Introducing the Next Century Spirits Blog
By Next Century Spirits
Welcome to In Good Spirits, the new Next Century Spirits blog! We are excited to bring you news and keep our readers updated on the goings on here at NCS. On this platform, we’ll explore a wide range of topics, from the scientific and technical to tasting notes and industry trends. We’ll share insights from our own in-house experts as well as voices from within the industry. We look forward to what’s in store and sharing it with you. Cheers!
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The Art of Blending and Role of a Master Blender
Unless a whiskey or spirit is labeled as bottled from a single cask or a single barrel, it's most of the times a blend. In other words, most whiskies are…
Why Bar and Restaurant Owners are Saying Cheers to Happy Hour
For many bars and restaurants, the hours after lunch and before dinner are notoriously slow. Business owners can even lose money staying open during this time. So, 'happy hour' was conceived…
How to Navigate Inflation in the Alcohol Industry in 2022
Inflation is an overall increase in the cost of services and goods consumed by households. In 2021, inflation rose 7% in the United States, while rates typically range between 1% and…
Ways to Embrace Lower Calorie Alcoholic Drink Trends and Increase Sales
Benefits of Embracing the Low-calorie Drink Trends It's essential to be one step ahead of the curve as a business owner. Lifestyle trends are constantly evolving, but the healthy living…
An Earth Day Toast to Sustainable Spirits
Growing trends toward sustainability have seen the spirits industry ramping up its efforts with distilling solutions and sustainable technology in the way they produce spirits. Projects range from eliminating plastic…
Meet Scott Hollowell – Process Engineer
Creating high-quality distilled spirits means paying attention to detail and getting every part of the process just right. And while the process of crafting spirits can be considered an art,…
Compete with Premium Spirits with Your Own Private Label
Having your own private label spirit can be a powerful tool for small business owners. It's a great way to differentiate yourself, build your brand, and compete with the big…
These Cocktail Dupes Will Have You Designating Any Month as Dry January
Dry January is a month-long challenge during which people abstain from drinking alcohol. It was launched in 2013 by the Alcohol for Change charity in the United Kingdom as a…
The Best Way to Pair Your Favorite Spirit with Chocolate
If you love someone, give them chocolate, right? If you really love someone, give them chocolate and alcohol. Wine and chocolate pairings have long held the spotlight. But if you're…
Meet Leslie Johnson – Beverage Laboratory Manager
Leslie Johnson has the recipe for craft spirits success. As a beverage laboratory manager, Leslie helps create recipes in Next Century Spirits' Beverage Development lab. Working closely with our Master Blender, she…
Do I Need a Liquor License? An Alcohol Distributor? Your Get-Started Guide
Whether you’re a new retailer or considering opening up a bar, you likely have many questions. Do I need a liquor license to sell drinks? Will I need to source…
Why gin is making a comeback, and how you can stand out with your own private label
It's time for gin to have its moment in the sun (or in the glass). Gin is making a comeback right now, especially in craft cocktails and home bars. During…
Customizing Bulk Spirits To Craft Unique and Game-Changing Brands
Looking to grow your bulk spirits and private label spirits business? Check this talk from Nick Scarff Master Blender and VP of Business Development here at Next Century Spirits. In…
Meet Tyler Nash – Production Technician
It takes a whole team to produce a truly great craft spirit, and the Next Century Spirits team is fortunate to have people like Tyler Nash working to make it…
What’s Prompting an Impressive Growth in the Craft Spirits Industry?
The craft spirits industry is having a moment right now, but it might not be for the reason you think. Before the pandemic hit, the market for craft spirits was…
How Focusing on Lifestyle and Trends Can Boost Your On-Premise Alcohol Sales
When was the last time you changed your restaurant's bar menu or reevaluated your inventory? Have you been considering your own brand of spirits with a label that turns heads?…
Five Easy Ways to Transition Your Bar Menu to Specialty Holiday Cocktails (and Attract More Patrons)
One drink can change everything. Consider the Pumpkin Spice Latte, with fans waiting impatiently for its arrival every year. Fortunately, you don't need to turn everything into a pumpkin to…
How Current Trends in the Craft Spirits Industry Benefit Small Businesses
As a small business owner, you’re always looking for ways to stand out from the competition and distinguish your brand. Launching a new product line can be intimidating, but have…
Hello, My Name Is: Rob Mason, Chief Operating Officer. Let’s Talk Supply Chain Issues
The beverage business is booming, but supply chain issues caused by the pandemic are giving suppliers and retailers headaches. There is an opportunity, though, if you're prepared. Fortunately, Next Century…
You’re Familiar With Craft Beers, But What Are Craft Spirits?
For many alcohol consumers, the word "craft" has become virtually synonymous with beer. It serves as a shorthand for independent breweries, producing fiercely personal, distinctive, and often highly localized products.…
Do Spirits Go Bad? And Other Alcohol-Related Questions We Know You’re Asking
We know what tastes good at a chic wine bar or a craft cocktail spot. Beyond that, though, we may have a few questions that we’re embarrassed to ask because…
The Appeal of Celebrity Alcohol Brands Goes Beyond the Well-Known Names
Lately, it seems like every celebrity has an alcohol brand. From George Clooney’s tequila to John Legend’s wine, there’s star power attached to everything from gin to rum and every…
How To Expand Your Business Into Canned Cocktails
The ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail market has been growing steadily for the past five years, in parallel with similar trends in wine and the emergence of the hard seltzer category. However,…
7 Ways to Enjoy Your Favorite Whiskey
There are few better ways to end the week than filling a glass with your favorite whiskey. Whether you prefer bourbon, scotch, rye, single malt, or one of the many…
What The Rise in To-Go Alcohol Means for the Spirits Industry
Alcohol to-go used to be something that conjured up images of Bourbon Street in New Orleans. But now it’s become increasingly commonplace, prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting in March…
Flavored Whiskey Grows Up with These Four Unique Flavors
The demand for flavored whiskey is growing. Market Watch reported that retail chain BevMo saw a 22.6 percent increase in flavored whiskey sales in 2020, and it doesn't seem that this trend is…
Direct-to-Consumer Marketing for Spirits Brands is Possible with Retail Partnerships
The traditional method for alcohol to reach consumers is through a three-tier distribution model. Alcohol producers including beer, wine, or spirits, generally provide their product to distributors, who then sell…
Distillery Nation Features CEO, Scott Bolin
From starting out as an entrepreneur in the biomaterials space to learning how to speak the language of craft distillers, Next Century Spirits’ CEO, Scott Bolin, sat down with Ilias Mastrogiannis,…
The Magic of Cask Finishing in Spirits
By Jeremy Nevins PhD Secondary cask finishing is becoming a popular way to accentuate flavors of a base spirt. The concept is fairly simple for the most part you take a good…
SUSTAINABILITY + SPIRITS
The issue of sustainability has been around for a long time but in recent years the industry has undergone something of an energy revolution. The benefits are numerous; being consistently…
Innovations in Distilling
By Nick Scarff, Master Blender Master Blender, Nick Scarff, joined “Bourbon Real Talk” podcast host Randall Sullivan at the Repeal Day Expo to talk about the innovations in distilling technology…