Beer, Hard Cider, and Distilled Spirits

Running a liquor company – whether it’s for beer, cider, or distilled spirits – is a capital-intensive business that requires a lot of planning and patience.

On this page, access resources on alcoholic beverage production and learn how to perfect your beer, hard cider, and distilled spirits. Find advice and tips on increasing sales, as well as best marketing practices.

Breweries, Cideries, and Distilleries

In the United States, there are 6,200 craft breweries, with beer volumes growing by 5% each year. With more than 400 breweries, cideries, and distilleries, Pennsylvania is becoming increasingly attractive in the brewing industry, and for good reason. With its fertile soil, the Commonwealth is filled with excellent opportunities to source local ingredients such as rye, barley, fruit, spices, and herbs.

If you are interested in starting your own brewery, your first plan of action should be to identify your goals. Next, focus on writing a business plan, finding a suitable location, and obtaining all necessary permits and licenses. Note that unlike beer or cider, distilling spirits for personal use is illegal in the US.

Making Beer and Cider

Beer is one of the oldest and most popular beverages. It is typically made from four main ingredients – yeast, grain, hops, and water – and can contain different types of flavors and aromas.

To brew beer at home, you will need some equipment. This includes pieces such as kettles, kegs, filters, fermentation and storage tanks, bottling lines, conveyors, and tubing.

The brewing process includes processing (malting), mashing, and boiling the grains. Brewers will typically add hops and spices during the boiling process. After the brewing is complete, the beer is left to ferment.

Making Hard Apple Cider

Ciders are typically made from fermented apple or pear juice. Specialty hard apple ciders will further incorporate other fruits, hops, or spices.

Commercial ciders are typically produced in cideries, though there are many craft breweries that offer ciders along with their beer selection.

If you’d like to make hard cider at home, you will need the same equipment as for brewing beer. The production process, however, is more similar to that of winemaking, in which a fruit is crushed and fermented.

Overall, cider making allows for exciting flavor profiles and production techniques. Learn more with Penn State Extension’s Introduction to Cider Styles video series and discover the unique blends of traditional, modern, and specialty style ciders.

Distilling Spirits

Over the last few years, small-scale distilleries have been growing in popularity. Producing high-quality hard spirits, however, requires skills, knowledge, and expertise.

The process of making hard spirits involves two primary procedures – fermentation and distillation. During fermentation, sugar and yeast are added to create alcohol and carbon dioxide. The alcohol is then separated during distillation.

To open a distillery, you will need to obtain licensure and gather equipment such as stills, fermenters, mash tun, pumps, tanks, and cooling system.

On this page, Penn State Extension provides educational resources for breweries, cideries, and distilleries. In addition, you will find various webinars, videos, and workshops.