Chicago's Derek and Sonja Kassebaum were once a typical North Shore power couple. A chemical engineer with an MBA, Derek was a business consultant, while Sonja, a tax lawyer, worked in human resources at eLoyalty (ELOY), a management consultancy. Both enjoyed their work but never felt passionate about it. Then, a few years ago, they read about a couple like themselves who had quit their Wall Street jobs to make specialty spirits. Now there was a profession that spoke to them. "We'd played around with making beer and wine at home," Derek says. "There's a sense of satisfaction in seeing something we made on the shelf."
Today the Kassebaums-Derek, 38, and Sonja, 36-are producing small batches of high-end gin and vodka from their own company, North Shore Distillery. And their liquors, available in more than 250 bars, restaurants, and stores in Illinois and Indiana, are earning good reviews, including from Eric Asimov of The New York Times, who purred about their products in one of his recent "Pour" columns. And Michael Wales, chef and co-owner of Holly's American Bistro in Lake Bluff, Ill., and an early customer, observes: "If you blind-taste [North Shore brands] against the Grey Gooses or the Ketel Ones of the world, they match up very, very well. Plus [the company] is local, and there's a great story behind it."
As the Kassebaums found out, it may be easier to make high-quality booze than to get permission to distill it. Early in 2005 the husband-and-wife team dug into their bank accounts for $100,000 for a 60-gallon, two-ton still, which was handcrafted in Germany, plus a further $200,000 for other startup expenses. But a thicket of federal, state, and local laws-some dating from Prohibition-dictated everything from where they could install their still to how they could distribute their product. Nine months passed before they could legally fill the first imported glass bottle with their custom gin.

"LIKE BEING A CHEF"
The bureaucratic boogie was worth it. The Gurnee (Ill.) couple and others in the business believe small-batch liquors may become the next craft beers, which emerged from microbreweries in the 1980s and are now a substantial part of the national market. "Everyone knew the big brands, but people slowly discovered that these small breweries were producing some great products," says Guy Rehorst, founder of Great Lakes Distillery in Milwaukee. "It took a while, but it happened."
North Shore's distilling begins inside a 5,000-square-foot building outside Lake Bluff with the delivery of 190-proof alcohol purchased from an industrial supplier. Derek then halves the alcohol content while adding flavors from such exotic ingredients as juniper berries from Belgium, cinnamon from Sri Lanka, lavender blossoms from France, angelina root from Canada, and cardamom seeds from Guatemala, depending on what liquor is being made. Says Derek: "It's almost like being a chef."
Generally, it takes about a week to create each batch. To glue the labels on the bottles, a stay-at-home mother and a grandmother were hired. Sonja hosts tastings at local retailers every Friday and Saturday. North Shore's brands-Distiller's Gin No. 6, North Shore Vodka, and Tahitian Vanilla Vodka-sell for $23 to $35 per bottle.
Although they don't expect their startup to turn a profit for three or four years, the Kassebaums are already planning to branch into whiskeys, a move that will require investors because these products must be aged for years before they can be sold. "We're not trying to be a big player," Sonja explains. "We just want to be a strong regional brand known for high-quality spirits."
================

The still was built in 1960
It will make continuously 1500Liter/hour mash with 10%Vol to a 85%Vol distillate, using 300-400 kg/hour steam.
You can see a the view of the column in the file attached to this email. It has 12 mash trays (B) build as "bell-trays" and 8 rectification trays (C) , 5 build as "sieve-trays"and 3 as bell- trays, and a dephlegmator (backflow condenser) (D). The system is quite simple. Once on temperature the cold mash from the fermentation (via a) will be heatet up in the dephlegmator (D) then pass down to the Mash column (via b) into the column. The alcohol vapours will rise into the rectification column, the stillage will be stripped while rinsing down through the bell trays.

Dimensions:
Height: 8 m
Diameter mash column 0,6 m
Diameter rectification column 0,5m
Weight approx. 2500 kg
Price 9900,- Euros in my facility, dismounting costs depend on the shipping system. If it can be shipped in one piece it will be 500 Euros if it has to be dismounted into several barrels it will be 1500Euros.

