Rebel Rum in the Chicago Tribune Dec 20, 2007

[Edward Hamilton]

The Chicago Tribune (http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/chi-drink_rum_12dec12,0,5452338.story) ran an interesting article on American rum today. Some of these names you'll know, some you'll want to get to know.

[Rum Runner]

Thanks for that link Ed... Very good post. It was interesting to note the head of Rogue Breweries saying that America didn't need another brewpub. Possibly a sign that the brewpub industry has matured here. And seems to imply that "Craft Distilling" is poised to blossom over the next decade or two. Both industries employ much the same equiptment and could be converted from one to the other in short order if need be.

[Dood]

Thanks for that link Ed... Very good post. It was interesting to note the head of Rogue Breweries saying that America didn't need another brewpub. Possibly a sign that the brewpub industry has matured here. And seems to imply that "Craft Distilling" is poised to blossom over the next decade or two. Both industries employ much the same equiptment and could be converted from one to the other in short order if need be.

The only thing that I think really stands in the way of a booming "Craft Distillery" market that follows the same pattern as the brewpub market is the different laws required for brewing versus distilling. IE it is much easier to sell a craft-brew than a craft-spirit.

As an example, there is a brewpub/micro-distillery in Idaho that makes its own rum. To sell the rum in the pub, they must first sell it to a local liquor store, and then buy it back so that all of the taxes and stamps are in-line with the state and federal laws. To my knowledge, this is not the case with simple brewpubs and their beer (I could be wrong though).

Personally, I've always liked the idea of retiring to open a micro-distillery/bar with a focus on rum.

[Edward Hamilton]

A brew pub in Colorado is making a nice whiskey and though the ingredients are similar the big difference is that distilled spirits take a few years to mature. Imagine serving dinner in your restaurant but not getting paid for a minimum of three years. Small aging barrels help but you can't make aged spirits without a lot of patience and deep pockets. To move from a brew pub to a distillery you need to pay the bills, most microdistillers start making vodka and gin then graduate to rum and whiskey. As the people at New Orleans rum or Phil Prichard will tell you, making good rum takes some experimentation and time.

I'm glad to see micro distilleries being built. In the long term it will raise the standard of the beverages available to those who care about quality.

[RumBarPhilly]

I hear things about the price of hops going through the roof which will cauce beer companies that currently produce hoppy beers to either change their lineup or raise their prices and lose the race. Since most craft-brewers make hoppy beers, rumos are spreading around that the boom of microbeers is over and will begin to decline. I believe this stems from much of the nation's hops caught in wildfires this year.

[The Scribe]

There was an article about the decline of microbrewing in the Economist. The slow decline in hops production is actually a long-term thing. Mostly it's because American hops production is being converted to corn which is viewed as being more profitable. Also, barely is being converted to corn as well.
Cheers. - S