What's happening for craft beverage producers, and what it means for you.
Openings, closures, expansions and industry news that affect craft distillers and the brewers, winemakers, cider makers and mead makers working alongside them, with sources and a plain explanation of why each one matters.
Free for the whole craft community: every story and rule change here is sourced, and you can share it with other producers or bring it to your Guild.
Please note Information only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the regulator or a lawyer before acting.
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Latest from US craft distilling
ClosureNacogdoches, TXSpiritsClosure reported Oct 19, 2026 (news only; not confirmed)Oct 19, 2026
Madhatter Distillery in Nacogdoches, Texas, closes for good
Local radio reported Oct 19 that Madhatter Distillery posted on Facebook that it has closed and will not reopen as Remedy 403, the bar it had planned for the site, citing tariffs, supply-chain problems, rising costs and liability insurance. It said it did not lose its liquor license.
Why it matters
A small downtown tasting-room distillery that opened in March 2025 is already gone, showing how thin the margins are.
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Texas TABC records show its distiller license (D) surrendered Sep 8, 2026, after it said it would stop distilling and become Remedy 403; a mixed beverage permit for Remedy 403 was issued Oct 12, 2026 and still shows Active. TTB still listed its permit on Oct 13, 2026. The Facebook post itself was not viewed, so the closure counts as news only.
IndustryFederalSpiritsSupreme Court agreed to hear the case Oct 19, 2026Oct 19, 2026
Supreme Court will decide if the federal ban on distilling at home is constitutional
The Supreme Court agreed Oct 19 to hear DOJ v. McNutt, on the 160-year-old law barring a still in a home or a connected shed or yard (26 U.S.C. 5178). The Fifth Circuit held the ban goes beyond Congress's taxing power, and the Sixth Circuit upheld it. Federal law already lets adults make up to 100 or 200 gallons of beer or wine at home tax-free.
Why it matters
Spirits are the only drink Americans cannot legally make at home, and the ruling will decide whether that gap stays.
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No. 26-204; petitioners are DOJ and TTB. The lower-court injunction protects only the plaintiffs and Hobby Distillers Association members, so the ban still applies to everyone else for now. No argument date yet (docket checked Oct 20, 2026). A bill to allow limited home distilling (H.R. 10157) is pending in Congress. Home beer and wine: 26 U.S.C. 5053(e) and 5042(a)(2). Not a change to commercial distillery rules.
IndustryFederalSpiritsTTB settlements announced Oct 16, 2026Oct 16, 2026
TTB settles with a distiller that used the reduced $2.70 tax rate beyond its controlled group's share
TTB said it accepted an Offer in Compromise from East End Distillers, LLC for allegedly paying the reduced $2.70 per proof gallon rate when, as part of a controlled group, it exceeded the volume the group shares. It also settled with American Marksman, LLC over alleged tax, export paperwork and return-filing failures.
Why it matters
The reduced craft rate is shared across every company in a controlled group, and TTB is enforcing that limit.
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Source is TTB's Oct 16, 2026 newsletter. TTB did not give locations or amounts. An Offer in Compromise settles alleged violations; it is not a court finding. Under CBMA the $2.70 rate applies to the first 100,000 proof gallons a year, shared by all members of a controlled group.
ReleaseNewport, KYSpiritsReleased Oct 16, 2026Oct 16, 2026
New Riff releases a 6-year bottled-in-bond wheated bourbon
New Riff's 6-year Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon is bottled in bond at 100 proof, non-chill-filtered, from 65% corn plus floor-malted, unmalted and dark wheat. It went on sale Oct 16 through its Whiskey Club only, $59.99, distillery pickup only.
Why it matters
An independent Kentucky distiller selling a release only as a pickup at the distillery, which brings buyers in and keeps the full margin.
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Mash bill: 65% corn, 18% floor-malted wheat, 10% unmalted wheat, 7% dark wheat. Whiskey Club purchases cannot be shipped and must be picked up within 60 days.
IndustryFederalSpiritsIndustry data (Aug 2026)Oct 14, 2026
US craft distiller count falls to 2,131, down 6.6%
ACSA counted 2,131 active craft distillers as of August 2026, and closures outnumbered openings for the first time. Craft sales volume fell 8% in 2025, while direct-to-consumer sales at distilleries rose to 26% of craft spirits sold.
Why it matters
With closures outnumbering openings and on-site sales up to 26 percent, every state shipping and tasting-room rule hits craft margins harder.
Count as of: August 2026
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Per the Rochester Beacon citing ACSA: sales value dropped 3.7% to $7.3 billion in 2025, the third straight annual decline; the direct-to-consumer share was 14% in 2015.
ClosureSanta Rosa, CASpiritsClosed (stopped Dec 2025)Oct 13, 2026
Elk Fence Distillery closes; its equipped space is up for lease
Elk Fence planned to open March 15, 2020, a day after California's COVID shutdown, and never recovered. It stopped in December 2025, its state license expired in September 2026, and its equipment is still in the building.
Why it matters
A built-out space can shorten a new distillery's build-out, though the next operator still needs its own permits and licenses.
ExpansionEmmaus, PASpiritsGrand opening Oct 10, 2026Oct 10, 2026
Triple Sun Spirits reopens its Emmaus distillery as The Railyard
After closing for renovations in March, Triple Sun held a grand opening for The Railyard, adding a full-service dining room, a game and sports room, a speakeasy lounge and an outdoor beer garden. Hours are 4-10 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Why it matters
It shows a small distillery adding food and entertainment to keep visitors longer, as on-site sales become a bigger share of craft revenue.
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WFMZ (published Monday, Oct 12, 2026) reported the grand opening was held "on Saturday", i.e. Oct 10, 2026. A sneak-peek event ran in July and soft openings followed.
ClosureLolo, MTSpiritsClosure reported Oct 9, 2026 (news only; not confirmed)Oct 9, 2026
Lolo Creek Distillery in Montana announces plans to close and become a wedding and event center
NBC Montana reported that the family-owned distillery plans to close its distillery operations and turn the site into a wedding and event center, with the tasting room and online store open until the product runs out. No closing date was given, and its own website and federal permits still show it operating.
Why it matters
Another small-town tasting-room distillery leaving the business as closures outpace openings nationally.
ExpansionFairport, NYSpiritsBought building Oct 1, 2026Oct 1, 2026
Iron Smoke buys its Fairport building and plans a $3M upgrade
Iron Smoke paid $1.75 million for the roughly 20,000 sq ft space it has rented since 2014, as part of a $3 million plan to modernize and add capacity. The company says it will keep 18 jobs and add six.
Why it matters
A craft distiller choosing to own its building, not lease it, during a tough market for craft spirits.
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The sale closed Oct 1, 2026 per Monroe County property records cited by the Rochester Beacon. The distillery plans to introduce a 10-year straight bourbon at an anniversary celebration on Oct 28.
Disclaimer: Information only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the regulator or a lawyer before acting.
Legislative data from LegiScan (https://legiscan.com), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). legiscan.com ↗ · CC BY 4.0 license ↗
Modified: WhiskeyOS summarized bill status, history and text in plain English; LegiScan did not review these summaries.
