NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Nashville Craft Distillery is built on science. From Day 1, guests at Nashville Craft have received a lesson in the science and history of fermentation and distillation with tours led by the distilling team itself. After taking a break due to COVID restrictions, on May 4, Nashville Craft is re-launching our two-day hands-on distilling workshop to deepen that experience for craft spirit lovers.
Nashville Craft’s Hands-On Distilling Experience includes two days of hands-on work, taking place at the distillery, 514 Hagan St., Nashville, Tennessee. The workshops will be led by the distillers: founder and president Bruce Boeko along with distiller Rachael Sykes, who has been with the distillery from the beginning. These sessions, conducted on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, will cover topics including:
- The science of fermentation and distillation;
- Legal requirements (standards of identity) for whiskey, gin and other spirits;
- Operation and maintenance of the mechanical systems used in distilling;
- Infusions, barrel aging, and other post-distillation methods;
- Distillery business strategies, whiskey economics;
- Hands-on participation in mashing grain, fermentation, first and second distillation for whiskey, and botanical distillation of gin.
Who should attend?
- Distilled spirits enthusiasts
- Potential future distillers
- Applied science fans
- Homebrewers and winemakers
- Anyone serious about what it means to drink local and how local spirits are made
What is the cost of the program?
The two-day program costs $500 per attendee, plus tax. Class size is up to six people.
How do you register?
Go to www.nashvillecraft.com for more information and to register.
Nashville Craft Distillery
Nashville Craft distills spirits using quality natural ingredients, sourced locally when possible, including whiskey, gin and other specialty spirits. NCD does contract distilling for other companies and produces spirits under its own brand for direct sales to the public through its tasting room, as well as off-premise (liquor store) and on-premise (restaurants and bar) sales. Nashville Craft is a proud member of the Tennessee Distillers Guild and an inaugural stop on the Tennessee Whiskey Trail.
Hours: Regular hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday; noon-6 Saturday and noon-4 p.m. Sunday for tastings, cocktails and bottle sales, with tours offered Friday-Sunday. The distillery is also available for small private events.
Social Media:
Facebook: /nashvillecraft | Twitter: @nashvillecraft | Instagram: @nashville_craft
Bruce Boeko, President and Founder
After a rewarding 20-year career in human identity testing (focused on forensic DNA testing), Bruce took a break to return to school to earn his MBA and start his first entrepreneurial venture, Nashville Craft Distillery. He opened Nashville Craft in March 2016 in the Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood near downtown. An experienced applied scientist, Bruce has been a homebrewer and winemaker for more than 30 years. He has completed training at two distilling schools: The Distilled Spirits Epicenter in Louisville, Kentucky; and Kothe Distilling Technologies in Chicago, Illinois.
Rachael Sykes, Distiller and certified executive bourbon steward
As a distiller at Nashville Craft Distillery, Rachael Sykes is responsible for producing whiskey and other spirits start to finish – from bags of grain to bottles – for the Nashville Craft label and for brands contracting with Nashville Craft. Rachael is one of a small number of distillers who is also an Executive Bourbon Steward, certified in September 2018 through the Stave & Thief Society at Moonshine University in Louisville, Kentucky. A homebrewer since 2013, Rachael was the first Nashville Craft employee hired when the distillery began production in 2016. One of a growing number women distillers, Rachael is also a member of the Tennessee chapter of the Bourbon Women Association.