, your brand will realize the greatest potential to reach more customers and leave lasting impressions.

Brewery Financial Statements 101:

July 21, 2020April 16, 2025 Cyndi

How to use Financial Reports to Improve Results

By: Kary Shumway, CPA, CFO, Numbers Guy

Financial literacy is the ability to read and understand the numbers of your brewery business so that you can improve financial results. Improving financial results may include growing sales, improving gross margins or increasing cash flow. In today’s uncertain times, financial literacy is more important than ever.

The numbers of your brewery business are reported on the financial statements – the income statement, balance sheet and statement of cash flows. Each of these reports provides vital financial information to understand what’s going on in your business.

In this article, we’ll review the basic components of brewery financial statements and provide examples of what these reports should look like. We’ll also dig into the mysteries of the brewery chart of accounts – the building blocks of the financials – and provide tips to make sure your financial reporting is as good as it can be.

We’ll close out with a list of best practices to follow so that your financial information is accurately reported. These best practices are summarized into a handy checklist of month end procedures to follow.

Brewery Financial Reports

The numbers of your business are organized into reports called the financial statements: the income statement, balance sheet and statement of cash flows. Each statement provides useful information about a different part of your brewery business. Below is a brief review of each report.

Income statement (Profit & Loss Statement or P&L): The brewery income statement reports on sales, margins, operating expenses and shows whether the business had a profit or loss. This statement measures results over a period of time – the month, the quarter, or year to date, for example.

It’s important to understand that the income statement measures transactions but does not measure cash flow. The income statement records sales when earned, and expenses when incurred, regardless of whether cash was received or paid out.

Balance sheet: The brewery balance sheet lists assets, liabilities and equity. Assets are things you own, liabilities are things you owe, and equity is the difference between the two. If assets are larger than liabilities, you have equity. If liabilities are bigger, you have a deficit.

While the income statement measures results over a period of time, the balance sheet measures numbers as of a specific point in time – at month end, quarter end or year end, for example.

Statement of cash flows: This financial report measures the flow of cash coming into and going out of the brewery business. It tells you where cash came from (collections on sales, for example) and where cash went (payments to vendors, for example). The income statement measures transactions, not cash. The statement of cash flows shows picks up where the income statement leaves off and records the flow of money through the business.

Brewery Income Statement (P&L) Examples

Now that we’ve covered the basic financial reports, let’s look at examples of what brewery income statements should look like.

We’ll begin with a summarized version of the P&L. Shorter reports are easier to read and allow you to see important information quickly. The summary report includes sub-totals for each major P&L category: sales, margins, operating expenses and profit or loss.

The simple P&L shows the summarized results for a period of time (Year to Date, in this example) and presents each category as a percentage of sales. P&Ls don’t need to be five or ten pages long to be good. In fact, shorter is better. Shorter is easier to read and makes it more likely that you actually will read the report. Start with a summary P&L like this one, then expand the report by adding more details. Here’s an example:

This P&L shows sales, cost of sales, and margins by package type. This type of presentation makes it easy to see the margin percentage by package type (kegs, cans or bottles) which is useful in analyzing portfolio profitability.

An alternative to this P&L is to present the information by line of business. This might include sales through the taproom, self-distribution and wholesale distribution. Regardless of which method you use, it’s helpful to mirror the sales categories within the cost of sales and margins categories. For example, have a separate account for taproom sales, taproom cost of sales, and taproom margins.

Financial literacy is the ability to read and understand the numbers of your brewery business so that you can improve financial results. The income statement, balance sheet and statement of cash flows are reports that summarize those numbers. Each report gives you different information about the business, and each is important to review on a regular basis.

Brewery Chart of Accounts

Accountants use the term Chart of Accounts to describe the listing of all the things you want to track and report on in your business. These include all of the assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses. The purpose of this listing is to provide organization and structure for your financial reporting. The Chart of Accounts serves as the building blocks of your financial statements.

The level of detail in your chart of accounts listing will depend on how much information you want to see on your financial reports. For example, you may have three different sales accounts, as shown earlier: Sales-Kegs, Sales-Cans, and Sales-Bottles. Each captures the sales specific to a type of package.

Alternatively, you may have any number of different sales accounts to show sales by market and package type. For example, Sales Self-Distribution Kegs, Sales Self-Distribution Cans, Sales Self-Distribution Kegs, etc.

Be purposeful about the level of detail in your chart of accounts. More detail may be preferable, however this will take more time for your bookkeeper to record the transactions into the proper accounts. Start with the kind of reporting you need to see in your financial statements and build the chart of accounts accordingly.

For an example of a full brewery chart of accounts, visit www.craftbreweryfinance.com and enter chart of accounts in the search box.

Brewery Financial Month-end Process

We’ve covered the basics of how to read the financial statements and understand the chart of accounts. Next, we’ll review a month-end process you can use to make sure your numbers are complete and accurate. A process is defined as a series of steps, followed in order, that will lead to the right outcome. In this case, the right outcome is accurate numbers in the financial reports.

The month-end process should be clearly written and used as a document to train your bookkeeping staff. An accounting manager should periodically audit the work of staff to ensure that the process is being followed.

