FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, contact:
Angela Cardinali, angela@berkshirefarmandtable.org | 413.335.5629
FIVE YEARS IN THE MAKING, BERKSHIRE MOUNTAIN DISTILLERS LAUNCHES CRAFT BREWERS WHISKEY PROJECT WITH FIRST RELEASE IN FEBRUARY
SHEFFIELD, Mass. (January 27, 2021) – In February 2021, the award-winning maker of a select line of premier craft spirits, Berkshire Mountain Distillers (BMD), will release a trio of whiskeys in partnership with three brewers in the Northeast as part of their Craft Brewers Whiskey Project (CBWP). The five-year collaboration includes the distilling of a dozen different popular beers from a limited group of the country’s top craft brewers across five states. Each addition to the American Whiskey Collection is the product of a single-sourced craft brew distilled into a unique Berkshire Mountain Distillers whiskey.
“We were thrilled to collaborate with all of our brewer-partners and are excited these whiskeys are finally ready to be enjoyed by beer and whiskey aficionados alike,” said Chris Weld, founder and proprietor of Berkshire Mountain Distillers. “This fun collaboration has been an exceptional project-in-the-making involving 12 brewers, 12 beers, 12 whiskeys and 80 barrels of spirits — we’re eager to release each one to the public.”
An evolving line of craft spirits produced by the region’s first legal distillery since prohibition, Berkshire Mountain Distillers’ CBWP combines the flavors and essences of some of the best and well-known craft beers in the country, with technique and style from the experienced BMD team. Each CBWP product will be blended to 86 proof using BMD’s proprietary historic spring water in Sheffield and packaged in BMD’s custom bottles with a brewer-designed CBWP-branded label.
The first release will feature three whiskeys distilled from UFO White Ale from Mass. Bay Brewing Co. (Boston, Mass. and Windsor, Vt.), Spencer Brewery’s Trappist Ale (Spencer, Mass.), and 413 Farmhouse Ale from Big Elm Brewing located in BMD’s hometown of Sheffield, Mass.
“Whiskey is like beer’s older cousin: it’s taken more time to mature but comes from the same stock. So when Berkshire Mountain Distillers came to us more than four years ago with this project, we knew it’d be a fun way to collaborate with a local distiller to see what our beer could turn into,” said Dan Kenary, CEO and co-founder of Mass. Bay Brewing Co. “The resulting whiskey does not disappoint.”
Scheduled to be released in the early part of 2021, the next set of whiskeys will highlight Boston Lager from Samuel Adams (Boston, Mass.), Imperial Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale from Berkshire Brewing Company (South Deerfield, Mass.), and Smoke & Dagger Black Lager from Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers (Framingham, Mass.)
Whiskey releases later in in the year will feature other popular craft brewers including Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, N.Y.), Captain Lawrence Brewing (Elmsford, N.Y.), Smuttynose Brewing (Hampton, N.H.), Long Trail Brewing Company (Bridgewater Corners, Vt.), Two Roads Brewing (Stratford, Conn.), and Chatham Brewing (Chatham, N.Y.)
Aged at the distillery since 2015, the CBWP releases will be based on the beer used in each whiskey – released in the order in which they were distilled. Being a limited release, quantities of each whiskey will range from hundreds of bottles to hundreds of cases and will be sold in the BMD tasting room and to select stores and restaurants. BMD’s popular Cask-Finished Bourbon Project, which took place in 2014 and involved brewers such as Samuel Adams, Ommegang and Terrapin, was only available in the state where the brewery was located. For the wider-reaching Craft Brewers Whiskey Project, each whiskey will be released in a small collection and made available in multiple states.
To celebrate the CBWP and the distinctiveness of each whiskey, BMD will host an in-store socially distant meet-the-brewer event and coordinate CBWP-focused dinners and takeout CBWP cocktails at select restaurants in the Northeast. A robust social media campaign will include brewer-partner collaboration and influencer support.
For a listing of upcoming Craft Brewers Whiskey Project release dates, tasting notes and in-person tastings, visit craftbrewerswhiskeyproject.com and follow Berkshire Mountain Distillers on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
About Berkshire Mountain Distillers
One of the founding members of the craft distiller movement, Berkshire Mountain Distillers (BMD) is embraced by many of the nation’s leading mixologists. All products are handcrafted in small batches at the Berkshires’ first legal distillery since prohibition. Garnering recognition across the country for its select line of high-quality spirits including a James Beard Award Semi-finalist for Outstanding Spirits Professional in 2017, BMD has received numerous high accolades including Gold Medal Awards from the Beverage Tasting Institute and San Francisco Spirits Competition and national praise from publications like GQ, Details, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Playboy Magazine, Cool Hunting, Wine Enthusiast and Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible. As supporters of local agriculture and business, BMD uses regional materials in many of their products, creating a truly authentic artisanal brand. Their products are currently available in 19 different states.
Berkshire Mountain Distillers (BMD), established in 2007, opened its new production facility, retail shop and tasting room in Sheffield, Mass., in August of 2014. Visitors can sample award-winning artisanal spirits including Greylock Gin, Ethereal Gins, Ragged Mountain Rum, Ice Glen Vodka, Berkshire Bourbon and New England Corn Whiskey plus a few cask-finished bourbons that are not otherwise available in Massachusetts.
The distillery, located at 356 South Main Street in Sheffield, is open every day from 12 to 5 p.m. For a listing of current hours, visit the BMD website.
To find where BMD products are available, visit berkshiremountaindistillers.com. Follow Berkshire Mountain Distillers on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
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Editors’ Note: Photos/graphics for Craft Brewers Whiskey Project are available upon request.
CRAFT BREWERS WHISKEY PROJECT: PARTICIPATING BREWERS INCLUDE:
February 2021 Release:
Mass Bay Brewing Co. (Boston, MA and Windsor, VT) — UFO White Ale
Spencer Brewery (Spencer, MA) — Spencer Trappist Ale
Big Elm Brewing (Sheffield, MA) — 413 Farmhouse Ale
Spring 2021 Release:
Samuel Adams (Boston, MA) — Boston Lager
Berkshire Brewing Company (South Deerfield, MA) — Imperial Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale
Jack’s Abby (Framingham, MA) — Smoke & Dagger Black Lager
Summer 2021 Release:
Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, NY) — Three Philosophers Belgian Style Quadrupel Ale
Captain Lawrence Brewing (Elmsford, NY) — Liquid Gold Belgo-American Ale
Smuttynose Brewing (Hampton, NH) — Really Old Brown Dog American Brown Ale
Fall 2021 Release:
Long Trail Brewing Company (Bridgewater Corners, VT) –- Unearthed American Stout
Two Roads Brewing (Stratford, CT) — Worker’s Comp Farmhouse Ale
Chatham Brewing (Chatham, NY) — 8 Barrel