Field To Flask

Over the past decade, the craft distilling movement has exploded to include over 1800 small-batch distillers in the United States, some 250 in the UK, and nearly 200 in Canada. Yet despite this apparent growth, craft distilling has not managed to take a commanding piece of the beverage alcohol market share.

Successfully making beverage alcohol takes more than passion. It demands a solid working knowledge of the science that underpins raw material selection, water chemistry adjustments, yeast microbiology, the fermentation cycle, the physics of fractional distillation, and the ageing reactions that occur in an oak cask. Once a craft beverage alcohol has been created, it must successfully be marketed. The subtle strategic nuances of the marketing process are almost as complex as the science of making the alcohol itself.

This 5th edition of Field to Flask represents the culmination of the author’s years of practical brewing and distilling experience combined with his considerable educational knowledge. This book is designed both for entrepreneurs contemplating the launch of a craft distilling business and for craft distillers to get better at what they do.

As you turn the pages of this book, you will be taken on a journey that briefly looks at the history of alcohol and then goes on to deeply examine the science of raw materials, water, yeast, fermentation, distillation, oak ageing, and proofing. You will also learn the legal definitions of various spirit types, the legislation that affects the industry, and about the different licenses required. You will gain a solid understanding of the equipment needed to make beverage alcohol and the science of marketing beverage alcohol products. The book wraps up with a series of recipes to jump start your product development

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Whether you are an existing craft distiller looking to gain market share or an entrepreneur thinking about launching a craft distillery, this book is designed for you.

Author Biography

Malcolm Bucholtz, is a graduate of Queen’s University Faculty of Engineering in Canada and Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. After graduating from Queen’s University in 1986, he embarked on a career in the steel industry. With his first paycheque in hand he went to a local home brewing store where he bought Charlie Papazian’s book, The Joy of Home Brewing, along with all the tools and toys needed for making beer at home. Although not realized at the time, this purchase would have lasting and profound implications. In 1999, Malcolm completed his MBA from the Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University. This opened the door to exciting opportunities over the next 15 years in the financial brokerage industry as well as the junior mining industry. During this time, Malcolm started making beer using the all-grain method, wine from fruit, and a delightful beverage called mead. In early 2014, Malcolm began yearning for new adventures. While contemplating the idea of returning to Heriot-Watt University to pursue a graduate degree in Brewing and Distilling Science, he happened upon the U.K.-based Institute for Brewing and Distilling (IBD) and enrolled to write their General Certificate Exam in Distilling. In late 2014, Malcolm began delivering 5-day Distilling workshops in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. In early 2020, he shifted his workshops to Calgary, Alberta. When not delivering workshops, Malcolm offers his consulting services to entrepreneurs seeking to launch small craft distilleries. Assistance in crafting business plans, marketing plans, assistance with recipe development, and operational start-ups are just a part of what he offers. In 2017, Malcolm finally took the plunge and enrolled in the Heriot-Watt’s M.Sc. Brewing and Distilling graduate program. In 2020, Malcolm was granted his M.Sc. degree from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. You can find Malcolm at his website, www.ProhibitionUniversity.com and on Facebook at his Prohibition University page. You can also join his Linked In Discussion Group appropriately called the Craft Distilling Discussion Group.