The process can be presented in the form of a checklist, indicating what task to do, when to do it, and who is responsible for completion. Below is an example of a month-end financial checklist:

The process checklist should contain all the necessary steps to close the books for the month in order to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information. For example, all payroll journal entries should be made on the 1st day of the new month and all bank statements should be reconciled by the 5th business day of the month.

To create your month-end process checklist, have your bookkeeper write down all the actions they take to close the month. Compile this list of actions and assign due dates and a responsible person. Each month when it’s time to close the books, use the checklist as a guide to make sure each step is done and completed on time.

The best way to make sure you have good financial information is to follow a good process consistently. To download a full month-end process checklist, visit www.craftbreweryfinance.com and enter month-end process in the search box.

Wrap Up + Action Items

Financial literacy is the ability to read and understand your financial statements so that you can improve results in your brewery business. Improved results may be sales growth, margin increases or positive cash flow. You define the result you want to achieve and use your financial literacy to make it happen.

Use the summary income statement templates presented here or create your own so that you can monitor financial outcomes. Review your chart of accounts and compare to the template at www.craftbreweryfinance.com to identify any needed changes.

In today’s uncertain business environment, financial literacy is a competitive advantage. Use this advantage to drive increased financial performance in your brewery business today.

Kary Shumway is a Certified Public Accountant and has been working as a CFO in the beer business for the past 15 plus years. He creates financial training courses for beer wholesaler owners so that you can build a more profitable business.

For more information please visit…www.craftbreweryfinance.com.

Regulatory Accommodations in the Age of COVID-19

July 21, 2020April 16, 2025 Cyndi

By: Brian D. Kaider, Esq.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected virtually every industry, from government-mandated shutdowns, to limitations on occupancy, to changes in consumer behavior even in the absence of mandatory restrictions. Some businesses, such as live theaters, have been completely shuttered; Broadway recently announced it will be dark until at least January 3, 2021. But, breweries, wineries, and distilleries have the advantage of being both retail centers for their products and also manufacturers. This dichotomy has allowed many to keep their doors open in some capacity throughout this emergency. Every U.S. state has allowed alcoholic beverage manufacturing to continue. How manufacturers have been able to get their products into the hands of consumers, however, has varied widely from state-to-state.

This article is not meant to give a complete status of the law in any, much less every, state. Nor is it to point out that one state is doing more than another for the beverage industry. Each state is facing its own unique challenges in the face of this pandemic due to differences in infection rates, hospital capacity, population density, economic conditions, political climate, culture, and various other factors. So, it is not surprising that their approach to these challenges differ, as well. It is also important to note that as circumstances change, so does the government response, so what is described below may have changed by the time this article is published, and may continue to change.

Rather, this article is meant to illustrate that there are many options available to help industry members survive the crisis. As conditions change in any given state, so to do the accommodations needed to help the industry. So, for industry members who are in a state where the pandemic is growing, the information below may provide suggestions to take to state and local officials to seek further accommodations, as needed.

Carry-Out

Nearly every state is allowing manufacturers to sell their products from their licensed premises for off-site consumption. The details, however, vary widely. For example, many states require that the carryout alcohol be part of an order for food. Alabama and Montana have limits on the amount of alcohol a customer may purchase to-go. Maryland, on the other hand, suspended these limits during the emergency.

Most states require carryout alcohol to be in “sealed containers,” though even that definition varies. In many states it includes growlers, but in Alabama only if the local jurisdiction allows draft beer, in Maine only if with a food order and in the brewery’s own branded growler, and in Nebraska only if the growler has a capacity of no more than 64 ounces. In Colorado, a to-go cup with a lid may be secured with tape that says: “WARNING: DO NOT OPEN OR REMOVE SEAL WHILE IN TRANSIT.” In Vermont, manufacturers may sell beverages in a paper cup with a lid that has a hole for a straw…but may not provide a straw. Nebraska allows these cups and straws can be provided, but not inserted into the cup on the premises. In Virginia, due to supply chain issues, the state allowed for “alternate/novel” containers, such as flip-top bottles. Missouri originally required “factory sealed” containers, but changed the rule in June 2020 to allow for “retailer packaged” beverages.

The manner of carryout sales varies, too. In Arizona, Montana, and South Carolina, licensees are allowed to operate a drive-thru window for beverage sales. But, in Washington State, they can have a “walk-up” window, but not a drive-thru. In Wisconsin, the carryout sale must be conducted face-to-face, not over the phone or internet for pickup.

Some states, such as Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Michigan, Missouri, and Nebraska are also allowing mixed drinks or cocktails to go. California and Maine require mixed drinks to accompany a food order and Maine and Virginia have limitations on the amount of alcohol in the to-go container.

Curbside Pickup

In order to keep patrons from congregating inside the tasting room to pick up beer, some states have allowed curbside pickup, where the customer orders the product online or over the telephone and drives to the licensee’s parking lot. The licensee then brings the order out to the customer’s car, often putting the order in the trunk so there is no direct contact between employee and customer. At least Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia allow curbside pickup. Tennessee only allows curbside pickup for beer and wine, not spirits. But, New Mexico expressly forbids it because all sales must be made on the licensed premises, which does not include the parking lot.

