Have you ever thought of becoming a distiller? It seems like one of those unattainable dream careers reserved for only a select few and it's one that many people envy: "You get to make booze all day? That sounds like heaven." For some time it was reserved for those with a lot of capitol and great marketing behind them, left for the "big brands" of the liquor industry, and for the risk-taking, law breaking moonshiner. Recently, though, there has been a resurgence in American craft distilleries and the people behind these small still operations have changed the face of distilled spirits as we knew them.
It is still not an easy task to put together a distillery and produce alcohol that people will actually drink. It takes time and a lot of knowledge about everything from material selection, still operation, chemical processes, aging, and so much more. Distilling is both a science and an art and it takes a special person with a lot of dedication to create a successful micro-distillery.
Those wishing to open a small distillery have had to travel, often to Europe, to learn all that they could in order to bring that home to the United States. Now, however, Dry Fly Distilling has started to offer a training course for those who want to pursue this "dream job" and it is offered at their distillery in Spokane, Washington. Lance Mayhew brought this to my attention and you can read more about it here: How to Become a Distiller.
I think it is a great opportunity and hope that it inspires more "closet" spirit makers to refine their techniques and produce more innovative spirits.
To our knowledge, this is the only intensive course in the US. If you know of another, please tell me about it.
Comments
Dear Ms Graham;
“To our knowledge, this is the only intensive course in the U.S. If you know of another, please tell me about it…..”
Please have a look at http://www.artisancraftdistilling.spruz.com and you can learn more about a week-long craft distilling short-course that I teach at Big Bend Community College in Moses lake, Washington. It is administered twice yearly, and the cost is $875.00, and that includes meals!
The next session begins on Monday, September 13th. Registrations are already being taken; 10 attendees, so far (34 students attended back in March).
Ms Graham,
hello.Thank you for letting us know about this great opportunity.
However i have a few questions i’d like ask:
1 when does the next session for 2011 begin?
2 after finishing the course do you get a certificate that can help one get a job in a distillation laboratory?
please reply to my email address if possible.
Thank you for letting us know about “Artisan Craft Distilling” – it looks like a great course as well.
For anyone looking at learning how to open their own distillery, or even those who want to know more about simply the processes involved, I’d recommend they check out the Artisan Craft Distilling University. They offer in-person workshops, and have plans to offer low-cost online training in the next few months. Definitely worth a look.