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Margie Lehrman is the CEO of the American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA). She has led the organization since 2016.

So what is a craft distiller? The ACSA defines one as:

* A distillery that values the importance of transparency in distilling, and remains forthcoming regarding their use of ingredients, their distilling location and process, bottling location and process, and aging process.

* A distillery that produces fewer than 750,000 gallons annually.

* A distillery that directly or indirectly holds an ownership interest of 51% or more of the Distilled Spirit Plant (DSP) license.

In this conversation, we discussed the policy initiatives they reviewed with legislators during a recent trip to Capitol Hill (press release) including

* The conservation and preservation of White Oak, which is used for the production of many barrels.

* Allowing the postal service to transport and deliver spirits to residences in states where that it is already permitted for UPS and FedEx.

* Why ACSA supports increased funding the for Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), which regulates the industry.

* Agritourism and its economic impact on distilleries.

We also discussed the STEPUP Foundation, which provides underserved and underrepresented individuals with training, encouragement, and opportunities to enter the craft spirits community through a comprehensive internship program.

Check out the ACSA’s website, Instagram, and their magazine.

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