UPSTREAM BREWING COMPANY’S CRAFT DISTILLING BILL WINS SUPPORT OF THE NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE

Omaha, Nebraska – 3/14/2007. Nebraska Governor Dave Heinemann signed Upstream Brewing Company’s craft distilling bill LB549 into law today*. LB549 was introduced into the Nebraska State Legislature by State Senator John Synowiecki on January 17, 2007, and moved swiftly through the legislature with great support.

The new law will allow Upstream Brewing Company and other interested Nebraska parties to obtain a micro-distillery license. The license allows for the manufacture of up to 10,000 gallons of craft spirits annually and also provides Upstream and other license holders the ability to retail the spirits on-site at the restaurant location where the spirits are produced, just as Upstream does with its craft beer. As is the case with the existing craft brewery law, any spirits sold to other retailers must flow through the existing three-tier distribution system. Prospective licensees must obtain State and Federal licensing before any spirits may be distilled.
Today there are 72 distilleries in 25 States. Some are large industrial distilleries; however, the majority are small craft distilleries. These small craft distilleries produce high quality distilled spirits, many of which are unique in nature. A majority of these distilleries are in the Pacific Northwest and California.
Upstream Brewing Company first opened in Omaha’s Old Market historic district in October of 1996. Brian Magee, Upstream’s President and Founder said, ”We have always based everything we do on quality, craftsmanship, value, and service. Craft distilling is a natural progression for our business. We believe that adding our own high quality distilled products to our wide array of offerings will greatly enhance our brand.”
Upstream opened its second location in January 2004 at 171st and West Center Road in Omaha. The new craft distillery will be located at Upstream’s West Omaha restaurant and brewery.
Upstream Brewing Company is poised to become Nebraska’s first post-prohibition distillery. “Nebraska’s first distillery was Willow Springs Distillery founded in 1866 in Omaha. The company grew to become the nation’s third largest distillery, although, regrettably it closed prior to prohibition. “We are excited to become Nebraska’s first operating distillery in nearly 90 years”, said Zac Triemert, Upstream Brewing Company’s Head Brewer and soon to be Distiller. Triemert has been in charge of Upstream’s brewing operations since the fall of 2002.
Upstream Brewing Company has been preparing for this opportunity for some time. From 2005 to 2006, Upstream provided support for Mr. Triemert’s one-year sabbatical to Edinburgh, Scotland. There he earned a Masters Degree in Brewing and Distilling at the prestigious Heriot-Watt University. During his time at the University Mr. Triemert was able refine product and recipe development and learn the necessary analytical quality standards and measurements for premium spirits. He also took the opportunity to visit numerous distilleries in the region to learn more about their history and the tradition of quality that they have crafted over time.
With Mr. Triemert’s background and Upstream’s business model Messrs. Magee and Triemert will work to create a niche market for craft spirits in Nebraska. Upstream’s distilled spirits will be made in part with Nebraska ingredients, which they believe will bring recognition and pride to the State. “We hope to take Nebraska grain and fruit and use it to produce world class spirits. For us, it will always be about quality, not quantity, just as it has been for our beer”, said Triemert.
“We will produce a wide variety of high-end craft spirits, including vodka, gin, rum, brandy, single malt whiskey, and unique fruit and beer liqueurs” said Triemert. “Our goal is to build a strong Nebraska brand that could someday be exported to other states,” added Magee.
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Travel Information and Rum Conference Schedule:

Arrive Holiday Inn, located in Clarksville, IN.
Wednesday, March 28th

Take the Louisville airport shuttle to the Holiday Inn, located in Clarksville, IN., (Not the Louisville Holiday Inn). Clarksville is just across the river from Louisville, KY.

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Conference registration all afternoon in the hotel lobby. Then from 7:00 – 9:00 pm, there will be an "early bird" rum tasting. This is a very informal gathering, a chance to get to know everyone and an opportunity to share spirits with each other, so bring some.

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NOTE:
Transportation to all conference events (listed below) will be provided by the American Distilling Institute.

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Daily Events
Thursday. March 29th
Kentucky Distillery Tour
7:30, 7:45 & 8:00 Buses leaves Holiday Inn for Vendome Copper.
8:00 – 9:00 Tour Vendome
9:15 Bus ride to Kelvin Cooperage (near Louisville airport)
9:30 – 11:00 Tour Kelvin Cooperage
11:00 Bus to Woodford Reserve (Versailles, KY) NOTE: the bus will take a short cut (Route 62 and pass buy Stone Castle the Old Taylor distillery that closed in the 1960s
12:00 – 2:00 Lunch and tour of Woodford
Reserve / Labrot & Graham
2:15 Buses leave for Buffalo Trace (Frankfurt)
3:00 – 4:00 Tour Buffalo Trace
4:15 Buses leave for Bardstown to visit Kentucky Bourbon Distillery
5:00 – 6:00 Tour Kentucky Bourbon
8:00 Tasting at the Holiday Inn

Friday, March 30th
Distilling Demonstrations at Huber Starlight Distillery
7:30, 7:45 & 8:00 Buses to Huber Starlight Distillery (Borden, IN)
9:00 Michale Delevante discussion of rum distilling in the Caribbean
10:00 – 12:00 Rum distillation demonstration
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch at Huber Starlight Distillery
1:00 Joan Carpenter of TTB discusses
licensing your distillery 2:00 Second rum distilling demonstration
3:00 – 5:00 Vendor booths open
5:00 Rum Tasting and Banquet Dinner at Huber Starlight Distillery
8:00 Buses leave for Holiday Inn

Saturday, March 30th
Conference at Huber Starlight Distillery
7:30, 7:74, & 8:00 pm Buses leave Holliday Inn for Huber Starlight Distillery
8:15-9:15 Vendor booths open / Coffee
9:15 Pennfield Jensen, Vice President of the American Distilling Institute welcomes you to the 2007 Rum Distilling Conference
9:30 Phil Prichard, of Prichards’ Distillery, pours and discusses distilling of light and dark rums.
10:30Rum Panel: Kevin Settles of Bardenay Distillery, Nahor Gustavo Lanza Luz de Faria (Brazil) , Paul Case of Kolani Distillers, (Hawaii)and Jay Harman of Triple Eight Distillery (Nantucket)
11:15 Speaker Wayne Curtis, author of And a Bottle of Rum.
12:00 pm Lunch / Vendor Booths Open
1:30—2:30 pm Theo Lioutas discusses, What’s Happening in the Barrel?10:30 Speaker Wayne Curtis, author of And a Bottle of Rum.
3:30—4:30 pm Wade Shanower Big Red Liquores on “Marketing you spirits.” 4:00--4:30 pm Rum awards. 5:00 Rum tasting and banquet dinner
8:00 Return to Holliday / Free evening
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http://distilling.com/backissues.html
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--To obtain a distilled spirits permit go to: http://www.ttb.gov/spirits/index.shtml

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

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

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