If you are interested you can call me on my mobile phone +49 172 5810267

. Thanks,
Georg Honsel
georg.honsel@gmx.de
===================

To introduce myself I begin by saying I was named after a famous Tennessee Whiskey. At least that's what I think, my family denies it; but my father was intoxicated with his favorite drink the night I was born, and he had the honors of naming me while he was in fact drunk.
This is what led me to do research on distilling. My question to you is, do you know anyone in the southeast, or in the Georgia area who has a lot of knowledge and experience in various spirits, whiskies, and American beer, and willing to meet and teach me a few things. I'm presently a distilling virgin, though I have many ideas that I would like to try as far as business. I do have a degree in accounting, but not in use at the moment.
If anyone comes to mind please, somehow let me know, maybe name and email address. I appreciate the time for reading this email. To let you know I have gain a lot of knowledge by reading your newsletter on the internet, though lack the actual physical experience. Please respond.
Thank you for your time.
And, this really is my name.
J D
culbersonj@bellsouth.net
=================


ADIforums.com
To join (click above) and sign in
at the pink band at the top of the page.
ADI form manger is:
Guy Rehorst
He can also be reached at
vodkaguy@greatlakesdistillery.com
===================

To complement the growing readership at the Ministry of Rum Forums I am presenting a series of Rum Tasting events to give the public an opportunity to taste some of the best rums in the world while meeting the people behind the brands.
Chicago June 28-29,2008
New York City Oct 20, 2008
Miami November, 2008
San Francisco date to be announced

Each of these events will be prefaced with a new section on the Rum Forums where members will be able to meet the people that make my favorite spirit through a new ">http://www.ministryofrum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=57>

I will be inviting distillers to give seminars on their products at each of these events and look forward to making 2008 the best year yet for our favorite spirit.
For the latest information on these events point your browser to
http://ministryofrum.com/events.php

There is also a new For the Trade section on the Ministry of Rum Forums.

To participate in the 2008 Ministry of Rum Tasting Competition or the other tasting events go to the Ministry of Rum website or contact Edward Hamilton at ed@ministryofrum.com
==================

SPIRITS TASTINGS ALLOW CONSUMERS TO RESPONSIBLY TRY BEFORE THEY BUY - DISTILLERS TELL RHODE ISLAND HOUSE COMMITTEE
Providence, RI - As consumer interest in premium and super premium spirits products continues to rise, a Rhode Island bill allowing adults to sample spirits at tasting events in liquor stores will assist customers with their buying decisions, according to a representative of the Distilled Spirits Council who testified yesterday in front of the Rhode Island House Committee on Corporations.
"Adult consumers are fascinated by cocktail culture, and curious about how to discern between the more than 5,000 distilled spirits products on the market," said Jay Hibbard, Council Vice President. "Like fine wines, adult consumers want to purchase these high-end spirits products for their homes, but they want to try them first."
Rhode Island consumers can already sample wine and beer at off premise establishments. House Bill 7156 would allow adult consumers to taste one-quarter ounce servings of up to three spirits products at structured, preplanned events.
"States across the nation are modernizing their liquor laws to bring adult consumers more choices and greater convenience in making their buying decisions," Hibbard said, noting that tastings are allowed in some form in 43 states.
Hibbard also pointed out that as 2008 marks the 75th anniversary of national Prohibition Repeal, it is important that states continue to eliminate archaic and inefficient blue laws and regulations.
−30−
Ben Jenkins
Communications Director
Distilled Spirits Council of the United States
=================

