Beginning our stroll through the regulatory wilderness

We are starting to apply for permits for the construction of the distillery space, which can get tangled.

Today’s call was to the wastewater department, seeking to understand what we need to do in terms of permitting for discharge of our waste from the distilling process. Simplistically put, that will include water, neutralized non-potable alcohol, and the material from our mashes. We are going to try to keep the water to a minimum through an integrated (and hopefully closed) heating/cooling system for process operations like heating/chilling mash, running the still, and so on, in an effort to minimize water waste, so, in theory, our only ‘waste’ water will be water used to wash equipment. Neutralized alcohol will be small-scale — though we will have to be sure to measure pH to meet the wastewater requirements. The largest volume of waste, then, will be the residue from our mashes. Our plan is to find a farmer who will come take it away for cattle or pig feed; failing that, we’re going to look at composting it and selling the compost.

More to come!

In the beginning…

Chuck and I have been friends for sixteen years, and have been bonded by beverages as well as friendship. When we met for the first time, at a dinner arranged by our wives, we each brought out a six-pack of home-brewed beer, happily surprising each other. Common ground! Chuck had made a really pretty stunning Scotch Ale; I had done my best to recreate Samuel Smith’s Old Pale Ale. Shortly thereafter, we started brewing together, and reached the point where we were making 15 gallon batches of all-grain beer which we kept in pressurized kegs in a special refrigerator with taps in the door.

We got so busy with work and growing families that the hobby of making beer came to an end, and the brewing equipment has been gathering dust for a number of years. We have been working together for twelve years now, building a consulting business that has clients all over the world. It is often exciting, always challenging, and it has managed to pay the bills nicely. We realized a few months ago, though, that something was missing: we both remembered the pride of being able to place a pint of really good beer in front of a friend (or acquaintance, or stranger), see the widening of the eyes as they taste how good it was; and be able to say “I made that.” Few things give us as much pleasure.

So why not a brewery? Two things, really. First, the craft beer revolution has become the craft beer culture, and the market is a little crowded. Second, we like doing new things that build on our skills.

In a few short months, you’ll be able to try our artisanal spirits, made by hand. You’ll take a taste, and your eyes will widen. And Chuck and I will be able to get the thrill of saying “We made that.”