We know there are producers out there corrupting the 'craft' term, and we do our best to avoid them. We understand that there are reasons for sourcing base spirits, and even some value in doing so, in certain circumstances. But to us craft is more than just branding, or even an unique recipe that is produced for a label by a contract distiller. It is a holistic approach to production that connects consumers to producers through a shared set of values, and it requires transparency and trust in order to be authentic.
While some find the appeal of craft to be the wider range of unique flavors and profiles that it has made available, the return of terroir, or the quest for that perfect expression of a particular spirit, many subscribe to a craft dogma because of more intrinsic values. Beyond considerations of taste and cost, they are basing their decision to buy craft on their desire to associate with or support something they presume the term craft implies. For many, these are loftier considerations, such as sustainable practices, independent ownership, or grain to glass production.
When companies looking to leverage the growing popularity of craft spirits engage in deceptive marketing practices, they undermine consumer confidence in the segment, and they thwart the flow of capital into authentic craft production. Funneling capital into genuine craft producers is paramount to their continued success, and it is the real motivation behind many consumers choosing craft when voting with their wallet. Buying a bottle of craft whiskey only to find that it is merely sourced from an industrial scale facility and nicely packaged leaves these consumers confused, disenchanted, and angry.
Angry enough that a group of them recently brought a class action suit against Proximo Spirits, Inc., maker of Tincup whiskey, alleging that the company engaged in deceptive marketing. Proximo, of course, denies all allegations of wrongdoing but is settling the case "in the interest of avoiding the expense, inconvenience, and inherent risk and disruption of litigation." Plaintiffs and their attorneys believe that the settlement is in their best interest because it provides an appropriate, and immediate, cash recovery. The interest of those most harmed by Proximo's activities, the genuine producers of authentic craft spirits who have lost the confidence of their potential market, was apparently not considered.
Although we were not party to the suit, last week we received an email informing us that we may be entitled to payment. We aren't, but if you purchased Tincup whiskey from July 1, 2013 to September 16, 2015, you may very well be. We recommend you visit www.TincupWhiskeySettlement.com to learn more.
What we are is guilty of having highlighted Tincup whiskey in our Spirit of the Mountain issue of MicroShiner magazine last winter. Our curated selection of apres-ski cocktails features Tincup in Dave's Drifter, a house favorite at the Rathskellar. And while we have no doubt that the drink is delicious, we are less confident about the authenticity of its craft pedigree.
To the average imbiber, this may be of little or no concern, but for us it is important to separate the wheat from the chaff. Not that we don't see a place for products like Tincup, and in some cases might even recommend them, but rather that we aim to make the distinction. What we consider constitutes a craft spirit is a conversation for another place, save to say that Tincup whiskey isn't among them.
Our takeaway from this experience, accepting that life is a learning process for those who choose a path of continuous improvement, is that we must hold ourselves accountable to a more stringent standard in the future and commit fully to our stated mission. That of connecting the makers and shakers who are fully vested in the craft movement with those individuals who seek to support it in its larger context.
