Distilling

About Bourbon Whiskey: An all-American spirit 

As we approach these colder months and head into autumn this September, we’d like to raise a glass to the great American spirit, Bourbon Whiskey.

First coined by the US Senate in September 2007, Bourbon Heritage Month is a time to celebrate Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey, a spirit that goes back centuries in American history.

Just as Tequila is Mexico’s designated spirit, Bourbon Whiskey is ‘America’s native spirit’, granted by the US government in 1964. Although the month of September was only given as the ‘official’ national time to celebrate bourbon back in 2007, the tradition to come together, worldwide, and celebrate Bourbon Whiskey in September has continued ever since. 

Our team of hygienic process engineers at BRIGGS have been delivering a range of projects  for Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey producers for quite some time. Founded in 1732 before expanding to the US in 1983, today BRIGGS’ Kentucky team in Louisville, Kentucky and head US team in Rochester, NY work with some of the most prestigious brands of Bourbon Whiskey. 

With specialisms in Site Master Planning and Feasibility Studies, along with specialist equipment construction and integration, our engineering teams work to exceed expectations on upgrading existing and building new distilleries across the Bourbon belt. Our approach to do so strives for excellence, whilst keeping true to that of bourbon’s history and significance in American culture. 

Bourbon Whiskey’s history as a spirit rooted in American culture

With a long history dating back to the early 1700s, Bourbon Whiskey is an integral part of America’s national identity as we know it today.

Early beginnings, growth and success

It’s largely suspected that the process of distilling spirits was first brought to Kentucky, US in the late 18th century (1700s), when Europeans, particularly Scot-Irish immigrants, began to settle in America. When farming the fields of corn, these Scots and Irish adopted their existing distilling knowledge to develop the whiskey spirit in their new American home. 

Although the official story of how the production of Bourbon Whiskey came about is largely unknown, it’s commonly thought to be the invention of Elijah Craig, a Baptist minister and distiller. Allegedly, it was Elijah Craig who first decided to put whiskey in charred wooden barrels, where it then aged into the brown, caramel-like colour and particular, rich taste of Bourbon Whiskey. 

Following this invention, another distiller named Jacob Spears, from Bourbon County Kentucky, decided to call this new whiskey ‘Bourbon Whiskey’, allegedly named after French royalty and in recognition of the French support during the American Revolution.

It’s important to note, however, that this tale is often disputed, with some accounts suggesting that there was never any one person to have invented bourbon. 

Nevertheless, it’s fair to say that Bourbon Whiskey was (and still is) most relevant in America, particularly Kentucky – which produces 95% of the world’s bourbon.

As the invention of the flavoursome spirit began to grow in popularity in the 1800s, distillers began to look for better, more efficient ways to produce it. This is where Dr. James Crow, founder of The Old Crow Distillery, came along – credited for inventing the ‘sour mash’ method; a process still used today.

The Prohibition era’s effect on Bourbon Whiskey

Despite its initial success, the growing industry of Bourbon Whiskey suffered a devastating blow in the 1900s, during the Prohibition era across North America. 

Lasting from 1920 to 1933, and even later for some Kentucky jurisdictions, this timeframe of illegal consumption of alcohol meant that all distilleries had to cease operating. That is all, except six distillers who kept running under the permission to make medicinal whiskey from their existing stocks. These six distilleries included A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery (Stitzel–Weller Distillery), American Medicinal Spirits (producer of Old Crow and Old Grand-Dad, now owned by Beam Suntory), Brown-Forman, Frankfort Distillery (Buffalo Trace Distillery, owned by Sazerac), James Thompson and Brothers (later called Glenmore Distillery, owned by Sazerac), and Schenley Distillery (owned by DIAGEO).

In the midst of WWII, the distillation of whiskey was once again hindered as the production of industrial alcohol to support in war efforts became increasingly important.

Modern day production and processing

Thankfully, we’ve come a long way since the first drops of bourbon were made back in the 1700s. Today, iconic brands like Brown Forman, Diageo, Heaven Hill, Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark and Wild Turkey are well-recognised household names both within both the US and internationally.

