Corsair Artisan Distillery
Corsair Artisan Distillery is a small-batch distilling company located in Nashville, Tennessee and founded in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Founded in January 2008, it is owned and operated by distillers and Nashville natives, Darek Bell and Andrew Webber. The company has produced innovative spirits, ranging from buckwheat whiskey, quinoa whiskey, malted and smoked whiskies, multi-grain bourbons, barrel aged gin, red absinthe, naturally flavored vodka, spiced rum, and more.
History
Childhood friends Andrew Webber and Darek Bell started homebrewing beer and wine in Bell's garage after running into some difficulties working on a biodiesel plant prototype. Webber developed the idea after remarking that putting all their efforts into making whiskey would be far more satisfying.Co-founded by Andrew Webber and Darek Bell, Corsair Distillery began operations in 2008 in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The owners had a strong connection to Tennessee, and established a second location in Nashville, TN, in 2010, making Corsair the first legal craft distillery in Nashville since Prohibition. With the slogan "Innovate or Die" in mind, Corsair has produced hundreds of experimental products that include grains such as quinoa, spelt, triticale, and buck wheat, as well as hop variations. Their quinoa whiskey is considered one of a kind, being featured on Episode 393 on the cooking show, Chopped. In addition to whiskey, Corsair produces a small amount of craft beer for consumption at their distilleries.
In 2016, Corsair opened a third location in the Wedgewood/Houston neighborhood in Nashville, TN. Opening the WeHo headquarters gave the company the opportunity to increase production while freeing up capacity at its Marathon Village location. The WeHo site also houses additional office space and barrel storage, deeming the location their Headquarters.
On August 31, 2018, Corsair closed the Bowling Green distillery. According to Corsair's Chief Operating Officer, Tyler Crowell, the company plans to focus future efforts on additional expansion of its two locations in Nashville as well as national distribution.
In March 2020, Corsair launched a rebrand of their spirits to prepare for wider distribution and a smaller line of products, varying changes in spirit names and proofs. At this same time, the distillery received local and national media attention for producing hand sanitizer during the COVID-19 Pandemic, providing thousands of gallons to healthcare facilities.
Corsair has a stated goal to put "Nashville in a bottle" by tapping into the resources of Darek Bell's local farm, using their own local malthouse and smokehouse. The company offers tours at its multiple locations in Nashville to show off its craft spirits and local craft beers.
List of spirits
As of 2018, Corsair has produced 28 types of spirits. Currently, 11 are usually offered for sale, six are classified as seasonal or experimental varieties, and 11 have been discontinued.| Artisan Gin | Current |
| Red Absinthe | Current |
| Vanilla Bean Vodka | Current |
| Spiced Rum | Current |
| Triple Smoke Malt Whiskey | Current |
| Quinoa Whiskey | Discontinued |
| Ryemageddon/Dark Rye | Current |
| Oatrage Oat Whiskey | Discontinued |
| Barrel Aged Gin | Current |
| Wildfire Malt Whiskey | Current |
| Genever | Discontinued |
| Buck Yeah Buckwheat Whiskey | Discontinued |
| Citra Double IPA | Current |
| Nashville Bourbon | Discontinued |
| Pumpkin Spice Moonshine | Current |
| Grainiac Bourbon | Discontinued |
| Green Malt Whiskey | Discontinued |
| Wry Moon | Discontinued |
| 100% Rye | Discontinued |
| Steampunk | Discontinued |
| Cherrywood Smoked | Discontinued |
| Elderflower Bohemian | Discontinued |
| Hopmonster | Discontinued |
| Insane in the Grain | Discontinued |
| Oat Smoked Wheat Whiskey | Discontinued |
| Oatmeal Stout | Discontinued |
| Triticale Whiskey | Discontinued |
| Galaxy | Discontinued |
Awards
As of 2018, the company says that its spirits have won more than 800 medals at national and international spirits competitions.| 2017 Berlin International Spirits Competition | American Whiskey Distillery of the Year |
| 2017 Wizards of Whisky | World Distiller of the Year |
| 2017 Wizards of Whisky | U.S. Craft Distiller of the Year |
| 2014 Wizards of Whisky | World Other Grain Whisky of the Year |
| 2014 Wizards of Whisky | Regional Winner: U.S. Craft Distillers |
| 2014 Wizards of Whisky | American Craft Distiller of the Year |
| 2014 Icons of Whisky: America | Whisky Brand Innovator of the Year |
| 2014 American Distilling Institute Awards | Craft Distillery of the Year |
| 2013 Icons of Whisky: America | Craft Distiller of the Year |
| 2013 Icons of Whisky: America | Whisky Brand Innovator of the Year |
| 2012 New York International Spirits Competition | Tennessee Distillery of the Year |