FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

House of Applejay Proposes Building the World’s Longest Distillery Trail in Collaboration with the American Distilling Institute

East Ellijay, GA — April, 16th 2026 — During a national webinar hosted on April 14, 2026 by the American Distilling Institute, Caroline Porsiel, founder of House of Applejay Distillery and founding partner of the American Brandy & Rum initiative (AMBRu), introduced a new industry initiative: the creation of the longest distillery trail in the world—a unified route connecting historic distilling regions and active craft distilleries across North America.

The concept was introduced as an outlook within a two-part educational series, “Before Bourbon: The History of American Brandy & Rum,” where Porsiel outlined the chronology of early American spirits, showing how orchard agriculture, molasses trade, and regional production realities shaped distilling in North America—challenging modern assumptions about its origins.

This historically grounded chronology—central to the AMBRu (American Brandy & Rum) campaign, which advocates for the recognition and revival of America’s original spirits—directly led to a forward-looking idea: to connect both legacy regions and today’s operating craft distilleries into a single, large-scale tourism and economic network.

A National Trail Rooted in History — and Built by Today’s Distillers

The proposed trail is designed to unite:

Historic brandy and rum regions
Active craft distilleries producing today
Rural and agricultural communities
Tourism destinations across multiple states

By linking where distilling began with where it thrives today, the initiative creates a continuous, living experience of American spirits.

“If we understand where American distilling truly began, we can connect those places—and the distillers working today—into something much larger,” said Caroline Porsiel. “This is about making history visible and economically relevant.”

Economic Impact & Industry Vision

The distillery trail initiative is structured to:

Drive tourism across regions and seasons
Create sustainable jobs in hospitality and production
Support active craft distilleries through increased visitation
Strengthen regional collaboration across the industry
Establish a national platform for American spirits

Aligned with the goals of the AMBRu campaign, the initiative reinforces the importance of protecting and elevating American brandy and rum as foundational categories within the U.S. spirits industry.

At a time when tourism and hospitality remain essential, the project positions distilling as a scalable, experience-driven industry with immediate and long-term economic impact. By expanding category diversity and connecting producers across regions, the initiative contributes to a more stable, resilient, and future-ready spirits and tourism economy.

Watch the Webinar (Part 1) The full livestream of “Before Bourbon: The History of American Brandy & Rum” is now publicly available.

Watch the full Part 1 webinar recording here: 👉 https://youtu.be/JWDonS-Rvf4?si=pHcv8P_2noD2QfeX

Next Phase: Rum Summit in Miami Porsiel will continue developing the distillery trail initiative, which she introduced during the April 14 webinar, in collaboration with Erik Owens, President of the American Distilling Institute, during Part 2 of the series, to be presented at the ADI Craft Spirits Conference — Rum Summit in Miami, taking place August 17–18, 2026, in Miami Beach, Florida.

The second session will focus on:

Legislative frameworks and regulatory pathways
Industry alignment and participation
Strategic development of the distillery trail

For conference details: 👉 https://distilling.com/adi-conference/

Acknowledgment House of Applejay extends its thanks to Erik Owens, President of the American Distilling Institute, and the American Distilling Institute for hosting this important two-part series and supporting meaningful industry dialogue.

### About House of Applejay Distillery:
House of Applejay Distillery is a Georgia-Grown agritourism destination founded by Caroline Porsiel, a distiller and liqueurist, and open to the public for tastings, tours, and educational experiences. Its portfolio specializes in all-natural liqueurs and fine old-style dry liqueurs rooted in historic methods and modern craft, developed for distinctive cocktail programs and premium retail placement in the American South.