After a hit to the industry during the early-mid 1900s, Bourbon Whiskey has been making a steady comeback in the past couple of decades. From 2002 to 2020, the consumption of bourbon whiskey in the US is reported to have increased by an impressive 65%.

There are currently over 150 distilleries along the infamous Bourbon Belt (spanning across Kentucky and Tennessee), with Kentucky alone being home to 100 distilleries. What’s more, it’s also reported that the number of US businesses in the Whiskey and Bourbon Distilleries industry has grown 11.6% per year between 2018 – 2023.

As global engineering specialists in brewing, distilling and processing since 1732, the BRIGGS team found their way to the US back in 1983, later expanding into the Kentucky and US–wide Bourbon Whiskey sector.

With BRIGGS’ experience and market-leading technology, our US Kentucky team supports some of the world’s most recognised bourbon brands to enhance their production efficiencies.

This expertise lends a hand to not only brownfield expansions that feature site master-planning, and CO₂ and alcohol recovery, but also to look ahead to increasing operational sustainability targets in growth, utility demand and infrastructure.

Key BRIGGS deliverables for Bourbon Whiskey distilleries

With a multi-disciplinary team experienced in working across the engineering sector, our approach here at BRIGGS is always to exceed expectations and deliver absolute excellence. 

Our specialisms towards supporting Bourbon Whiskey, in particular, focus on Front End Loading (FEL) 1 design studies exploring water, carbon and energy savings, technologies such as Thermal and Mechanical Vapour Recompression (TVR / MVR), specialist stainless steel and copper distillation equipment, utility design and planning, 3D laser scanning of existing production facilities, Hazard and Operability Analysis (HAZOP) / Process Hazard Analysis (PHA), commissioning and turnkey project implementation.

Reach out to our Kentucky team to discover more about developing your Bourbon Whiskey distillery today.

Posted in Distilling, Insights

A successful day for BRIGGS at the Ardgowan Distillery Open Day!

Last weekend, Ardgowan Distillery opened their doors to the public and hosted an open day event, complete with food, live music and close up views of the distillery as a ‘global celebration of whisky’.

Attended by BRIGGS team members Pawan Sehra (Project Engineer) and James Barrell (Graduate Project Engineer), this event was a great opportunity to meet with locals and catch up with the Ardgowan Distillery team. 

It also proved to be the perfect opportunity to see how much the BRIGGS team’s hard work has paid off, as they continue to work on completing the distillery build – having already covered the site’s design.

“The open day at Ardgowan was a massive success. Thousands of locals turned up to see the distillery up close and enjoy the food and music. It was great to celebrate this exciting project alongside the local community, the client, and site contractors. 

The distillery is coming together rapidly with most of the vessels now standing in their final positions. Our mechanical and electrical installation contractors are hard at work installing supports, pipes, and cabling as you read this.”

– James Barrell (Graduate Project Engineer)

A very special thank you to Martin McAdam, CEO of Ardgowan, and entire Ardgowan team for inviting us to such a fantastic event!

Posted in Distilling, Engineering, Manufacturing

¡Salud! from BRIGGS on National Tequila Day!

A characterful spirit steeped in Mexican history, the tequila and engineering industry is an ever-growing, ever-exciting sector to be part of.

In 2023, tequila was reported to be the 2nd most valuable spirit in the US for the second year in a row. The past few years have seen some big brands emerge within the tequila industry; Jose Cuervo, Diageo, Beam Suntory, Brown Forman and Campari Group… the list of brands who find success in tequila production is steadily expanding.

At BRIGGS, our journey in the tequila and wider agave-based spirits industry has strengthened year on year. With decades of experience providing engineering solutions to the distilled spirits industry, the move to enter tequila and mezcal production was one that just made sense.

Today, our team is responsible for everything from Front-End Loading/Site Master Planning, to Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) project delivery, through to Customer Service and Support (CSS); supporting some of the world’s agave based distilleries producing Tequila and Mezcal. Part of what makes the sector so thrilling to work in is its blend of immense tradition and history with modern-day technology and processes. 

With today being #NationalTequilaDay, in this blog we’ll be looking back at this historic timeline of tequila, learning about what’s changed and developed, with a particular eye on the impact of engineering and production.

