Margarett Waterbury

4 weeks ago | distilling.com | Margarett Waterbury

Between trade developments, regulatory changes, market trends, and breakthrough innovations, keeping up with craft spirits news can feel like a full-time job. This new monthly digest does the heavy lifting for you by condensing the month’s most significant news into a concise, must-read briefing. It publishes on the last Wednesday of every month.  E.U. TariffsThe tariff landscape remains unsettled, but a recent pause on European Union tariffs is an encouraging sign.

1 month ago | distilling.com | Margarett Waterbury

Many craft distilleries have close relationships with local bars and restaurants, but few have taken collaboration quite as far as Rotten Little Bastard Distillery and the Old Bull Tavern. In 2023, these two small businesses in Beaufort, South Carolina, teamed up to create a brand-new product — The Bravest Bull Whiskey —specifically designed for making memorable cocktails. Cocktails Come FirstOscar Salas, owner of the Old Bull Tavern, is a seasoned whiskey aficionado.

Jan 2, 2025 | distilling.com | Margarett Waterbury

I once visited a large distillery in Speyside. It’s not open to the public. There’s no visitor experience, tasting room, or merch corner. Instead, there’s a high-tech factory that produces millions and millions of liters of spirit every year, probably as much as several states’ worth of craft distilleries. At the time, that was accomplished with a staff of six people — fewer than it takes to run my dentist’s office. Most craft distilleries are nowhere near that efficient.

Dec 13, 2024 | distilling.com | Margarett Waterbury

After years of concerted effort led by the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission and countless comments from distillers and industry stakeholders, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has issued a final rule creating a new American Single Malt Whiskey category. “This is a landmark ruling from the TTB that further cements our standing on the global stage in whiskey,” said ASMWC President Steve Hawley in a press release.

Nov 13, 2024 | traveloregon.com | Margarett Waterbury

Oregon is synonymous with pinot noir — and one key contributor is Erath Winery. This pioneering winery was one of the first to grow pinot noir in the Willamette Valley, and they’re still a top producer of the style that made the state famous. So when I got the chance to go experience their vegan-friendly tasting room in Portland’s Pearl District, I was thrilled to leave my car in the driveway and head across the river to meet a friend for an urban wine tasting.