What Is Craft?

[cowdery]

There are some people who consider 'whiskey' and 'alcohol' to be synonymous, and to the extent that distilled spirits were almost universally called 'water of life' at first, the different names had more to do with local language than with the type of fermentable substrate used. When, however, people began to distinguish between types of aqua vitae, they did so by raw material. That may have been coincidence, but nevertheless 'brandy' came to mean distilled wine and 'whiskey' came to mean distilled beer, and that divide occurred in Europe maybe 500 years ago. 'Rum,' to mean a spirit made from sugar cane, came later.

In all cases, if someone in, say, the West Indies happened to make some spirit from, say, wheat, they probably would have called it 'rum,' that being primarily understood to mean the distilled spirit of local manufacture.

In India, because of the British influence, they make a spirit from sugar cane that they call 'whiskey,' to this day, a kind of throwback to a time when 'whiskey' was taken as largely synonymous with 'distilled spirit' in certain places. The word 'brandy' has been used the same way in wine-making cultures.

The idea that whiskey and brandy have to be aged is of fairly recent vintage, about a century and a half, but it has become widely accepted in custom and law.

The fundamental rationale behind regulating the labeling of distilled spirits is that a person shouldn't have to take a course to buy a drink. Fundamentally, when a consumer orders 'whiskey,' he or she should have a pretty good idea what to expect and a pretty good chance of realizing that expectation. So, first and foremost, whiskey should look, taste, and function like whiskey.

The narrower categories such as 'scotch whiskey' or 'bourbon whiskey' branch out from there.

That's pretty much how things are and I think we're generally well served by that situation. While I may like to see a few changes; fundamentally, it works.

[Ralph at Tuthilltown]

As I follow this discussion and pick through the various popular and obscure definitions of "whiskey", the EU is attempting to get the Federal International Trade Office to accept EU (read: SWA) definition laid down in EU law. That definition redefines American whiskeys, though it also recognizes Bourbon and Rye whiskeys as American spirits. The EU definition of "whisky" or "whiskey" stipulates a minimum aging period of three years in oak. No distinction is made between new or used oak, charred or uncharred. So the EU law contradicts itself by recognizing American whiskeys as unique to the US; but does not recognize them as "whisky" or "whiskey" for sale in the EU.

We have proposed to the USITO they offer a compromise and invent a term for EU law which is : American Whiskey, not unlike the specificity of Scotch or Irish whiskys. This would mean no change in American law and open the EU market to all the new young whiskey makers who are eager to test their products in the EU, which at the moment and for years have thought of American whiskey as Jack Daniels or Jim Beam. Both venerable brands but certainly not representative of the variety of whiskeys coming from the many newer distilleries opening up now in the US.

Ralph

[Denver Distiller]

Just pleased as punch to see you posting again, Mr. Erenzo. American Distilling is now a better place having you around, and keeping Gable in line.

Cheers from the Leopold Family

[Ralph at Tuthilltown]

Well truth be told my son is keeping me in line these days, insisting I stop trying to work so hard and simply get better. But it's hard to do. I just had a conversation with my contact at the US ITO who told me they contacted the UK, in particular the SWA and raised the issue, since the SWA is lobbying the US to accept all EU rules on alcohol as they are, the issue is that the SWA is insisting the US do what they will not do and their response was, rather than acquiesce to the US request for quid pro quo in the law, recognizing "American Whiskey", they would rather withdraw their requests of the US to accept their terms.

Two developments mitigate their intransigence. One is that the Depart of Agriculture (US) has declared micro distilled spirits as "agricultural products of the US". They intend to participate in trade fairs in the EU with American spirits, but under current EU law no Whiskeys would be permitted which are aged less than three years so the new American whiskey makers may not participate unless you relabel your goods as "distilled grain spirits" rather than bourbon or rye whiskey; and Corn Whiskey is out for sure. The US ITO is communicating now with Dept of Agriculture to try to get they to begin to exert pressure on EU about the trade barrier EU definition of whiskey presents to the US.

The US ITO has also heard from a British distiller of Single Malt Whiskey who may not export to the US because they are aging their goods in used bourbon barrels and are not exempt from that rule the way Scotch and Irish Whisky makers, by treaty with the US. So now the question for the Brits is "who is running their legal system, the government or the SWA?" This issue will add to the weight of our argument that the inequity in the agreement is discouraging international trade in order to protect only the members of the SWA and Irish Whisky makers.

I'll keep you posted on the progress as it is reported to me.

As for the question of "Craft". I've done quite a bit of research on this nebulous issue. My own conclusion is that "craft" is the knowledgeable use of skills to operate in our case a distillery. If we are taking it farther so it becomes "Art", that requires a leap from utilitarian value and mere knowledge to innovation, new ideas, beyond utilitarianism to become "more" than the final product, it is a mindset and requires action beyond craft. Neither is better or worse than the other. Not unlike the commonly held opinion in the art world that "fine art" is more desirable and a higher art practice then "illustration". One is without borders, without direction but for the mind and creativity of the artist. The other employs the considerable skill of the artist to create something which is not only beautiful but also meets the needs of the client.

Ralph