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10 Things You Should Know About New Riff Distilling When New Riff Distilling founder Ken Lewis got his start in the alcohol business, it was only meant to be temporary. In the 1980s at 24, he was teaching high school English when his father asked for his help operating a small local liquor store called Liquor Outlet. Despite his plan to help around the store for only a year before returning to teach, Lewis uncovered a love for the beverage industry and transformed the shop from a simple booze purveyor to a one-stop shop for all things festive. A few years later, Lewis was the owner of the Liquor Outlet, which had since expanded to six stores and was rebranded as The Party Source. There, Lewis met and befriended Jay Erisman, The Party Source’s fine-spirits manager. Having observed American whiskey’s success, it didn’t take long for the duo to think up a whiskey brand of their own, which would riff on old bourbon-making traditions. In 2014, they set up shop across the parking lot from The Party Source to establish New Riff Distilling in Newport, Ky., a distillery committed to producing spirits in accordance with the 1897 Bottled in Bond Act. Now that you know the basics, here are 10 more things to know about New Riff Distilling. New Riff Distilling is entirely family-owned. When planting roots for New Riff’s operations, it was critical for Lewis and Erisman to have complete control to ensure quality never took a hit for short-term gains. The two co-founders took on no external partners, investors, or shareholders when building their distillery from the ground up. To this day, New Riff remains entirely family-owned and -operated. The distilling operation has roots in the brewing industry. While the two co-founders were putting together the distillery’s team, they knew they didn’t want to build a staff entirely of bourbon industry vets. While training Larry Ebersold — New Riff’s consulting master distiller, nicknamed the “godfather of rye whiskey” — he recommended Lewis and Erisman consider hiring a brewer. After all, a whiskey’s flavor begins with fermentation, and brewers know fermentation. Coincidentally, Brian Sprance had just departed from Boston Beer following half a decade making Sam Adams, and was looking for something new. He joined New Riff in 2014 as its first head distiller, using his brewing knowledge to produce unique mash bills incorporating malted oats, pale ale malts, chocolate malts, and more. In January 2024, Brian Sprance was named New Riff’s first master distiller. The distillery is built atop an ancient aquifer, which makes for an ideal water source. Water is important in any kind of distillation, which is why it’s vital for brands to have access to a quality water source Luckily, New Riff’s distillery sits just 100 feet above an ancient aquifer created by the same glaciation that formed the Ohio River Valley. To determine whether or not the water would be suitable for whiskey di..

Three Societies on Building South Korean Whiskey Amidst Global Market Challenges: Crafting a Niche in a Competitive Landscape. Bryan Do 도정한, Three Societies Distillery, Oriental Brewery Co., #SouthKoreanWhiskey #ThreeSocieties #WhiskeyIndustry #MarketChallenges #CraftSpirits #GlobalMarket #WhiskeyInnovation #SpiritsBusiness #BrandBuilding #WhiskeyCulture

North Uist Distillery begins whisky production B Corp-certified North Uist Distillery has started distilling whisky and will produce grain-to-glass spirits using heritage barley. Located at Nunton Steadings on the Scottish island of Benbecula, North Uist was founded by Kate Macdonald and Jonny Ingledew in 2019. The 18th-century building that houses the carbon-neutral distillery was acquired by the brand’s founders in 2020. The company, known for its Downpour gin brand, is seeking to create a ‘flavour-forward’ whisky using heritage barley, a long fermentation and brewer’s yeast. Distillation occurs in squat stills that have been designed to fit under the low roof of the distillery building. The downward facing lyne arms of the stills are said to be able to capture more complex flavours, which will be complemented by ex-Bourbon, new oak, and oloroso Sherry-seasoned casks. The distillery will use bere barley, a ‘resilient and rich’ heritage crop that has grown in the high-pH soils of the Outer Hebrides for centuries, and was once Scotland’s primary barley. It has been sourced from local crofters on the island who use traditional and sustainable methods such as seaweed fertilisation. “Distilling whisky here is about more than just the spirit in the cask – it’s about honouring the past while supporting the future of our islands,” said Ingledew. “By using bere barley grown on Uist’s machair, we’re investing in a resilient crop that has evolved with our unique environment over hundreds of years. It’s a true taste of Uist and Benbecula and of the past, present and future we want for our community.” Whisky production is led by distillery manager and head distiller Jacob Crisp (formerly of Dornoch Distillery) who plans to produce one cask per day. North Uist Distillery claims to be one of only 65 B Corp businesses in Scotland. The use of locally grown bere barley will enable the company to produce whisky sustainably. Macdonald added: “We want to produce amazing whisky that honours and protects the land it comes from. That’s why our long-term goal is to have grain-to-glass whisky production using heritage bere barley, grown, malted, distilled and bottled at our historic home at Nunton Steadings. This first distillation is another important step towards that ambition.” Source The Spirit Business

