FROM BUSHELS TO BARRELS: A DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE U.S. WHISKEY INDUSTRY

This thesis provides a comprehensive analysis of the U.S. whiskey industry, emphasizing distilleries' geographic distribution, operational characteristics, and the agricultural landscapes surrounding them. Particular attention is given to the feasibility of U.S. distilleries locally sourcing grains used in production. Grain demand ranges were estimated for the 1,485 distilleries analyzed within this study. Using cropland and yield data from the USDA, local grain availability was approximated for comparison. Results indicate that a distillery's local sourcing feasibility is significantly impacted by its production capacity and geographic location. Additionally, this research documents the development of an interactive web application designed to evaluate the feasibility of locally sourcing grains for individual distilleries. The application integrates geospatial and agricultural data to provide distilleries with tailored insights into the agricultural and competitive landscapes within surrounding local areas. Together, these analyses shed light on the grain-sourcing dynamics of the U.S. whiskey industry and highlight the potential opportunities and challenges of locally sourced grains.