This past December, a conversation with a local cigar lounge owner turned to his plans for 2019. He was planning to become the first cigar establishment in Arizona to be approved as a cigar manufacturer, to be legally selling cigars rolled on the premise.

A week ago, I stopped by and watched the roller at work. So, how do you roll a cigar? It turns out that the more important question is “how do you make a cigar?”

To start, you will need to get on the Internet and look up the appropriate federal government office. Like distilling alcohol for drinking, the manufacture of tobacco products is federally regulated. Unlike distilling, you could legally grow your own tobacco plant, cure the tobacco, and turn it into a smoking product for personal consumption, as a hobby. Good luck with that. So, we are back to asking Uncle Sam’s permission to manufacture tobacco products.

Some booze is best served in a saucer, in the garden, as slug bait. Other alcoholic beverages are best served at particular temperatures, in particular glassware, revealing their full palette of flavors. Then there is booze that could be better, and therein lies today’s tale.

Whilst serving deep in the heart of Texas, I happened upon Ranger Creek, a “brewstillery.” This neologism denotes a craft brewery that also has a license to distill alcohol. The brewery piece is a source of steady income, with quick conversion of ingredients into beer ready to be poured. The distillery side can be as efficient, or even more so, if you stick to un-aged clear spirits: vodka, gin, white whiskey, white rum, blanco tequila. 

The moment you venture into whiskeys, whether you call them whiskey, rye, Scotch, or bourbon, the rules change. All of these require years of aging in oak barrels. Indeed, bourbon may not be sold as such without at least 2 years of barrel aging. So, if you want to get into the whiskey making business, you are committing to a minimum of two years lag time, two years of illiquid liquid inventory.