ITALIAN BITTERS
Central Europeans' and Italians' love for bitters is well known. They produce many and consume more than any other nation.
Of late, bitters have started to become fashionable in North America, possibly because Italian and Central European immigrants spread the word, but more importantly sampled their British-born friends and business associates.
Biters are a special category of alcoholic beverages produced from a combination of herbs and spices. Some are very bitter with a truly medicinal nose; others tolerable and sweetish. Speaking of bitter, Italians have a much higher tolerance for amari (bitter) than English. An Italian will indulge in one or two shots of herb- and spice induced amari like Fernet-Brance or Averna after a rich meal.
North Americans prefer Cognac or single-malt than a bitter after a gourmet meal.
Generally, western Mediterranean people prefer moderately alcoholic beverages, like wine, than super alcoholic drinks like spirits containing 40 - 50 percent ABV.
Campari, although not dark (it is red) and highly alcoholic, is served mixed with sparkling water as an aperitif in Italy. It never caught on in North America due to its unusually medicinal taste.
Then there is Cynar, an artichoke flavoured liquor, which Italians love as an aperitif, but very few North American could be coerced to enjoy!
Hungarians are great bitter consumers. Unicum, a company specializing in bitters, makes and markets several. European marketers are allowed to make medicinal claims in their efforts to sell. Unicum takes advantage of this legal right.
Germans and Austrians believe in bitters so much that Underberg, that ubiquitous product in Germany, can be even purchased from roadside vending machines and restaurants.
Then there is Jaegermeister, which supposedly hunters use in their pursuit of game and most likely enjoy after a meal to settle their shaky stomachs.
Swiss and Austrians stick to their Alpenbitters based on wild herbs gathered in the Alp mountains. All claim medicinal properties and actually are used as remedies for upset stomachs.
Grappas, a fiery distillate derived from a by-product of viinifiication, managed to become famous in North America. In Italy it was at one time the spirit vineyard workers and winery workers, then marketers decided to position grappas as a sophisticated digestive.
A few specialised distillers like Poli, Scarpa, Rialto, Sandro Bottega, Mazetti and Stravecchia started to market varietal grappas from Chardonnay, Nebbiolo, Moscato and aged their products for smoothness. Now some charge over a $ 100.- per bottle and people line up to buy them
Freshly distilled Barolo or Barbarersco grappa can be delightful in its robustness, particularly after an extended meal, but never more than two shots. Angostura Bitters, invented by a German surgeon in Simon Bolivar's army in Venezuela, is now produced in Trinidad and Tobago. It contains 40 percent ABV but happens to be so bitter that Canadian and American authorities have classified it as food. Still, enough desperate people buy bottles and try to get drunk on it. Bitter aperitifs and digestive have their place in gastronomy both in cooking and enjoyment, but only if used in moderation.
-30-
====================

FROMMER'S NAMES AMERICAN WHISKEY TRAIL TOP TOURIST DESTINATIONS FOR 2008

WASHINGTON, D.C. -Frommer's, the travel market's leading experts, recently named the American Whiskey Trail (www.americanwhiskeytrail.com), one of the "Top Destinations for 2008."
"We picked the American Whiskey Trail because it highlights a fascinating -- but an often overlooked and still ongoing -- part of U.S. history," said David Lytle, Editorial Director at Frommer's. "Points along the trail make prime destinations for a leisurely road trip in some of the most charming parts of the country." The final group of 13 international and domestic vacation destinations was chosen by the Frommer's staff (www.frommers.com) from various nominations submitted by travel editors and authors.
The American Whiskey Trail is a cultural heritage initiative of the Distilled Spirits Council and Historic Mount Vernon. The trail highlights the fascinating role spirits have played in American history, from the colonial era, to the Whiskey Rebellion, through Prohibition and into contemporary society.
"Everyone from casual tourists to spirits connoisseurs and history buffs can gain insight into this unique piece of American heritage by visiting the American Whiskey Trail," said Distilled Spirits Council Senior Vice President Frank Coleman. "We are pleased that Frommer's has recognized this historic journey into America's distilling past and hope that travelers will take advantage of the unique destinations along the trail."
The trail includes many of America's most famous operating distilleries as well as important historic sites connected to the history of distilling and spirits in the United States. The "Gateway" to the American Whiskey Trail is George Washington's Distillery at Historic Mount Vernon in Virginia, where Washington erected the 2,250 square foot distillery in 1797, making it among the largest whiskey distilleries in early America. This newly reconstructed distillery is the only historic site in North America capable of showing the early-American distilling process from seed to barrel.
All the sites, including Mount Vernon, can be incorporated into vacations to the South, New York, Virginia or even the Caribbean. There are a total of eight distilleries that offer tours of their whiskey-making process, and two more that show the rum-making process. For more information visit:
www.americanwhiskeytrail.com.
-30-
=================

