Article on Distilling Brewers

[Gillman]

The current issue of All About Beer magazine - see for general information www.allaboutbeer.com - has an article on brewers who are extending into distilling and winemaking.

Numerous distilled products are described, some discussed here (e.g. the Colorado whiskey from Stranahan). No specific mention of "bourbon" although Anchor Distilling's whiskeys are discussed of course (which include a rye whiskey).

Some brewers are said to be planning a "whiskey", so some of this might include a bourbon.

I think it is good to see this raft of craft rums, vodkas, gins and malt whiskeys, but I am surprised no brewer has apparently taken on the own-mashing and distilling of a bourbon whiskey.

Sure, brewers are used to working mainly with malt, but other grains are mashed too in brewing including wheat, oats, rye and yes, corn. (There are a number of composite mash beers out there including some rye beers).

I hope someone will turn his attention soon to making a craft bourbon. So far, there are of course the young bourbons coming from the craft distillery in New Paltz, NY. Apart from that, there is Templeton rye whiskey being made now on site and in process of aging (this much is established I think and even their initial product, while not distilled on site, was very good in the view of many SB-ers who tasted it in Chicago at a Whiskyfest not long ago.

I wonder how the new bourbon venture is doing in the southwest corner of Kentucky.

There are great bourbons from the established makers but the onset of craft bourbon will give the industry a further push, it would I think do what craft brewing did for the beer scene. And one thing bourbon makers don't have to worry about is bourbon imports!

Gary

[mier]

Looking around in Europe in a lot of countries now brewers or distillers are making a whisk(e)y nowadays,Austria has some good rye whisky but also Germany is expirimenting,already 5 single malts,3 single grain whiskeys and some pot still whiskies Irish type are available.One German has a bourbon but that one will come out of the barrel over 4 years(probably).The best single malt on the European continent is a Swedish one from the Mackmyra distillery.The only EEC country i know who doesn`t have a whisky yet is Luxemburg.Eric.