U.S. whiskey drinkers have a new official category to call their own: American Single Malt Whiskey. 

For years, single malt has been produced in America but not defined and protected in regulations as it has been in nations around the world, most specifically in Scotland. Following a years-long campaign by the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission and its distiller-members, and a period of public comment, the latest ruling issued by the U.S. Government’s Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau (TTB) now establishes the category’s unique standards of identity. 

Per the TTB, the whiskey style is now officially defined as: 

• Mashed, distilled and aged in the United States 
• Distilled entirely at one U.S. distillery 
• Distilled to a proof of 160 or less 
• Distilled from a fermented mash of 100% malted barley 
• Stored in oak barrels (used, uncharred new, or charred new) with a maximum capacity of 700L 
• Bottled at not less than 80 proof 

The new Standard of Identity for American Single Malt Whiskey will be added to Part 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations effective January 19th, 2025. The American Single Malt Whiskey Commission was founded in 2016 to establish, promote and protect the category of American Single Malt Whiskey. 

It counts nearly 100 member producers from across the U.S. The TTB’s ruling formalizes the definition of single malt whiskey made in the U.S. and regulates what distillers can and cannot include on labels for the category. 

“This is a landmark ruling by TTB and validation for years’ worth of work by American distillers to define American Single Malt,” Steve Hawley, President of the Commission, said in a news release. “It has been over 52 years since a new type of whiskey was added our federal regulations. We applaud TTB for formalizing the category which will signal to the world that not only do we believe in and support our own distilleries, but we also recognize that American Single Malt Whiskey is unique and deserves to be defined and protected as other American whiskey categories are. 

“Most importantly, this new definition ensures that consumers worldwide can have every confidence that what they think is in a bottle of American Single Malt Whiskey actually is.” 

In addition to its efforts to secure the new definition for the category, the Commission has been active in trade advocacy and consumer training. 

“American Single Malt is the next big thing in whiskey. It has been one of the fastest-growing categories of whiskey in the world for several years now and promises to expand even more with this new ruling,” Jared Himstedt, Vice President of the Commission and Head Distiller at Balcones Distilling in Waco, TX, said. “But even with a new definition added to the regulations, we still have much work to do to establish the category of American Single Malt on the global stage.” 

The Commission will be marking the moment by hosting events across the country to celebrate the ratification and educate consumers directly on the category and its members’ whiskies. It has also launched a certification program with retailers and bars/restaurants, part of which requires dedicated shelves and menu listings for the whiskey style. 

Lastly, it has been working to further solidify the category outside of the U.S. by seeking similar definitions with governing bodies abroad to protect the integrity of the category. 

“While single malt has been made in America since the 1990s, the category is really hitting its stride now. This is still just the beginning of big things to come,” Hawley said. “Now that the category is formally defined, we’ll see current single malt producers expand production, many more of the nearly 3,000 distilleries in American adding single malt to their portfolios, and more American Single Malt finding its way to shelves overseas.” 

Adam Polonski, co-founder of Lost Lantern, added, “We at Lost Lantern, as passionate advocates and independent bottlers of American whiskey, are thrilled to witness the historic ratification of American Single Malt Whiskey as an official style of whiskey recognized by the U.S. federal government. We have long thought that American Single Malt is one of the most exciting and exceptional styles of whiskey in the entire world, and this long-sought recognition will dramatically boost the category’s visibility with whiskey lovers all around the world. We especially applaud the hard work of the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission and our many American Single Malt distillery partners for their tireless efforts to reach this milestone.”

“We want to thank the TTB for listening to the needs of U.S. distillers and working with the industry to provide an official standard for the American Single Malt Whiskey category,” Distilled Spirits Council of the United States President & CEO Chris Swonger said. “This is great news for America’s distillers and spirits consumers. Having this formal definition is going to protect the integrity of American Single Malt Whiskey and drive experimentation, creativity and innovation in this popular category.”

The Commission will continue to focus its efforts on trade and consumer education and welcomes all supporters through not just member producers but also associate memberships for the trade and general public support.

Read more: ASMWC Seeks Official Standards for American Single Malt

ABOUT THE AMERICAN SINGLE MALT WHISKEY COMMISSION 

The American Single Malt Whiskey Commission was formed in 2016 in response to the growing need for American-based producers to define the category—both domestically and internationally—in order to protect, educate, promote, and ultimately grow it. To learn more or sign up to support the Commission, visit https://www.americansinglemaltwhiskey.org/.