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Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey™ Awarded Best of
Show
at American Distilling Institute Annual
Conference of Craft Distillers
DENVER – Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey was
awarded Best of Show at the 5th Annual
American Distilling Institute Conference held
in Louisville, Ky., in April.
The theme of this year’s conference was
whiskey, making for the first-ever medal
competition for craft-distilled spirits in
the nation. The competition delivered 19
medals across eight categories, from Blended
Canadian Whiskey to Small-Batch Rye Whiskey.
Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey, a distinctive
small-batch whiskey cultivated in Colorado’s
first-ever micro-distillery, received a gold
medal for Best in Class in the Small Batch
American Malt Whiskey category and Best in
Show at the conference. Notable winners in
Small Batch American Bourbon were Makers Mark
and Buffalo Trace.
The presiding judge for the competition was
renowned whiskey critic Jim Murray whose
four-point scoring system was used to
evaluate the entries. Judging supervisors
were Luis Ayala of Rum Runner Press and Ted
Huber owner of Starlight Distillery. Judges
were Charles Cowdery, Gary Spedding and
Bridget Albert.
Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey is the creation
of whiskey enthusiast Jess Graber who is the
majority owner who manages the distillery.
Because the whiskey is entirely handcrafted,
production is limited, with Stranahan’s
producing in a year what some distillers make
in a day.
“We’re thrilled with the positive response
to our hand-crafted, small-batch, Straight
Rocky Mountain Whiskey,” said Graber.
“Whiskey enthusiasts are pleasantly surprised
when they taste the result of our unique
distilling process which blends the processes
used to make both Scotch and Bourbon
whiskeys.”
The American Distilling Institute (ADI) was
founded in 2001 by Bill Owens with the goal
of creating a collective voice for the new
generation of progressive beverage, medical
and aromatic distillers. It is dedicated to
the mission of disseminating professional
information on the distilling process.
Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey is available in
select markets and is also available at the
distillery.
A 750 mL bottle retails for
$54.99.
For more information, visit
www.stranahans.com or
call
303-296-7440.
=================
Three years ago Cory Brock's phone rang.
He heard the voice of his friend Josh
Burnett, who was in Lynchburg, Tenn., at the
Jack Daniels factory, the headquarters of the
world famous whiskey.
Burnett learned in Tennessee that Jack
Daniels started making his own whiskey as a
teenager. He was inspired to call Brock.
Maybe it seemed ridiculous or maybe the "I
can do anything" bug bit him, but when Brock
answered his phone in Kansas, Burnett asked
him to be a partner in the whiskey-making
business.
When Brock received Burnett's phone call he
loved the idea of making alcohol, but he
recommended that they make vodka instead.
"Josh likes to drink whiskey so he said
whiskey," Brock, a KU alumnus, said. "Me, I
am more of a vodka drinker so I said let's
make vodka."
What started as a phone call has grown into
Honor Distilling, a Lawrence company that
produces and bottles vodka. The popularity of
the vodka is growing and spreading to
neighboring states.
Brock had a more scientific reason for
encouraging Burnett to try making vodka
instead. Whiskey needs to be aged in a
charred barrel, while vodka only needs to be
distilled and mixed with purified water.
The two settled on vodka and started
researching. Brock said he found information
in multiple places, and after three years of
research with trial and error he finalized a
recipe. Brock called the final product Honor
Vodka, which is also the name of his company.
"Honestly, our recipe and our process is a
conglomerate of tons of research," Brock
said.
Their recipe consists of a corn and wheat
blend, which is distilled with 100 percent
grain alcohol and then mixed with purified
water.
Brock said the Midwest made for a good place
to distill vodka because of the abundance of
grains.
"We chose corn and wheat, but you can
actually use any grain product to make
vodka," Brock said.
The process did not come easy. Brock said he
and Burnett did not get it right on the first
try or even the 50th try.
"We were scared of the first batch," Brock
said. "We looked at each other like I'm not
drinking that."
Sixty-three tries later, Brock finalized his
recipe, which got bottled and put on the
shelves.
Brock, who graduated from the University of
Kansas in 2002 with a business degree, knew
soon after college that corporate America was
not for him. He moved to Minnesota and worked
for a mortgage broker, but the job did not
motivate him.
"I always knew I wanted to own my own
business," said the 30-year-old Brock.
During college he managed the Jayhawk Café,
also known as The Hawk, and bartended at the
Ranch. After working in Minnesota he owned a
company that did promotional work for the
Dallas-based alcohol-distributing company
Glazer's.
These experiences gave Brock confidence that
if he could make a good product, he knew
enough people in the industry to get the
product in the stores and bars.
