Money Matters

2024 marked seven centuries since the first reference to whiskey in Irish literature. Seven hundred years later, the unbridled optimism and enthusiasm of the last decade, in which more than 40 new distilleries opened, has made way for a...

On the face of it, the future of the spirits world in the U.K. does not look great. Producers are facing higher interest rates and higher spirits duty, which is estimated to be costing the U.K. Treasury £500,000 a day...

The craft spirits industry is set to continue to innovate in Australia and New Zealand in 2025 despite cutbacks in consumer spending in 2024 and increases in the Australian spirits excise duty rates. “The Australian craft spirits industry is proving...

The Canadian spirits market is poised for significant changes in 2025, driven by economic pressures, external trade challenges, and evolving consumer preferences. For distilleries, adapting to these dynamics is essential to remain competitive while maintaining strong connections with consumers. Trade...

If there’s one word to summarize European distillers’ mood for the months ahead, it might be “conflicted.” The industry is more vibrant than ever, with new spirits brands regularly popping up across the continent. Yet, the industry faced significant...

Last fall, France-based spirits company Maison Ferrand introduced the latest in its limited-edition series of Planteray rums. The release — a Pedro Ximénez cask-finished version of the brand’s popular XO — commemorates the 20th anniversary of Maison Ferrand’s founder,...

Standing on a slope of their farm, Adam and Laurie Goldberg look down the mountain and across the Valley of the Moon. They’re glancing at a rugged quilt work of ranches, pastures, and oak thickets that spread over the...

It’s a cold afternoon as Michelle Ivey sits at her kitchen table and watches clouds sweeping rain over the Jersey Shore. Ivey’s mind is somewhere else, her thoughts drifting to the dry, scrubby hills of the Santiago Matatlán Valley....

Distilling has always been collaborative. Cognac, Armagnac, grappa, and many other spirits have long depended on itinerant horse-drawn stills that travel from vineyard to vineyard. Established distilleries have long leaned on contract distilling to supplement their business. Creativity had...

The pot still is known for having a higher degree of control and a greater diversity of spirits that can be produced, while the column still offers speed, efficiency, and consistency with the more straightforward addition of automation. I can...