New Dutch Courage Distillery

[Odin]

Not sure if I can make it happen, but for sure I am going for it!

I have been into this hobby for quite a few years now. And I have been making pro equipment and doing lots of consultancy for a few years too. I feel like it is time to take the next step.

We have a great iStill Center here. The only problem with it is ... my latest and biggest equipment does not really fit. Remember we started out with 50 and 250 liter units. Right now we produce units of 3,000 liters.

With the new factory ready, with over 20 people working full time as well as over time on production, the next step is a new Amsterdam based iStill Center. Bigger, higher, with all of our equipment not just "show roomed" but put to actual practice.

In short? I will be opening a new Amsterdam based Craft Distillery. Or that's the intention.

Since the equipment is there, why not use it, right?

The new iStill Center will have:
- 2000 liter masher;
- 2000 liter fermenters;
- 2000 liter iStill One (advanced potstill that can take an 8% wash to a 62% hearts cut in one go);
- 500 liter column still;
- Pump system;
- 3000 liter water heater.

Since it will function as a training center as well, it will probably have a few i50's and iVision's as well.

The goals are:
1. To provide (future) customers with a showroom where they can see our latest products;
2. To provide a training site that we can use for group courses and individual training;
3. To use the distillery to produce top shelf whiskey, rum, gin, vodka, genever.

I want the distillery, that will be called "New Dutch Courage", to be self sufficient. Not just a showroom, but an actual production facility.

Also, the location will serve as an outlet for our barrels and panela.

I hope to turn this into a reality. Not sure if we can, though. First talks with the prime political parties making up city counsel are good. I met a lot of enthousiasm and hope this will propell the idea of us setting up a big craft distillery forward!

Regards, Odin.

[humbledore]

Wow, very cool. Hope you make it happen!

[Odin]

Thanks Humbledore!

I feel it is a great leap to take. And at the same time it is a leap I cannot take alone. I am looking for a distiller to "fuel" that New Dutch Courage distillery.

Odin is working 80 to 90 hours a week. Many of them on excursions abroad, building up distilleries, assembling, testing, training.

Looking for a master distiller with a complex set of skills. On the one hand ... make my distillery a success. On the other ... hey, I am there too. So you can be the smartest ass in the universe ... but ... I am looking over your shoulder.

I guess that is not an easy position.

Odin.

[MichiganCornhusker]

That is awesome news, Odin, I'm sure you can make it happen if you apply your laser focus to it!
Good luck with the hoops and hurdles, I want to be first in line for the Genever!!

[S-Cackalacky]

Sounds like an excellent business plan. I can't imagine that there are many, if any, builders doing this kind of thing - a value added reason for buying one (or more) of your stills.

Best of luck with it.

[sweeps]

Very best of luck with this Odin!

[ga flatwoods]

You are in luck Odin! There are almost 60 master distillers on this forum!

[bearriver]

Where do I apply?

Seriously good work Odin. I am very impressed with your efforts. Hopefully your distillery finds all the success that iStill has. I am very excited to meet you and see one of your stills next month!

[cranky]

That is so great Odin!!! That will give me one more reason to finally fly over there and see Amsterdam! Too bad I'm not a master distiller. This is a wonderful opportunity for someone.

[MichiganCornhusker]

Looking for a master distiller....

Oh, look at who just became a master distiller! Hire me, Odin!

[bearriver]

Looking for a master distiller....

Oh, look at who just became a master distiller! Hire me, Odin!

Oh snap! With your 1500 post, you are now qualified!!!

Party time.

[jedneck]

Looking for a master distiller....

Oh, look at who just became a master distiller! Hire me, Odin!

If it will even think about fermenting he is LOOPY enuf to try it.
I'm sure you will do your best to make it work Odin.

[buflowing]

Keep us informed on your progress. I'm sure i can route myself through Schiphol on a future trip, with an overnight stay on the way home. I'd love to visit and sample your spirits, pick up bottles, etc. Surely, jenever is number one on your list?

[Odin]

You are more than welcome, Buf! But it is still very much in the start-up phase. With all the good & bad.

Good:
- Enthousiasm is starting to be created among those in the city where I plan the distillery;
- Two political parties seem to be supportive;
- First outing on the local internet newspaper created quite some attention;
- Today or tomorrow I will do an interview with a national newspaper.

Bad:
It turns out the name and trademark registration offices of Europe made a huge mistake and allowed another distiller (quite a big one over here) to trademark "Dutch Courage". Ridiculous. Who's next? I will trademark "Moonshine", allright? And then no one else can use it anymore? Say I pull it off (ridicule) ... what's next? I (or you) claim "Chair" or "Rye"? Normal names or expressions cannot be trademarketed. But - alas - it happened. And I can probably blame myself. I have been thinking about a distillery for over 3 years now, and I may have even mentioned the name to a few people ... Who then might have thought ... well, maybe. Anyhow, I can put in a claim and ask for "untrademarking" "Dutch Courage", but my lawyer told me it would take at least 2 years and 20 K. Sorry, I don't have the time that.