"The thing about starting your own business
is that you have to have a lot of people that
are willing to help you out," Brock said.
In order to even begin Honor Distilling,
Brock and Burnett filled out a mountain of
paper work to gain a federal and state
license to produce alcohol. They do not have
a license to sell alcohol, so they sell to
the distributor Glazer's, which then sells
Honor to liquor stores.
Brock said the whole project went further
than he ever thought.
"It was just a hobby that got out of
control," Brock said.
In just two months of operation, Honor has
already spread from Lawrence into Missouri
and received good reviews.
Dan Blomgren, owner of the Cork & Barrel
liquor stores, said Honor is better than
comparably prices vodkas.
"I did a taste test at Quinton's and Honor
beat Absolut and Skyy hands down," Blomgren
said.
Brock and Burnett are working on getting a
patent for their process, which Brock thinks
will take the company to a new level.
Edited by Rustin Dodd
=================
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Heriot-Watt / Oregon Craft Distillers |
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From Times Online
Profile: Heriot-Watt University
Concentration on technology, languages and
business is fitting for a university which
commemorates James Watt, the pioneer of steam
power, and George Heriot, financier to King
James VI.
Still evolving more than 40 years after
attaining university status, in many ways
Heriot- Watt is Scotland's most
unconventional university.
The main campus, on the outskirts of
Edinburgh is among the most modern in
Britain.
While small in terms of full-time students -
there are under 7,000 on campus - the
university has a further 10,500 students in
supported learning centres overseas and on
distance learning courses.
A new campus opened in Dubai in 2005 offering
management, business, IT and a range of
engineering subjects. With overseas students
filling nearly a quarter of its places in
Scotland, Heriot-Watt is one of the UK's most
international universities.
The university won the Scottish Council of
Development and Industry's 2007 award for
Outstanding International Achieve-ment in
Scotland's Universities, partly for its
support for international students.
For many years, Heriot-Watt's main claim to
fame outside the academic community lay in
its degree in brewing and distilling. But the
university has a wide variety of vocational
programmes, as well as more conventional
degrees.
Research in petroleum engineering is rated
internationally outstanding, while modern
languages are a more unexpected strength.
Strengths
Actuarial mathematics and statistics is one
of only two centres in the UK, and photonics
and optoelectronics, building and food
science are all highly regarded. Both
teaching and research are heavily
multidisciplinary with a focus on applying
knowledge to real-world challenges. Computer
sciences and chemical, electrical and
electronic, mechanical and petroleum
engineering all achieved the top Commendable
grades used in teaching assessments. An
institutional review in 2006 produced the top
grade of "broad confidence".
Languages produced the best results in the
university's debut in the National Student
Survey, in 2007. Science, engineering,
management and languages are located on the
main campus at Riccarton. There is a
postgraduate campus in Orkney, specialising
in renewable energy, and a Scottish Borders
Campus in Galashiels, 35 miles south of
Edinburgh, where the university took over and
upgraded the Scottish College of Textiles.
Heriot-Watt and Borders College have signed a
partnership agreement for a long-term
collaboration to deliver higher and further
education in the historically underprovided
region. Both institutions will share the
site, with the university concentrating on
textiles, fashion design and management.
Heriot-Watt is also one of the most
commercially diversified universities in
Britain, with the share of private research
funding consistently among the highest in the
UK per member of academic staff. About half
of the university's income, around £60
million, comes from research, training and
commercial services.
Employability
The subject mix also serves graduates well:
Heriot-Watt is seldom far from the top of the
employment league tables. The latest
projected dropout rate of 15 per cent is an
improvement on previous figures, although
still higher than the UK average for the
university's subjects and entrance
qualifications.
More than half of the undergraduates are from
Scotland, and 15 per cent from other parts of
Britain, over 90 per cent of them from state
schools and colleges. The Edinburgh campus
has an attractive parkland setting, with the
students' union at its heart and halls of
residence conveniently placed.
Students have complained that the six-mile
journey to the city centre leaves them
isolated, but there are now frequent bus
services. Sports enthusiasts are well
provided for, and representative teams do
well. Hearts, one of Edinburgh's two SPL
clubs, have their sports academy on campus,
which is used by students and local people as
well as the young professionals.
Music also thrives: there is a professional
musician-inresidence and a number of
scholarships, as well as a varied programme
of events.
=================
Craft distillers have spirits riding high in
Portland.
By Tan Vinh - Seattle Times staff
reporter.
.
PORTLAND - You know folks in the southeastern
part of this city reckon they are on to
something big because the nickname game has
commenced. Should the district be "Distillery
Row"? "Libation Alley"? You get the picture..
