In only its second year, the American Distilling Institute’s Research Grant Endowment has shown tremendous growth, greatly multiplying the number of research grants to be awarded in 2019.

“We are excited to see ADI’s Research Grant program growing, thanks to the enthusiasm and buy-in from the spirits community,” said ADI President Erik Owens. “Expanding our mission to include sponsoring and publishing original research will bring long-term benefits to the entire industry.”

ADI’s Research Endowment, under the stewardship of ADI’s 501(c)(3) Research Foundation, raises funding through strategic donor partnerships, accruing throughout the year an inventory of distilling equipment and spirits-production gear to be auctioned off each fall. Supporting donors receive a tax deduction and advertising benefits, and buyers acquire useful goods at a discount — pallets of bottles, stills and kettles, packaging and labeling services etc.

All proceeds go into ADI’s non-profit Research Grant Endowment war chest. Funding grants are awarded to proposals of merit selected by the Research Grant Committee. The proposal submission period opens each November, after which the committee will review submissions and then announce grant recipients. Successful proposals will seek to conduct original spirits-industry research that addresses technical problems with potential to further the broader knowledge base of the craft spirits industry.

In 2018, the committee awarded ADI’s first Research Grant to Robin Felder, professor at the University of Virginia and owner of Monte Piccolo Farm and Distillery. Dr. Felder’s research involved testing a method for conducting spectroscopy as distillate emerges from a still, giving distillers the ability to examine precise congener composition in real time.

“As the craft spirits industry matures, the challenges and questions facing distillers are become increasingly complex,” Owens said. “ADI has been dedicated to supporting the growth of the industry since its inception, and we believe the ADI Research Foundation and Grant have a critical role to play as craft distillers look to expand their knowledge and refine their approach to craft spirits production.”

The 2019 Grant Proposal submission period opens September 16th and closes November 15th. Submission guidelines and instructions can be found at https://distillingresearch.org/