We’d wager that for most individuals, it’s solely pure to assume first of Kentucky, after which maybe Tennessee, when pondering of American whiskey. In any case, the 2 southern states possess wealthy distilling histories that stretch again a whole lot of years, and right this moment Kentucky makes about 95% of all bourbon in the marketplace. However there’s one other state proper subsequent door with a wealthy whiskey historical past of its personal: Indiana.
The Hoosier State is residence to town of Lawrenceburg, as soon as often called Whiskey Metropolis, USA because of its prolific rye manufacturing from the mid-19th century as much as Prohibition. The town, which lies simply west of Cincinnati, and below 2 hours northeast of Louisville, constructed its first distillery in 1847. Initially known as Rossville, it has gone via a collection of title modifications through the years—from Rossville to Jos. E. Seagram Lawrenceburg, then Lawrenceburg Distillers, extra lately MGP, and at the moment Ross & Squibb. It’s a distillery that has provided whiskey for a whole lot, if not hundreds, of manufacturers through the years.
Whereas Rossville/MGP/Lawrenceburg was the one main participant in Indiana’s whiskey scene within the a long time following Prohibition, a 2013 regulation often called the Indiana Artisan Distiller’s Allow enabled a fledging craft distilling trade to take maintain there, because it allowed distillers to promote on to customers on-site, as an alternative of solely via distributors or retail shops. A brand new class of distillers has thus joined the scene over the previous decade, every including its personal colour to the state’s distilling cloth and supplementing the sturdy basis that MGP laid early on. Many emphasize grain-to-glass manufacturing as nicely, highlighting the preeminence of Indiana farmland.
Ross & Squibb
Lawrenceburg, Indiana
At this time, MGP goes by the title Ross & Squibb Distillery, a change made in 2021 as a part of an effort to place the main focus by itself manufacturers. After all, the mammoth distiller nonetheless makes an excessive amount of whiskey for different names, nearly all of that are start-up craft distillers in want of some quick releases to hit the bottom operating. Its personal manufacturers embody George Remus bourbon, Rossville Union rye, Eight & Sand blended bourbon, and Until wheat vodka. Since MGP’s $475 million acquisition of St. Louis-based distiller and marketer Luxco, additionally in 2021, some Rossville & Squibb distillate has discovered its means into a number of of the corporate’s manufacturers.
Starlight Distillery
Borden, Indiana
Starlight Distillery has roots that date again to 1843, when German immigrant Simon Huber arrived within the rural neighborhood of Starlight, Indiana. On the time, southern Indiana was famend for its wines and brandies, and Simon was quickly partaking within the distillation of his personal, farming the fruit for his wine and brandy from an 80-acre plot of land. At this time, the Huber household—now seven generations in—owns over 700 acres of farmland, primarily planted to fruit. They started distilling below the Starlight Distillery banner in 2001, with their first brandy debuting in 2004; their first whiskey, a mix of three- and four-grain bourbons, would come over a decade later, touchdown on cabinets in 2015. As of late, along with that inaugural Carl T. bourbon, Starlight additionally makes quite a lot of ryes, completed whiskeys, brandy, gin, and rum.
Exhausting Reality Distillery
Nashville, Indiana
Exhausting Reality obtained its begin in 2015, distilling within the higher flooring of Huge Woods Pizza Co. in downtown Nashville, Indiana. Three years in, and the distillery opened a brand new campus, set upon 325 acres a few mile away from its unique residence and full with a restaurant and guests heart. By 2018, its distillery was totally operational. Exhausting Reality has differentiated itself from numerous others by use of the candy mash approach—a distillation course of that begins with fully new elements—versus bitter mash, and debuted its first Candy Mash Rye in 2021.
Whereas Exhausting Reality initially hung its hat on ryes, the distillery premiered its first three bourbons earlier this 12 months: Candy Mash, Candy Mash Wheated bottled in bond, and Candy Mash 4 Grain bottled in bond. Exhausting Reality’s whiskeys are made predominantly from Indiana-grown grains—and a few of its releases have been wholly grain-to-glass whiskeys—and all are initially aged in Unbiased Stave Co. barrels which are dried 18 to 24 months (three to 4 occasions the standard quantity).
Bear Wallow Distillery
Nashville, Indiana
Bear Wallow is a family-run distillery owned by Susan Spagnuolo, who was among the many group working to get the Indiana Artisan Distiller’s Allow enacted within the early 2010s. Bear Wallow opened its doorways to the general public in 2014, and since then, it’s supplied whiskeys made solely from Indiana-grown grains. Its present roster consists of 5 whiskeys: Gnaw Bone straight bourbon, Liar’s Bench straight rye, Wolf Creek four-grain whiskey, and two single barrel whiskeys (a bourbon and a rye). Whereas the distillery makes use of the usual 53-gallon barrels for growing older, nearly all of its barrels are simply 25 gallons, which permits for extra whiskey-to-wood contact (and, in some eyes, an accelerated maturation course of).
Spirits of French Lick
West Baden Springs, Indiana
Working initially as a vineyard (which nonetheless exists right this moment), Spirits of French Lick now makes bourbon, brandy, botanical spirits, and American whiskey, too. The distillery’s declare to fame is it’s the most important pot nonetheless distillery in Indiana, centered on making spirits as they’d’ve been made previous to Prohibition. Its wheat and corn are grown on a Hoosier Homestead-designated farm (the state-led program acknowledges farms which have remained in the identical household for a century or extra), and it makes a speciality of heirloom grains in addition to different grains, amongst them oats, kasha, and buckwheat.