Delivery

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Ohio, the District of Columbia, and Missouri allowed manufacturers to deliver beer, wine, and spirits to consumer’s homes. Since the outbreak, many other states have followed suit, at least on a temporary basis, including Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho (beer and wine only), Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey (beer and wine only), Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. In Oklahoma, the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission was allowing breweries and wineries to do home delivery in April/May 2020, but the legislature stepped in and gave that right only to retailers, not manufacturers. Most states that allow home delivery require that the delivery be made by an employee of the licensee, not by a third party service. Idaho, Illinois, and New York, however do allow third party services, though in Illinois, mixed drinks can only be delivered by third party from licensed retailers, not from distilleries.

Most states also require that payment be made in advance either over the phone or online. California, however, is allowing payment, even in cash, to be made at the point of delivery, but will not permit a “mobile sales apparatus” to sell and deliver in real time in a public space. In other words, one cannot set up a “food truck” type of service for alcoholic beverages.

The majority of states also require that the delivery be made directly to a residence or other building. North Carolina, on the other hand allows breweries and wineries to deliver within 50 miles of the licensed premises and to make deliveries outside a home to any place the customer requests, except to other licensed premises.

In Maine, New Hampshire, and New York, the delivery must accompany a food order, though, to borrow a phrase from the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean,” some may be treating that requirement “more as a guideline than an actual rule.” Hawaii has four individual county liquor commissions and liquor control departments. Three of the counties have allowed brewpubs to deliver beer along with a food order, the fourth has not, as of this writing.

Maryland is not only allowing manufacturers to deliver their own products directly to consumers, but also products from other manufacturers, who may not have the resources for home delivery. At least two breweries in another Northeastern state have teamed up to share their delivery resources, though it is unclear whether there is any official or unofficial approval in that state. In Ohio, if a manufacturer also has an “A-1-A” liquor permit, it may sell and deliver other brands of beer, wine, spirits, and mixed drinks (though mixed drinks must accompany a food order).

Some states have also begun to allow breweries, wineries and distilleries to ship their products to consumers within their own state using UPS or Federal Express (not the U.S. Postal Service). These include at least Vermont, Maryland, New York, and North Carolina.

Other Accommodations

When the COVID-19 outbreak began to spread in the United States and hand sanitizer quickly went out of stock in retail outlets, many distilleries and breweries sprang into action. Licensing commissions and legislatures scrambled to provide necessary approvals for these companies to pivot their manufacturing activities. This created a valuable revenue stream while tasting rooms were closed and provided a service to communities in need of protection. In some cases, states allowed breweries to transfer fermented wort to distilleries for distillation and mixing with other ingredients and then to take the product back to the brewery for bottling and distribution. One word of caution, however; at least one brewery in Hawaii received a citation for “inducement,” because they were giving a free bottle of sanitizer to anyone who purchased their beer.

When taprooms were ordered closed in Ohio, the Department of Commerce recognized that some small breweries did not have bottling or canning capabilities and would struggle more than those who were able to package their products and sell for carryout or delivery. So, the department created a procedure that would allow a manufacturer to have another manufacturer bottle or can their products for them. Ordinarily this would be a violation of Ohio law.

As various states begin their tiered reopening plans, many are still either prohibiting indoor dining/drinking or only allowing a limited percentage of normal seating capacity. To further accommodate manufacturers, several states, including: Alaska, Arkansas, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, have been much more lenient about allowing outdoor seating areas to make up for lost capacity inside. In many cases, states have allowed manufacturers to rope off sections of sidewalks, parking lots, and even closed portions of streets to enable outdoor seating. New Jersey has even gone a step further and allowed breweries to occupy outdoor spaces that are not directly attached to the brewery, such as nearby parks.

Finally, most states have been very flexible with licensing renewals and tax filings, extending deadlines and fast-tracking application processing.

Final Thoughts

No one knows how much longer this crisis is going to last. As the number of new coronavirus cases falls in one state, it rises in another and the experts seem to agree that we are still in the midst of the first wave of this virus with a second likely to hit during flu season. It is reasonable to expect that we will see state and local governments react to changing circumstances with an ebb and flow of restrictions on people congregating.

The manufacturers who have fared the best, so far, are the ones who have done two things: 1) applied early for federal, state, and local grant and loan opportunities, and 2) found creative ways to pivot their business to maximize their opportunities under restricted conditions. Being based in Maryland, I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out here to True Respite Brewing Company. Based in Rockville, Maryland, they were the creators of the craft beverage delivery platform, Biermi, which is now being used in at least 29 states. This type of innovative thinking both in the private sector and in state and local governments will be critical as we navigate the COVID-19 emergency. If worsening conditions require tighter restrictions in some states, hopefully the information presented above will be useful in discussions with licensing commissions and legislators as ways they can help accommodate manufacturers.