It's great to see news like this come through The Drinks Business Jessica Mason - it bears out what I’ve been experiencing in export over the past four years. The appetite for quality British brands with a ‘hook’ has never been stronger! If you are interested in taking your first step in export or want to review your existing strategy then check out Cheers Global Drinks Ltd and give me a shout - we'll book in a call #drinksexport #beerexport #ciderexport #ukexport

Here's what is going on in the US craft spirits and distilling space. Our editor Malvika Patel chats with Erik Owens, President of the American Distilling Institute (ADI). Erik Owens, President of the American Distilling Institute (ADI), is at the forefront of the craft distilling movement in the United States. With a background in biology and biotech, Erik brings a unique perspective to the industry. From his early days brewing beer to leading ADI, Erik has witnessed the growth and evolution of craft distilling. In this exclusive interview, Erik shares insights into the challenges and triumphs of the industry, the impact of ADI, and his vision for the future of craft spirits. Questions we ask: AS THE PRESIDENT OF ADI, WHAT ARE YOUR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES, AND WHAT ARE YOUR KEY OBJECTIVES FOR THE ORGANIZATION? WHAT TRENDS DO YOU SEE SHAPING THE FUTURE OF CRAFT DISTILLING, AND HOW IS ADI PREPARING ITS MEMBERS TO ADAPT TO THESE CHANGES? HOW DOES ADI SUPPORT ITS MEMBERS, PARTICULARLY SMALL TO MID-SIZED DISTILLERIES, AND WHAT RESOURCES DOES IT PROVIDE TO HELP THEM SUCCEED? THE CRAFT DISTILLING INDUSTRY HAS FACED CHALLENGES SUCH AS REGULATORY ISSUES AND COMPETITION FROM LARGER DISTILLERIES. HOW HAS ADI ADVOCATED FOR ITS MEMBERS AND HELPED NAVIGATE THESE CHALLENGES? WHAT TRENDS DO YOU SEE SHAPING THE FUTURE OF CRAFT DISTILLING, AND HOW IS ADI PREPARING ITS MEMBERS TO ADAPT TO THESE CHANGES? HOW DO YOU BALANCE INNOVATION AND TRADITION IN THE CRAFT DISTILLING INDUSTRY, AND HOW DOES ADI SUPPORT DISTILLERS IN EXPLORING NEW TECHNIQUES AND FLAVORS? WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR ASPIRING CRAFT DISTILLERS LOOKING TO ENTER THE INDUSTRY? and more. Full interview on Bartender Spirits Awards. https://lnkd.in/d5wSV-iM

