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Montana, co-owner of Du Nord and president of the Distillers Guild, “thankfully, state leaders agreed that this outdated law needed to change.”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.”
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.
