Another piece of bad news for the American whiskey industry arrived this week: Longtime San Francisco spirits producer Hotaling & Co. announced that it was closing its Pier 50 distillery. That’s a tough blow for fans of the whiskey, gin, and other spirits produced there, and another troubling sign for the spirits industry overall, particularly the craft sector, which has been hit hardest by the recent dips in the marketplace.
Hotaling was originally founded by Fritz…