Lastly, with the constantly shifting regulatory structure surrounding this industry, it is essential that licensees stay in contact with their insurance companies and their attorneys. A state may change the rules to allow a manufacturer to deliver alcohol to consumers’ homes or to serve its products in a parking lot, but that does not necessarily mean that the manufacturer’s insurance policy will cover those activities. Further, the devil is always in the details. In each of the states mentioned above, there are conditions and terms that must be satisfied in order to engage in the permitted activities. Always consult with a knowledgeable attorney before engaging in a newly allowed process.

Brian Kaider is a principal of KaiderLaw, a law firm with extensive experience in the craft beverage industry. He has represented clients from the smallest of start-up breweries to Fortune 500 corporations in the navigation of regulatory requirements, drafting and negotiating contracts, prosecuting trademark and patent applications, and complex commercial litigation.

How Craft Breweries Can Use Technology to Drive Channel Incentive Programs

July 21, 2020April 16, 2025 Cyndi

By: Nichole Gunn, Vice President of Marketing and Creative Services, Incentive Solutions

In order to stay competitive in today’s distribution channel, craft beer producers must be able to digitally engage their supply chain trading partners and effectively communicate across channels. However, this can seem like a tall order! Between the need for integrated technology, gaps in partner data, and interorganizational goals that might not always be aligned, craft beer producers often struggle to utilize technology to sell through and with their partners.

When facing these challenges, a channel incentive program might not be the first solution that springs to mind. After all, most people associate incentive programs with rewards rather than considering how that program fits in as part of an effective channel management tech stack. However, today’s channel incentive programs are software-driven, offering craft beer producers a platform to provide connected, omnichannel partner experiences, improve communication, and collect important partner data to inform their sales and marketing strategies.

Creating Engagement Before and After the Reward

While offering incentive rewards can be an exciting way to differentiate the brand and drum up initial engagement, the real value proposition for craft beer producers occurs in the opportunities for growth and improved communication that the program creates.

Motivating and facilitating digital engagement is a major focus of today’s channel incentive programs. Depending on their scope, these programs can provide:

● An integrated digital hub where channel partners can learn more about the brand, while exploring the latest incentive promotions;

● Automated communication touchpoints, such as email, SMS, push notifications, monthly statements, and website announcements;

● Custom enrollment forms and survey tools to round out partner profiles and fill in missing gaps in data;

● A branded mobile app where partners can easily upload sales invoices and other documents in order to earn reward points;

● Gamification- and education-based platforms to increase engagement and help supply chain trading partners become better representatives of the brand; and

● Streamlined administrative tools and reporting dashboards that enable craft beer producers to easily manage their programs and monitor success.

These components help make the brand more accessible to supply chain trading partners, while giving craft beer producers tools to consistently engage partners across digital channels. Better yet, all of these platforms exist in a space where supply chain trading partners have the opportunity to earn rewards. This means that supply chain trading partners will be more likely to engage with the brand interactions they experience through the channel incentive program, whether via email, SMS, apps or other digital platforms

Integrating Incentive Programs with a Website

Providing a seamless user experience is an integral element of effective digital engagement. Modern channel incentive programs allow craft beer producers to integrate their rewards program with their existing website or partner portal.

This helps craft beer producers accomplish several goals. First, it drives supply chain trading partners to the website, where they can gain additional exposure to the brand and its product lines. Secondly, creating a single sign-on reduces the need for partners to keep track of additional URLs or login information, making them more likely to engage with the brand. Finally, offering channel partners the ability to redeem for rewards directly from a company website provides positive reinforcement that partners will associate with your brand in the future.

Leveraging Automation for More Efficient Communication

When it comes to channel partnerships, communication is key. While smaller craft beer producers can be accustomed to operating exclusively with manual processes and analog customer experiences, what happens when it’s time to scale a go-to-market strategy?

Channel incentive programs give craft beer producers the ability to automate a large portion of their channel marketing. With triggered emails, SMS, push notifications, and website announcements, incentive program software allow craft beer producers to efficiently communicate with members of their channel based on specific parameters. Additionally, if craft beer producers are pressed for time, some incentive companies even provide the option to outsource entire custom, end-to-end incentive marketing campaigns.

Collecting Data to Provide a Connected Customer Experience

For craft beer producers, a channel incentive program is a valuable opportunity to learn more about the distributor and wholesaler sales reps who make up their channel. Reward-earning opportunities motivate supply chain trading partners to share information that craft beer producers would otherwise struggle to obtain. From firmographic data, to contact information, engagement metrics, and buying habits, craft beer producers can use this data to inform their sales and marketing strategies and further personalize their sales and marketing strategies.

By integrating this data with their existing CRM or ERP, craft beer producers can maintain a more accurate picture of the buyer experience. For instance, craft beer producers can see which distributor and wholesaler sales reps are engaging with a certain promotion in order to create relevant cross-sell and up-sell opportunities. They can view which accounts (or even regions) need to be nurtured or reengaged. Having this visibility into the sales channel helps craft beer producers anticipate the needs of their supply chain trading partners and allocate their marketing spend more intelligently.

