Spirits

After more than 30 years in the beverage industry, Master Distiller Ken Pierce (pictured atop) is retiring from Barton 1792 Distillery, the company said in a press release. Pierce’s early days in the distilled spirits...

Alcohol sales are largely trending in the right direction. For instance, distilled spirits posted another year of steady volume growth in 2015, according to the Beverage Information & Insights Group, the research unit of StateWays’ parent...

Rum is evolving. Producers in the category want to break free from its reputation as a dark, cheap, sugary spirit used in party punches and cheap cocktails. Brands are positioning themselves as though rum were...

“Ten years ago, if you mentioned ‘botanicals,’ people would have thought you were talking about gardening,” quips Bob Fowkes, co-founder of Brockmans Gin. “That’s changed; consumers know a lot more about gin - how...

Kentucky bourbon is enjoying a historic boom time. The state's distilleries filled 1,886,821 barrels last year, according to the Kentucky Distillers Association (HDA), breaking production records that have stood since 1967. The previous all-time high was 1,922,009 barrels filled, the KDA...

In response to rising demand, Buffalo Trace Distillery of Franklin County, KY, announced plans last week to significantly expand operations. A capital investment of more than $200 million to grow out the distilling operations will take place...

Mezcal is ready for its moment. As customers expand their palates and drink through whiskey and tequila, they will inevitably seek new categories to explore. Makers of premium rum are betting on, as are producers of mezcal. Mezcal...

Fans of rye whiskey have never had it better. The craft boom has powered a surge of interest in this classic category, leading to an increase in new brands and production techniques. To the...

At a time when tequila sales are booming both in the U.S. and internationally, and a flood of new brands continue to appear at retailers’ doors, it’s difficult to assemble a price assortment that...

The first batches of Maker’s Mark Private Select, the bourbon brand’s wood-selection customization program, became available this spring. Marriott and Maker’s Mark hosted a group of journalists in Kentucky in April to sample some...