NW Michigan Food and Farming Network Report to the Community 2015 Report to the Community | Page 36

Food and Farming network

Liquor and Spirits Industry
in Northwest Michigan
State’s craft distilling
industry is growing
By Don Coe
Black Star Farms
Michigan’s craft distilling industry
has grown rapidly and in many ways
is similar to the wine and craft beer
industries. Consumers are seeking
authenticity and locally produced
products where they can observe a
direct contact between the land and
the artisans who craft a product from
that land. The Grand Traverse region
is an ideal location for craft and micro distillers as locally grown grapes,
fruits and grain—and an active tourism market—are already available.
We already have an established
craft distillers industry in the Grand
Traverse Bay area with both grape
and fruit brandy producers and grain
distillers producing vodka, gin, rum
and whiskies. Most of the distilleries
are small; in fact, they are required

A view of the micro-distillery at Latitude 45 in Lake Leelanau.
(Photos: Bill Palladino)

to be small by state law. However
the industry is doubling every five
years, and as discriminating consumers discover our local producers and

Consumers are
seeking authenticity
and locally produced
products where
they can observe
a direct contact
between the land
and the artisans
who craft a product
from that land.
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experiment with new flavors, growth
will continue.
There are some significant opportunities with craft spirits as opposed
to wine. Wineries have grape varieties to make varietal or blended wines
or brandy, and primarily contain
only the juice of the grape. Craft distilleries also produce single or multigrain products but also experiment
with added flavor ingredients like
honey, fruits, nuts, and spices. These
provide an open door for our farm
community to act as a supplier to
craft distillers creating a wide variety
of products all reinforcing Taste The
Local Difference®.
www.blackstarfarms.com/
winery/spirits/