Author Archives: Jeff Cioletti
Wiggly Bridge Distillery to fill 500th whiskey barrel
If you happen to be anywhere near southern Maine on Saturday, May 19, you’re not going to want to miss this distilling milestone…
Not only is May 19 World Whisky Day, but York, Maine’s Wiggly Bridge Distillery will be filling its 500th barrel. 
The distillery is planning a celebration to commemorate the milestone—huge for a small batch craft distillery in Maine. Ticket holders will be able to sign the barrel and their name will be entered in for the chance to seal the barrel by hammering in the bung after the barrel is filled.
Attendees are eligible to receive one of the first 12 bottles from the barrel when it is released in 2022. Along with celebratory cocktails, the celebration includes rolling the barrel to the Wiggly Bridge Rickhouse where the barrel will mature four years.
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American Craft Spirits Association announces board election results
A bit of news on the changing of the guard on the Board of Directors of the American Craft Spirits Association…
The American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA) today announces the appointment of Chris Montana, Owner of Du Nord Craft Spirits (MN), as the President of the Board of Directors, replacing Mark Shilling, who has served as the organization’s president since April 2017. Maggie Campbell, President of Privateer Rum (MA), has also been named as the organization’s Vice President and Colin Keegan of Santa Fe Spirits (NM) will serve as Secretary/Treasurer. Together, Montana, Campbell, and Keegan, who have served as key members of ACSA’s Board of Directors over the last year, and the newly-elected and re-elected Board of Directors will work with Executive Director Margie A.S. Lehrman to address the key issues facing the craft distilling industry. Read the rest of this entry
The Drinkable Globe is now a podcast!
I am pleased to present the premier episode of The Drinkable Globe Podcast. Technically, it’s a re-boot, as I did a one-off podcast about three years ago. Read the rest of this entry
Damrak Gin teams up with Q Drinks on gin & tonic kit
Amsterdam’s Damrak Gin and Brooklyn’s Q Drinks announce today that the brands have collaborated to create a craft gin & tonic kit scheduled to hit retail outlets nationwide this month and which will be available through summer 2018. Read the rest of this entry
My rye whiskey primer in The Takeout
Hey, kids—you like the whiskey? Then I’ve got something for you. It’s my latest piece in The Takeout, specifically on rye whiskey. Read it here!
New Video: Chasing spirits in Germany’s Black Forest
When most of us hear the word “schnaps,” we think of those artificially sweetened liqueurs designed for folks who think they like to drink, but really don’t. True, schnaps, however, is an unaged brandy distilled from any number of fruits in German-speaking countries. The schnaps-making capital of the world is Germany’s Black Forest region, home to some 14,000—yes, those three zeroes belong there—farm distilleries. If you want to drink close to the source, you don’t need to go to local bars. You just need to seek out a few of the area’s Schnapsbrunnen (literally, “schnaps fountains”), small, unattended kiosks with fresh-off-the-stills bottles of the spirit, drinking cups or glasses and slotted lockboxes where drinkers can insert a euro or two for the privilege. It’s all on the honor system, but no cheating! You want the distillers to be able to continue to make the stuff, don’t you?
Enjoy the latest episode, which invites you on my schnaps-soaked odyssey through the Black Forest!
