Imagine a future where distillers can make whiskey instantly. No more maturation. No more limitations. And no more shortages. Well, the world of tomorrow may be here today. Next Century Spirits recently announced that its scaling its Durham, NC production facility to 1,000 proof gallons per day!
Established less than one year ago, Next Century, an advanced technology company that specializes in the creation and processing of distilled spirits and wine, produces oak-matured whiskey in hours rather than years. The company’s patented process (described above) employs 80-95% less wood than conventional processes, eliminates the “angel’s share,” and uses equipment that is highly scalable.
To meet the rising demand of spirits globally, Next Century’s tech initiates processes that they say closely match all the major, natural phases that occur in traditional spirits maturation. This technology allows the distiller to impart new and unique finishes to their products.
According to the Distilled Spirits Council, U.S. American whiskey consumption amounted to over $3.4 billion in revenue for distillers in 2018, and U.S. whiskey exports to the U.K. more than doubled between 2008 and 2018. Other spirits such as rum and gin are experiencing similar growth. Demand for craft spirits is rising as well, in parallel with craft brewing, as consumers seek an ever-wider range of custom aromas and flavors.
“The chemical reactions that occur during spirits maturation – from direct extraction to decomposition of wood macromolecules and evaporation of volatile compounds – are incredibly complex,” says Scott Bolin, CEO of Next Century Spirits. “Reproducing these processes more efficiently while maintaining quality is a huge challenge in the industry. We are fortunate to have a team in place whose depth of experience meets the breadth of this challenge.”
Brands employing Next Century’s technology include Creek Water, a 100-proof American Whiskey launched by award-winning recording artist Yelawolf. The brand has scaled rapidly since its April 2018 launch, with more than 5,000 cases produced, and distribution to 19 states across the country.
