The host distillery for the 2024 Craft Distilling Experience events will be Urban Distillery located in West Kelowna, BC.
The Craft Distilling Experience workshops are one of a kind. These events are truly hands-on. You will participate in all facets of the beverage alcohol production experience….from grinding grain through to running the still.
2024 Craft Distilling (4-day) Experience dates:
At this point we have no dates set. If you are interested in a 4-day event, please contact either Urban Distilleries (ask to speak with Mark) or contact myself.
The tuition cost for a 4-day Craft Distilling Experience event is $2500 +GST
Are you curious to learn how beverage alcohol is made? Learning how beverage alcohol is made will make you a more discerning consumer of alcohol. You will no longer just reach for your go-to brand name bottle.
Have you dreamed of becoming a very accomplished home distiller (for personal consumption only) ?
Do you like Gin? How about learning to make Gin at home?
Have you thought of maybe one day starting a small craft distillery?
These will be four intense days of practical learning that will forever change how you look at beverage alcohol.
These four days will turn you from a mere spirits drinker into a spirits connoisseur.
You will emerge from this 4-day event fully capable of embarking on your new hobby of home distilling. You will also be in a perfect position to be able to confidently begin work at opening your own craft distillery, if that is your goal.
To start, you will be shown the names of 12 corporations. These are the global “big guys” who control the worldwide beverage alcohol industry. You will gain insight into their marketing strategies. You will soon learn why consumers have a certain brand they seem to always go to.
But, never mind the “big guys”. Small batch craft (or small batch home distilled) is where the focus will be.
You will learn how grains like barley, wheat, and rye are malted.
You will learn how to adjust water chemistry in preparation for a mash.
You will learn about the 4-T’s of equipment cleaning.
You will learn about using enzymes to mash un-malted grains.
You will learn about the Kreb’s Cycle and the Fermentation Cycle.
You will be introduced to Raoult’s Law and the science of fractional distillation.
You will engage in hands-on activity using the actual equipment in the distillery.
You will do a distillation “wash run”. You will use your senses of smell and taste to observe how the character of the distillate changes with time. The distillate collected will then be redistilled as part of a distillation “spirits run”. You and your classmates will decide when to make the hearts and tails cuts.
You will have all your questions answered about licensing, distillery equipment, distillery layout, equipment cost and equipment maintenance.
Lastly, you will be introduced to every distillers best friend – the oak barrel. You will learn the science behind oak wood, you will learn how oak barrels are made and you will become aware of the oxidative reactions that occur in an oak barrel to build flavor.
And finally, Day 4 will be all about Gin. You will learn about the long list of botanicals that can be used to make Gin. After tasting some samples of various Gins, you will work in groups of 2 and you will design your own Gin recipe. Using a small 5-liter Al’Ambic still, you will distill off your recipe creation and make your very own Gin.
To maximize the leaning experience, class sizes are capped at 8 people.
We look forward to seeing you at one of the 2024 Workshops.
When you are ready to sign up, please fill out the attached registration form and then remit your tuition payment.
If you wish to speak with me about these events, feel free to email or call at your convenience.
Or, if you wish, you can do an E-Transfer to my ProhibitionUniversity<at> gmail.com address. Call me, text me or email me the secret password.
PLEASE NOTE** – this same registration material is also found on the Urban Distilleries website at https://www.urban-distilleries.com/workshops-and-classes/. You can register for the Workshop on this site or you can do it through the Urban website.
Learning Materials
Participants will be provided with a copy of my textbook Field to Flask (5th ed.) In addition, workshop participants will be provided with a USB stick loaded with all sorts of valuable supplemental information, both academic and practical in nature.
What Have People said About Past Workshops?
…This Workshop gave me the foundations to start experimenting at home while I gather the information to start my craft distilling business… L.T. – Toronto, Canada
…I came here with no knowledge of distilling and I am leaving here with a lot of useful information plus the confidence to start distilling…. M.S. – Ontario, Canada
…An excellent course that covers the elements necessary to help one understand distilling. Very well explained!! … C.L. – Alberta, Canada.
** NOTE** In all workshops and events the subject of home distilling will arise. Please note that this is against the law in most jurisdictions. I walk a fine line on the subject of home distilling – and regularly draw fire from authorities. Use your very best common sense and judgement regarding this issue. If you do start home distilling after attending a Workshop, please use anything you make for personal consumption. Do not be giving product away, selling it on the street corner or trading it with buddies for other goods.
