The distilled spirits world experienced many ups and downs in 2021. Despite a downturn in tours and tastings, sales and production for the most part stayed steady. And while searching for new revenue streams and new ways to connect with customers we saw a temporary relaxation in Prohibition era rules that allowed for the creation of new lines of business like cocktails-to-go and direct-to-consumer (DTC) shipping of bottled spirits. We also continued to see massive growth in ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails category.
Hopefully we’ll see many of these temporary rule changes be made permanent in 2022.
When one door closes another door opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the ones which open for us.
~Alexander Graham Bell
Perhaps the best news for the year is that according to the Craft Spirits Data Project from the American Craft Spirits Association the number of licensed distilleries actually grew last year to nearly 2,300. With the number of new craft spirits makers continuing to grow we have lots to look forward to in the new year.
Without further ado, here are the Top 10+ stories, distilleries and suppliers of 2021. Cheers!
Top 10 Articles of 2021
- Kentucky’s 1st African-American Owned Distillery Makes History as They Fill Their 1st Barrel of Bourbon
- Kentucky Bourbon Festival to Celebrate 30th Year with a Completely Reenvisioned Festival for 2021
- Horse Soldier Bourbon is ‘Coming Home’ with New $200 Million Distillery Destination on Kentucky’s Lake Cumberland
- “Hey Daddy-o” Did You Know a Portion of Freddie’s Soda Sales Supports an African American Civil War Memorial?
- New Kentucky Law Allows Distillery Visitor Center Sales to Bypass 3-Tier System; Updates DTC Shipping Fulfillment
- Jack Daniel Distillery Releases ‘Coy Hill’ Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey at 148.3° – It’s Highest Proof Ever
- Startup Jackson Purchase Distillery Hires Veteran Master Distillers Craig Beam and Terry Ballard
- Maker’s Mark Tests Barrel Entry Proof of 110, 115, 120 & 125. 8 Years Later, the Results are Re’Mark’able
- Kentucky Artisan Distillery Releases its 1st ‘Whiskey Row’ Bottled in Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon
- Log Still Distillery Celebrates the Grand Opening of ‘The Amp[hitheater]’ with Little Big Town
- Bonus Story: Sazerac Returns Early Times Whisky Distillation to Bardstown after 103 Year Hiatus
- Bonus Story: Go Big or Go Home: Sugarlands Distilling Co. Builds 2nd Distillery Featuring the Largest Pot Still in the U.S.
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Top 10 Distilleries of 2021
- Nearest Green Distillery
- Log Still Distillery
- Brough Brothers Distillery
- Great Jones Distillery
- Boundary Oak Distillery
- Republic Restoratives Distillery
- Tennessee Distilling
- Town Branch Distillery
- Neeley Family Distillery
- Old Dominick Distillery
- Michter’s Distillery
- Boone County Distilling
- Buffalo Trace Distillery
- Huber’s Starlight Distillery
- Hill Country Distillery
View all Distilleries here.
Top 10 Distilleries by State of 2021
- Kentucky
- North Carolina
- Texas
- New York
- Indiana
- Wisconsin
- California
- Ohio
- Virginia
- Tennessee
- Alabama
- Illinois
- Pennsylvania
- Missouri
- South Carolina
View all States here.
Top 10 Distilled Spirits Suppliers of 2021
- Affordable Distillery Equipment
- American Spirits Exchange
- Cardinal Co-Packaging
- Vendome Copper & Brass Works
- Cincinnati Dowel & Wood Products
- Southern Distilling Company – Contract Distillation
- The Barrel Mill
- West Virginia Great Barrel Company
- ICC TurnKey
- Spirits 360 Solutions
- Moonshine University
- Independent Stave Company
- Bluegrass Bottling
- Next Century Spirits
- VITOK Engineers
Top 10 Supplier Categories of 2021
- Bulk Spirits
- Stills
- Barrels
- Bottles
- Distillery Management Software
- Architects / Engineers
- Distributors
- Grains
- Packaging
- Classes / Workshops / Training
- Bottling Services
- Bungs
- Bottle Fillers
- Corks & Closures
- Filling Equipment
View all Distilled Spirits Supplier Categories.
2022 Goals = Get More Sales
Connecting the dots between craft spirits makers and industry suppliers.
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