The Great Lakes Distillery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Beer, it is the first thing that comes into your mind when someone says Milwaukee. Then you probably will think of Harley Davidson, the Brewers, The Bucks, Lake Michigan, and snow. The last thing which will come into your mind is a premium distilled vodka, award winning gin, and an original top shelf rum. However, this is what is being produced in Milwaukee at the Great Lakes Distillery.

I first became aware of the distillery when my son, a beer salesman told me about the rum. He knew of my affection for this spirit and how I always like to try new tastes. The rum is called Roaring Dan's, named after the only pirate to roam Lake Michigan. His story told on the label is almost worth the price of the bottle but the real treat is what's inside. I was intrigued enough to take the time to do the tour and tasting at Great Lakes Distillery.

Great Lakes Distillery started business in an old warehouse building in Milwaukee's River West area. They were the first distillery to begin making spirits in Wisconsin since prohibition. Their initial plan was to produce vodka. After the state bureaucracy dusted off the files for distilleries and figured out how to license them they began production.

Today Great Lakes Distillery has moved to a public friendly facility in Milwaukee's trendy Walker's Point area. The building is located on the northwest corner of Virginia and Sixth Street. Virginia is the first street after the roundabout. The building is not well marked with only a small sign in the front window of offices for rent. The Distillery is located in the rear. There is ample free parking.

Great Lakes Distillery has a tasting room which offers drinks of their products from noon to six p.m. daily. Free tours of the distillery are offered Monday through Friday at 2p.m. and 4p.m. with an extra tour on Fridays at 6p.m. You can get a shot or cocktail in the tasting room and take it with you on the tour.

I was there for the 2p.m. tour on a Wednesday afternoon. There were about fifty other people on the tour as we gathered around the center piece of the distillery, the Pot Still. This is where the spirits are made. Here you are told why Great Lakes Distillery is different from other distilleries in that it is an artisan or craft distillery.

An Artisan distillery simply makes smaller batches. The Pot Still allows the distiller to hand craft each batch unlike the larger distillers who use huge column stills. I have been to Kentucky and toured the giants of the bourbon industry and can attest that this Pot Still was nothing like the stills they use.

The tour ends at the tasting tables. Frankly I think this is what most of us came for. You purchase a $3.00 ticket for tasting which is redeemable for $3.00 off on the purchase of any bottle of their product. We started with their signature spirit, the Rehorst Vodka and worked our way up to the absinthe. Yes, they distill absinthe.

In the place of individual absinthe spoons placed over fifty glasses to diffuse the drink they brought out an antique fountain. They mixed ice and water in the top and under each of four spouts there was a glass of absinthe which ice water dripped into. As the ice cold water hit the spirits, the oils clouded. The absinthe along with their vodka and gin have won gold medals in various competitions.

I was happy to see so many people finding their way to Great Lakes Distillery. Milwaukee has an old and fine heritage in brewing the finest beers in the world and now they can add to that heritage some of the finest distilled spirits. When in Milwaukee make time for this tour and tasting, you will not be disappointed. By the way I used my $3.00 coupon on a bottle of Roaring Dan's Rum.

Tours are free but call ahead to make certain they do not have a special event going on, Great Lake Distillery 616 W Virginia St. Milwaukee, WI 414-431-8683.