The history behind tequila

A story starting from humble beginnings, to a now globally recognised product with a growing market, tequila’s journey through the distilled spirits industry really has stood the test of time.

1000 B.C. – 300 A.D:

The earliest known form of tequila made by the Azetcs in Northern Mexico, ‘pulque’ was a liquor made from fermented agave juice/sap. 

1500s – 1600s:

Cut to the 1500s – 1600s, when the Spanish entered Mexico, discovered the Aztecs’ intriguing ‘pulque’ and introduced copper stills and distillation to its production, in what is now known as Tequila, Jalisco – a town in Mexico. 

1700s – 1800s:

Following this development of engineering, tequila production began growing on a fast, commercial scale by the 1700s.

In this time, the Cuervo family were dominating the distillation of tequila, followed by the Sauza family in the 1800s. 

Today, these two names are still world-recognised tequila brands, often seen as the identity of tequila itself. In fact, it was allegedly Don Cenobio of the Sauza family who determined that tequila should be made from blue agave – marking the birth of tequila as we know it today. 

1900s:

During the Prohibition era of the US, where the sale and import of alcoholic beverages was banned nationwide, Americans began to look elsewhere to find alcohol, albeit illegally.

This led to many Americans finding bars in Mexico, where they discovered the joy of tequila. 

In an effort to protect the Mexican tradition, culture and history of the spirit, the Mexican government decided to formally claim intellectual property of tequila in 1974. This means that tequila’s production and ageing process has to be undertaken in Mexico, rather than other countries. 

Modern day:

Today, tequila is a globally-recognised spirit comparable to that of the refinement of whiskeys and wines.

In the past decade, the world has witnessed impressive growth in the tequila industry. In fact, since 2002, tequila volumes in the US have increased by 180%, at an average rate of 6.2% per year (according to DISCUS).

The reason for this? As if often the case with changing habits and growing interests, societal attitudes and technology advancements both play integral parts. 

With a growing interest in organic produce, consumers are drawn to the authenticity of tequila and its history. This has given tequila producers a place to shine, showcasing their craftsmanship and traditional methods towards distillation, as well as exploring opportunities to grow production on an industrial scale.

Tequila itself is also quite versatile, enjoyed responsibly both in cocktails or on its own, with a variety of flavours, too. We also can’t ignore the rise of celebrity-owned/endorsed tequila brands, namely that of George Clooney’s Casamigos Tequila (now owned by Diageo), Dwayne Johnson’s Teremana Tequila and Kendall Jenner’s 818 Tequila.

Our approach to tequila production and processing

As a specialist process engineering company since 1732 with our own great sense of history, we value the need for a blend between tradition and technology here at BRIGGS. This is something we relate to and put into practice at each of the tequila distillery projects we undertake.

Our engineering services at BRIGGS covers everything from concept and commissioning, to customer service and support. In understanding traditional, modern and hybrid production processes for agave-based spirits, our team is able to support on both small (exceeding 10,000 litres per day at 55% ABV) and industrial (exceeding 100,000 litres per day at 55% ABV) scale tequila production facilities in Mexico. 

Our variety of agave-based spirit engineering solutions work to match the variety of tequila in the sector, each supporting in the excellence and quality of modern day tequila production. From varying production scales and product types, to VIP experiences, sustainability and CSA partnerships, the BRIGGS approach is adaptable and bespoke to each tequila producer we work with. 

Speak to our Mexico team to discover more about developing your tequila distillery today.

Posted in Distilling, Insights

From Cane to Cask: Engineering the Perfect Rum for World Rum Day

This week we’re celebrating #WorldRumDay, an annual celebration of rum from across the world.

As global process engineers for the distilled spirits (plus food and pharmaceutical) industries, we like to think we know a thing or two about rum here at Briggs of Burton (BRIGGS). With over 285 years of experience in the distilled spirits sector, we have a long history of designing engineering systems, supplying distillation equipment and supporting rum producers with expansions, upgrades and sustainable solutions.

