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A microdistillery is a small, often
boutique A boutique () is a small shop that deals in fashionable clothing or accessories. The word is French for "shop", which derives ultimately from the Ancient Greek ἀποθήκη (''apothēkē'') "storehouse". The term ''boutique'' and also ''de ...
-style
distillery Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the hea ...
established to produce beverage grade spirit alcohol in relatively small quantities, usually done in single batches (as opposed to larger distillers' continuous distilling process). While the term is most commonly used in the United States, micro-distilleries have been established in Europe for many years, either as small
cognac Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Cognac production falls under French appella ...
distilleries supplying the larger cognac houses, or as distilleries of
single malt whisky Single malt whisky is malt whisky from a single distillery. Single malts are typically associated with single malt Scotch, though they are also produced in various other countries. Under the United Kingdom's Scotch Whisky Regulations, a "Si ...
originally produced for the blended
Scotch whisky Scotch whisky (; sco, Scots whisky/whiskie, whusk(e)y; often simply called whisky or Scotch) is malt whisky or grain whisky (or a blend of the two), made in Scotland. All Scotch whisky was originally made from malted barley. Commercial disti ...
market, but whose products are now sold as niche single malt brands. The more recent development of micro-distilleries can now also be seen in locations as diverse as London,
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, and South Africa. Throughout much of the world, small distilleries operate throughout communities of various sizes, mostly without being given a special description. Due to the extended period of
Prohibition in the United States In the United States from 1920 to 1933, a nationwide constitutional law prohibited the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. The alcohol industry was curtailed by a succession of state legislatures, an ...
, however, most small distillers were forced out of business, leaving only the corporate-dominated megadistilleries to resume operation when Prohibition was repealed to produce small batch brands. Most microdistilleries in South Africa ceased to exist when legislation was introduced in 1964 that made it almost impossible for small, private distilleries to operate viably. The legislation was relaxed again in 2003 and although most distilling expertise was lost, it was recovered by a new generation of microdistillers and has grown since. A recent trend in this segment of the distilling industry is for megadistillers to create their own micro-distillery within their current operation. The Makers Mark distillery is owned by
Suntory (commonly referred to as simply Suntory) is a Japanese multinational brewing and distilling company group. Established in 1899, it is one of the oldest companies in the distribution of alcoholic beverages in Japan, and makes Japanese whisky. I ...
and the Buffalo Trace distillery is owned by
The Sazerac Company Sazerac Company, Inc is a privately held American alcoholic beverage company headquartered in Metairie in the metropolitan area of New Orleans, Louisiana, but with its principal office in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is owned by billion ...
(which also owns the A. Smith Bowman microdistillery) are now producing specialty bourbon brands with small stills.


