Vermont is well known for its craft brewing industry, with several top rated beers produced in the state. But now, a number of craft distilleries are popping up. A recent course at Vermont Technical College gave students a glimpse into this growing industry.
Rum, whiskey, vodka, gin. While these drinks have always been locally enjoyed, spirits haven鈥檛 traditionally been a Vermont export.
That鈥檚 changing. The craft distilling industry is growing, with more and more spirits being produced by Vermonters.
This spring Vermont Technical College鈥檚 offered an 11-day Distilling course.
Instructor Duncan Holaday founded the oldest continuously operating distillery in the state.
鈥淚 would call this a kind of master鈥檚 course,鈥� said Holaday. 鈥淪ome of the people are marketing people, others are distillers, engineers and farmers.鈥�
"It's now what you might call a kind of boom. A time when many people are coming in and making remarkable products." - Duncan Holaday, Dunc's Mill
Holaday has been making rum in Vermont for 14 years. At one point his was the only distillery in the state. Not anymore.
鈥淣ow there are probably 16 distilleries,鈥� said Holaday. 鈥淪o we鈥檝e been watching growth and it鈥檚 now what you might call a kind of boom. A time when many people are coming in and making remarkable products.鈥�
The students looked at everything from the marketing of spirits, to the science of distilling using Vermont ingredients.
David Thayer is from in Cabot. He鈥檚 taking the course to see what types of small-scale production might work for his farm. He鈥檚 thinking whiskey.
鈥淭he obvious thing would be doing a grain-based whiskey, because we have the grains,鈥� said Tahyer. 鈥淏ut then a maple base allows for flavor that would make it sort of regional, native to New England.鈥�
"A maple base allows for flavor that would make it sort of regional, native to New England." - David Thayer, Hooker Mountain Farm
Thayer has been selling maple sodas produced at the farm at the Montpelier farmer鈥檚 market and is looking to branch out.
He says his production would be much smaller than most of the distilleries students visited including in Windsor, and in Warren
But for Ivan Torres, the highlight was Dunc鈥檚 Mill.
鈥淚 want to open my own small craft rum distillery,鈥� said Torres. 鈥淭here is a lot of key information for a start-up business. A lot of information that鈥檚 easier for me to get right here than to just look for myself.鈥�
Torres came all the way from Puerto Rico to take the course. He says the rum business there is dominated by big brands like Bacardi and Don Q.
But he thinks there is a market for craft producers. Torres says tourists would rather purchase something local and unique when they visit.
In that way, he says it鈥檚 very similar to Vermont.
