America's New Distilleries: A Bonus

Everyone seems to understand that there are more distilleries in the United States than there were ten years ago. But just how many more, where they are, and how to distinguish one from the other is not at all clear. And I say this as someone who studies these things, counts distillers among my friends, and sometimes travels solely to visit places that turn grains into something you'd want to drink.

Though I composed this post last week, I am at this very moment in front of an audience of distillers, bartenders, writers, and cocktail enthusiasts in New Orleans with Chasing the White Dog author Max Watman in a sold-out, SRO session called America's New Distilleries. We're about fifteen or twenty minutes into it and I am probably blathering on about the geographical distribution of DSPs and membership in the American Distilling Institute as indicators of distillery density in the US.

Those of you in the audience will understand these maps; they are here for your reference when the talk moves on. If you use them (and be my guest for online use), please link back to this post. If you want to print them, get in touch and tell me what you have in mind. Once this Tales of the Cocktail session is over, and I'm back safe and sound in San Diego, I will post a follow-up to this with a little more narrative and context.

For now? This is a bonus for coming to see us in person. Click each image to enlarge.