Today is International Stout Day. Today, Porter and Stout are essentially the same. Historically, Stout was a stronger version of Porter. Porter got its name from the London porters, (Fellowship/Ticket) who drank it. Historical Origins: At the start of the 18th century, the brown beer brewers of London came under increasing pressure from higher taxes as the government sought to finance Britain’s war against Louis XIV of France. Furthermore large London porter breweries pioneered many technological advances, such as the use of the thermometer (about 1760) and the hydrometer (1770). The use of the latter transformed the nature of porter. The first porters were brewed from 100% brown malt. Now, brewers were able to accurately measure the yield of the malt they used, and noticed that brown malt, though cheaper than pale malt, only produced about two-thirds as much fermentable material. When the malt tax was increased to help pay for the Napoleonic War, brewers had an incentive to use less malt. To try to keep costs down and their beer affordable, brewers lowered their beer’s strength, adding more hops to compensate for the loss of alcohol and to prevent the beer from souring too quickly. They also began using the cheapest wood-dried malt, which unfortunately imparted a smoky tang to their beer. Consequently, they stored it for longer periods until the smoky taste had dissipated. Serendipitously, this long aging of a well-hopped beer allowed Brettanomyces yeasts and other organisms to work their magic, producing flavorful esters and a little extra alcohol. The result was a full-tasting, invigorating, smooth, creamy dark beer that quickly proved very popular with London’s working classes. Porter was first brewed in Ireland in 1776, and although Arthur Guinness did not start brewing until 1787, he had phased out all other types of beer from his Guinness Brewery by 1799. Irish brewers dropped the use of brown malt, using patent malt and pale malt only, while English brewers continued using some brown malt, giving a difference in style between English and Irish porters. Guinness, we know today started out as a porter. Guinness then made a stronger version and referred to it as stout porter. Eventually the porter was dropped, and Guinness became just a stout. Origins of The Nitro Serve Guinness: The traditional method of serving stout and porter involved using two casks, one flat and one lively. Bartenders combined beer from both casks to create the characteristic pint of black beer with a white collar. In the 1950s, Michael Ash invented the 'nitro-serve' method to speed up bar service and reduce beer wastage. Video: Guinness Original Two Pour Method with High and Low Cask, Before Nitro Keg Stout https://lnkd.in/eWKsEqau But what is the chemistry ⚗️ of Guinness: #science #scienceandtechnology #Guniness #food #ireland #chemistry #beer #beerindustry #foodscience #infographic via Compound Interest | Chemistry infographics

Wow! People don't like craft beer anymore? A sad day for us beer drinkers. "'An end of an era' with Singapore's Archipelago Brewery set to close The brewery will close at the end of June due to "declining craft beer market realities and high operational costs", Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore told CNA." Singapore Blonde and Belgian Witt were two of my favourite beers from Archipelago so this is a shock. I think that in recent years their distribution and marketing has not been up to scratch as I struggled to find these beers in Sentosa for example but the beers themselves are fantastic. It's a sad state of affairs if people prefer the overly chemically enhanced Tiger to Singapore Blonde. I think APB blaming people's tastes is wrong if you look at data from the largest craft beer market, the US: "In the US, retail dollar sales of craft increased 3%, to $28.9 billion, and now account for 24.7% of the $117 billion U.S. beer market (previously $115 billion). The primary reasons for the larger dollar sales increase were price increases and slightly stronger onsite sales growth versus distribution." APB couldn't do the same thing here What do you think? If you’re an entrepreneur and would like help finding new clients our Ultimate LinkedIn marketing and personal branding services can do this for you, details here : https://lnkd.in/dqWRi6EZ https://lnkd.in/gpw5PB9y

Potential in developing maritime sector by accelerating development of Trincomalee as centre of excellence for Marine and offshore industry centre for blue economy should have been elaborated

Craft Beer Market In 2023, the craft beer market was valued at USD 102.15 billion. It's expected to grow at a 12.33% CAGR, from USD 108.8 billion in 2024 to USD 275.76 billion by 2032. This growth is driven by individual craft breweries creating new products and flavors, including subtle floral notes. The rise of microbreweries and independent breweries has been a key driver for craft beer growth. Craft beer is gaining popularity, especially among younger consumers, due to the demand for variety, higher disposable income, and a preference for quality flavors. Additionally, low-alcohol and no-alcohol beers are increasingly popular with health-conscious consumers, contributing to the overall expansion of the craft beer market.