Distill America XV is in the books. Here's what you missed.

 

Yesterday, for the first time in its 15-year history, Distill America was held at Breese Stephens Field in downtown Madison. The venue was massive. There was plenty of room to walk around without bumping into other attendees.

 

May in Wisconsin is iffy weather-wise. It can rain. It can snow. You could be under tornado warnings. It could feel like you’re on the surface of the sun and muggy. Or, it can be downright pleasant. Mother Nature was a kind woman on May 20^th. I’m unsure if you could custom-order better weather.

 

But, in the middle of this professional soccer field, there were six rows of tents filled with folks who distill American spirits. It wasn’t just whiskey, either. Just shy of 80 brands presented their wares, including rum, genever, gin, brandy, poitin, barrel-aged beer, pre-mixed drinks, and cocktails. Those brands included the big boys from Kentucky and Tennessee. Still, most were craft distillers from the Midwest and around the country. It was a real opportunity to #DrinkCurious and explore some (or many) new things.

I ran into friends I’ve known for years and made several new ones. I encountered brands I’d never heard of and was excited to learn everything I could about them.

Things started off for those few who held a VIP+ ticket. They participated in an educational seminar presented by Blade & Bow. They tried whiskey from the last of the Stitzel-Weller stocks, special swag, and glassware beyond what other ticket tiers received.

 

An hour later, those holding VIP tickets entered the arena. There were special VIP-only pours from Blaum Bros., J. Henry & Sons, Dancing Goat, Heaven Hill, Four Roses, Buffalo Trace, and others. Sixty minutes later, the gates opened for those holding General Admission tickets. Things got busy without becoming crowded.

There were two educational seminars that anyone could attend. The first was An Afternoon of Gin with Travis Tober of Aviation Gin and John Mleziva of State Line Distillery. The second was Going Down the Rabbit Hole with Simon Cicolian of Pernod Ricard.

It is rare for an event to run without a hiccup, and Distill America had a handful of things it could improve upon. First, the caterer this year was… lacking. There was plenty of food; it was just not the right choice to serve for an outdoor event: hummus, falafel, hushpuppies, vegan “pulled pork,” and pulled chicken. Second, the water stations were not refilled as quickly as they should have been. If there were others, they went unnoticed.

 

In all, Distill America XV was much like Fantasy Island. Spirits flowed freely. People were full of smiles. We found a ton of new things to enjoy. I commend the Madison Malt Society for putting on another very affordable, high-quality event that is a joy to attend year after year.

 

Distill America XVI is only 12 months away. I can’t wait. Cheers!

 

 

 

 

 

Distill America XV is May 20th - Here's What You Need To Know

Distill America XV will be held on Saturday, May 20th, 2023. The event runs from 1-6pm at Breese Stevens Field in Madison, WI. This is a different venue from previous years.

 

If you’re new to the area or just getting into distilled spirits, you may be curious about what Distill America is about. I’ve attended for the last seven years and am friends with the folks who make this event come to life. As such, I’ve got the rundown for everything you need to know.

 

Distill America was founded 15 years ago by a small group of spirits enthusiasts in Madison known as the Madison Malt Society. They often traveled to Chicago for whiskey events, but growing expenses damaged their enjoyment and took from the excitement of attending year after year. Aside from travel costs, they contended with pricey entry fees for the distillers and attendees. They were struck with the notion that they could create an event locally that anyone could attend every year, whether they were an exhibitor or a fan of distilled spirits. The goal was to attract bartenders, retailers, and the general public to learn about what is on the market and available to enjoy.

 

Rather than simply recreating the typical whiskey event, the founders wanted to create something unique. Star Liquor on Williams (Willy) Street got involved. The group then decided they wanted this to be a big, real event. They also wanted to introduce visitors to exclusively American-made spirits, not just Bourbon, Rye, and other American whiskeys. That opened the door for rum, brandy, gin, vodka, and other brown or clear spirits. Boom! Distill America was born.

 

Behind the scenes, there was much volunteer work to get the process going. The crazy thing is nobody involved took a salary. All proceeds benefit the non-profit Wisconsin Distillers Guild. The Guild’s mission is to promote Wisconsin-made spirits, agriculture, tourism, small-batch distillation, and the safe enjoyment of alcoholic beverages. Distill America also creates scholarships for people to take coursework and learn about the distilling industry.