Working alongside McMillan Coppersmiths, BRIGGS has worked with a variety of world-class rum producers over the years. From DIAGEO, Beam Suntory, Bacardi, Remy Cointreau and many more, our rum distillery projects see our team work across the globe, spanning all the way from the Caribbean to China.

Our approach

Our work within the rum distillery industry strives to meet the individual needs of the world’s rum producers, realising their objectives around increased production capacity and quality distillation.

Whether it be building copper stills with McMillan Coppersmiths, working on energy recovery and applying TVR on column distillation, or undertaking the cleaning and product changeovers… it’s fair to say that the skills needed to carry out exceptional rum production should not be overlooked. This is where process engineering from BRIGGS comes in. 

Our team of engineers has played an integral part in the development of several distilleries across the world, taking projects through a complete life cycle from initial consultancy, solutions, manufacture, commissioning and automation, through to customer service and support.

This World Rum Day, we’d like to take this opportunity to share a snapshot about rum itself, whether that be where it originated, all the different types of rum or how production style affects the quality and taste of rum.

All about rum

So, what actually is rum and how is it made?

A liquor made from sugar, rum is made from fermenting and then distilling sugarcane, which can be either pure sugarcane, syrup or molasses. 

After fermentation and distillation, most rums are then put through an ageing process. This is where different types of rum can be created, as the ageing process used affects the flavour of rum. 

For example, ageing rum in wooden barrels will result in a darker colour, whereas ageing in stainless steel tanks will result in a much clearer colour – this colour affects not just the look, but taste and flavour, too.

Where did rum come from?

Rum first originated in the West Indies during the early 1600s. Upon discovery, rum production in the 1600s grew rapidly and soon began production in Brazil, Sweden, America and even France.

Today, rum continues to be produced across the globe, with each region having its own take on the flavour and taste of rum.

What are the main types of rum?

White rum:

A clear spirit with little to no colouring, white rum is mostly used for mixing within cocktails. In production, white rum is often aged in stainless steel tanks, or wooden barrels. If matured in barrels, then the rum is put through a filtering process afterwards to strip it of its colour.

With a lighter flavour than dark rums, white rum is ideal to be responsibly enjoyed in cocktails such as Mojitos, Daiquiris, Cuba Libras and Pina Coladas.

Brown rum:

Brown rum is aged in oak barrels for anywhere between 2 to 10 years, which gives it a stronger flavour than white rum and more often drunk straight rather than within a cocktail. As a variation of dark rum, which is where the spirit is aged in wooden barrels for a variable amount of time to give differing colour and flavour, brown rum is aged in a heavily charred barrel and holds a bolder flavour to white rum.

Spiced rum:

This is where spices and extra flavours, such as vanilla, ginger and nutmeg, are added to a base rum, resulting in a sweet and spicy taste. Typically, spiced rum is aged for the same amount of time as dark rum, too.

Engineering’s part to play in rum production

Clearly, the way in which rum is made impacts how it’s tasted and enjoyed by its consumers. Often, this extends to not just the tanks in which the rum is held, but the processes and efficiency in which it is fermented and distilled.

Speak to our team to discover more about developing your rum distillery today.

Posted in Distilling, Engineering, Insights

Briggs attends ‘The China Whisky Outlook’ in Edinburgh

This week, Scott Davies, James Chadwick, and Andrew Mieleniewski attended ‘The China Whisky Outlook’ in partnership with the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), China-Britain Business Council, and Barley Magazine.

The team event was hosted at The Scotch Whisky Association in Edinburgh, not too far away from McMillan Coppersmiths and Fabricators…

There were many interesting stories, anecdotes, and insights from the panels. It was interesting to hear some of the speakers comment on several major distillery projects in China, and for the team to highlight BRIGGS’ involvement in them.
We look forward to further discussions and opportunities with the SWA. Thanks for your hospitality and drams/whisky highballs.

Ganbei!

