Fall 2018 Issue

Craft Is a Way of Life

Alcohol is neither an amusement nor a commodity—at least, not historically speaking. Technically, of course, it’s a food or even a drug, but historically...
Karen Hoskin of Montanya Distillers

Stills with Personality: A look at the Spirits Producers Who Give Their Stills Names

At Montanya Distillers in Crested Butte, CO, Karen Hoskin has assigned names to her trio of rum-producing copper pot stills: Bella, Bellisima and Bellatrix....

A Surge in Craft Bottled-in-Bond Whiskey

Bartenders and bargain hunters have rejoiced in recent years with the return to prominence for bottled-in-bond, or bonded, whiskeys. I’ve long said the best...

What’s in a Glass?

Sensory perception is such an intangible thing. There are so many variables at play in evaluating a spirit, from the emotional and environmental factors...

The Power of Branding: A Strategic Approach to Design

An Excerpt from the book Branding:Distilled by Cynthia Sterling of Sterling Creativeworks The craft spirits category is young, thriving and growing at a phenomenal pace....

Was the Emerald City a Mirage? How Portland, Oregon, has Gone from ...

In 2010, five distillers who’d set up shop near one another in southeast Portland got together to see if some cooperation could lift all...
Karen Hoskin of Montanya Distillers

Taking Sustainability Deep

In this day and age of jargon and dubious news, we hear terms such as green, sustainable, carbon footprint, renewable and eco-friendly daily. We rarely...

Life After Acquisition or Investment: The Decision & the Aftermath

Check the industry news headlines from the past few years and you’d be forgiven if you thought there was an ongoing game of distillery...

Japanese Whiskey and the Art of Blending

Talk to the typical person who’s a fanatic about Japanese whiskey and you’ll hear a level of reverence that few other spirits ever receive....

Whiskey and Cherry Blossoms

“Whiskey and Cherry Blossoms” sounds like an answer from the game show Jeopardy. Connecting the two requires other words that are just as curious:...

Native Nuts: Liqueurs and Bitters

As autumn arrives in America, one of the great seasonal pleasures is seeing a scattering of nuts across a path and looking up to...

Desert Door Unlocks Secrets of Sotol for the U.S. Market

For ages, sotol has been the regional vaquero drink in the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Durango and Coahuila while merely a popular style of...

Dedicated Follower the of the Craft

Robert Spruill (pronounced “Sprool”) used to have the kind of job many of us would envy: He made movies. His first movie, Squeeze, told...

Looking to the Future of American Brandy

Brandy was produced in the United States when the country-to-be was but a ramshackle collection of colonies. In fact, Laird’s has stood the test...

Math or Money and The Electric Sombrero of Death

Of all the things in a distillery that could spark (pun intended) a fire or explosion, electrical systems and equipment are at the top...

“The One Thing I Didn’t Build Myself Was the Still”

It was nearly six months to the day since he had pushed his burning body across the floor to the fire  extinguisher, and Peter...
Paso Robles Distillery Trail map

Blazing a Trail in Paso Robles: Central Coast Distillers Stake Out a New Route...

I’ve packed my car with essential gear and headed to California’s Central Coast. Wine and red oak barbecue country calls for folding knives, wine...

Autry Cellars

Autry Cellars autrycellars.com 5450 Edna Road San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 Tasting hours: 11am-5pm daily 805.546.8669 Steve Autry, a former aerospace engineer turned winemaker, became a fully licensed brandy producer...

Azeo Distillery

Azeo Distillery https://www.azeodistillery.com 3230 Riverside Ave. Suite 190 Paso Robles, CA 93446 Tasting hours: by appointment 805.835.3740 At In Vino Veritas, a local custom crush facility owned by winemaker Ryan...

Manucci Spirits

Manucci Spirits wildcoyote.biz 3775 Adelaida Road Paso Robles, CA 93446 Tasting hours: 11am-5pm Friday-Sunday and by appointment 805.610.1311 info@wildcoyote.biz Tasting rooms and private casitas for overnight guests at Wild Coyote Estate...

KROBĀR Craft Distillery

KROBĀR Craft Distillery (at Barton Family Wines) krobardistillery.com 2174 Hwy 46 West Paso Robles, CA 93446 Tasting hours: 11am-5:30pm Thurs-Mon and by appointment 833.576.2271 Stephen Kroener and his partner Joe Barton...