Next Century Spirits expands production capacity of Durham facility in US

Next Century Spirits has increased the production capacity of its Durham facility in North Carolina, US.

The brewery can now produce 1,000 proof gallons of oak-matured spirits per day while using 80-95% less wood than regular spirit production.

Worldwide demand for spirits is increasing. According to the Distilled Spirits Council, consumption of American whiskey stood at more than $3.4bn in revenue in 2018, while exports to the UK grew twofold between 2008 and 2018. Other spirits such as rum and gin also saw similar growth.

In addition, demand for craft spirits is growing and consumers are looking for a wider range of flavours and aromas.

To cater to this growing consumer demand, the firm’s technology includes maturation methods that absorb wood flavors and remove unwanted elements, as well as filter, extract and refine added flavors.

Next Century Spirits CEO Scott Bolin said: “The chemical reactions that occur during spirits maturation, from direct extraction to decomposition of wood macromolecules and evaporation of volatile compounds, are incredibly complex.

“Reproducing these processes more efficiently while maintaining quality is a huge challenge in the industry. We are fortunate to have a team in place whose depth of experience meets the breadth of this challenge.”

Next Century’s technology is used by brands such as Creek Water, a 100-proof American Whiskey launched by recording artist Yelawolf.

NC State University associate professor of forest biomaterials Joel Pawlak said: “One of the most compelling aspects of this technology is its scalability. While increasing our production from small-scale units to full production units, we have been able to drop capital costs by more than 90% on a proof gallon basis.

“The high throughput of the technology greatly streamlines supply chain management of distilled spirits. This is a major benefit to small brand and private label customers seeking to rapidly grow their business.

“In addition, our ability to co-locate this technology, to easily integrate it into existing distillery facilities anywhere in the world, is of great interest to established brands.”

Next Century Spirits will be showcasing its technology at the 2019 International Bulk Wine & Spirits Show in London, which takes place on 11-12 March.