Breweries, distilleries and wineries are popular establishments that produce alcoholic beverages for public consumption. But running one requires navigating an intricate web of laws and regulations governing production, distribution, licensing requirements, labeling guidelines and more. A key concern of these businesses is securing appropriate licenses – typically consisting of federal- and state-level permits.
An essential step for any prospective distillery seeking legal operation of their business, acquiring a basic federal distilled spirits permit is essential for legally operating its operations. To do this, several documents such as tax histories, criminal records, architectural drawings of the building intended for use and lease agreements need to be submitted and reviewed, along with bond/surety agreements covering estimated excise taxes as well as equipment intended for use and a comprehensive background check on company ownership structures must all be presented during this process.
Distillation creates distillates with distinct tastes, depending on which process was employed to distill them. Each alcohol has different concentrations of flavors such as esters and congeners that vary with each use of distillation; as liquid evaporates it concentrates some flavors while losing others; distillation captures these characteristics to produce an end product with optimal flavors that satisfy customers. This is where distilling comes into its own; distillers must capture those that appeal most in their final product.
Distillation is a time-honored art that takes years of experience to master. A key aspect of distillation is timing or “cutting”, or cutting for short. Acquiring the desired ratio between heads and tails in order to produce clean spirits with balanced aromas is critical if we want an exceptional spirit; cutting too early could leave behind an unappetizing acetaldehyde taste, while too late would leave behind an unpleasant ethanol burn taste that spoils any delicious spirit blends we may want to create.
