The Journal
Installation/Distillation III
A note of gratitude following our third annual art show.
What an honor.
That’s all I can think to say every time we get the chance to throw an event at Shmidt Spirits, especially Installation/Distillation. When we began Shmidt Spirits over three years ago (and a lot longer if you include initial planning and buildout) we had so many plans. We wanted to be a community hot spot, a place people could get together to learn about one another, to discover new and interesting people and ideas, and of course come to love our great spirits.
COVID had other ideas.
When it was safe to open our doors wide once more, one of the first things we did was set ourselves to the task of becoming that place we first imagined we could be. I pitched that our first event should be the big, bold idea I had before we even finished the buildout—an art show featuring local artists. That we survived the pandemic at all was a shock; being able to make this event happen that first time was all the more incredible.
So now, every time we manage to pull it off again it feels like a miracle and a celebration all at once. Being able to help our community return to a sense of communal joy and revelry is a tremendous thing. Helping local artists to find new admirers and buyers is a responsibility and a honor its hard to overstate. These guys come to us with all the passion and grit they have, and its up to us to deliver a great time and a large audience so that their energy is rewarded.
This year was maybe the smallest I/D we’ve done thus far (I blame the rain) but it was still an awesome experience. Musician Dave Zelonka played some incredible music all night long; Arthur Shmidt was mixing drinks on pace with our thirsty public; and the artists gave our attendees some incredible work to admire, take home, and make their own. Watching the crowd linger over especially meaningful pieces, dance to the sweet strains of bluegrass, and swap tastes of cocktails to see who ordered the best drink, it was hard not to feel completely overcome. By gratitude, by humility, and by pride.
We make an unbeatable line of spirits here—we’re not modest about that—but I like to think we offer something more, as well. And events like Installation/Distillation let us know that we’re living up to that promise and energize us to keep at it.
If you made it out, thank you! And if you couldn’t be there, well: we can’t wait to see you next time.
-Brian J. Roan
Master Distiller
Click image for full picture
Thank You for Making Installation/Distillation a Massive Success
If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. That was something I heard once from a Jesuit, and it has always stuck with me. It's a good way to put into perspective how little control you have over your life.
When we began to conceptualize what Shmidt Spirits would be back in 2019, we had a lot of grand schemes in mind. Concerts. Parties. Competitions. Art shows. When our doors opened in February of 2020, we had a running document of ideas, and we were beyond excited to get to work.
And then, well, you know what happened.
Anyway, once summer of 2021 hit and vaccination rates climbed and it seemed like some degree of normalcy might come back, we were ready to get the ball rolling and get back to the business of making our little distillery everything we knew it could be. We joined with an old friend from our college days, rolled up our sleeves, and INSTALLATION/DISTILLATION was born. For three months we stressed out over every detail, worked with artists to make sure our space was perfect for them, and generally realized week over week just how much goes into throwing a giant party.
But we did it! And so many of you were there, drinking and talking and appreciating the work the artists did. It was an incredible experience. We got to give a few artists their first show ever, see them get their first sales ever, and were able to introduce ourselves to the community at large.
So we wanted to say thank you to everyone who came out. Artist, patrons, friends and family; everyone! We're looking forward to many more events just like this one. You can check out our events page on what we have in store, and follow us on social media to get all the news that's fit to tweet.
Distilling in the Age of COVID
A rundown on how Covid-19 has changed things at Shmidt Spirits.
When we published our last journal post in late February, we declared that we were fully operation and ready to receive customers at our now-fully functioning distillery. When we began to get our first walk-in customers looking for tours, tastings, and to buy a bottle of our spirits, we were ecstatic.
What a difference a month makes.
Not long after our biggest weekend of traffic and sales, COVID-19 changed everything. Strange to write that cliche phrase and really mean it. Suddenly people were told to stay in their homes, to cease unnecessary excursions out, and to avoid public gatherings. Suddenly, our slight momentum was ground to a halt.
In spite of that, Arthur and I have continued to work every weekend and a few weekdays at making our craft spirits. Distilleries count as essential businesses (as one might expect) and should everything get back to a state of normalcy by August, we wanted to still be on track to put out our Cobalt rye whiskey as planned. Then, something else happened. Distilleries around the country were told by the government that they had the ability to turn spirits into hand sanitizer as a means of filling the growing need for PPE.
Within four days of getting this news, Shmidt Spirits had begun to bottle sanitizing spray made in our own facilities. Within a week, we had sold almost 2,000 bottles to local businesses and private citizens. Not only that, but we launched a GoFundMe in order to be able to give out hand sanitizer to people in our community.
Today we gave out sanitizer to a drive-through farmers market and food pantry, and even opened up our overhead door to be able to distribute free sanitizer right from our distillery. Our hope is that in the weeks ahead we can continue to build on this foundation of giving and aid to continue to serve our community in the best way that we know how.
We have begun offering online ordering with curbside pickup, and are hoping to begin delivery service soon as well.
And all the while, we keep plugging away, mashing and distilling and aging our rye whiskey, hopeful that when we all come out the other side of this crisis, we can celebrate with our brand new Cobalt rye, and get back to the business of becoming your new favorite craft spirit.
Stay In The Know
As we get close to opening, don’t forget to follow and subscribe to stay apprised of all of our goings-on.
Any Day Now…
Nearly two years after we first leased our space at Southard Drive, we are finally coming to the point when everything will be settled and ready to go. To say that the experience has tried both our patience and our sanity would be, frankly, an understatement.
But now, at last, we are on the brink of opening.
And So…
Since we are now closer than ever to the moment of truth, this is the time to make sure that you are following us on social media and subscribed to our email list. Spirits releases, events of all kinds, fun pictures of Arthur in full business dress sweeping up floors—if you’re not following us online then you might miss all of these and more.
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That’s That
You’re all set. Now all you have to do is sit back, relax, and start thinking about what kinds of cocktails you want to make first once those first bottles of Shmidt Spirits start appearing on the shelves.