About Briggs of Burton

If you have eaten or drunk it there is a chance that Briggs of Burton has helped to produce it. Briggs are the engineers behind supplying the equipment, engineering and automation to the world’s largest food, alcoholic beverage, and pharmaceutical manufacturers

Today Briggs employs over 350 colleagues across six sites in the UK, Scotland, USA, Mexico, China, and Australia. The team deliver turnkey engineering projects for leading household brands covering North America, Europe, Central America, Africa, Australia, and Asia. Briggs’ benefits from a global network of stainless-steel manufacturing facilities, including their own located in Burton on Trent and Prestonpans, Scotland.

Briggs is actively developing sustainable engineering solutions, focusing on their customer’s requirements towards carbon neutrality. 

Posted in Distilling

Briggs of Burton feature in the English Whisky Guild’s annual review

We take pride in being founding members of the English Whisky Guild (EWG). Earlier this year, we proudly hosted the inaugural meeting of the Guild’s Founding Associate Members at our Global Technical Centre in Burton-upon-Trent.

We are excited to share the EWG’s Annual Review, which features Briggs of Burton and McMillan Coppersmiths and Fabricators on Page 23, which you can read here.

The EWG promotes best practices in the English whisky industry. As members, we support a vibrant community of producers, sharing achievements and insights for the collective benefit of English whisky.

At Briggs of Burton, we are committed to delivering safe, efficient, and sustainable distilling projects.

About Briggs of Burton

If you have eaten or drunk it there is a chance that Briggs of Burton has helped to produce it. Briggs are the engineers behind supplying the equipment, engineering and automation to the world’s largest food, alcoholic beverage, and pharmaceutical manufacturers

Today Briggs employs over 350 colleagues across six sites in the UK, Scotland, USA, Mexico, China, and Australia. The team deliver turnkey engineering projects for leading household brands covering North America, Europe, Central America, Africa, Australia, and Asia. Briggs’ benefits from a global network of stainless-steel manufacturing facilities, including their own located in Burton on Trent and Prestonpans, Scotland.

Briggs is actively developing sustainable engineering solutions, focusing on their customer’s requirements towards carbon neutrality. 

Posted in Distilling

Briggs of Burton host at the Spirit of Speyside Opening Dinner

On Wednesday 1st May 2024, Briggs of Burton hosted their customers and partners at the Spirit of Speyside Opening Dinner at The Macallan Distillery. As Silver Sponsors of the festival, our team were still in awe of the architecture of the Macallan Distillery and are incredibly proud that it features a Briggs Distillery Lauter Tun.

The team are working on a whole mix of projects across the Speyside region including expansions at The GlenDronach Distillery and are looking forward to providing further updates on the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (SIETF) backed Mechanical Vapour Recompression (MVR) project at The GlenAllachie Distillers Company Limited.

About Briggs of Burton

If you have eaten or drunk it there is a chance that Briggs of Burton has helped to produce it.

Briggs are the engineers behind supplying the equipment, engineering and automation to the world’s largest food, alcoholic beverage, and pharmaceutical manufacturers

Today Briggs employs over 300 colleagues across six sites in the UK, Scotland, USA, Mexico, China, and Australia. The team deliver turnkey engineering projects for leading household brands covering North America, Europe, Central America, Africa, Australia, and Asia. Briggs’ benefits from a global network of stainless-steel manufacturing facilities, including their own located in Burton on Trent and Prestonpans, Scotland.

Briggs is actively developing sustainable engineering solutions, focusing on their customer’s requirements towards carbon neutrality.

Posted in Distilling

Double win for McMillan Coppersmiths

It was a double win for McMillan Coppersmiths and Fabricators last night at the Made in Scotland Awards. Held at the Glasgow Science Centre, McMillan were singled out against several leading manufacturers across the country for;

Manufacturer of the Year – The team were applauded for their efforts in continuing to handcraft traditional Scottish copper distillation equipment for the world’s biggest distilled spirits producers whilst inspiring the next generation of coppersmiths to adopt the craft. With increased revenue, larger projects and investment into its facilities, McMillan’s has gone from strength to strength.

McMillan Coppersmiths have been part of global engineering firm, Briggs of Burton, since 2020.