Solution? I changed the name to New Dutch Legacy Distillery. I hate to give up what's felt like my name for years now, but I like the sorta contradiction. Dutch Distilling Heritage is huge. Let's make a new attempt at getting it back there again. Something like that.

On genever ... for sure that will be a main product. As will be rum, vodka, gin and a rye whiskey. Actually, I expect all the drinks to be rye based, apart from the rum.

Mentors, would it be okay if I put my facebook link up here, in a post? In case anyone wants to show a little support by liking it?

Regards, Odin.

[Due51]

I like New Dutch Legacy as much, or more.

Congratulations Odin. If ony I was 25 years younger, and before I started a family. I'd come to work for you. An apprenticeship to become a master distiller. Wow. Wouldn't that be something?

[Odin]

Due 51 ... does not sound that old!

Regards, Odin.

[Odin]

... and here's a first impression of the website. Under construction, as is the whole idea of launching this distillery, but I thought I'd share it anyway.

http://goo.gl/R60OZF" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Regards, Odin.

[buflowing]

Love the sailing theme.

[humbledore]

New Dutch Heritage, very nice Odin. The Dutch have a great heritage and it goes beyond distilling. If I remember right, their adventurous trade journeys to the far east were risky enough that the ship owners pooled their risk, creating a modern version of insurance in the 1500's. Then the Dutch introduced the world to financial bubbles with the Tulip mania of 1637. That sounds like a bad thing of course but really the dutch were at the center of some very interesting early developments in trade and finance. OK I will take off my history nerd hat now. Good luck Odin!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip_mania" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial ... h_Republic" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[MichiganCornhusker]

I am Dutch Legacy! In 1846, a blacksmith named Lucas packed up his wife, his young son and 4 daughters, and left Hellendoorn for Rotterdam, boarded the Isabella Bath and lit out for New York City.
The family made their way to Michigan and settled in a tiny little hamlet called Overisel, changed slightly from the native Overijssel. They eventually got around to producing my father, and here I am. Overisel is still a tiny hamlet, and we're still here.
Website looks great, Odin, but I can't read a lick of it.

[Odin]

Hi Mich,

Lots of folks from that area of the USA have Dutch roots. There's towns with names like "Holland" and more. Thanks for sharing, shame on you for not speaking Dutch anymore though! What it says is that we will make drinks that will make you crave for more ... but crave some more, because we are just in the early steps of the process of establishing the distillery.

And thanks for the kudo's on the website. My son's doing. He is pretty good at it, I guess.

Hi Humbledore,

The pooling of capital actually created the world's first form of capitalism, where private investors and actual enterprise were seperated. Share holders, that kinda stuff.

No need to apologize for being a history nerd. Especially since the theme is at the crossroad of our history ... and the future I want to see it go. Well, at least from the point of my distillery, I mean.

Regards, Odin.

PS: A question. I just looked up Overisel and something I saw ... do "streets" always run north/south and avenues go westh/east?

[MichiganCornhusker]

PS: A question. I just looked up Overisel and something I saw ... do "streets" always run north/south and avenues go westh/east?

Yes, many of the original county roads around here were laid out and named that way. Many towns around here still have Dutch names, Holland, Zeeland, Niekerk, Overisel, Drenthe...
My grandmother had books that were full of strange combinations of consonants, I should have learned to read them.

[cranky]

PS: A question. I just looked up Overisel and something I saw ... do "streets" always run north/south and avenues go westh/east?

I don't want you to get confused by that Odin because in the Seattle area streets run East/West and Avenues run North/South

[hellbilly007]

Congratulations on the distillery, Odin. Glad to see a fellow distiller take the next step. Your son has done good with website as well.

I, myself am from Dutch heritage, Starr family. My 2x great grandmother was a Dutch immigrant. Unfortunately, that's all the history my family seems to know. I'd love to know more. I'm also from Michigan, but my Starr ancestry settled in West Virginia.

[Odin]

Here's a link to an article in a national Dutch newspaper. Can't post it, hope the link is readable. Well, if you can read Dutch that is!

https://www.facebook.com/NewDutchLegacy ... =1&theater" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Regards, Odin.

[DAD300]

Put that barrel down before you hurt your shoulder!

Congrats, sorry I'm late.

[Odin]

Luckily the left arm is better than the right!



Odin.

[cranky]

Looks like maybe I'll have to drop off a resume with Odin when I see him today. Not to point any fingers but look>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[Odin]

Haha! Thanks for the suggestion, Cranks! Appreciated!

The article on the new distillery now got released on a pretty big business site. Chr*st, the amount of people calling me about this ... I think craft distilling is taking off in the Netherlands too, shortly! There's even hotels and restaurants calling me that they want to serve my drinks. I had to tell them ... that will take some time still!

http://www.sprout.nl/artikel/nieuwsupda ... nse-handen" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

Beware, link is in Dutch!

Regards, Odin.

[Bushman]

Erg cool artikel, maar het beeld dat kwam boven het artikel echt viel mijn oog, soort herinnerde me van Alki Beach!