Time Magazine article on small distilleries

[grehorst]

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/...1699866,00.html

[EllenJ]

Not a bad article.

In fact, just about ANY recognition in a major national mag for craft distilling is a positive thing, and Ms. McLaughlin's piece is as good as any and better than most. As most good stories do, her article begins and ends with the same example, which in this case is Tuthilltown. That's an excellent choice, as the point of her story is the renaissance of spirit distilling in America, not just new American spirit brands. Erenzo and Lee's products carry names that are familiar to Americans, such as "bourbon" and "rye whiskey" and so immediately grab the reader's attention. Tuthilltown is also quite proud of their vodka (which is featured in the sidebar sampling), and even that product is associated with "American" things like apples and the Hudson River Valley. Good choice.

Even better, McLaughlin spends the bulk of the article interviewing distillers of other American craft spirits in locations that emphasize the physical scope of this growing industry. Since it's generally pretty safe to assume the original story was cut by about two thirds so as to fit the publication needs, she probably had another half dozen or so interviews with craft distillers.

And a little history, too. Of course, not everything is completely accurate -- she quotes the same DISCUS P.R. about George Washington (who, in fact, died the year after whiskey was first distilled at Mt. Vernon -- well before it was EVER sold), and she mentions the "Blue Ridge Mountains of Pennsylvania". But almost every journalist who isn't a whiskey specialist makes the same sort of mistakes. What she DOES accomplish, and quite effectively, is a story that raises both awareness and interest in people who already enjoy spirits from major distillers and didn't know there were hand-crafted examples to be had. Good for her!

[Ralph at Tuthilltown]

Article in this month's HEMISPHERES magazine, the inflight mag of UNITED AIRLINES. Next month in the AIR CANADA inflight mag.

Upcoming, article in POPULAR MECHANICS, WINE SPECTATOR MAGAZINE. Watch for them. Collect them, trade 'em with your friends AND LEGISLATORS.