FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

House of Applejay Founder Caroline Porsiel to Present National Vision for American Brandy and Rum at ADI 2026

Porsiel will introduce the AMBRU Campaign and proposed American Brandy & Rum Trail during the ADI Rum Summit in Miami Beach

EAST ELLIJAY, Ga., July 22, 2026 —Caroline Porsiel, founder and CEO of House of Applejay Distillery and co-founder of the AMBRU Campaign, will speak at the American Distilling Institute’s 2026 Rum Summit on August 17 in Miami Beach, Florida.

Her presentation, “AMBRU Campaign: Building America’s Next Great Spirits Movement,” will outline an effort to establish American Brandy and American Rum as distinctive products of the United States and introduce the proposed American Brandy & Rum Trail—a nationwide initiative designed to connect distilleries, historic sites, rural communities and consumers.

“American brandy and rum helped shape this country’s earliest distilling traditions, yet neither category has received the national identity or protection it deserves,” Porsiel said. “This is an opportunity to recognize their history, define their future and build something that benefits American producers and communities across the country.”

The AMBRU Campaign advocates for clear standards distinguishing American-made brandy and rum, including domestic distillation, maturation in North American oak where aging is used, and transparent production without undisclosed additives. The campaign seeks recognition comparable to the protection that helped establish bourbon as a distinctive American product.

Porsiel will also present the vision for the American Brandy & Rum Trail, a proposed producer-driven network connecting distilleries with historic landmarks, agricultural communities and regional tourism destinations. With the potential to include producers and historic sites throughout the United States, the initiative could become the world’s longest distillery trail.

The proposed trail is intended to strengthen rural economies, encourage spirits tourism, preserve American distilling history and create greater visibility for independent producers.

“This is larger than a marketing route,” Porsiel said. “The American Brandy & Rum Trail can connect the history of these spirits with the people producing them today. It is an invitation to build a shared national identity while keeping the trail’s leadership in the hands of its producers.”

Porsiel brings the perspective of both an independent distiller and an industry advocate. Born in Germany and now rooted in the North Georgia Mountains, she founded House of Applejay in East Ellijay, Georgia, where she combines European liqueur traditions with Appalachian ingredients and innovative American distilling methods.

House of Applejay is an award-winning small-batch distillery and the Southeast’s only liqueur-first distillery. Its work centers on the development of all-natural liqueurs and the emerging discipline of Liquistry—the study and creation of balanced liqueurs designed to bring flavor, structure and character to cocktails.

The ADI Rum Summit will take place on August 17, ahead of the ADI 2026 Craft Spirits Conference & Expo, which runs August 18–19 in Miami Beach. The event brings together distillers, producers and industry leaders to examine the future of rum production, identity and market development.

Additional event information is available at:
https://distilling.com/event/rum-summit-2026/

More information about the AMBRU Campaign is available at:
https://ambru.org/

### About Caroline Porsiel:

Caroline Porsiel is a distiller, liqueurist, entrepreneur and advocate specializing in American liqueurs, brandy and rum. She is the founder and CEO of House of Applejay Distillery in East Ellijay, Georgia, and a co-founder of the AMBRU Campaign. Porsiel is leading the development of the proposed American Brandy & Rum Trail and is currently authoring a book about the global history of drinking culture.

### About House of Applejay Distillery:

House of Applejay is an award-winning small-batch distillery in East Ellijay, Georgia, founded by distiller and liqueurist Caroline Porsiel. Inspired by European liqueur traditions and the ingredients and heritage of Southern Appalachia, the distillery produces all-natural spirits and liqueurs without artificial flavors or colors. House of Applejay is building America’s Liqueur Distillery—one thoughtful batch, one meaningful pour and one generation at a time.

Website: https://www.houseofapplejay.com/
Liquistry Manifesto: https://www.houseofapplejay.com/manifesto/