Additionally, sales claim submission and verification tools make it easier for distributor and wholesaler sales reps to exchange data at the point of sale. Some craft beer producers use this as an opportunity to gain information about customers further down the supply chain in order to glean insight about the retailers and restaurants that sell their beer to end-users. Survey tools allow supply chain trading members to offer feedback, which can be used to further personalize sales and marketing strategies.

Using Gamification to Make Programs More Engaging

Elements of gamification, such as trivia, leaderboards and spin-to-wins, can be incorporated into incentive program websites to drive more regular engagement in between reward-earning opportunities. These make the programs more interesting for participants, while offering additional tools to shape the behavior of supply chain trading partners. For instance, daily trivia can be utilized to keep channel partners coming back to the website, while assigning limited-time bonus points for selling specific products or completing other CTAs (calls to action) are another great incentive. This makes for a more rewarding channel partner experience – even before partners ever redeem a reward!

In addition, interactive quizzes and training modules make your supply chain trading partners more knowledgeable and effective representatives of the brand. Sales reps sell what they know and providing sales enablement is a great way to build brand preference with an indirect salesforce. Plus, these educational modules give sales reps the chance to earn rewards, further increasing the value proposition of an incentive program.

Streamlining the Administrative Experience

In addition to the benefits of incentive program technology for channel sales and marketing, another important consideration for craft beer producers is ease-of-use from an administrative standpoint. How complicated is implementation? What are the time-costs of managing the program? How much flexibility is there for adjusting the program website or setting new promotions? Will there be ongoing strategic support from the incentive company?

Today, cloud-based, modular incentive software has streamlined the admin experience. Programs can be launched in as little as eight weeks. With easy-to-use administrator dashboards and drag-and-drop editors, sales and marketing managers at craft beer producers can quickly make changes to their program. Plus, custom reports help them monitor their program and measure ROI.

Additionally, some companies offer teams of incentive specialists to manage the program. According to a 2019 survey of our clients, many of whom are in the beverage manufacturing industry, more than 70 percent spent less than two hours a week performing administrative responsibility for their incentive program.

Sustaining a Competitive Advantage

In short, a channel incentive program acts as an entire digital ecosystem for partner engagement, an important competitive advantage for craft beer producers who rely on supply chain trading partners in order to go to market. Compared to other industries, the craft beer production industry is still in the early stages of adopting channel incentive strategies, giving those who jump on board soon a major competitive edge. Being among the first to roll out a channel incentive program for distributor and wholesaler sales reps represents a major opportunity to capture mindshare and share-of-wallet.

However, it’s important for craft beer producers to keep an eye on the future. Technology is evolving at a rapid rate and the craft beer distribution channel is notoriously competitive. When shopping for incentive program providers, make sure to choose one that fully supports their software and has definite outlines for future development. Moreover, look for a provider that offers the ability to quickly enhance and expand a program in response to competition. That way, it’s easier to capitalize on the present opportunity, while planning ahead for the future, and staying one step ahead of industry competitors.

Nichole Gunn is the VP of Marketing and Creative Services at Incentive Solutions (www.incentivesolutions.com), an Atlanta-based incentive company that specializes in helping B2B companies improve their channel sales, build customer loyalty, and motivate their employees. Nichole Gunn can be reached at ngunn@incentivesolutions.com.

Social Media in the Time of COVID-19:

July 21, 2020April 16, 2025 Cyndi

Social Distancing Doesn’t Apply to Your Social Media Efforts

By: Tracey L. Kelley

It’s no surprise that time spent online during the height of the pandemic increased exponentially. Data from Nielsen specifically tracking social media usage indicates that on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, there was a 25% spike in mobile engagement, and a soaring 75% of ad content placed by influencers. While usage is expected to flatten a bit by the end of the year, there’s still a slight uptick of average minutes per day people peruse social networks: 82 minutes now, compared to a 2019 forecast of 76 minutes.

How does this data impact social connection with your audience? Now more than ever, refine your brand and your community presence to cultivate content people are willing to notice.

Share the Story of Your Community

Craft beverage producers repeatedly demonstrated these past few months how quickly they could pivot to accommodate not only the needs of their business but also those of their employees and the community as a whole. Many of these efforts were the feel-good stories major news agencies were eager to feature in bleak times.

Ruby Benoit is Head of Craftiness and Founder of Craft Good Business, a company in Southern California specializing in helping craft beverage companies create and implement marketing plans and events. She told Beverage Master Magazine that storytelling holds considerable clout in social media messaging.

“Since consumers are turning to social media to evaluate brands even more so now, storytelling creates a connection and helps keep you top of mind,” she said. “Your audience wants to see what your brand is all about: What do you stand for? What is your purpose? And it’s critical to show your community efforts: decide on how you have a unique, positive impact on society. Whatever your stance is, communicate with your customers and all stakeholders in an authentic way.”

Brands should stick to providing great experiences, as well as dedicate energy to remaining consistent and genuine in their messaging to win customer support, according to the media team of Happy Medium, a full-service digital creative agency in Des Moines, Iowa.

“Overall, audiences tend to react well to community involvement because it’s inspirational and aspirational. If your team is volunteering, share a photo of employees at the volunteer event. If you made a charitable donation, ask the recipient to share digital assets that align with the cause you’re helping them support,” the Happy Medium team said. “This demonstrates how your brand builds and supports communities in a way that’s relatable and impactful. Write a brief caption about why the cause you’re supporting is relevant to the brand. Always tag the organization!”

