Perhaps you enjoy sipping fine whiskeys or have a go-to gin drink every time you’re out. Whatever your hard liquor preferences are, consider expanding your palate at the local craft distillery. Learn more about what these distilleries do and what makes them special here. 

A Quick History

Distillation is the process of turning alcohol into hard liquor using condensation and evaporation techniques, as yeast cannot survive high alcohol content. Yeast is the substance that turns sugar into alcohol. 

Craft distilling, or making spirits in small batches using traditional means, has been around since people started experimenting with hard liquor varieties. The Arabic alchemist Abu Musa Jabir ibn Hayyan is credited with creating the alembic pot still during the 8th century, a device used for distilling alcohol and making it harder than wine or beer. 

Hard liquor production in the United States was originally about mass output, with large distilleries churning out whiskey and bourbon regularly. The craft distillery was the reaction to mass production, often using local ingredients to make spirits “with love.” 

Craft Distillery Characteristics 

There are some 2,000 craft distilleries in the U.S., each of which uses its own special processes to make assorted liquors in small batches. Many such distilleries provide information to the public about how they craft their liquors, how long the spirits are left to age, and what local ingredients they utilize. 

Craft liquors naturally vary by distillery. Some concentrate on brown liquor exclusively, like whiskey and scotch, while others create a range of clear and brown liquors, including vodka, whiskey, gin, and rum. Many distilleries also provide small menus and make food-liquor pairing suggestions, such as recommending chicken sliders with a specific vodka. Since each small batch distillery is different, you are in for a unique experience every time you visit one.

If you live in the Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, area, enjoy visits to the Anderson Distillery & Grill. This Roanoke-based craft distillery produces a variety of spirits in small batches, including gin and whiskey, and offers a scratch kitchen menu featuring appetizers, burgers, and salads. Call (817) 203-0623 with questions or visit the distillery online for more information.