News

Dec 14, 2023

Another Outbreak of Whiskey Fungus Causes Tension in Maine

A highway sign covered in the black whiskey fungus in Tennessee. (Photo: AP Photo/John Amis) A new outbreak of the Baudoinia whiskey fungus has led to accusations against the Maine-based Wiggly Bridge

A highway sign covered in the black whiskey fungus in Tennessee. (Photo: AP Photo/John Amis)

A new outbreak of the Baudoinia whiskey fungus has led to accusations against the Maine-based Wiggly Bridge Distillery, the Portsmouth Herald reported Thursday. The distillery, which has a 10-year history in the city of York, Maine, implemented plans of expanding and building a new barrel house, but neighbors are asking the city’s Planning Board to deny its expansion.

The town hired Tora Johnson, a professor of geographic information systems and environmental studies at the University of Maine at Machias to implement a study on the fungus. The study, concluded in late June, determined it was “highly likely” that Wiggly Bridge Distillery was the reason for a nearby Baudoinia cluster.

The Baudoinia fungus feeds off ethanol vapor, which can travel as far as a mile from the distillery before it lands.

In a letter written July 20, the town of York’s peer review consultant requested the Planning Board determine if Wiggly Bridge conformed to code, as a section in the city’s ordinance prohibits industrial buildings from emitting dusts, fumes, vapors and gases.

Residents have referenced other distilleries in states throughout the U.S., like Buffalo Trace in Kentucky, as examples of the whiskey fungus causing serious issues for local residents. Yet the owners of Wiggly Bridge Distillery, a father-and-son team both named David Woods, argue that even with the distillery’s expansion, production levels would still be far too small compared with Buffalo Trace.

The Woods family also argued that there is no evidence for negative health effects caused by the whiskey fungus.

Outbreaks of the black fungus, scientifically known as Baudoinia compniacensis, have grown increasingly common as whiskey production continues to grow.

In November, Jack Daniel’s faced claims that its ethanol fumes were creating a black fungus, leading to friction between the Tennessee whiskey brand and local residents.

According to Vice, residents living near Buffalo Trace Distillery have faced similar issues with the black whiskey fungus. But the problem is not just confined to America, or even whiskey production. According to an article in The Scotsman, a couple won a judgment against the whisky behemoth behind the brands Johnnie Walker, Diageo, to take action against a scotch whisky distillery over Baudoinia issues.

Rum producers Captain Morgan and Cruzan also faced litigation over the Baudoinia fungus in January, making outbreaks a wider, ongoing issue.

As for the Wiggly Bridge Distillery, the Woods family seems resolute in their plans to move forward with expanding the facilities, in spite of concerns from residents. Woods claimed he would have no issues going to the Maine Supreme Court if faced with pushback.

“I’m prepared to go all the way I need to go,” he concluded.

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Cynthia Mersten is a writer/editor for Whiskey Raiders and has worked in the Beverage Industry for eight years. She started her career in wine and spirits distribution and sold brands like Four Roses, High West and Compass Box to a variety of bars and restaurants in the city she calls home: Los Angeles. Cynthia is a lover of all things related to wine, spirits and story and holds a BA from UCLA’s School of Theatre, Film and Television. Besides writing, her favorite pastimes are photography and watching movies with her husband.