Chad Richards is vice president of Firebelly, a “social media marketing agency on a mission since 2007” based in Indianapolis. Firebelly has worked with 450 North Brewing Company, Gnarly Grove Hard Cider and Upland Brewing Company, as well as wineries and restaurants. Richards also recommended taking a less self-serving approach. “Whatever you do, make sure the hero is the charity or community you’re supporting. Nothing elicits eye rolls faster than ‘Look at us—we’re so charitable!’”

The continuing flux of the pandemic’s ongoing impact creates many levels of marketing uncertainty. Managing social media right now might feel more like a scattershot than a targeted approach. Richards said storytelling will pull you through.

“Humans like stories, and we’re storytellers by nature. It’s how we connect to one another, and right now, people are seeking connection more than ever,” Richards said. “Don’t worry about trying to be creative or clever—just be honest.”

Marry Content to Audience

Some producers believe they must extend concerted effort across all platforms to reach all people, all the time. Realistically, it’s more effective to shorten the funnel to one or two channels that hit the sweet spot of your consumer base. Benoit offered a collective summary aggregated in early 2020 by Hootsuite, the social media management platform, which you can find here: https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-demographics/.

You may have favorite channels based on your preferences, but where is your audience? As a brief but interesting example, here are just a few statistics from the Hootsuite summary—focusing on the U.S. for simplicity—such as:

• 75% of adults who identify as Hispanic use Facebook more than Black and White adults. Most users of this platform “live in urban areas, followed by suburban and rural.”

• 83% of women age 25–54 use Pinterest—more than Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat. Also, “one out of every two millennials use Pinterest,” and 59% discover products there.

• 28% of Black Americans use LinkedIn, compared to 26% of White Americans. This platform is “most popular among 25- to 49-year-olds.”

• 43% of Black Americans use Instagram, “followed by 38% Hispanic and 32% White Americans.” Users also mostly live in urban communities, then suburban and rural areas.

• 44% of young adults age 18 to 24 use Twitter, compared to 26% of people age 30 to 49.

• 78% of Hispanic internet users watch YouTube, followed by 76% and 71% of Black and White users, respectively. This channel “reaches more 18- to 34-year-olds and 18- to 49-year-olds than any cable network in the U.S.”

The key for the next few months is to strategize with social media professionals to develop messages that not only communicate with individuals of your loyal base but also others who might not know who you are and what you provide.

Happy Medium advised using interactive content whenever possible to build confidence and trust. “Customers are more likely to engage with content that entertains, educates and tells an authentic story. Engaging customers with your content makes your brand more memorable and creates a deeper connection,” the media team said. “Try incorporating polls [or] question and answer stickers. Feature the people who make your brand what it is in Instagram stories or by hosting a live stream—both of these are growing social trends that bolster higher engagement and should be a staple to any social media strategy.”

Don’t feel you have to do all the heavy lifting of brand awareness and connection alone. Once again, Richards said, think about potential alliances. “Get your product into the hands of influencers—allowing people to learn about your product via someone they already trust or admire. And think outside the box. These don’t have to be craft beverage or foodie influencers. A travel, fashion or beauty influencer could easily weave your brand and product into their story.”

If the budget allows, boost your social media ad views. “I realize they may be a luxury in times like these, but ads really are the fastest way to get the right message to the right people in the right places,” he said. “Many brands have cut their ad spends, so the marketplace is less competitive right now. You’ll get more for your money if you’re able to participate.”

Here are some other content considerations:

• Promote your best practices for safety and cleanliness to reassure and comfort people who want to visit the taproom but express concern about contagions.

• Develop clear, concise messaging both on your site and through social media regarding all procedures, special events, advance registration practices, bottle shop services, state-sanctioned curbside sales and other issues. These continual and timely updates speak when you can’t, so it’s worth the time investment to update them daily.

• Take a tip from wineries by boosting virtual hospitality efforts. Live streaming, which experienced quite a boost during the height of the pandemic, continues to grow in popularity across all platforms.

Additionally, ask your followers what they might be interested in, and listen carefully. Their suggestions might differ from what you’ve tried before, but now is the time to take advantage of fresh ideas.

Social Media Ideas for the 12–18 Months

“Flexible consistency” is the action plan for your social media efforts now—and the foreseeable future. Maybe your marketing manager is temporarily furloughed. Or your state allowed gradual reopening, but a summer resurgence in COVID cases forced closure or hour limitations again, and you’re not sure how to engage with purpose. It’s still an essential business practice to like and respond to all posts your establishment is tagged in—that’s the basic approach.

The media team at Happy Medium suggested three other areas of focus:

• Post consistently. While so much consumer activity has slowed during this period, it’s especially important for brands to stay top-of-mind with their consumers. Even if operations are currently paused, still send at least a couple of posts per week.

• Stay positive. Audiences overloaded with COVID-19 messaging over the past few months are starting to become jaded to overused marketing verbiage. Send positive messages while still being respectful to the current situation.