 

From the smallest craft distillery to the largest, established distilleries, they all travel to Madison to entertain and educate both true spirits enthusiasts and people new to everything. There is something for everyone to enjoy.

 

The Madison Malt Society's desire is and always has been for Distill America to grow and remain sustainable for the future without losing what makes Distill America unique. But that means change will happen. Distill America went a step further by offering educational seminars about six years ago.

 

Now that you know the background of Distill America, I have a few tips and tricks for attending. First and foremost, enjoy this event responsibly. Make arrangements in advance for getting to and from the event safely. Bring a designated driver who can attend for a mere $20.00. Your DD will have access to any non-alcoholic beverages and food.

 

It is very easy to get more than buzzed as the spirits are free-flowing, and there are more exhibitors than you can shake a stick at. Eat a full meal before showing up. Appetizers will be available on the floor, but you shouldn’t show up on an empty stomach.

 

VIP+ gets you on the floor at 1:00pm before anyone else can look around. Have you ever heard of the Stitzel-Weller Distillery? That’s the holy grail of American whiskeys. It is many years out of production, but Blade & Bow will be there to pour you some of the very last of the original stocks! Diageo, the owner of Blade & Bow, will provide an educational seminar. You’ll also get special glassware beyond the standard that everyone else receives.

 

VIP gets you through the door at 2:00pm, and you’ll visit booths an hour before General Admission. There are special VIP-only pours that exhibitors offer. Some of the big legacy distilleries previously served up their most sought-after limited-edition distilled spirits.

 

Both VIP+ and VIP tickets are sold out.

 

General Admission comes in at 3:00pm, and there’s still plenty of opportunity to taste awesome things that American-only distilleries have to offer. In all, there are over 80 vendors from across the United States. General Admission tickets are still available for $70.00 and can be purchased at https://distillamerica.com.  

 

No matter which ticket you possess, you’ll get a complimentary Glencairn nosing glass from the event’s sponsor, Bulleit Bourbon, and food throughout the evening. Distill America is an outdoor event under tents. Whatever crazy weather Madison has to offer that day, you’ll have a great time!

 

Finally, I’ll be walking around doing meet-and-greets with various distillers. I hope to see you there. This is your perfect opportunity to #DrinkCurious. Cheers!

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you do so responsibly. 

Distill America XIV Roundup with My Whiskey Den

 

Distill America was founded fourteen years ago by a small group of spirits enthusiasts in Madison known as the Madison Malt Society. They often traveled to Chicago for whiskey events, but growing expenses put a damper on their enjoyment and took from the excitement of attending year after year. Aside from travel costs, they contended with pricey entry fees, both for the distillers and attendees. They were struck with the notion of creating an event locally that someone could easily attend every year, whether they were an exhibitor or a fan of distilled spirits. The goal was to attract bartenders, retailers, and the general public to learn about what is out there and available to enjoy.

There's no gimmick. You come, meet people in the industry, learn, and sip amazing distilled spirits. You'll find no Scotch, Irish Whiskey, Tequila, or anything else that's not 100% Made In The USA at Distill America. That's the schtick.

Distill America features educational seminars, and Distill America XIV featured Nicole Austin, the master distiller at George Dickel. It was also the first time the event was outdoors. Usually, you couldn't do that in Wisconsin in February, but in 2022, due to uncertainty about COVID-19, it was held at Madison's East Side Club in May. The weather was gorgeous, and I'm not sure it could have been better.

One of the things I loved about the venue was how relaxed it was. When it was held indoors at The Edgewater, things got... cozy... with shoulder-to-shoulder people. That wasn't the best if you get claustrophobic. But, outside, there was plenty of room to spread around, and the grass was your dump bucket! 

Even the food was easier to obtain. The quality of the food has always been excellent, but, again, with tight quarters, it was often difficult to get to it. This year, Hy-Vee provided the food, and there were no troubles grabbing a plate or two.

As always, I looked for new gems and visited old friends. This year, it was Blue Ash Farm from Argyle, Wisconsin. They were pouring their Honey Bourbon, which is Bourbon infused with wildflower honey from Pecatonica River Valley. 

After the show, Patrick Belongia of My Whiskey Den interviewed a few of us, including me, Fred Swanson of Dancing Goat Distillery (and one of Distill America's founders), and Dave and Adina Ewaldz, who celebrated their wedding anniversary at the event.  You can view the entire show on My Whiskey Den's YouTube page.  Cheers!

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs that you do so responsibly.