ADI Clarification program to distinguish between craft spirits and craft blends.

[sku]

http://recenteats.blogspot.com/2013/07/adi-moves-to-certify-craft-distilled.html

The American Distilling Institute (ADI), the largest trade association for craft distillers, yesterday announced a new program for certifying spirits as either "Craft Distilled Spirits" or "Craft Blended Spirits." The ADI defines the terms as follows:

• Craft Spirits are the product of an independently owned distillery with maximum annual sales of 52,500 cases where the product is PHYSICALLY distilled and bottled on site. (emphasis in original)
  
• A Craft Blender is independently owned and operates a facility that uses any combination of traditional and/or innovative techniques such as: fermenting, distilling, re-distilling, blending, infusing and warehousing to create products with unique flavor profiles. Craft blending is not merely mixing high-proof spirits with water or sweetening. Many craft distillers both distill and blend products and must identify them as such on their TTB approved label.
  

This is an important step by ADI to provide some clarification to consumers of craft spirits, and kudos to them for excluding those brands who buy sourced whiskey and just add water.

[smokinghole]

Sounds like what the brewer's association is doing with definition of craft brewer. I just hope ADI doesn't change the definition constantly because a member of the organization begins to out produce their definition of craft. This is directed at Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, and New Belgium. they want the label of craft but the definition originally set was meant to exclude major brewers like Miller Coors and Bud. The people that set the definitions now find themselves past the original definition which required it being updated for them to remain "craft". Watch as the more established craft distilleries grow, they will use definition to exclude certain companies and update the definition in order to still include certain members. I call that BS. Personally if I had a brewery or distillery I'd love that I left behind the definition of craft base on production numbers. That means you're making and selling a lot of product.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

[SmoothAmbler]

So, if Tanqeray was small enough, they would be considered a "craft blender"?

And, have you seen the artwork for the labels? I'm sure distilleries will be lining up to put those stickers on the bottle.

[sku]

So, if Tanqeray was small enough, they would be considered a "craft blender"?

And, have you seen the artwork for the labels? I'm sure distilleries will be lining up to put those stickers on the bottle.

[SmoothAmbler]

From what I've seen, many large gin companies don't make their own base spirit. It's fairly traditional to buy bulk spirit and then make it into gin, at least from everything I've seen. I don't have an issue with that. But should they be considered a "blender" as the new ADI term suggests?

I don't have the issues with this that other people do. As you know, we have a big offering of stuff we don't distill so I'm probably biased. "Most" labels are pretty easy to tell if the company is actually doing the distilling or not with the distilled vs produced statement. As you know very well, there are some exceptions. It's hard enough to educate the public on this. Having another term "craft blended" seems like more confusion. But that's just my opinion.

And hopefully, I don't come across as arguing, but more like discussing.

[Balcones Winston]

Personally I see "craft" as a way of doing things, not a definition of how large you are.

[SmoothAmbler]

I agree Winston. You guys certainly do it up right there.

[tanstaafl2]

Hopefully a good thing. So, can the same company have products that are craft distilled and others that are craft blended and label each one separately according to which definition it meets? And do they get the same case limit for each category? Or is it a single limit of x number of cases for the company?

I could perhaps see a company that blends a large number of cases of one product but still distills another product in small quantities that would be perfectly reasonable to call craft distilled but might be excluded because total production is too great. Would a company need to create separate operations, at least on paper, to meet the designations, presuming it was worth it?

Might be in the fine print but haven't read it all yet. And I would think that an arbitrary number for production seems just that, rather arbitrary, without giving any real indication of the degree of craft, if any, involved. And if the number eventually proves to be a moving target to suit the members of the organization then that rather weakens their case as well.

[sku]

Hopefully a good thing. So, can the same company have products that are craft distilled and others that are craft blended and label each one separately according to which definition it meets? And do they get the same case limit for each category? Or is it a single limit of x number of cases for the company?

I could perhaps see a company that blends a large number of cases of one product but still distills another product in small quantities that would be perfectly reasonable to call craft distilled but might be excluded because total production is too great. Would a company need to create separate operations, at least on paper, to meet the designations, presuming it was worth it?

Might be in the fine print but haven't read it all yet. And I would think that an arbitrary number for production seems just that, rather arbitrary, without giving any real indication of the degree of craft, if any, involved. And if the number eventually proves to be a moving target to suit the members of the organization then that rather weakens their case as well.

According to the information on their website, yes, you can both distill and blend. The case limit appears to be for craft distilleries only but for either a craft distiller or blender there is also a requirement that maximum annual sales be less than 100,000 proof gallons. I'm not sure why they have both a case and proof gallon limit.

[sku]

Chuck has a more detailed analysis of the program in his latest post: http://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2013/07/adis-new-certification-system-step-in.html

[Bourbon Boiler]

Very good analysis from Chuck. This has been debated for years at the ADI forum, and while I applaud ADI for finally moving off-center, it appears that it could have been thought out a bit better.

[tmckenzie]

Well I guess they will not label us craft, we are not members. Ole Bill may be trying to salvage his moneymaker since that other group came about. But this is just another grain truck full of bs.

[squire]

Richard Nixon famously said he could win any game where he was allowed to make the rules. If public information/education is actually one of the goals then why not start with requiring every label identify the DSP where the contents were made.

[PaulO]

Richard Nixon famously said he could win any game where he was allowed to make the rules. If public information/education is actually one of the goals then why not start with requiring every label identify the DSP where the contents were made.

I think that is an excellent idea. One thing I don't understand; companies that buy LDI/MGP rye seem to be upfront about putting Lawrenceburg, IN on the label. On the other hand, companies that bottle bourbon they didn't make adamantly refuse to reveal the origin. :skep: In the meantime, I'll stick mostly with B.I.B.s. :cool:

[squire]

BIBs rule, cats and dogs drool.

[tanstaafl2]

I think Chuck's article helps me to better understand that this is more mud than anything else. I think the points made by one of the comments is pretty close to my opinion on the value, or lack thereof, from this new program.

It's disappointing to me that ADI only bases the certification on membership in its organization and a self-serving attestation by the producer. Where is the third-party auditor?

I disagree with ADI's fundamental position that somehow the word "craft" makes everything better. I just want honesty in marketing, not "craft".

I'll ignore the meaningless sticker and continue to do my own research into the company and tasting of their product. Anyway, I don't buy the bottles for the label but for what's inside.

Honesty in marketing, the thing that really has value to me as a consumer, still appears to be out of reach for most whether they are a small producer or the big boys.

[squire]

Awful patronizing to presume we need help with our research.

[bllygthrd]

BIBs rule, cats and dogs drool.