Craft Brewing vs. Craft Distilling

We're all familiar with the boom in breweries, but what about craft distilleries? Craft distilleries have grown exponentially over the years, with over 2,000 distilleries located throughout the United States, and all sharing a love of crafting local spirits. With many consumers fascinated by the art of distilling, coupled with the enjoyment that comes from sipping on local spirits, craft distilling is the future of booze.  

What is a Craft Distillery? 

The American Craft Spirits Association has enlisted specific guidelines that a company must meet to be considered a true craft distillery. For example, one of the essential requirements for a craft distillery is the value of transparency, meaning they are open and honest about their ingredients, distilling location and bottling process. In addition, a craft distillery must produce less than 750,000 gallons each year and hold less than 50 percent of the Distilled Spirits Plant (DSP).

Craft Distilling vs. Craft Brewing Over Time 

When comparing the craft distilling industry to the craft brewing industry, it is evident that they are growing at a different pace. However, they are both trending for future growth. The craft distilling industry has grown about 18 percent to 27 percent each year from 2011 to 2016, and the craft brewing industry grew by 13 percent in 2015, both reaching percentages in the double digits. More brewers are getting into the distilling industry to continue their growth and production, and some distillers are opening breweries. This hybrid part of the industry allows producers to reach more consumers and cater to their customer’s ever-changing alcoholic beverage of choice. Some examples of brewery-distillery hybrids include New Holland in Michigan and Floyds Brewery in Indiana. 

History of Craft Distilling

The art and science of distilling go back way further than you might think. At the very beginning is evidence for very basic distilled liquors made in Asia from rice and milk. Later, knowledge of early distilling made its way to Greece and slowly began to take form around the world. In fact, the first book on the subject, The Virtuous Art of Distilling, by Hieronymus Brunschwig, was published in 1500 and discusses distilled alcohol as medicine. However, by 1618, another piece titled The Penniless Pilgrimage mentions recreationally drinking "aqua vitae" (an early, euphemistic nickname for booze), and spirits began to find their spotlight. 

Types of Distilling

Alembic Distilling:

Alembic Distilling is the oldest known method of distilling as we know it and is named after the still used in the process. Alembic Distilling dates back to about the 8th century and is widely attributed to the Arabic Alchemist, Jabir ibn Hayyan. Alembic distillation takes an already-fermented base liquid and heats it until the ethanol evaporates and is routed into a separate vessel. Alembic Distilling was designed using a copper onion-shaped head and is ideal for making spirits like whiskey, brandy, bourbon and schnapps as the copper stills carry over flavor and produces quality spirits.

Column Distilling:

By the 19th century, column distilling evolved out of a desire for a quicker method. With this process, the distillation column comprises a series of stacked plates, and a liquid feed containing the mixture of two or more liquids enters the column at one or more points. The hot mixture is then pumped into the bottom, allowing the fermented base to continuously be injected into a tall column and met with rising steam. The temperature of the steam is then controlled to separate the alcohol and any undesirable compounds. The invention of column distilling eventually led to the rise of commercial distilling, as the process does not require cleaning between batches, and its continuous nature allows for repeated distilling, making it much more efficient.

Craft Distilling Today

Today, craft distilling is an exciting, growing industry with new businesses constantly emerging as they allow consumers to support the local economy by purchasing locally crafted spirits. As the number of small distilleries has continued to grow, tasting rooms, distillery tours, samples, bottles and even cocktails made with their spirits have positively impacted both local and state economies. While not all craft distilleries are created equal, most offer a variety of specialty spirits, including brandy, gin, rum, agave, moonshine, whiskey and vodka. In addition, craft distilleries often produce a variety of flavored liqueurs and seasonal offerings.

Northside Distilling

Since Prohibition, Northside Distilling is Downtown Cincinnati's 1st distillery, created on a shared love of crafting delicious, high-quality spirits for friends, family and community. Northside currently produces bourbon, gin, vodka, American agave, seasonal rum, limited-edition specialty releases and private label spirits. Stay tuned for some exciting news about how our distillery will be growing over the coming years!