Friday, June 26th at exactly 4pm, Wander North Distillery (NE Minneapolis), Du Nord Craft Spirits (South Minneapolis), and Vikre Distillery (Duluth) will become the first distilleries since prohibition to sell craft spirits directly to Minnesota consumers. The coordinated sale by Minnesota craft distilleries comes in the wake of state legislative changes, and actions taken by their respective municipalities, to allow Minnesota micro distilleries to sell bottles of their spirits directly to consumers.
Vikre Distillery
Progress made during the 2015 legislative session resulted in Governor Dayton signing a law allowing micro distilleries to sell one 375ml bottle per person per day directly to the public. The law removed a prohibition on direct sales that had been on the books since the mid-1930s. The Minnesota Distillers Guild sent members to St. Paul to explain the need for the law change.
“People were shocked when they came to our distilleries and learned that they couldn’t buy what we made,” said Shanelle Montana, co-owner of Du Nord and president of the Distillers Guild, “thankfully, state leaders agreed that this outdated law needed to change.”
The law change will move Minnesota craft distillers closer to parity with small breweries and farm wineries in the state. Larger bottle sizes and expanded days of sale are a few of the inequities that will need to be addressed in coming legislative sessions.
The idea for the coordinated sale was the brain-child of Wander North’s owner, Brian Winter, and Du Nord’s co-owner, Chris Montana. “This is a big step for micro-distilleries,” said Winter “this will allow the small craft guys to grow, create jobs, and give the people what they want.”
Du Nord Craft Spirits, one of Minnesota’s first micro-distilleries, is now the first licensed cocktail room in the Minneapolis / St. Paul metro area. The cocktail room will open to the public on January 9, and will serve craft cocktails made using Du Nord’s Fitzgerald Gin and L’etoile Du Nord Vodka.
Du Nord’s cocktail room will feature craft cocktails ranging from the simple to the extravagant and feature local food. Du Nord worked with Mike Rasmussen (La Belle Vie, Marin, Bluestem Bar) to envision a cocktail menu that highlights Du Nord’s spirits through classic and new drinks. The cocktail menu will change with the seasons.
“We have something for everyone” said co-owner Shanelle Montana, “we’ve worked hard to do the classics well and create signature drinks you won’t find anywhere else.” Their location in the Hiawatha-Lake area of Minneapolis puts Du Nord in a ideal spot to work with local eateries and food trucks. Patrons will have plenty of food options to bring into or order to the cocktail room. “This area of Minneapolis is really taking off,” said co-owner and head distiller Chris Montana “we are surrounded by French, Indian, Ethiopian, Japanese, and American food, all of which go great with a cocktail.”
“We have something for everyone” said co-owner Shanelle Montana, “we’ve worked hard to do the classics well and create signature drinks you won’t find anywhere else.”
The cocktail room at Du Nord’s south Minneapolis location wasn’t possible before change to the law that allows micro-distilleries to sell drinks similar to how taprooms sell pints of beer. Prior to 2014, it was illegal to sell a cocktail directly to a consumer, micro-distilleries were mandated to only sell their products to distributors. “This is about common sense,” said Shanelle who is also President of the Minnesota Distiller’s Guild, “the cocktail room allows us to showcase our spirits the way most people consume them, but we have more work to do.” Minnesota law still prohibits micro-distilleries from selling bottles of their products to consumers, as well as operating a cocktail room on Sunday. Let’s hope this changes in 2015.
The ribbon cutting is scheduled for January 9th, at 4pm. After the ceremony Du Nord will be open for business. Get a look at their drink menu here. And, you can also listen to co-owner Chris Montana talk about the new cocktail room on the latest episode of the BeerCast.
The citizens of Duluth and the folks at VisitDuluth.com must be ecstatic that another tourism and recreation business has made a home just north of their landmark Lift Bridge in the popular Canal Park district. Is it another brewery? Nope. Another brewpub, perhaps? Nope.
Duluth’s newest economic engine is a micro-distillery. And, not just any distillery – an award-winning one. Vikre Distillery.
Joel and Emily Vikre (pronounced veek-ruh) have turned what was once a cluttered storage space into a warm, inviting, two-level cocktail room and distillery. As I entered from the street, the first thing that caught my attention was all the glass walls – there are no opaque walls anywhere to obscure the sight lines to the distillery.
I am the first to admit, I’m a beer guy – my knowledge of the art of distilling is limited to what I learned watching a documentary about prohibition and what I read on the internet. Joel was a gracious host and offered me a quick tour of the distillery to start my education.
It was interesting to learn how Vikre came to be located in their little corner of Duluth. As it turns out, their zone of Canal Park is the only place a distillery could locate… because they’re deemed “hazardous”. I have an active imagination, so immediately I took a step backwards. My guide smiled as he assured me that there was absolutely no danger or hazard to guests.
“We’re a hazardous occupancy tenant to the city,” explained Joel, “and so we needed a building in an area that was zoned that way. This part of Canal Park is the only place around that is still zoned for hazardous and manufacturing… which is what we are in their eyes.”
