Today we’d like to introduce you to Tony Formby.
Hi Tony, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Acre Distilling Co. launched in Fort Worth in Dec. 2015. The idea to start a distillery came about from two of my brewers who I had eight years of experience working with while owning and running Rahr & Sons Brewing in Fort Worth. At first, our business model relied heavily on business generated in our bar and tasting room. Now, Acre spirits are distributed and sold in bars and liquor stores throughout Texas!
Acre Distilling Co. produces five whiskies, four vodkas, three gins, rum, several flavored products and that list is continually growing! We’re always working on something new! On top of that, we’ve acquired quite the trophy case. The distillery was named 2020 National Grand Champion at the US Open Spirits Championship, winning three Gold medals and one Bronze. The Acre’s Two Minnie’s London Dry Gin is one of the country’s most decorated spirits. It has won Silver and Double Gold at the World Spirits Competition, Gold at the 2020 US Open, and Silver at the 2021 London Spirits Competition. Our ever-growing trophy case is listed on our website, but the best way to view our awards is to Taste The Case (our trophy case) in a tour & tasting – they’re available Thursday, Friday and Saturday every week at the distillery!
Acre Distilling Co. is located across the street from the Fort Worth Convention Center and is a very short walk from most downtown hotels, making us an ideal spot for tourists and visitors. In 2016 the Acre was named “One of the 10 Best Craft Distillery Tasting Rooms in America” by Vinepair.com. In addition, the Daily Meal included the Acre as one of “Eleven Cocktail Experiences Worth Traveling For” (included in the list was The Ritz Hotel in Paris, Hotel Tressamo Lake Como, Italy, and several other notable establishments in other parts of the world – what an honor!). The Acre has also been nominated by the readers of the Fort Worth Star Telegram for a Worthy Award as one of the Three Best Cocktail Bars in the city.
Our latest venture is our Green Acre Initiative. The Acre Distillery is powered by 320 Solar panels mounted on parking structures that provide shade for customer vehicles. We generate 115% of our power requirements. The Acre is the only solar-powered distillery in Texas and one of three in the US.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Covid, of course, was a major issue. The pandemic closed our in house business but we are now recovering!
The other major difficulty has been gaining traction for our brand in the local market. We hadn’t advertised very much initially hoping that our local status and quality of our products would gain our brands a following. This has been slower than desired so we are about to embark on an aggressive advertising and promotional program!
Fortunately, our in house business has started returning!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Acre Distilling Co. is known for its award-winning spirits, our very popular bar and our Tour & Tasting program.
Our Tour & Tasting sets us apart from the other distilleries in the area. We focus on the history of the Hell’s Half Acre neighborhood of the late 1800s, where the distillery is located. We also focus on the process of distilling and aging fine spirits. The Acre makes a broad selection of spirits – whiskies, vodkas, gins, rum, and flavored spirits. This allows our bartenders to make a wide variety of classic cocktails. It also allows us to provide formal tastings that feature a cross-section of spirits.
We are most proud of the Acre’s Two Minnie’s London Dry Gin – Gold Medalist at the 2017 LA International Competition, Silver and Double Gold Medalist at the World Spirits Competition, Gold Medalist US Open Spirits Championships and Silver Medalist at the 2021 London Spirits Competition.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
It costs more than you think to get started. It takes longer than you think to gain brand traction. Make sure you are well-financed. We fortunately have financial resources behind us.
Contact Info:
- Email: tformby@acredistilling.com
- Website: www.acredistilling.com
- Instagram: acredistilling
- Facebook: acredistilling
