United States Legislation: 2023 in Review
2023 resulted in legislation that strengthened gains from previous years. States such as California and Maryland renewed DTC privileges for in-state distillers, and cocktails-to-go were extended or made permanent by numerous states. A couple of states created self-distribution privileges...
Ireland: 2023 in Review
The last few decades have been kind to Irish distilling — and this most recent decade has seen a literal renaissance, with over 40 new distillery builds since the sale of Cooley Distillery to Beam in 2011. Much of...
United Kingdom: 2023 in Review
In 2023, British distillers were hit with an unholy array of challenges: high inflation, a 10% increase in alcohol duty, an increase in the main rate of corporation tax from 19 to 25%, high energy prices, and significant increases...
The European Union: 2023 in Review
The European craft spirits market is in full swing. Currently valued at $3.3 billion, the industry is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 12.66% over the next four years, reaching $6.17 billion by 2028. Despite such a dynamic...
Canada: 2023 in Review
As we enter 2024, Canadian distillers are holding their breath. Will the recession that began in 2023 continue — or will it turn around? How will that impact Canada’s craft distilling industry? The harsh consensus so far seems to...
Q&A with Clay Berkes of Power House in Oklahoma City
Clay Berkes epitomizes Oklahoma’s laid-back, welcoming brand of hospitality. Berkes was born and raised in southern Oklahoma between Love County and Lawton/Fort Sill. At age 16, he got his first taste of the hospitality industry. But it was while...
A Q&A with Jeffrey Cole of WanderFolk Spirits
Jeffrey Cole, distiller and director of spirits at WanderFolk Spirits, is a fifth-generation Oklahoman with a passion to grow his home state’s prominence in the spirits industry, where historically it has been low in sales and consumption. A 16-year...
Top 10 Oklahoma City Bars
Oklahoma City is known as “The Big Friendly.” As my birthplace and the home region of a few dozen of my relatives, I can confirm it is quite friendly. Laid-back and chill for a capital city of roughly 700,000,...
Louisiana Rum Distilleries
In early December 2023, Ronnell Richards had the pleasure of representing ADI on a media tour of rum distilleries in Louisiana hosted by the Louisiana Distillers Guild. The group visited distilleries, bars, and restaurants across the New Orleans area to...
Q&A: Bartender Stephen Blackmon of Doar Bros.
Doar Bros. is a refined, chill respite of a cocktail bar on a touristy stretch of Charleston’s Meeting Street. It’s the kind of welcoming bar cocktail geeks would be at home in, but so would said tourists stopping in...