Movement

The modern microdistilling movement grew out of the beer
microbrewing Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis o ...
trend, which originated in the United Kingdom in the 1970s and quickly spread throughout the United States in the following decades. While still in its infancy, the popularity of microdistilling and microdistilled
spirits Spirit or spirits may refer to: Liquor and other volatile liquids * Spirits, a.k.a. liquor, distilled alcoholic drinks * Spirit or tincture, an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol * Volatile (especially flammable) liquids, ...
is expanding consistently, with many microbreweries and small wineries establishing distilleries within the scope of their brewing or
winemaking Winemaking or vinification is the production of wine, starting with the selection of the fruit, its fermentation into alcohol, and the bottling of the finished liquid. The history of wine-making stretches over millennia. The science of wine and ...
operations. Other microdistilleries are farm-based.
Anchor Brewing Company Anchor Brewing Company is an American alcoholic beverage producer, operating a brewery on Potrero Hill in San Francisco, California. The brewery was founded in 1896 and was purchased by Frederick Louis Maytag III in 1965, saving it from closure. ...
,
Ballast Point Brewing Company Ballast Point Brewing Company is an American brewery founded in 1996 by Jack White in San Diego, California. Ballast Point Brewing Co. started in the back of Home Brew Mart, a homebrew supply store White founded in 1992. As of 2015, it was the s ...
, and
Dogfish Head Dogfish Head Brewery is a brewing company based in Milton, Delaware founded by Sam and Mariah Calagione and, as of 2019, owned by the Boston Beer Company. It opened in 1995 and produces 262,000 barrels of beer annually. Select brews (includi ...
are examples of American craft breweries that have begun expanding into microdistillation. Leopold Bros. is an example of a microdistiller that began as a
microbrewery Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis o ...
, and now operates as a distillery alone. Some of the newer microdistilleries produce only spirits. Plain and seasonally-flavored
vodka Vodka ( pl, wódka , russian: водка , sv, vodka ) is a clear distilled alcoholic beverage. Different varieties originated in Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Vodka is composed mainly of water and ethanol but sometimes with traces of impuriti ...
s are popular products. As with the emergence of
microbrewing Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis o ...
, California and Oregon have experienced the highest number of microdistillery openings. Significant recent growth has also occurred in the Midwest. Microdistilleries for gin and vodka have also now started to re-emerge in London, England, after being restricted and effectively banned for over a hundred years due to UK government restrictions on still sizes, which have now been partially relaxed. There are now five licensed distilleries in London: Beefeater, and Thames Distillers, and four microdistilleries: the City of London Distillery, The London Distillery Company,
Sacred Microdistillery Sacred Spirits (previously known as Sacred Microdistillery) is a microdistillery in Highgate, London. It distills its spirits under a vacuum in glassware, and thus at a lower temperature than traditional pot stills, which operate at atmospher ...
and
Sipsmith Sipsmith is a microdistillery located in London. It is the first copper-pot distillery to open within Greater London' in nearly two centuries. It has been a subsidiary of Beam Suntory since December 2016. The Sipsmith Gin distillery is one of 2 ...
. At the same time, European micro-distilleries have been a key element in the
absinthe Absinthe (, ) is an anise-flavoured spirit derived from several plants, including the flowers and leaves of '' Artemisia absinthium'' ("grand wormwood"), together with green anise, sweet fennel, and other medicinal and culinary herbs. Historica ...
renaissance in several countries, including Switzerland. South Africa has experienced relatively big growth in microdistilleries and produces mainly pot-distilled brandies, fruit brandies, fruit-based eau de vie (locally called mampoer), husk-based spirits (like Italian Grappa), and a wide range of liqueurs and flavoured vodkas. Distillique is one of the few training academies worldwide which provides craft and microdistiller training courses on a regular monthly basis for microdistillers. South African microdistillers include the Jorgensen's Distillery, Dalla Cia Distillery, Nyati JJJ Distillery, Schoemanati Distillery, Tanagra Distillery and Wilderer Distillery. In the 1990s the liquor industry established the notion of super premium spirits offering a higher-quality (and usually more elaborately packaged) product at a higher price. The higher prices created an opportunity for small distilleries to profitably produce niche brands of exotic spirits. The early 21st Century saw the creation of hundreds of such distilleries producing products that were designed and marketed in a way that resembled celebrated restaurants more than alcoholic spirits marketing. The growth of craft distilleries and breweries was partly driven by consumer interest in greater variety, perceived quality, and support for locally owned businesses. According to the
American Distilling Institute The American Distilling Institute (ADI), is the major trade association for the craft / micro distillery industry in the United States representing over 2000 licensed craft distilleries operating in the United States. History The American Dis ...
, there were 50 microdistilleries operating in the United States in 2005, but by 2012 this number had increased to 250. Numerous competitions and publications were formed to support the burgeoning sub-culture of spirits. By 2019, there were over 2,000 microdistilleries in the United States, and the market share of craft spirits was steadily growing. It is no longer the case that microdistilleries are producing at the premium end of the market only; the established brands are under threat from local microdistilleries at all price points (with the possible exception of the ultra discount supermarket brands such as Sainsbury's and Tesco's "value" brands, which are close to
loss leaders A loss leader (also leader) is a pricing strategy where a product is sold at a price below its market cost to stimulate other sales of more profitable goods or services. With this sales promotion/marketing strategy, a "leader" is any popular artic ...
). The
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
negatively impacted the microdistillery industry, as bars and pubs closed, and the economy shrank. This marked a sharp downturn in the previously steady growth of microdistilleries in the United States, in a phenomenon compared to the impact of
Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholi ...
.


Innovation

Microdistillers often experiment with new techniques to produce new flavors. Tony Conigliaro uses a rotavap (i.e. glassware not copper pot) on a small scale to produce distilled spirits which change from day to day in his bar, and Ian Hart uses vacuum equipment to conduct distillation at much-reduced temperatures, resulting in less cooked aromatics.


U.S. regulation

The U.S. Government regulates distilleries to a high degree and currently does not distinguish its treatment of distilleries in terms of size. This stringent regulation has prevented microdistilling from developing as rapidly as microbrewing which enjoys relatively more relaxed government control. A number of states, such as California,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...
,
Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...
,
Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
,
Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...
,
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...
,
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...
,
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
, and
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
have passed legislation reducing the stringent regulations for small distilleries that were a holdover from prohibition. The
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), commonly referred to as the ATF, is a domestic law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice. Its responsibilities include the investigation and prevent ...
(BATF) and the
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, statutorily named the Tax and Trade Bureau and frequently shortened to TTB, is a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury, which regulates and collects taxes on trade and imports of alcoh ...
(TTB) are responsible for enforcing Federal statutes as they apply to all manufacturers of beverage alcohol.


South African regulations

In South Africa, microdistilleries are legally defined as distilleries with an annual capacity of fewer than 2 million litres of spirits. These microdistilleries are regulated through provincial laws rather than the national liquor laws (as prescribed in the Liquor Act of South Africa, Act 59 of 2003).


Craft distillery

The American Craft Spirits Association defines a "craft distillery" as a distillery that produces fewer than 750,000 gallons per year; is independently owned and operated (with a greater than 75% equity stake, plus operational control), and is transparent regarding its ingredients, its distilling and bottling location; its distilling and bottling process, and its aging process.


See also

*
Distillation Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the he ...
*
Microbrewery Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis o ...
* Portland Oregon Distilleries *
Third wave of coffee Third-wave coffee is a movement in coffee marketing emphasizing high quality. Beans are typically sourced from individual farms and are roasted more lightly to bring out their distinctive flavors. Though the term was coined in 1999, the approach o ...


Footnotes


References

* * * *


External links


Burning Still , Distilling CommunityDistillique craft and micro distilling
{{Authority control Distilled drinks Distilleries Restaurants by type Alcohol industry