A great change has occurred in the landscape of spirits worldwide which is sure to change the industry forever. This change, which began several years ago is all about the economics of distilling. It wasn’t that long ago, that spirits writers could write confidently about the significant start-up cost of a distillery which served to act as an effective barrier to entry into the industry. The cost of a new distillery, was not millions; it was tens of millions if not hundreds. Not so anymore.
The start-up cost of a new distillery has been reduced by at least an order of magnitude, if not two. The same type of innovation which was the hallmark of the Micro-Brewers is now being realized by Micro-distillers. Single Malt Whiskies, Blackstrap Rums, Small Batch Vodka and Gins, and all manner of flavoured spirits have began to pour into the market place taking up retail space that once belonged to the big guys.
The Micro-Distillers are here, and more are coming. Whisky, Rum, Vodka and Gin will never be the same again.
In recognition of the importance of the new arrivals, these are My Rum Howler Awards for the Best Micro-Distilled Spirits in North America:
The 2018 Rum Howler Awards – The Micro Distillers
Chimo!
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Words like “hand crafted” and “‘Small Batch” seem to be words thrown about by liquor producers in the same manner that rice and confetti are thrown about at a TV wedding. I guess the theory is that if you throw out enough rhetoric, some of it is bound to stick. So it is refreshing to write about a distillery where the words “hand crafted” and “‘Small Batch” really mean exactly what they imply.
The Rum Howler Blog 