MSA_Pure_Spirits_2019_Q2 - 4

MSA
WELCOME!
New Michigan Spirits Association President Sam Awdish takes a look at the
role and accomplishments of the association.
By Sam Awdish

Sam Awdish

4 PURE SPIRITS

of the hundreds of spokes-models helping to promote
spirits at bars, restaurants and retail stores, allowing you
to sample before you buy. And if you enjoy trying new
and exciting drinks, be sure to be on the lookout for the
date of our next tasting event. Our 2nd Pure Spirits Tasting Event, was held on April 28th at the Detroit Historical
Museum in Detroit. Our inaugural event was sold out,
opening our doors to a sold out crowd, all of whom were
able to sample hundreds of different spirits and cocktails. Information on our upcoming event can be found
at www.purespiritstasting.com and www.facebook.com/
mispiritsassoc.
In this issue we are pleased to bring you some great
articles as well as a few interviews that are sure to make
for good reading. Be sure to check out the new items
our members are introducing into the state along with
our cocktail features. For the spotlight spirit we have
chosen gin; we wanted to get you thinking about sipping a cool cocktail on a hot Michigan afternoon! Gin
is one of the fastest growing categories thanks in part
to the many craft distillers who have helped bring this
long beloved spirit back to the forefront of consumer's
minds with their innovative flavors and styles. Your
new favorite drink might just be a few pages away!
On behalf of the Michigan Spirits Association,
Cheers! And please enjoy responsibility.
Sincerely,

S. Awdish
Sam Awdish

President, Michigan Spirits Association

COURTESY OF SAM AWDISH

'M FILLED WITH a humbling feeling as I take on
my new role as president of the Michigan Spirits
Association and would like to start by thanking my
friend and colleague Tony Mitchell for the great things
he accomplished while serving as our president, one
of them being the key role he played in making Pure
Spirits Magazine a reality for us.
As a native Michigander and graduate of The University of Michigan, I take great pride in playing a role
to help make this great state even better. Having now
been involved with the MSA for over a decade, I've
been given the opportunity to help improve the state
by not only shaping how spirits are sold but, ensuring
they are sold and promoted in a responsible way and
enjoyed only by consumers of legal drinking age.
Additionally, our organization and its members
work tirelessly to ensure you, our customers, do not
pay more for your favorite brands than consumers in
our surrounding states do. We do this by staying diligent in our mission to not raise taxes on our industry,
which already has one of the highest tax rates in the
country. Currently, residents in only handful of states
pay more in spirits taxes than we do. The sale of our
members' spirit brands in the state currently contribute roughly $440 million to the state's revenue, more
than eight times more than what other alcoholic beverages contribute to the state.
Not only does our industry provide a source of
income for the state, but our industry creates tens of
thousands of jobs in the state from farmers that grow
the grain we use to distill spirits, to the clerk at your favorite liquor store to your neighbor who works as one

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MSA_Pure_Spirits_2019_Q2

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