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Penn

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  1. Brandon, I'm in Bloomington. (In Portland OR, now, actually, setting up our next conference.) When I get back, I'd love to drop by. Where are you setting up shop? Cheers, Penn Penn Jensen VP Operations
  2. I'm with Chuck on this: "Call your un-aged grain spirit 'unaged grain spirit' and no one will say a word. You want to call it white whiskey because white whiskey has clear marketing advantages." We saw plenty of Unaged White Spirit at the judging. Rye, Corn, Wheat, Barley. If someone pours a clear spirit for me...first of all I thank them...and if they call it "White Whiskey," then I will assume that it is either rye or barley or a blend of the two and I will feel around for the malt flavors and other mash bill notes. The "white bourbon" we get to taste at Woodford (Max's beloved "White Dog") would qualify as a "white whiskey" because it hasn't yet touched the inside of a charred white oak barrel, and is nowhere near being Bourbon. When we tasted the heart cut from the two-row barley malt as it came off the still at Huber's three years ago, we got a tremendous sense of the malt elements, even more intense when diluted with distilled water. THAT was "white whiskey." It could just as easily be called "malt vodka."
  3. Second on Coop's comment. ADI's art director, Don McCartney (don@donmccartney.com) is superb. He's created numerous labels and packaging for me at Upland Brewing Company (you can check them out @ uplandbeer.com). There are specific instructions from the TTB on label content and wording which you should get from their website www.ttb.gov. Beyond those specific regulations, they don't pay too much attention to the graphics on your label. Printers run a large gamut in both price and useability. Depending on the bottle you choose, I recommend getting some feedback from anyone out there using the same or similar bottle. There are some nifty hand-labelling machines, especially popular among small vintners. When you're done, bring a sample to the next conference! Penn
  4. Please add: The American Distilling Institute and The Brewers of Indiana Guild Thanks! Penn Jensen, VP, ADI Executive Director, B.I.G.
  5. Hey Guys: Read what the LA Times has to say about Ballast Point! And a very nice embedded movie. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fo-dist...1,4806062.story Cheers, Penn
  6. This is a good, and necessary, undertaking for ADI. That said, as with all our advocacy programs, we have zero budget to implement it. We're open to everyone's thoughts on this. One idea that has been tossed around is a re-structuring of dues into a more "tiered" nature, as is done with many trade organizations: Commercial Distillers with DSPs (or truly serious about getting one) = highest (for exactly the reason of advocacy on their behalf) Supporting Members: 2nd tier General Members: 3rd tier Or we can create a second entity (LLC) that is dedicated to advocacy into which funds can be channeled either through a portion of membership dues (as outlined above), and by direct contribution, such as an endowment. We have created such entities in the past, and in other contexts, but they were highly dependent upon a few major donors. Thoughts, people? Penn
  7. All, The semantic issues are important (whisky v. whiskey and what the distinction might mean). But in my mind the definition of craft distiller takes priority. We need a consensus on the definition in order to present it as "Craft Distilling as Defined by the American Distilling Institute." We need to do this in order to establish a reference point that legal people, legislators, lobbyists, and producers can use to acquire standing. Without a definition, the craft distiller becomes subject to whimsical, arbitrary, and occasionally malicious legislative decisions regarding permits, taxation, and regulation. The key element in Ralph's proposed definition is the ceiling on proof gallons. 50,000 may seem high, but I don't think it is. If we follow the brewers, micro means less than 15,000 barrels, regional means less than 50,000 barrels, and craft means less than 1,000,000 barrels. Hence, Boston Brewing is still considered a craft brewer, but just barely. (A barrel is 31 gallons). We also agree that distillers must distill. Are there serious reservations about the definition as written? If so, we'd like to hear them. If not, we intent to publish the definition in the upcoming issue of DISTILLER, and post it on the website as a permanent statement. Thoughts?
  8. All, The semantic issues are important (whisky v. whiskey and what the distinction might mean). But in my mind the definition of craft distiller takes priority. We need a consensus on the definition in order to present it as "Craft Distilling as Defined by the American Distilling Institute." We need to do this in order to establish a reference point that legal people, legislators, lobbyists, and producers can use to acquire standing. Without a definition, the craft distiller becomes subject to whimsical, arbitrary, and occasionally malicious legislative decisions regarding permits, taxation, and regulation. The key element in Ralph's proposed definition is the ceiling on proof gallons. 50,000 may seem high, but I don't think it is. If we follow the brewers, micro means less than 15,000 barrels, regional means less than 50,000 barrels, and craft means less than 1,000,000 barrels. Hence, Boston Brewing is still considered a craft brewer, but just barely. (A barrel is 31 gallons). We also agree that distillers must distill. Are there serious reservations about the definition as written? If so, we'd like to hear them. If not, we intent to publish the definition in the upcoming issue of DISTILLER, and post it on the website as a permanent statement. Thoughts?
  9. C-- EPA and local regulations on waste can be hazardous to your sanity trying to scope them out. Our experience to date is that septic systems for distillery waste products in the U.S. are prohibited, but this is not a comprehensive rule. In the midwestern U.S., where I am, we have major aquifer issues, such that all untreated waste (i.e., septic tanks) must be stored and removed by truck to a controlled dump site. (As noted above, this can be prohibitively expensive). Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress!
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