These days, craft spirits all the rage. Those who consume alcohol now have their pick of the litter, from small-batch whiskey and gin to handmade vodka and tequila. This spring, Baltimore will play host to an entire conference devoted to the ballooning industry of craft distilled spirits.
From April 3-6, hundreds of entrepreneurial distillers will descend on the Inner Harbor for the American Distilling Institute’s annual conference and vendor expo. The event will take place at the Baltimore Convention Center.
The institute, which calls itself “the voice of craft drilling,” will offer a variety of events for business owners to choose from, with sessions on business planning, building codes, specific distillation technologies, marketing and more. Those looking for more hands-on training (or refreshers) can pay extra for additional one-day and three-day workshops about making gin, whiskey, vodka and rum.
One of Baltimore’s own new distilleries will be representing the city. The master calendar for the event shows Sagamore Spirit general manager and distiller Brian Treacy will school attendees on the history of distilling in Maryland on April 4. “Why Maryland, when did distilling start here, what products and techniques were used, what brand names grew out of Maryland, and why did it disappear?” the description for the session reads.
That last question speaks in at least some small part to the former Calvert Distillery in Relay, Baltimore County, which is now set to become an American outpost for Guinness.
The conference is now open for registration. Early bird passes for all three days go for $350 (not including other paid workshops). Click here for more info.