• Don’t post content exclusively directed at sales: share photos and stories about your team, industry news or fun facts about your operations.

A 2017 study from the American Express Customer Service Barometer reported that Americans are “more likely to post about good experiences (53%) than poor experiences (35%).” So reaffirming authentic engagement is what Benoit advised.

• If you haven’t already, create a give-back campaign that helps people in the community such as frontline workers, teachers and others in need. For example, a distillery might do a canned food drive and invite customers to participate.

• Engage with customers through a social media sweepstakes: they post a creative picture or video of themselves enjoying your beer, spirit, cider or mead. Then, the individual’s photo or video with the most likes wins a day with the craft producer when social distancing is over.

• Host a virtual ‘Meet the Brewer’ event where the master brewer leads participants through a curated beer and food pairing and interacts with participants. This creates connection and promotes valuable partnerships with local restaurants also in need of exposure.

Finally, be realistic, Richards told Beverage Master Magazine. He provided these points:

• Be flexible. These are unique times, and we’re not sure what will happen next. That’s okay. Nobody does. Be prepared to update your plan and approach as needed.

• Think short term. Take it month-by-month or maybe even week-by-week. Any really long-term campaign planning will likely be disrupted.

• Show vulnerability. If you’re struggling, say so. It makes you relatable, and people will want to support you and come to your rescue.

“Know that it’s okay to ‘not know.’” Uncertainty is uncomfortable—especially when it comes to business and finances—but we’re all in the same boat right now. A ‘best guess’ is sometimes the best you can do.”

Ruby Benoit, Founder, Craft Good Business
https://www.craftgoodbusiness.com/
Social Media Handles on Facebook/Linkedin:
@craftgoodbusiness

The Media Team at Happy Medium
https://itsahappymedium.com
Social Media Handles on Facebook/Linkedin:
@itsahappymedium

Chad Richards, Vice President, Firebelly
https://firebellymarketing.com/
Social Media Handles on Facebook/Linkedin:
Chad Richards: @chadrichards
Firebelly Marketing: @wearefirebelly

Diaphragm Pumps Remain Popular Choice in Distillery Applications

July 21, 2020April 16, 2025 Cyndi

By: Gerald Dlubala

If you’re pouring your passion into distilling a quality crafted product, you need equipment that’s manufactured using that same level of passion. You want quality equipment that will not breakdown, is easily maintained, and most importantly, matches the needs of your distillery. It’s especially true for pumps because they are used throughout every stage of the distilling process, from bringing in water, through the mashing stages, wort recirculation, fermentation transfer, distilling, filtration and filling of barrels, totes and bottles. Quality pumps are critical for a distillery to retain the ability to replicate and deliver a consistent product for their consumers and should be chosen based on needs regarding pressure, proof of liquid to be transferred, head capacity, viscosity and acidity of the product being pumped.

Yamada America Inc. Stresses Versatility, Experience and Partnership

“Diaphragm pumps have many advantages when compared to other pumping technologies used in distilleries, starting with affordability,” said Jeff Selig, National Sales and Marketing Manager for Yamada America Inc, an innovator in developing complete lines of air-operated double diaphragm pumps (AODD). “Additional out of the box advantages include infinitely variable flow rates needing no special controls and the ability to run dry and deadhead, all with the sensitivity to pump very clear, fragile liquids up through thicker liquids and even solids. Depending on a distilleries size, they are found in every application from simple waste transfer to product transfer to being used to pump cleaning and sanitizing solutions on through the final bottling.”

“It’s a whole pumping system in a box,” said Selig. “With flow rates ranging from less than a gallon per minute (GPM) to over 200 GPM and made from materials like stainless steel, polypropylene and Kynar with food-grade diaphragms, an AODD is by far the most capable and flexible pump for distillery application use. And due to their unique flexible nature, the ability to be made explosion-proof and the ability to operate on compressed air, an AODD pump is usually mounted on a portable cart to use them for more than one application. The carts can be outfitted complete with filter regulators and the needed hoses for any application.”

Diaphragm pumps are easy to maintain, with less moving and normal wear parts than other pump types. Diaphragms will eventually fail and need to be replaced, but preventative maintenance based on the number of pump strokes can prevent an emergency repair situation. Experienced manufacturers can estimate the life of their pumps for select applications, and repair can be done by a distributor or trained user. Kits are available that coincide with training videos to show the exact repair procedure for the corresponding pump.

Selig tells Beverage Master Magazine that choosing a pump manufacturer with experience is important. But so are their partners.

“You want to work with a company who has been there and done that,” said Selig. “Someone who has the right construction materials and the know-how to apply available technology. Then you want them to have a strong distribution network to help you at the facility level. Most distributors have trained staff with intimate knowledge of the pumps, inventory, and available repair services. If a facility has an experienced mechanic, he can quickly be trained to repair the pumps on-site as needed. A distillery builds a partnership with the manufacturer and their distributor to maximize uptime and be assured of timely repairs.”

