By any measure, the 5th Annual ADI Conference was a rousing success. Attendance was up 70 percent over last year; vendor participation was equally robust, and “proof” of the camaraderie unique to this remarkable community of craft distillers was everywhere visible.
This year, “whiskey” was our theme, and the revered Seelbach was our muse. Tours, tastings, and a treasure trove of ideas, projects, and products were shared by a keenly perceptive audience. This year’s turnout demonstrated the extraordinary increase of interest in craft distilling, such that we needed to organize the attendees into two groups: Pre-Installation and Post-Installation. In both sections, rubber-meets-road issues took center stage. Chief among the Post Installation group was brand building—joined at the hip as always with marketing and distribution — and, yes, even politics stepped to the plate. As state legislatures around the country address permitting and regulating issues, the need for a legal definition of craft distilling has become of paramount concern. Tuthilltown’s Ralph Erenzo has drafted such a definition, and we have posted it on the ADI Forum. Please visit the Forum to post your own comments and suggestions and enter this important dialogue.
A major “first” for ADI at this conference was the introduction of a juried whiskey judging. Fabled critic, raconteur, and Whisky Bible author Jim Murray conducted the judging (see XXX), bringing proof that what glitters can sometimes also be gold (and silver, and bronze).
Two other concepts took root at the conference for which we have high hopes: Distilling Expeditions and a Craft Spirits Fest. All craft distillers are invited to share their products with the public when “Meet the Maker” launches the first Craft Spirits Fest next year on Sunday, April 5th at Hangar One in Alameda. A Tequila Expedition is planned in mid-January for an inside look at destiladores artesanales in and around the town of Tequila, and to Scotland as well — with Richard Forsyth. Life IS good.
Perhaps the most intriguing concept presented this year was the idea of selling “whiskey futures.” David Vitale and Bill Lark of Lark Distillery in Tasmania are successfully raising operating funds by selling a barrel (or barrels) of whiskey to investors with the promise to buy the whiskey back after a few years. This novel approach to “creative financing” is one that we will examine in detail come April.
Thanks again to Ted Huber, Leah Hutchinson, and all the people who made the 5th Annual Conference such a great success. And mark your calendars! We will reconvene April 3rd to April 5th at St. Georges Distillery in Hangar One of the decommissioned Alameda Naval Air Station, where, with stunning views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate, all eyes (and taste buds) will turn to the refined worlds of Brandy and Eau-de-Vie.
A Votre Sante,
Penn Jensen,
Vice President, The American Distilling Institute
