Wine and beer have become staples of the local-crafted food and drink scene, but liquor isn't all that common--yet. The Civilized Spirits line of liquors from the
Northern United Brewing Company in Traverse City aims to change that.
Visitors to the
Mission Table and Jolly Pumpkin restaurants have been able to try out a whole line of spirits from the brewers for awhile now, but two of the spirits now are available to retail consumers looking for Michigan-made liquors.
The company is now delivering its vodka and sakura to retailers. It also makes rum, whiskey and gin, but those are still only found at the Old Mission Peninsula restaurants, at least for now. They are scheduled for release in the upcoming year.
The brewers-turned-distillers use locally-grown ingredients like sugar beets, grapes and cherries to give signature Northwest Michigan flavor to their spirits. Mike Hall and Ron Jeffries have collaborated to craft their Civilized Spirits line, focusing on character, smoothness and flavor.
Northern United managing partner Greg Lobdell says this extension of the company is a natural one, rooted in the Old Mission Peninsula's character. He, Jeffries, Hall and Jon Carlson are the four managing partners of the company.
"Jon and I grew up on the Old Mission Peninsula," says Lobdell. "As children, we used to pick buckets of cherries and set up a stand downtown on Front Street and sell them during the Cherry Festival parade. I remember picking cherries for two days and then working all day selling them at the parade. I think we brought home $12 for the three days work and we were the happiest kids in the world. It is only fitting that we are now distilling cherries from the same trees on Old Mission Peninsula, making sakura, and distributing it throughout the state."
Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Greg Lobdell, Northern United Brewing Company
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.