National Craft Distillery Day – May 22, 2027

History of National Craft Distillery Day

Spirit distillation is hardly a new industry. Rather, it has a long and rich history and began during the times of the ancient Greeks. The earliest recorded wine distilling recipes can be traced to Anaxilaus of Thessaly. The Greeks took Anaxilaus’s idea and made it their own. Over time, they learned that if they boiled wine in an open container, the hot — but wildly intoxicating — alcohol vapor escaped first. So, they began capturing the vapor, which was almost as well-liked by drinkers as the wine itself.

The wine was slowly heated in a vessel with a small mouth covered by a bowl, and the alcohol collected as condensed vapor inside the bowl. To this setup, a downward-slanted tube was added. The vapor was cooled and collected in the receiving vessel. That’s what we mean by “distill.” The word comes from the Latin verb ‘destillare,’ which means “to drip down.” This process was refined over the centuries until we could get wines like Dom Perignon.

Craft breweries emerged in the 1990s. However, today’s small craft distilleries provide alternatives to the drinks produced by large commercial distilleries. They produce all kinds of spirits — from gin and whiskey to bourbon, rum, and vodka. Craft distillers often add unique flavor to their products with locally sourced ingredients, such as hints of ginger, the tartness of lemons, or traces of cinnamon. As a result, what started as a niche industry now has consumers all over the globe. And as demands for unique spirits grow, more distilleries are producing one-of-a-kind craft spirits.