All Together Now - Four Vermont spirits companies boost sales and productivity through timely collaborations
Oct 24, 2024 01:19PM ● By MARIE EDINGER
To do this, business owners have to figure out whether something is just a passing fad or if it’s likely to stick around for a while. They must find creative ways to embrace trends yet still stand out to their customers. They have to stay true to themselves, even when creating crowd-pleasing products.
One way Vermont distillers have dealt with the changing business environment is through collaborations. One prime example of this is the collaboration between Burlington’s Switchback Brewing Co.and Appalachian Gap Distillery . Together, the two have created a new label: Essential Spirits.
That venture was born out of necessity during the pandemic. Switchback had thousands of gallons of their signature Switchback Ale at risk of going bad when bars and restaurants closed their doors. So, they distilled approximately 1,500 kegs, equivalent to 250,000 cans of the ale, at Appalachian Gap Distillery in Middlebury, VT, where it is aged for at least three years in oak barrels. The result is something brand new: a beautiful amber-hued whiskey with herbaceous notes and a gin that highlights the beer’s bright hop notes.
“The collaboration was something to look forward to during that dark period, and the partnership not only helped prevent great beer from going to waste but also aligned with our commitment to sustainability,” says Will Drucker, Appalachian Gap’s founder.
Bottles of Essential Vermont Malt Whiskey and Hopped Gin are available for purchase at 802 Spirits liquor stores across the state, at Appalachian Gap Distillery, and at Switchback’s new Beer Garden & Tap House. Another collaboration worth highlighting is between Vermont Distillers of Marlboro, VT, and Smugglers’ Notch Distillery of Jeffersonville. The two have been working together since 2017 and now have opened their joint venture: Smugglers’ Notch Distillery & Vermont Distillers Tasting Room.
The two spirits companies connected through a statewide organization called the Distilled Spirits Council of Vermont. Located at 28 Church Street in Downtown Burlington, the council site provides a means for distillers to connect with one another and share ideas.
Andrew Causey, the production and marketing manager for Smugglers’ Notch Distillery, says the Church Street Marketplace location is ideal for showcasing both distillers’ spirits. “This wonderful pedestrian space is a boost for both companies and a chance to share multiple treasures of Vermont in a convenient and accessible way,” Andrew says. “It’s a partnership that works!”
Dominic Metcalf, vice president of Vermont Distillers, says that besides the tasting room, the Church Street site also has a retail shop where you can buy a wide variety of spirits, including straight, maple, or honey bourbon and raspberry, maple cream, or blueberry liqueurs.
The shop, open daily from 11am to 7pm, also sells traditional liquors like vodka, gin, and rum, as well as canned cocktails, supplies, glassware, gift packs, and Vermont-themed merchandise like barrel-aged maple syrup and clothing.
These collaborations prove that competitors don’t have to work against one another. Instead, they can build friendships that translate into something new, exciting and delicious.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SMUGGLERS’ NOTCH DISTILLERY AND VERMONT DISTILLERS
