The Engine Room Reacquires Arcane Distilling and New Technology

At The Engine Room, innovation isn’t just a buzzword—it’s our DNA. From blending engineering ingenuity with creative problem-solving, we’ve always sought to push boundaries. That’s why the story of Arcane Distilling’s return is more than just a reacquisition; it’s a rekindling of the innovation that started it all.

The Origins of Arcane Distilling

The story of Arcane Distilling begins in 2015, when we saw great potential in an unlikely place: brewery waste. These wastes, especially dry hop and cold-side waste, were incredibly aromatic and full of flavorful compounds—and just being thrown away. The Engine Room, ever driven to solve complex challenges, developed a process designed specifically to extract and preserve these fleeting characteristics from beer and beer production waste. This innovation wasn’t just about solving a problem; it was about creating opportunities—for sustainability, for creativity, and for entirely new products.

What began as a technical experiment quickly turned into an all-consuming journey. The recovered essences and flavors revealed untapped potential for creating products unlike anything on the market. Inspired by the unique profiles that emerged, we launched Arcane Distilling to showcase what this technology could do.

This transition represents more than a return; it’s an evolution. By bringing Arcane Distilling back into The Engine Room’s fold, we’ve recommitted to the brand’s foundational innovation and sustainability goals.

Over the next few years, Arcane worked actively with breweries across the country to experiment with beer essence extracts, creating new and exciting beers that pushed the boundaries of flavor. On the spirits side, Arcane released critically acclaimed products such as its Lone Wolf whiskey line ,the beloved Arcane Fernet, and the flagship “The Arcane” whiskey. These spirits didn’t just captivate consumers; they told a story of innovation, sustainability, and craftsmanship.

The Transition and the Return

In 2019, The Engine Room was advised to transition Arcane Distilling into its own entity. This move promised to allow the brand to explore growth opportunities independently, freeing the Engine Room to work on new endeavors. The Engine Room started the patent process for the core technology in 2017 with a provisional patent and filed for the full utility patent in 2018.

Arcane and its assets were acquired by a start up company in 2019 with visions of growing the brand. Under this new leadership, all of the original core products were discontinued and work into beer waste extract technology was ceased.

In 2024, The Engine Room made the decision to reacquire the Arcane Distilling brand and technology – including the patented process and trademark that formed the core of Arcane Distilling.

This exciting homecoming represents more than a return; it’s an evolution. By bringing Arcane Distilling back into The Engine Room’s fold, we’ve recommitted to the brand’s foundational innovation, collaboration, and sustainability goals. The reacquisition underscores our role as the driving force behind Arcane’s pioneering technology and products.

A New Vision: Arcane Technologies

The Arcane Distilling brand is evolving to focus exclusively on technology under the new banner of Arcane Technologies. Central to this evolution is the patented vacuum distillation and concentration process, now being positioned as a transformative tool for breweries, distilleries, and beyond.

The potential applications of this technology extend beyond Arcane Distilling’s original experimental products. By reclaiming flavors and aromas from beer production waste, breweries can reduce waste while crafting innovative, high-quality products. This aligns perfectly with the industry’s need to reach economic and environmental sustainability as it evolves.

One particularly exciting application is in non-alcoholic beer production. The patented technology allows breweries to capture or reintegrate the flavors and aromas often lost during a dealcoholization process or completely missing from arrested fermentations. This helps to create non-alcoholic beers with greater depth and complexity with a vital, difficult to explain “of beer” quality. The process even lets traditional breweries re-create their core recipes or partner with non-alcoholic producers to create alcohol free beers with greater fidelity – using waste! This goes beyond typical hop-centric compounds and extends to the rare and delicate fermentation organoleptics that make a beer truly a beer.

Arcane Technologies aims to make this patented process available for license on a sliding scale, empowering partners to explore new flavor profiles and redefine their approach to production. The Engine Room will provide engineering and production support for these technologies from retrofitting existing systems to the creation of purpose driven distillation systems with Arcane Technologies tech at its core. 

Why Focus on Technology?

The decision to transition Arcane into a technology-driven entity stems from its original purpose. When we created the extraction technology, the goal was never just to make spirits or even own a distillery; it was to solve a problem that affected an industry as a whole. Beer production waste, while abundant, represents a missed opportunity when it’s disposed of as garbage. By recovering and reusing these materials, breweries can tap into a new revenue stream while contributing to a more sustainable industry. 

This approach also opens new avenues for distilleries. By leveraging Arcane Technologies’ systems and methods, distilleries can offer recovery and processing services to local breweries, transforming unused beer waste into unique, high-quality products. This not only diversifies their offerings but also strengthens community partnerships and creates additional market opportunities.

This renewed focus on the technology also allows us to scale Arcane’s impact far beyond what was possible as a single entity. By working with partners, we can bring this innovation to breweries and distilleries around the world, creating a ripple effect of creativity and sustainability.

The Possibility of Reviving Beloved Products

While Arcane Technologies will primarily focus on licensing and technology consulting, we’re not ruling out the return of Arcane’s iconic products. The Arcane Fernet, in particular, holds a special place in the hearts of those who have been part of the brand from the beginning. If and when the time is right or we find the right partners, we’ll explore opportunities to reintroduce this beloved spirit.

What’s Next for Arcane Technologies?

The next chapter for Arcane is filled with promise. Here’s what you can expect:

• Licensing Opportunities: Arcane Technologies will offer licensing packages that include engineering support and consulting from The Engine Room. This ensures that partners can seamlessly integrate the vacuum distillation system into their operations.
• Educational Content: We hope to produce white papers, case studies, and other resources to demonstrate the potential of this technology. These materials will highlight success stories and provide insights into how breweries and distilleries can incorporate it into their products.
• Collaborative Projects: We’re actively seeking partnerships with forward-thinking breweries and distilleries to explore new applications of the technology. These collaborations will serve as showcases for what’s possible when innovation meets craftsmanship. Have an idea for our technology? Drop us a line!

A Legacy of Innovation

For the Engine Room, reclaiming Arcane Distilling isn’t just about restoring a brand; it’s about honoring its legacy while building a future that’s even more impactful. At The Engine Room, we’re excited to see how Arcane Technologies can transform the industry and inspire a new wave of creativity. Whether it’s through simply reducing waste, imparting key flavors back into non-alcoholic beer, creating unique spirits, or fostering collaboration, we’re excited to share this technology know-how with you.

If you’re interested in learning more about Arcane Technologies and how it can help your business innovate, let’s start a conversation.