The History of American Brandy & Rum

Presenter: Caroline Porsiel, Founder & CEO, House of Applejay Distillery Distiller & Liqueurist | Co-Founder, American Brandy & Rum (AMBRu) Campaign Caroline Porsiel founded House of Applejay Distillery in East Ellijay, Georgia—the Southeast’s only liqueur-first distillery built around all-natural, small-batch liqueurs as the structural foundation for modern cocktail programs. She operates at the intersection of historical research and practical distillation, positioning liqueur production as the oldest and most technically demanding category in spirits. Caroline coined the term “liqueurist” to define the disciplined craft of additive-free liqueur making, integrating European distillation heritage with contemporary American production standards. Her portfolio includes the Double Gold–winning Winter Cherry Mountain Liqueur (San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2025). Beyond production, she co-founded the American Brandy & Rum (AMBRu) Campaign to advance historical recognition and formal U.S. designation status for American brandy and rum as foundational U.S. spirits categories.