evil genius

Hey Ralph! Thanks for getting this thread going. I feel that it's such a mutable question, craft vs art. Since art is defined as the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way to affect the senses or emotions, there'll be times when even the distiller who considers it a craft becomes an artist as one of their customers has an emotional reaction to the distillers' product. I love it when distillers consider themselves artists and create products that fire the emotions. As craftspeople who create intense aromatic portraits, we've got a direct pathway to the limbic system of our customers. We have the ability to manipulate emotions through the arrangement of olfactory elements, be it in the form of a whiskey, gin or eau de vie. Sounds like serious potential for art, and whether it is or not depends largely on intent. While I do feel, like your rock climbing friend, that it's a form of self-expression, the Constitution's got nothing to do with it. On the issue of master distiller, I'd love to see a governing body with a group of widely acknowledged professionals and academics be the one to confer such a title. I can't tell you how much it chaps my hide to see some jackass who bought himself a still proclaim that after twenty still runs he's a master distiller. After twenty still runs I was just getting into my second cup of coffee, and that was 14 years ago. A lot of cooling water under the bridge, and I'm still not a master distiller. I saw some postings in this thread a few back suggesting that ADI become the sort of group to certify master distillers. I think that the ADI performs a valid and valuable function in coordinating small distillers across the country, but has no credibility in certifying anyone as master.