“New technology is always welcome,” said Selig. “For starters, companies are putting more effort into making their pumps smarter, with things like monitoring pump cycles or allowing externally controlled operation. Batching systems along with stroke monitoring and leak detection can quickly turn a simple pump into a true process pump. There are also evaluations on some material changes and modifications that will lead to longer pump lives. Quality manufacturers are in the pump business and strive to get their pumps to last as long as possible. They’re not in the parts business. The longer the pumps last, the more likely customers will keep buying them. We are currently introducing the next generation of pumps with upgrades to the operating air valves, pump communication and material technologies.”

To add to the versatility of their AODD pumps, Selig said that his customers have been able to use their standard sanitary pumps without making any changes to switch to sanitizer production. Additionally, Yamada pumps have been provided to some of the largest sanitizer companies in the world.

Versamatic diaphragm Pumps Prove to be Gentle Workhorses

“Several different pump options are available depending on what phase of the distilling process we’re looking at,” said Tim Caldwell, National Sales Manager of Versamatic, a global provider of the air-operated double-diaphragm (AODD) pumping solutions. “But the AODD pumps are always great choices because of their ability in matching distillery applications. Diaphragm pumps require less attention, can run dry, are self-priming and are designed to be portable so they can be used where needed. Our diaphragm pumps don’t need constant monitoring like some types of equipment. They will deadhead pressure and then stop pumping, so once a certain pressure is built up in the lines, the pump shuts off but will hold the pressure for immediate restart. Deadheading capabilities are efficient and very functional for filtration and cleaning, which can produce clogged filters.”

Caldwell tells Beverage Master Magazine that Versamatic diaphragm pumps are popular in distilling because they can all be grounded for use with high proof vapors or liquids. The air inlet pressure and discharge valves are easy to adjust and control, and all you need is a clean air source sized for your process. Diaphragm pumps are excellent choices for everything from pumping tank overs through the bottle filling and cleaning and sanitization processes.

“Diaphragm pumps work great to clean sludge and solids buildup when tank cleaning too,” said Caldwell. “They’re able to move what we call cake (semi-dry waste) out of the tanks through the pumps and lines. When you think of everything that gets included in the waste cleaning process, whether it’s naturally occurring sludge or other waste, why pay to have all the unfiltered wastewater removed if you can manage the waste by pumping it through a filter press that will allow your wastewater to be deposited down city sewer systems? Then you’ll just have a small amount of cake to dispose of, saving money.”

When matching pumps to applications, Versamatic has pumps and lines for distilleries that are approved by the FDA and also adhere to the EU Framework Regulation 1935/2004, meaning that their products contain nothing that will leech into any food or beverage applications that come in contact with or run through them. What comes out is the exact same product that went in.

“Diaphragm pumps like ours at Versamatic are just really good values for distillery use,” said Caldwell. “They can be used throughout the distillery, are shear sensitive and won’t damage or change the makeup of the product that flows through as can happen with some centrifugal pumps. There is no damage by impellers, and maintenance and repair are minimal. They can safely handle the distillery processes, they’re reliable, easy to maintain with long life capability. Replacing normal wear parts is fairly easy with parts or repair kits found at distributors that include all consumable parts for your pump. It’s one less thing for the distiller to worry about. And under changing conditions like those that we currently work in, we’ve had good success using diaphragm pumps in hand sanitizer conversions.”

KOVAL Distillery Chooses Diversity in Pump Selection

The type of pumps you use may be a personal choice, but as Mark DeSimone, Vice President of KOVAL Distillery believes, it’s a good idea to match equipment to specific needs. KOVAL matches pump type to process and uses different manufacturers to get that match. By performing normal daily visual checks, their pumps require minimal maintenance with repairs done only when needed. Needed maintenance other than routine cleanings are occasional services to the impellers and screw pump stators.

“We typically produce about 70,000 gallons a year using a variety of pumps in our distillery,” said DeSimone. “All are grounded and explosion-proof for safety, and chosen based on the material, alcohol content, viscosity and temperature of the product that we’re moving. For water circulation, we use several centrifugal pumps that move water through our heat exchanger and pump warm water captured during the distillation process to our mash tank for heat up. Both of these processes save us a good deal of energy as well. We move cold mash from the fermenters to our still with impeller pumps. Screw pumps are utilized for moving hot, thick, or sticky mash through our heat exchanger and for transfer to our fermenters. And then we use air diaphragm pumps to move alcohol between storage tanks and when filtering or bottling the final product.”

As to any new technology, there hasn’t been a lot of groundbreaking developments to the traditional pumps that continue to do the job, but DeSimone tells Beverage Master Magazine that new improvements are always welcomed.

“We’re always excited to see new advancements,” said DeSimone. “Our centrifugal and screw pumps have dry run sensors built into our automation systems that add to the lifespan of our equipment. It’s very important to keep everything running or at least have a backup for redundancy. It’s really tricky when something goes down and you’re unable to produce, so we naturally try to prevent that as much as we can.”

As an experienced distiller, DeSimone said that there are two critical components to look for when choosing a pump supplier. “I feel it’s important to look towards and choose someone with specific experience in the distilling field. But just as importantly, that experienced supplier has to come with quality support that will be available whenever it’s needed.”