Hard liquor business made easier in Washington

New state law could lure more people into small-batch distilling
By Sarah Jackson
Herald Writer

Finely crafted spirits have become a new frontier for food-and-drink aficionados.
Forget wine and microbrews.
Local liquor is coming.
Imagine: Absinthe made in Everett, vodka distilled in Spokane, limoncello from Mattawa, whiskey aged in Ellensburg.
Renowned winemakers, scrappy microbrewers and imaginative entrepreneurs are laying the groundwork now to make small-batch, craft-distilled spirits the next big thing.
It's all part of the "gourmet-ification" of liquor, a movement and opportunity many states, including Washington, have seized to bring in tourists and to boost local agriculture.
Soon, thanks to a new law passed by the state Legislature, consumers could -- for the first time since Prohibition -- find themselves tasting and buying bottles of spirits right where they're made, whether that's gin from a new distiller on the Everett waterfront, finely aged brandy from a Marysville winemaker or one-of-a-kind vodka made from potatoes grown in Mount Vernon.
While it's already possible to hit Il Bistro Vino in downtown Everett for a vodka tasting, someday soon the restaurant's selection of more than 100 vodkas could include multiple bottles from Washington.
In the United States, there are more than 125 independent spirits producers in 38 states, including numerous small-batch operators in Oregon, California, Colorado, Michigan and New York.
They pride themselves on "hand-crafted," locally inspired hard liquors.
Bendistillery in Bend, Ore., for example, offers Crater Lake Vodka as well as Cascade Mountain Gin, accented with "wild, handpicked juniper berries from the Central Oregon high desert plateau."

State loosens the reins
When it comes to locally made hard liquor in Washington, however, would-be distillers, including farmers, entrepreneurs and investors, have been stuck in a state of modified Prohibition.
Every drop of spirits consumed in the state must pass through the state liquor control board's distribution warehouse in Seattle, followed by state-controlled liquor stores, one factor, among others, that has kept many people out of the booze-making business.
Microbrewers and winemakers in Snohomish County said the changes in distillation laws, including lower annual licensing fees, sampling freedom and some direct sales, could eventually lure them into distilling.
"Whiskey or bourbon is basically distilled beer," said Bob Maphet, one of four co-owners of Diamond Knot Brewing Co. in Mukilteo. "We could technically make beer and instead of selling it as beer we could distill it, which basically takes just the alcohol out of the beer and creates a spirit."
Whiskey, like many dark liquors, typically requires aging, however. Clear spirits, such as gin and vodka, usually don't.
"We might actually be more interested in something like vodkas or rums," Maphet said, adding that many women don't like beer, but might be interested in spirits and mixed drinks. "It's about offering customers more options."
John Bell, owner of Willis Hall wines in Marysville, said he has his hands full right now with his line of boutique wines. But he would love the freedom to experiment with brandy or perhaps a fortified dessert wine, which would require neutral grape spirits, a form of brandy.
"Until now, I'd have had to buy this from sources outside Washington," Bell said. "Now, perhaps, I can toy with the idea of making it myself from my own wine, for my own wine, a truly estate-crafted beverage."
Greg Osenbach, co-owner of Whidbey Island Winery, said adding a spirits operation to his already demanding vineyard would be a challenging but enticing prospect. Less-than-perfect vintages could be distilled into brandy.
"If I had another day or two in the week, I could easily see a brandy or a grappa or maybe distilled spirits for a port-style wine," he said.

