In a hypothetical “Star Wars” scenario, Darth Vader could use the dark side of the Force to telekinetically shatter a glass bottle of vodka from across the room, for instance.
The American Distilling Institute (ADI), Hayward, Calif., held its ninth annual Craft Distilling Conference from April 1-4 at the Huber Winery and Starlight Distillery, Starlight, Ind. Bill Owens, founder and president of ADI, reported that this year’s event was almost 30 percent larger than last year’s conference. This year’s event featured a focus on whiskey and rum with hands-on distilling classes, distillery tours, a vendor expo and a program of educational seminars.
Chicago-based Technomic’s Adult Beverage Resource Group reported that the Top 250 spirits brands grew 3.1 percent in total volume in 2011, which is slightly lower than the total market’s 3.5 percent increase. Deerfield, Ill.-based Beam Inc.’s Skinnygirl Cocktails outpaced all other brands with a 388 percent gain to break the 500,000 case mark and rank as the fastest-growing brand, according to Technomic.