Other than its distinctive grain decisions, Spirits of French Lick additionally makes use of quite a lot of much less extensively practiced manufacturing strategies, together with low barrel entry proof (the distillate enters at 105) and barrels with low char and toasted staves and heads. 4 out of 5 of its bourbons are additionally bottled in bond, with the one exception being a white whiskey produced from 100% Indiana corn.
Distillery 64
New Albany, Indiana
Suffice to say Distillery 64 had humble beginnings: proprietor Terry Backbone began the distillery in a barn, making his first batch of rye in a plastic 5-gallon bucket and a nonetheless produced from an previous kitchen sink. These days, Distillery 64 has nicer digs, working out of a 700-square-foot house that focuses on bespoke cocktails and affords not simply rye whiskey, however rum, gin, and vodka as nicely. The distillery’s ryes are uncommon, and never technically ryes at that—the flagship Smokin’ Rye is a mix of 20% rye and 80% sugarcane moonshine that’s aged in extremely charred oak, qualifying as a distilled spirits specialty, as is Espresso and Rye, a collaboration with native espresso home Speak Espresso that sees rye moonshine infused with espresso.
Previous 55
Newtown, Indiana
At Previous 55, the main focus is on grain-to-glass whiskeys. The distillery, owned by the Fruits household and named for the highway it sits on, opened its doorways in 2014. Not like another distilleries on this record, which emphasize rye manufacturing, Previous 55 is concentrated on corn. Along with a 100% corn whiskey, the distillery affords a 100% candy corn bourbon, made fully from candy corn off the cob grown and harvested from the Fruits farm, in addition to a single barrel bourbon distilled from Indiana corn and wheat.
4 Finger Distillery
Indianapolis, Indiana
4 Finger opened in 2014, although on the time it was often called 1205 Distillery. The title change got here after co-owner and distiller Brad Colver misplaced his pinky finger to a noticed (an accident that occurred as he tried to put in a door on the distillery). Along with a straight bourbon and a mix of bourbons, 4 Finger makes a peated bourbon, which includes regionally grown malted barley that is smoked with Indiana-sourced peat. The distillery’ flagship facility was housed within the former Virginia Avenue State Financial institution constructing in Indianapolis; that location shall be shuttered in January, because the constructing’s homeowners devise new plans for the house. However 4 Finger has already expanded its presence, opening a 15,000-square-foot distillery, tasting room, and restaurant in Lebanon, Indiana this previous March, and working one other tasting room in Westfield since early 2020.
Resort Tango Distillery
Indianapolis, Indiana
Resort Tango co-founder and distiller Travis Barnes began making whiskey in 2012, following a 4-year profession within the U.S. navy as a Marine. In 2016, he based his distillery along with his spouse, Hilary, and some associates; they selected the distillery’s title as a option to honor his navy service, basing it on the NATO phonetic alphabet, with Resort for Hilary and Tango for Travis. At Resort Tango, bourbon is the star of the present, particularly a four-grain iteration produced from 67.5% corn, 15% rye, 12.5% wheat, and 5% malted barley. A Reserve Bourbon can be within the combine, produced from a mix of two whiskeys: one, an Indiana bourbon aged for five years and consisting of 99% corn and 1% malted barley, and the opposite, an Ohio-sourced bourbon aged for six years and comprised of 75% corn, 15% wheat, and 10% malted barley.
Indiana Whiskey Firm
South Bend, Indiana
Military veteran Charles Florance knew he wished to open his personal distillery, however he didn’t have the funds, so he turned to crowdfunding to get Indiana Whiskey Co. off the bottom. His marketing campaign proved profitable, and by the tip of October 2012 he was prepared to interrupt floor on his distillery. It’s fairly the Indiana operation, with all the pieces from the stills to the water to the labels and packaging coming straight from the state. Which means, after all, that every one the grains are additionally from Indiana, and the distillery affords all kinds of whiskeys, starting from bourbon to silver candy corn whiskey to American single malt to flavored variants.
West Fork Whiskey Co.
Westfield, Indiana
West Fork is one thing of a household affair, created by two brothers—Blake and Julian Jones—and their childhood greatest pal, David McIntyre. The three Indiana natives left their jobs in finance and cashed out their 401ks to get the distillery off the bottom, getting all the pieces in place by 2014. Their focus is 100% grain-to-glass whiskey, with additional emphasis on bourbon—they make a flagship bourbon, wheated bourbon, high-corn bourbon, and high-rye bourbon—and a rye. Other than the distillery, which affords excursions and tastings, West Fork additionally operates the Mash Home restaurant and Stave Cocktail Lounge, each situated on the distillery campus.
Cardinal Spirits
Bloomington, Indiana
Like many different distilleries on this record, Cardinal Spirits highlights whiskeys made fully from Indiana-grown grains. The distillery opened in Might 2015, and bottled its first whiskey, an American single malt, in December of that 12 months; since then, its repertoire has grown significantly, now together with a bourbon distilled with regionally grown heirloom pink corn; a four-grain bourbon made with grains from numerous elements of Indiana; bourbons made with buckwheat and quinoa; and extra.