Then there's gin.
"The process is fascinating and the equipment very alluring in a sort of alchemical way," said Osenbach, who majored in chemistry. "It would definitely be a big tourist draw."
Sen. Chris Marr, D-Spokane, introduced a craft-distillery bill in January on behalf of the state's lone licensed spirits producer, Dry Fly Distilling in Spokane. It passed both houses easily with only one "nay" vote and received Gov. Chris Gregoire's signature March 20.
Dry Fly's owners, who started distilling vodka, gin and whiskey last fall, couldn't be happier.
"We're kind of the coolest kids on the block," said Kent Fleischmann, who founded the business with a fishing buddy, Don Poffenroth. "They said it couldn't be done."

Microbrewery model
Under the new law, which takes effect in July, spirits producers will be more like Washington wineries and microbreweries when it comes to distributing and marketing their beverages.
They will be allowed to serve four ½-ounce samples. They also will be allowed to sell 2 liters of take-home spirits per customer per day.
Craft or small-batch distillers, defined as those producing no more than 20,000 gallons of spirits per year, will have to pay the state only $100 per year in license fees, compared to $2,000 a year. Small distilleries producing fruit brandy or wine-derived spirits must pay $200 a year under the new law.
Half the raw materials used in craft spirits production must be grown in the state, according to the law.
That works great for Dry Fly, which relies on Eastern Washington grains to make grain mash for its gin and vodka, which first hit liquor stores, restaurants and bars in October.
But it's terrible news for distilling hopefuls such as Marc Bernhard of Everett, who testified against the craft distilleries bill with a group of fellow distilling prospectors with the newly formed Washington Distillers Guild.
Bernhard wants to bring in raw materials from around the world.
"They basically took Dry Fly's business plan and made it into law," Bernhard said of the Legislature. "We urged them to adopt Oregon's law, which basically treats everybody the same."
Bernhard, who works for Boeing in Seattle, said he'd like the freedom to use out-of-state neutral grain spirits, also known as pure grain alcohol, instead of buying grain, making it into a beer or mash and distilling it himself.
Like many craft distillers, Bernhard sees grain alcohol as his canvas and botanicals and other ingredients as his paint. He grows some of his own herbs in Everett, including wormwood for absinthe, but he plans to import juniper berries from Italy or Bulgaria because they're more fragrant and higher in essential oils than domestic products.
Bernhard, whose main passion is authentic absinthe, also plans to distill gin, vodka and, if he can partner with a local winery, brandy. He's looking for a site in Everett or Woodinville. He plans to import a traditional copper pot still from Portugal.
"Washington is making it a lot more difficult than it needs to be," he said of the new law. "It's not going to make Washington the kind of place where a lot of people are going to want to come and set up their distilleries."
Osenbach at Whidbey Island Winery said selling spirits directly to retailers and restaurants would make distilling much more attractive.
That might be asking too much under the new state law, however, which won't change how spirits are distributed to bars, restaurants and retailers.
Washington's liquor board will still run such spirits through its Seattle warehouse and liquor stores.
It will also continue to enforce state taxes and retail pricing structures. However, if all goes as planned, distillers such as Dry Fly won't have to ship the liquor they plan to sell and sample for customers to the liquor board warehouse in Seattle.
They would document their sales with paperwork instead, a step that would help distilleries keep their products on hand and save on transportation costs.