George Crombie, Engineering Director at Briggs of Burton, said:

“This award recognises the outstanding work and commitment of our team who continue to go above and beyond, we couldn’t be prouder. McMillan’s team of coppersmiths, apprentices and engineers have been influential in designing and manufacturing copper distillation equipment to produce Scotch whisky, Tequila, Gin, and a range of global whiskies. They are continuing a highly specialised craft which is at the heart of the distilled spirits industry and the company is one of the oldest coppersmiths in the world, having been founded in 1867. These awards celebrate the success of the team who always strive to deliver what they promise.”

Jakub Spiewak, Manufacturing Apprentice of the Year – Jakub was recognised for being instrumental in building copper distillation equipment for major distillery expansion projects in Scotland and beyond. He has also been involved in producing copper distillation equipment for breweries looking to grow into the Distilled Spirits market whilst supporting the business at various careers fairs to promote their apprenticeship scheme.

Jakub Spiewak, craft apprentice at McMillan Coppersmiths, said:

“The knowledge and experience I have gained from the team since starting my apprenticeship has enabled me to progress to where I am today. My goal is to progress into more senior roles at McMillan and pass down the skills and knowledge I have gained to the next generation of apprentices here. I have had the opportunity to travel throughout Scotland installing and modifying our equipment and look forward to experiencing other aspects of engineering, management and operations before completing my craft apprenticeship next year.”

About McMillan Coppersmiths and Fabricators

McMillan Coppersmiths and Fabricators based in Prestonpans; Edinburgh are a traditional Scottish based copper distillation equipment manufacturer. McMillan and its predecessor Archibald McMillan & Co Ltd have been a significant force in the domestic and worldwide supply of copper distilling equipment since the company was originally founded in 1867. McMillan have standard copper pot still designs for most spirit types and have the capability to design bespoke stills, columns, and distillation systems. Part of Briggs of Burton Group since 2020, McMillan have played a key role in supporting the group deliver large scale Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) projects for the global distilled spirits industry. Most recently McMillan’s team of thirty
coppersmiths, apprentices and engineers have been influential in designing and manufacturing copper distillation equipment to produce Scotch whisky, Tequila, Gin, and a range of global whiskies.

Posted in Awards, Distilling

Diamond Sponsors at WDSC 2023

Briggs of Burton (Briggs) are excited to be Diamond Sponsors at the Worldwide Distilled Spirits Conference (WDSC) in Edinburgh and look forward to hosting global delegates at the Briggs Social Evening on Wednesday 10th May. Our team of engineers will be delivering presentations and workshops throughout the week, sharing their knowledge on core distilling technologies which can benefit your new and existing distillery operations.

We will be presenting the following talks :

  • Design, Development & Implementation of Brewstilleries
  • Water Usage & High Gravity Mashing
  • Electrifying Your Spirit Production

We have been providing engineering solutions for nearly 300 years and offer an unrivalled level of customer service and support. Our engineering approach is flexible, and our team can meet you at your facility to understand your needs and requirements, locally and quickly through our dedicated sales and engineering hubs. From technical consultancy to turnkey projects, new builds, and retrofits, we can help you at every stage of your distilling project.

As a global company with a strong reputation in the distilled spirits industry we are passionate about always offering safe, efficient, and sustainable distilleries. Scotland is a key market for Briggs, and we are pleased to share that we have opened a new office in Forres to further support our existing and new customers in Speyside. We are recognised as a trusted project partner globally by our
customers who value our ethos of being a safe, honest, and flexible engineering company who deliver what they promise.

About Briggs of Burton

If you have eaten or drunk it there is a chance that Briggs of Burton has helped to produce it.

Briggs are the engineers behind supplying the equipment, engineering and automation to the world’s largest food, alcoholic beverage, and pharmaceutical manufacturers

Today Briggs employs over 300 colleagues across six sites in the UK, Scotland, USA, Mexico, China, and Australia. The team deliver turnkey engineering projects for leading household brands covering North America, Europe, Central America, Africa, Australia, and Asia. Briggs’ benefits from a global network of stainless-steel manufacturing facilities, including their own located in Burton on Trent and Prestonpans, Scotland.

Briggs are actively developing sustainable engineering solutions, focusing on their customer’s requirements towards carbon neutrality. 

Posted in Distilling, Engineering