2022 was a good year for distilled spirits. With the Covid pandemic mostly in the rear view mirror people started to return to distillery tourism in record numbers and industry trade shows returned to in-person events. Talk of distillers making hand sanitizer subsided an distilleries were back at what they do best – making great American distilled spirits.
The Number of Craft Distilleries Grew 17.3% Last Year
Another point of light came from the American Craft Spirits Data Project (full report here) released in December of 2022. Despite the doom and gloom in many sectors the total number of active craft spirit distilleries in the United States grew by 17.3% from 2,290 in August 2021 to 2,687 as of August 2022.
“When times are good, people drink. When times are bad, people drink.”
Responsibly of course!
Without further ado, here are the Top 10+ stories, distilleries and suppliers of 2021. Cheers!
Top 1̶0̶ 15 Articles of 2022
- Kentucky Gov. Signs Emergency Bill Legalizing Bourbon Private Barrel Selects, Satellite Tasting Rooms & Distillery Exclusive Bottles
- Sazerac Co. Announces $600 Million Expansion – Largest Distilled Spirits-Related Investment in Kentucky’s History
- Buffalo Trace Distillery Announces 2022 Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon & Rye Release – More Bottles Than Usual
- The Long Wait is Over: Castle & Key Distillery to Release 1st Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Shuttered Historic Kentucky Bourbon Trail Roadside Motel & Restaurant to be Reborn with Complete Renovation [Renderings]
- Willett Distillery Investing $93 Million at 2nd Location to Expand Production Capacity & Barrel Storage
- Heaven Hill Returning to its Roots with New $135 Million Whiskey Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky [Renderings]
- The Bard Distillery Releases a Limited Edition Muhlenberg ‘John Prine’ Birthday Edition Kentucky Bourbon
- Maker’s Mark Master Distiller Denny Potter and Head of Blending Jane Bowie are Leaving the Distillery for a New Venture
- Buffalo Trace Distillery to Auction Off Pappy Van Winkle, BTAC, Old Charter, Double Eagle Rare & Blanton’s for E. Kentucky Flood Victims
- Former Maker’s Mark Head of Blending Jane Bowie and Master Distiller Denny Potter Announce ‘J & D Distilling’
- End of an Era: Historic ‘Barton 1792 Distillery’ to Halt Visitor Center Tours to Focus on Whiskey Production
- Old Forester Releases ‘The 117 Series – Whiskey Row Fire’ 7-Year-Old Bourbon, Honors Firefighters that Saved ‘Whiskey Row’
- A Statement from Stoli: Please Don’t Dump Our Vodka. It’s Made in Latvia, Not Russia
- Blue Run Spirits Announces Plans to Build $51 Million Distillery & Rickhouse in Georgetown, Kentucky
View all Articles.
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Top 15 Distilleries of 2022
- Hard Truth Distilling Co.
- Log Still Distillery
- Nearest Green Distillery
- Town Branch Distillery
- The Bard Distillery
- Boone County Distilling
- Burnt Church Distillery
- Boundary Oak Distillery
- Huber’s Starlight Distillery
- Michter’s Distillery
- Old Dominick Distillery
- Buffalo Trace Distillery
- Hill Country Distillers
- Neeley Family Distillery
- Casey Jones Distillery
View all Distilleries.
Top 15 Distilleries by State
- Kentucky
- Indiana
- North Carolina
- Texas
- Ohio
- Florida
- Tennessee
- Wisconsin
- California
- Alabama
- New York
- Virginia
- Illinois
- Pennsylvania
- Missouri
View all Distilleries by State.
Top 15 Suppliers of 2022
- Affordable Distillery Equipment
- American Spirits Exchange
- Vendome Copper & Brass Works
- Moonshine University
- Independent Stave Company
- Cardinal Copacking
- Cincinnati Dowel Wood Products Company
- Southern Distilling Co. Bulk Spirits
- Ferm Solutions
- Spirits 360 Solutions (Ecommerce)
- Bluegrass Bottling
- Briggs of Burton
- VITOK Engineers
- Joseph & Joseph + Bravura Architects
- Luckett & Farley
View all Suppliers.
Top 15 Supplier Categories of 2022
- Bulk Spirits / Contract Distilling
- Barrels
- Stills
- Bottles
- Grains & Botanicals
- Distillery Management Software
- Architects / Engineers
- Classes & Workshops
- Boilers, Fermenters, Mash Tuns & Tanks
- Used Barrels
- Bottling Services / Canning Services
- Bungs & Stiles
- Corks & Closures
- Bottle Fillers
- Grain Drying Equipment
View all Supplier Categories.
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