In the previous two installments of our series on American Single Malt Whiskey (ASMW), we discussed the efforts to define it as well as the role the on-premise has to play in this market. In this last installment, we’ll look at the future of this nascent category.
The future is bright for ASMW, and it will be marked by two major factors:
- Growth
- Regionalization
“On the first front, the American Single Malt category is still small, representing a tiny fraction of the whiskey industry. This makes sense: It’s a new style,” say Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski, co-founders of independent American Whiskey bottler Lost Lantern. “But over time, like in any industry, some distilleries and brands will come to be dominant. The TTB’s official recognition of the category, as well as increased media and consumer attention, will help lay the foundation for major growth.”
Jared Himstedt, head distiller at Balcones Distilling, agrees. “It’s a fast growing and very exciting category,” he says. “I think American whisky will always have a heavy influence from Bourbon, but globally, this category is one of the most exciting developments. We are getting single malts from a lot of non-traditional whisky regions, which is always fun for producers and consumers alike. We believe it has a lot of potential to grow in volume and contribute significant innovation and energy to the whisky conversation.”
Speaking of regions, regionalization is one of the predictions for the future of ASMW. “Over time, ASMW distilleries will develop better understandings of their own unique maturation environments and regional styles will develop,” say Ganley-Roper & Polonski. “This is already underway in several parts of the country, notably the Pacific Northwest, Southwest, and Texas, but it will amplify over time. Eventually, these regional styles of American Single Malt will likely become well-known and sought after in their own right.”
Murphy Quint, head distiller at Cedar Ridge Distillery, is more hesitant about the possibility of regionalization. “In my opinion, that would take several decades to develop. Maybe even centuries,” he says. “In the nearer term, I think the ASMW landscape will be similar to craft beer. There are hundreds of craft breweries scattered throughout the United States, and each of them has its own style and its own production processes that create consistency within its own brand but ultimately differentiate its products from other producers. I think that’s where we’re headed with ASMW. Each distillery will have its own trademarked ‘style’ of American Single Malt that’s different from everyone else’s.”
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