1,452 lucky souls experienced the in-person (!) ADI Conference August 23-26 in Louisville. It was masked, muscular and magical. Hats off to the ADI Conference team who pulled it off, and the 180 vendors and sponsors who sponsored and exhibited. Kudos to the Kentucky Guild, and to local distilleries who hosted tours. Thanks to the Louisville CVB who supported ADI’s return to “Lou’ville.” And to our official hotel the Galt House, and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear who gave clear guidance on COVID. While Zoom, Skype and Webex made ADI’s virtual 2020 Conference tolerable, there is no substitute for face-to-face. (Distilling is, was, and will always be tactile. Sorry Zoom.) We’ll see you in-person again in St. Louis in 2022 — make your reservations now after you check the dates at Distilling.com.

ADI Membership Surges

ADI Membership surged during the pandemic, from 500 to nearly 1,000. So why not join the club? If you’re an ADI Member, renew for 2022, If not, now is the time to enroll. It’s the best deal in booze — only a few hundred dollars a year. Check it out at Distilling.com. Member benefits include: Member Plaque, Distiller Magazine in print 3 times a year, discounts for ADI Conference, Resource Directory, discounts for the Judging of Craft Spirits — America’s #1 Craft Spirits Badge, Videos, Maps, discounts on classes and workshops. Distillers don’t dither. Do it now.

Brad Plummer Rocks

For seven years, Brad Plummer has served as photographer, writer, contributor, and Editor-in-Chief of Distiller. This year, Brad is moving on to greater industry roles. But you saw him shooting photos at the ADI Conference in Louisville, and you’ll surely see his camera in St. Louis in 2022. Brad’s expertise in craft distilling is unparalleled. We’re glad Brad is now an even more important part of the industry. And Brad will forever be an important part of the great ADI family.

This Issue of Distiller Magazine Rocks

Check out the Table of Contents. By popular demand, Departments have returned to Distiller Magazine. Turns out, we readers love our habits–finding stuff in the same place each issue. The Cover Story (on Ironroot Republic and the Likarish brothers) is a big deal, along with our seven Departments: Marketing & Packaging, Production & Processes, Ingredients & Formulations, Money Matters, Regulation & Compliance, Distribution & Channels, and Places & Faces. Find your favorite content, writers, and topics. And don’t worry, they’ll be in the same place in the next issue. And the next after that.

Cheers,

Jay Whitehead, Editor, Distiller Magazine

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Jay Whitehead has founded and run 15 investor-backed media, tech and social enterprises, raised $100+ million from investors, and managed 5 liquidity events. He is an author, faculty member at The Negotiation Institute, and served on the board of Harvard University’s Sustainability & Environmental Management program. Jay earned a BA from UCLA and a Strategic Finance certificate from the Harvard Business School. He can be reached at Jay@LeagueNetwork.com.