Minnesota is world renowned for abundant and fertile soils, pristine, clear water and towering, statuesque white oak trees. These three seemingly unrelated natural treasures have enabled Minnesota to leap to the forefront of another wellspring of entrepreneurship and creativity.
Micro Distilleries have sprung up throughout Minnesota. Minnesota’s natural assets create the perfect conditions to make awesome vodka, gin, and whiskey! And there are new stills coming online everyday! In 2011 the Minnesota legislature created a law that allows small micro distillers to proliferate. This law lowered the entry fee to $1000 from $30,000. This opened the doors and we are the luckier for it!
Minnesota’s first legal still opened in Osakis MN. Colorado businessman Adrian Panther and head distiller Brett Grinager (who trained at Makers Mark) opened Panther Distilling. Their first creation was White Water whiskey. It is a Minnesota corn bourbon Mash filtered thru barrels for smoothness. Soon after came Panther Spiked Apple a delicious concoction of Minnesota Apples and large sticks of pure cinnamon. It is a unique take on the apple pie!
2-3 years after his stills created his delicious White Whiskey, Panther released his Minnesota 14 Whiskey. The slow aging process in the Minnesota cold winters can be intolerable for many distillers—but the wait is worth it! Minnesota 14 and Panther’s Pike Street Bourbon are worth the wait. The flavors that the Minnesota made barrels impart on the virgin white whisky are wonderful.
Far North Solveig Gin
Another pioneer in Minnesota’s burgeoning industry is Far North Spirits in Hallock Minnesota. Hallock is about as close as you can get to Canada without having to wave the maple leaf. It is in the far Northwest corner of Minnesota. The grains used in their products are all grown on the family farm or nearby family friends! Their first concoction was Syva Vodka. Syva is Finnish for ‘Deep’. Far North uses non-gmo AC Hazlet Winter Rye as its base grain. Syva Vodka is silky smooth and has hints of lavender and vanilla. My favorite Far North Spirit is the delicious Solveig (SOUL-vai) Gin. Solveig is classic Scandinavian woman’s name combining elements of Sol (sun) and veig (strength). It is a totally unique gin with out the typical overpowering Juniper flavors typical in most gins. Rather the Solveig has slight coriander and thyme flavors. It is great in a simple martini where you can really savor the soft finish and floral undertones.
J. Carver Distillery in Waconia Mn
Waconia based J. Carver has started a distillery in a former auto dealership. A group of friends decided to take a leap and discovered some awesome creations. They have a wide variety of products from vodka, grappa, whiskey and gin. My favorite is the Barrel Gin. It is totally unique and combines the best of both gin and whiskey. They take their delicious gin and rest it in white oak barrels for a short time to impart unique characteristics. The gin is created from local grains, wild rice, clover, star anise and more. It is awesome and can be used to create amazing cocktails like the Old Fashioned or Negroni. It will give you the unique flavors you have never had and will enjoy discovering!
When I think of Rum I can only think of warm Caribbean beaches and tropical drinks. But even here in Minnesota we have some brave souls creating amazing Rums. Norseman distilling of Minneapolis has created a unique rum. It is aged in bourbon barrels for a unique flavor!
If you notice, most of these local entrepreneurs have released gin and vodka first. Gin and Vodka can be released with a minimum of aging and prep. Good whiskey takes time to mature and we can look forward to a plethora of Minnesota made whiskey coming on the market as they ripen to the perfect flavor.
Isanti spirits co-founder Rick Schneider has experience gained from training at Dry Fly Spirits in Washington and at Michigan State in the only college program teaching Distilling. He created a delicious rye whiskey that has been aging here in Minnesota. It was just released and is delicious! Rye whiskey is awesome in cocktails and makes a delicious Manhattan. Use 3oz of Isanti rye, Sweet Vermouth and a little cherry juice. As an added attraction Rick grew up in Rochester! His whiskey and Gin are awesome!
Whatever your cocktail of choice, Minnesota’s Burgeoning distilling industry has created a flavor for you! Try something local and support our homegrown bootleggers! Cheers and enjoy in moderation!
Please have someone contact me about setting up some in store tastings. I never need much if an excuse to visit Rochester.