Opportunity for farmers
Though winemakers and brewers are obvious candidates for starting distilleries in Washington, local agriculture advocates hope to see farmers get in on the action.
In June, the Mount Vernon-based Northwest Agriculture Business Center will host micro-distilling workshops for farmers.
Crops that are slightly damaged or not quite good enough for grocery store displays can be ideal raw materials for distilled spirits, said Maryon Attwood, special projects coordinator for the center.
"We think this is a great first step," Attwood said of the law. "We are hearing from a lot of producers interested in finding out how to do this."
Potato farmers in Skagit County have shown a particular interest in making vodka. Berry and tree-fruit producers are other good distillery candidates, Attwood said.
"Consumer interest in buying local and farmer-initiated products are all big national trends right now that will help this kind of artisan-oriented industry," Attwood said. "Selling a bottle of brandy or vodka for $25 to $30 a bottle is a big motivation. It provides new opportunity to be profitable."
Veteran Washington winemaker Berle "Rusty" Figgins Jr. said he will open Dynamic Alambic Artisan Distillers in Mattawa this summer, selling apple brandy, grappa, sambuca, limoncello, absinthe and, eventually, brandy.
"I'm leaving the wine business behind to do the next big thing," Figgins said. "For 10 years, I've admired the guys from Cognac who grow grapes and distill that wine and age it into fine brandy."
Figgins also plans to open the Ellensburg Distillery to sell a cream liqueur similar to Bailey's Irish Cream and, eventually, a whiskey.
Peter Alden, who grows certified organic potatoes at Alden Farms in Monroe, said he's leery of getting into the liquor business, partly because of the paperwork involved and partly because of the large investment required to acquire distilling equipment.
"An operation of our size, it doesn't do a whole lot for us," he said. "The only way that it would work is if there was a group-type of operation where growers were bringing potatoes in from a bunch of different farms. It would have to be a community thing."
Alden also resents the government's cut, which in 2006 amounted to about 75 percent.
"It's a big revenue maker for the state," he said. "It's a tremendous markup."

A waiting market
Though the logistics of starting up a distillery are daunting, interest in Washington-made products is going strong, said Nick Webster, who owns Il Bistro Vino in Everett with his wife, Angelique.
The Websters serve more than 100 vodkas at their restaurant in addition to wines from around the world. That includes Dry Fly vodka.
"It's a great product," Nick Webster said. "It's very exciting to have a vodka from Washington state."
Tom Bowers, who writes a food and drink blog for the Spokesman-Review newspaper in Spokane, described Dry Fly's vodka as aromatic with fruit, floral and caramel overtones, plus a smooth, clean, just slightly sweet flavor appropriate for cocktails other than martinis.
Webster describes Dry Fly vodka as not overly distilled, a feature that allows the wheat-derived character of the spirit to shine, clearly differentiating it from potato vodkas or flavored vodkas.
That's exactly the kind of distinctly local flavor the Dry Fly guys have been trying to capture with their products, Fleischmann said.
"We wanted to take the product out of the ground and put it in the bottle," he said. "The wheat is a beautiful wheat."

Dry Fly is poised for serious growth.
New equipment arriving from Germany will help the distillery double production in the next six months. Soon the company will start shipping vodka and gin to Montana and Idaho.
In 2010, Dry Fly plans to introduce bourbon and a single-malt whiskey, which require aging.
"Those are resting nicely in oak barrels," Fleischmann said.
====================

The first stop on the ADI Scotland whiskey tour will be Forysth (Left) The tour isMay 6-10th. 2008.
--To request a schedule e-mail Bill@distilling.com
=================

To print out the Beverag Alcohol Manual click (Manual)
====================== Go to:
http://distilling.com/backissues.html
====================

The link to DSP permits is: http://ttb.gov/foia/fri.shtml
Over 300 DSP licenses with 127 being craft distilleries. The rest are industrial distilleries and importers. Check their websites to see if they really distill.
=====================

===================
--To obtain a distilled spirits permit go to:
">http://www.ttb.gov/spirits/index.shtml

===================
--To obtain TTB list of DSPs go to: http://www.ttb.gov/foia//err.shtml

=====================
--To obtain TTB statistics on distilling go to: www.ttb.gov then scroll down to "spirits" and then the "year".
=====================
--To obtain Distilled Spirits Laws and Regulations go to: http://www.ttb.gov/spirits/spirits_regs.shtml

=====================
--To obtain label regulations go to: http://www.ttb.gov/spirits/bam.shtml distilled spirits manual circular.
=======================