“First wine, then beer. Now even spirits get micro,” as reported in this article from The Mainichi Daily News.
According to the article, Bill Owens of the American Distilling Institute
estimates the number of small distilleries at just over 200, and growing by about 20 to 30 a year. They have sprouted up in more than three dozen states in recent years, with Oregon, California, Colorado, Michigan and New York the main players.
The gourmeting of hard liquor taps into the trend of eating and drinking artisanal foods and beverages from small, local producers. It’s also being driven by “mixologists,” a growing class of high-profile bartenders who craft trendy drinks with specialty alcohol.
And it hasn’t hurt that Americans have grown enamored with the hard-drinking characters on the trendsetting AMC television series “Mad Men,” Owens says. But demand alone doesn’t explain the growth. The repeal of Prohibition-era laws in many states helped spur the rush.
The article goes on to report that the State of Washington’s micro-distilling business took off “after a 2008 change in state laws that allowed booze makers to serve samples to customers and directly sell 2 liters of take-home spirits per customer per day. Before, all sales had to occur in state liquor stores.”
Cary Wiggins on the Web