The small craft distillery scene has hit
Portland, reminiscent of the microbrewery
boom two decades ago. Young microbrewers and
winemakers are now distilling whiskey,
brandy, grappa and even absinthe. And taking
a page from Kentucky's iconic whiskey
distillers, they are beginning to host tours
and tastings. With 17 microdistilleries in
Oregon, and eight more startups expected
across the state by year's end, spirits
aficionados haven't seen anything like this
in recent memory..
Sure, boutique distilleries also dot the
landscapes in Michigan and Northern
California, but only in Oregon do most
artisan distilleries concentrate around a
city. Collectively, the distillers help shape
the bar and culinary scene in Portland. The
Rose City is now seeing a renaissance of
classic cocktails, and some high-end
restaurants are trying experimental pairings
of food with spirits..
"The distillery scene here is where the wine
industry in California was in the 1960s,"
said Steve McCarthy, owner of Clear Creek
Distillery, one of the nation's first
microdistilleries. "We are rewriting all the
rules. The artisan distilleries are making up
a whole new industry." [see link for the
full story].
================.
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Bill Owens in NYC / Russian Distiller takes a shot |
|
invite you to join
BILL OWENS
for a celebration of his new monograph
published by Damiani
with an introduction by Claudia Zanfi
and a slideshow presentation and discussion
by Bill Owens
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
7 pm
The Strand Bookstore
2nd Floor
828 Broadway
New York City
And an BILL OWENS exhibit (opening)
on Thursday June 26th at 7 pm
James Cohan Gallery
533 West 26th St.
NY, NY
www.jamescohan.com
================
Russian distiller takes shot at cracking
local whiskey market
By Alex Rodriguez | Tribune correspondent
12:59 PM CDT, June 11, 2008
Five years ago, Irazikhanov sent specialists
from his distillery to Scotland to bone up on
the secrets of good whiskey-making. In 2005,
Russian Whiskey began making its first batch,
which it bottled last year. Full-scale
commercial production began this year.
Though vodka and beer are the libations of
choice for most Russians, upscale Moscow
grocery stores now regularly stock everything
from top caliber tequilas and scotches to
absinthe. Prices for imported hard liquor,
however, are out of reach for most everyday
Muscovites.
"We have everything we need to make top
quality whiskey the right grain, the
technology, the specialists and the price
will be half as much as Scottish or Irish or
American whiskey," Irazikhanov says, adding
that all his team needs is a little time. "In
a few years we'll have enough experience, and
our customers will start to like
it."
================
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Pot Still for Sale / Consultant Avaibable / Distiller Wanted / Distillers looking for job / Wash Available |
|
Fully
reconditioned, 240
gallon pot still. Ideal still for whiskey or
rum. I will offer limited consulting
services. Price $70,000 or highest bid call
Bill Owens
510-886-7418
<
ADI's
hands-on, five day course on How to Distill
Whiskey now has a new date: December 1st -
6th. The course will be held at Sweetwater
Distillery in Petaluma, CA. Students will
actually distill whiskey as part of the
learning experience. Cost will be $3000 for
five days. For more information, contact Bill
Owens:
bill@distilling.com
====================
Consultant Available
Services include research, business planning,
product formulation, plant design, product
evaluation, et al backed by 16 years of
experience. I can take you from idea to
finished product with any level of service
you require.
Keith K. Bodine
Consultant Distiller and Winemaker
347 Carroll Rd
Union ME 04862
207-785-3024
www.sweetgrasswinery.com
=================
Are you interested in getting in on the
ground floor of a brand new microdistillery?
We are a farm distillery located on an
apple orchard in upstate NY, less than half
an hour from Albany. We currently distill one
brand of vodka, but are looking to add
several other spirits within the next year or
so. We would like to hire someone who will be
able to take over much of the distillation
process and assist in our tasting room. We
are looking for someone organized, eager and
willing to learn and grow with us. No
distilling experience is required. Please
forward a letter of interest and your resume
to
harvestspirits@gmail.com.
=================
Dear Mr. Owens
My name is Jeremiah Timm; I am
interested in being an apprentice for a
master distiller who is produces Rums
Brandies Whiskeys, or Eau de Vies. I have
had some experiences in the lab distilling
wine to make extracts for analysis; to make
up for this I have done research to
understand the distilling process better. If
you know of any one please let me know. I
will be available after November, since I am
working a crush at Koasta Brown in Sonoma
this fall.
Jeremiah Timm
jeremiah_timm@yahoo.com
===================
Graduate
ADI Membership
I'm a graduate with
honours from the International
Centre for Brewing Distilling and Malting at
Heriot Watt University Edinburgh Scotland
with experience from industry having worked
with amongst others Glenfiddich, Balvenie.
