As they continue to grow and gain share, craft breweries have forced the beer industry to take them seriously and now craft distilleries are hoping to follow suit. It's still considered a burgeoning industry, but in just the past 5 years or so the number of artisan distilleries in the U.S. has exploded to 240-plus. In order to compete more effectively, however, many craft distillers feel they must take down a few barriers starting with taxation.