Distilled Spirits Epicenter was created to bring together specialists from every facet of the distilling and spirits industries under one roof to provide education, training, R & D, and support for industry professionals, established companies, and those entering the business. “Within 50 to 75 miles of Louisville, there is every resource imaginable for the distilling industry,” says Founder Dave Dafoe. “There are distillers, distillery engineers, grain producers, cooperages, equipment manufacturers, glassmakers, places to buy labels. These experts make up our faculty.”

Moonshine University, the educational division of the Epicenter, offers technical training and business management education for start-ups, industry professionals, and those looking for careers in the industry. “Dave recognized the craft distilling movement taking on momentum, much like craft brewing 20 years ago,” says Kevin Hall, the Epicenter’s Operations Manager. However, this tremendous surge in demand for distilling permits had no foundation. “There was no training or business management education specifically for these emerging craft enterprises, and that threatened the integrity of the industry as a whole.”

“In 2006 there were 143 federal permits for distilled spirits plants. In 2014 there were over 1,500.”

In 2012, Dave opened Moonshine University next door to his thriving beverage development company Flavorman. Together the sister-companies make up a beverage campus that houses a fully-equipped distillery, state-of-art classroom, production facility with bottling line, extensive sensory library, and 24,000 square foot beverage innovation laboratory. Moonshine University’s 5-Day Distiller Course qualifies for 5.5 Business Management credit hours through Jefferson Community and Technical College, and seats sell out months in advance. No other facility can match the level of expertise and resources Moonshine U offers, and no other staff invests in the success of students more diligently.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who should attend Moonshine University?

– Entrepreneurs interested in opening their own distillery or launching their own brand.
– Industry professionals who are looking to gain a better overall understanding of the craft, science and trade of beverage alcohol.
– Those looking for careers in the distilling industry.
– Distillery owners/operators who want to specialize or improve in a certain area of their business.

What will I learn?

Our 5-Day Distiller Course provides a complete overview of the craft of distilling and the beverage alcohol industry through comprehensive technical training and business management education. We bring in over 30 industry experts for an intensive, practical, hands-on learning experience that covers every facet of the craft and the industry, from raw materials sourcing and best manufacturing practices to branding and getting your product into the hands of consumers.

Our workshops are designed to advance understanding and skills in specific areas of the business, such as individual distillate specialization, operations, and route-to-market, through practical study and hand-on on application in the classroom setting.

Are your courses hands on?

During our 5-Day Distiller Course, we spend time in the distillery every day. We distill rum, whiskey, gin, and vodka. Our hands-on distilling consultants, Pete Kamer and Randy Allender, are worth every penny of tuition alone. They go above and beyond to spend time with our attendees before and after class and on breaks to answer questions, discuss individual projects, and demonstrate techniques.

We also spend time in the beverage development lab studying beverage development, uses for grain neutral spirits (GNS), chill filtration and the art and science of sensory evaluations.

Similarly our workshops also include hands-on activities designed to incorporate the concepts discussed in the classroom into practical application. Many of our hands-on learning exercises breakdown larger concepts into smaller pieces for a more thorough analysis, such as individual congener study or bench-top distilling.

How are these courses different than other distilling courses?

Faculty: Distilled Spirits Epicenter was created to bring together specialists from every facet of the distilling and spirits industries under one roof to provide education, training, R & D, and support for industry professionals, established companies, and those entering the business. With a faculty of over 40 of the industry’s recognized experts, we provide the opportunity to learn from the best of the best, from distillers and marketers of the world’s most successful brands to owners and operators of working craft distilleries.

Facilities: Moonshine University is located on a beverage campus that houses a fully-equipped distillery, state-of-art classroom, production facility with bottling line, extensive sensory library, and 24,000 square foot beverage innovation laboratory. Our proximity to industry supplier and manufacturing facilities allows us to incorporate “field trips” into our curriculum.

Recognition: As the exclusive educational member of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association, Moonshine University has the full breadth and depth of its support. KDA members produce nearly all of the major brands and many of the well-known craft brands in the United States. It is with these resources that we are able to offer such an in-depth training and business education for the distilling industry.

Moonshine University’s 5-Day Distiller Course qualifies for 5.5 Business Management credit hours through Jefferson Community and Technical College, and seats sell out months in advance. No other facility can match the level of expertise and resources Moonshine U offers, and no other staff invests in the success of students more diligently
What do I get to take home from the course?

In addition to your learning materials, you will come away with a network of professional contacts from suppliers to distillers to distributors. During your time here at Moonshine U, you will have exceptional opportunities to personally engage with best of the best in the beverage alcohol industry, including:

• Distillery Equipment Manufacturers
• Distillery Architects and Contractors
• Beverage Scientists
• Distillery Operators
• World-renowned Master Distillers
• Brand Managers
• Distribution Managers
• Distillery Engineers
• Beverage Law & Compliance Consultants
If I attend the 5-Day Distiller Course, do I need to attend the optional Sunday session?

This session, offered at no additional charge, is invaluable as it is designed to save entrepreneurs costly mistakes, manage expectations and prepare them for the realities of starting a distillery.

The optional session on Sunday is focused on how to build, equip and open a distillery; it’s the course we wish we would have had ourselves when building our own distillery.
Attendees will learn from an experienced distillery construction team made up of:

• Distillery Architect
• General Contractor
• Critical sub-contractors
• Key equipment manufacturers
• Distillery Engineer
• Distillery Operator

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