I'm Keen to gain further
knowledge in Brewery, Distillery or related
business. All offers considered.
Matthewpauley@hotmail.co.uk
===============
====
Hello
Bill
Hope you have been well - we
are looking for a talented distillery
consultant who can help us train our new
distiller on washes, pot still use, cuts, etc
- do you have a couple names you could
recommend - also I am interested in using the
photo of yours that hangs in my office in a
dogfish ad - it's the one of a naked hippy
walking in a concert crowd - an off-centered
person for sure! - it would run in the beer
mags and we can pay $200 for a high res
version emailed to us - lemme know what you
think - keep on truckin!!! Thanks for the
help
sam@dogfish.com
====================
Distiller Wanter
Rogue Spirits is Hiring
What: Distiller
Where: Portland, Oregon
Please send a written cover letter and resume
to Gary Fleshman,
1339 NW Flanders,
Portland, Or 97209
or email to: gary@rogue.com
Distiller Wanted
Distiller Wanter
30 year-old company in the beautiful Pacific
Northwest seeking experienced distiller to
establish a high-end whiskey distillery.
Distiller must have experience and knowledge
of the entire production process. Vodka and
gin to be distilled, however, whiskey is the
primary long-term goal. Responsibilities
include selecting and ordering all
ingredients and equipment, overseeing the
preparation of the facility and producing the
spirits. Applicant must possess a strong work
ethic and be very detail oriented. Salary DOE
/ excellent benefits. Non-smoking
environment. Contact
Jon Combs, PO Box
8000, Spokane, WA 99203.
(509) 534-9000.
jcombs@oldworldchristmas.com
==================
Hello Bill.
My name is John Paul Mereen.
A friend and I are looking into opening a
small batch distillery in Connecticut.
We have been in contact with the folks in
Idaho (DRinc.) for the raw product and hope
to refine it into vodka and gin.
Heidi thought you may be getting into some
sort of consulting if an effort to help
people like us move forward.
What I think we need at this point is a
business plan for this sort endeavor.
Are there any temples for this available that
you may be aware of? Or is this a service you
can help us with?
Any help or guidance you may be able to
provide would be greatly appreciated.
I hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerly, J.P. Mereen
home
jpmereen@comcast.net
===================<
br>
Wrestling with the decision to invest in wash
production and fermentation equipment?
Want to reduce the space required to launch
or expand your distillery's capacity? We can
offer a solution that avoids the substantial
investment required to produce washes in
house or to expand your present capacity. We
can provide custom washes for virtually any
need, pre-fermented and ready to charge your
still.
Our washes also provide a major
benefit allowing more yield per still charge
since there will be virtually no solids to
take up fill volumn a reduction of 30% in
most cases.
Minimum volumes as low as 930 gallons.
Shipping via totes or tanker FOB California.
Give us a call or e-mail us to discuss your
needs.
eric@ststans.com or
209.606.2337
===================
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Join the ADI Forum / Back issues |
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The DSP Distillery Link / How to get a DSP Permit |
|
The link to DSP permits is:
http://ttb.gov/foia/fri.shtml
Their
are over
300 DSP
licenses in the USA. Half are craft
distilleries. (Nine are whiskey distilleries)
The rest are super large industrial
distilleries and
importers. Check their websites to see if
they really distill.
=====================
===================
--To obtain a
distilled spirits permit go to:
">http://www.ttb.gov/spirits/index.shtml
===================
--To obtain TTB list of DSPs go to:
http://www.ttb.gov/foia//err.shtml
=====================
--To obtain TTB statistics on distilling go to:
www.ttb.gov then scroll down to "spirits" and
then the "year".
=====================
--To obtain Distilled Spirits Laws and
Regulations go to:
http://www.ttb.gov/spirits/spirits_regs.shtml
=====================
--To obtain label regulations go to:
http://www.ttb.gov/spirits/bam.shtml
distilled spirits manual circular.
To
print the Beverage Alcohol Manual: click (Manual)
======================
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Join the American Distilling Institute |
|
|
Membership dues are used to support
the Institutes's efforts to educate and
inform
the public about craft distilling.
Members receive the DISTILLER newsletter
and the Distiller's Resource
Directory.
American
Distilling Institute / 2008
Membership(s)
Individuals............................
$300
Winery, Brewery, Distillery........
$300
Additional, 1-3
memberships........$200
Vendor membership....................
$300
Pay by check or use Pay Pal
American
Distiller
Box
577
Hayward
CA
94543
===================
USD
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