Photo Credit: Kevin Lemke
Joel shared a few interesting stories as we walked around – like how the small still found its way here from Washington State, and how any distiller worth their salt is also a good plumber, the radical building modifications they made to installing equipment, and how even with the full support of the mayor, it still took months to circumnavigate the readings and hearings and ordinances and permits. I was only partially listening – rude, I know – but my full attention was captured by the delicate web of copper tubes weaved between the stills with their glass-plated viewing ports which aroused the steam punk lover in me.
“… and we get our wort through an arrangement with Bent Paddle Brewing,” Joel finished.
“What?” I thought I misheard him as I looked around. Sure enough: no tell-tale bags of grain stacked on pallets that I’ve seen in every brewery tour I’ve ever taken. No milling room with a white PVC-encased augers to haul ground product into a brew kettle. Instead, half a dozen square, steel tubs about 4′ x 4′ x 2′ lay open and empty, their large round lids askew on top.
L to R: Emily Vikre (owner), Caleb Wendell (sales manager), Chelsy Whittington (tasking/cocktail room manager) and Joel Vikre (owner)
During our tour another dozen or so people escaped the cold and entered the cocktail room. It was getting busy again, so we ended the tour and went back down to the guest area where we came in. The area has a 15′ counter that can serve about 8. The counter rests below a series of small blackboards covered in information about the small batch spirits, and the cocktails that could be made. A few feet above and behind this area, and sharing the same level as the distillery, was a large cocktail room with a long, wooden table that could seat another 20 thirsty guests.
My education about tasting spirits continued with a flight of four spirits with tonic and water. Joel and staff demonstrated the different ways to taste spirits, including lessons in doing the “Kentucky chew“. I stuck my nose into the glass and inhaled deeply like I do with beer. Based on the amused expressions of those around me, I think I did it wrong.
As I worked through the flight, I overheard a customer ask if they could buy some of the two-dozen Vikre Distilling gin bottles prominently displayed on iilluminated wooden shelves built into the wall behind the bar.
“Sorry,” the staff explained, “You can only buy our products at a liquor store. Unlike breweries, we can’t self-distribute. Unlike wineries, we can’t even sell our own bottles directly to consumers. We have to sell to a distributor, who then sells to the liquor stores.” The customer furrowed his brow, asked for the location of the nearest store, and left empty-handed.
I sipped the three gins and the aquavit with and without tonic & water in my tasting flight. I also noted that they would make you cocktails with their spirits for even more variety. If we sampled beer I’d go a lot further into a review, but as my spirits knowledge is limited, I’ll defer to the American Craft Spirits Association. The ACSA awarded Vikre two silver and a gold for their gin in 2014 (I told you they were award winning). I’m a realist: my experience is limited, so what I can say honestly is that I liked them. If a busy venue is a measurement of success, than I can share that the place was indeed busy, even for a soft open! Word was out and the locals were all smiles.
The official grand opening date has yet to be determined, but keep your eyes open for this newest star of the north to make a grand appearance.
Fitzgerald Gin hits store shelves, begins Du Nord’s community feedback program to decide “Minnesota’s Gin.”
Just in time for the late summer season, Du Nord Craft Spirits is releasing Fitzgerald Gin, Formula No. 1. Fitzgerald Gin, Formula No. 1, is a classic London dry style gin. Like any London dry style gin the lack of sugar lets the botanical elements impart most of the flavor and aroma. The traditional juniper flavor stands front and center in Fitzgerald Gin, Formula No. 1. It is supported by flavors of citrus, angelica root, and licorice root. The result is a gin that stands on its own, but is equally tasty in a bright summer cocktail. Gin and Tonic, anyone?
Fitzgerald Gin, Formula No. 1, kicks off Du Nord’s unique quest to discover “Minnesota’s Gin.” Du
Nord will release three gin formulas for consumers to taste and judge. Each gin formula will be a different style. Formula No. 1 is a obviously a classic London dry. Formula 2 will be a new-world style that focuses more on herbs than Juniper. Formula No. 3 promises to be wild. Nothing is set in stone, but in co-owner Shanelle Montana says it may include hop oil. Visitors to the soon-to-open Cocktail Room will be able to sample each formula and vote for their favorite. The winning formula, to be chosen in spring of 2015, will be forever known as “Fitzgerald Gin” making Fitzgerald the first gin to be chosen by its consumers.
“We want to get the community involved,” said co-owner Chris Montana, “gin drinkers are particular about their style; what better way to find out what Minnesotans like then by letting Minnesotans choose?”
The release of Fitzgerald Gin, Formula No. 1, comes on the heels of L’etoile du Nord Vodka – Du Nord’s
first product – winning a Triple Gold Medal for taste at the 2014 Microspirits Awards in Beverly Hills. Like L’etoile du Nord Vodka, Fitzgerald Gin is hand crafted in small batches in the Minneapolis distillery, using grain from co-owner Shanelle Montana’s family farm in Ivanhoe, Minnesota.
Fitzgerald Gin, Formula No. 1, kicks off Du Nord’s unique quest to discover “Minnesota’s Gin.” Du
