A new wave of craft beverages is poised to hit the drinks industry as consumers continue to shift away from mass-produced brands towards products made with craftsmanship. Following the explosive success of craft brewing, artisanal distillers are exploring new ways to bring the success of the craft trend into the spirits category by including unusual ingredients and highlighting production methods. In an industry dominated by big-budget multinational brands, it can be difficult for smaller distillers to break into the market. Putting a twist on traditional spirits by promoting craftsmanship and artisan ingredients can give brands a competitive selling point that can help to capture the attention of browsing consumers and allow them to elevate the price of products. But while the trend has significant potential to drive innovation and diversity in the market, craft spirits are still relativity unknown to many potential buyers. We build our marketing programs based on three approaches: encouraging experimentation; focusing on craftsmanship; and raising awareness of craft spirits.
in 2017, the volume of craft spirits sold in the U.S grew up to 1,000,000 9 Liter cases.
As the popularity of craft alcohol grows, our goal is to help independent brands take advantage of this to grow their sales and exposure in the U.S. By engaging curious consumers about artisanal alcohol, designing packaging, and managing inventory, we collaborate with our clients, so their products can be enjoyed and appreciated by responsible consumers. We’ve built a team of passionate professional salespeople and experts, dedicated to delivering results in a highly competitive industry.
Our ServicesTo discuss your importation, regulatory compliance or distribution needs or to request a confidential consultation, please, email us at consultations@SundanceSpirits.com. We are looking forward to hearing from you. Let's build a brand together!
CloseA characteristic of craft alcohol brands is their independence. Many times, they’re family-owned producers who build up the communities around them by hiring local workers and giving them a way to support their families. By doing so, craft distilleries create economic opportunities and jobs in agriculture, tourism, manufacturing and hospitality. At Sundance Spirits, we’re proud to be a part of growing craft industry and believe that when our brands are successful, it benefits economies around the world.
About UsThe American Distilling Institute, American Craft Spirits Association and other industry groups represent the interests of craft distillers while multiple craft brewer organizations merged in 2005 to form the Brewers Association. The need for such groups shows the success of craft alcohol manufacturers. These groups provide strength in numbers to face common challenges that continue to rise in the industry including regulatory, taxation, and licensing issues.
There are now over 7,000 breweries in the U.S. The hallmark of craft beer is innovation and craft brewers are known for their distinctive, individualistic approaches to connecting with their customers and for their original packaging styles.
The same entrepreneurial spirit that built the craft beer industry now drives the founders of independent distilleries. In the U.S., the segment is growing every year and projections indicate that craft spirits volume could increase to 25.6 million cases by 2020.
Craft wines are made in limited production runs of 5,000 cases or fewer. However, it is not just about batch size; these wines need to be authentic and traceable to their roots. Craft wines are united by the passion and detail that go into their creation.
When you search for the definition of “craft,” you’ll probably get a lot of different results. You might see something like, “denoting or relating to food or drink made in a traditional or non-mechanized way by an individual or a small company,” or “relating to food or drink made using traditional methods by small companies”. While there is no legal definition for the term, we believe a spirit can be considered craft if it showcases quality, attention to detail, the producer’s passion as well as tradition or history behind the brand. Most industry member also agree that craft alcohol brands must share the following three key characteristics:
A distillery who values the transparency in the distillation process and is forthcoming about their use of ingredients, distilling location, techniques, aging methods, as well as their bottling location and process.
A distillery that produces fewer than 750,000 gallons of beverage alcohol annually. These producers pride themselves on the quality of their product, rather than the amount of it or how many gallons they sell.
A distillery that is independently owned and operated, with more than a 75% equity stake in their operational control. Craft alcohol brands are able to have an impact on communities, helping local families get out of poverty by giving them jobs.
This is how The Brewers Association defines a craft brewer. According to The American Distilling Institute requires that no more than 25% of a craft producer be owned or controlled by a non-craft producer, in order to be certifie
The ADI certification has a “hands-on production” clause. In order to get certified, a craft distiller must “produce spirits that reflect the vision of their principal distillers using any combination of traditional or innovative techniques including fermenting, distilling, etc.”
Artisanal alcohol should remain small. To receive certification from The American Distilling Institute, a craft spirits brand must have maximum annual sales of 52,000 cases, or no greater than 100,000 proof gallons, that are physically distilled and bottled on-site.
It’s not enough to just have an impressive product. A certification from the ADI requires that the spirit is run “through a still by a certified craft producer with a TTB-approved label stating, ‘Distilled By’ plus the name of the distilled spirits plant.”