About Grand Traverse Distillery
Grand Traverse Distillery
“To produce world class spirits using locally grown agriculture. To mill, mash, ferment, distill, age and bottle our spirits in house. We are a distillery, not a marketing and bottling company.”
“To produce world class spirits using locally grown agriculture. To mill, mash, ferment, distill, age and bottle our spirits in house. We are a distillery, not a marketing and bottling company.”
Our Story
On Michigans pinkie, straddling the shoreline of Lake Michigan, is Grand Traverse Distillery. A father-son duo own and operate this independent distillery, Northern Michigans first since the end of Prohibition.
Founded in 2005, the seeds for Grand Traverse Distillery had been growing in owner and founder Kent Rabish since he was a child. Growing up on a small farm, Kent and his siblings happened upon three jugs with cork and cheesecloth still attached. Grandpa George was putting his excess grain and corn to good use. Grand Traverse Distillery embraces that same mantra George clearly shared. Waste not, want not.
Grand Traverse Distillerys award-winning line of craft spirits has something for everyone. At home in the Cherry Capital of the World, they have a couple of cherry infused offerings. Perfect for a Manhattan, they have the subtle Cherry Whiskey. If you prefer a less-subtle cherry offering, then their sweet True North Cherry vodka is what youre looking for
Coppercraft Gin Coppercraft Distillery
Sip a Coppercraft gin and take a sensory walk through a Michigan white pine forest. Thats what the Holland-based distillers of this spirit aim for, having used 13 botanicals to create their gin. Dilute your spirits with tonic water and lime or combine with Michigan cherry juice, fresh squeezed lime juice and a little seltzer for a refreshing summer cocktail.
Let Your Spirits Soar On Our Distillery Tours
Whatever your taste in spirits, youll discover greatlibations during our unique tours of distilleries in the Traverse City area andon Old Mission Peninsula and Leelanau Peninsula.
At the craft distilleries youll sample traditional spiritslike bourbon, gin, rum, vodka, and whiskey. But youll also find more unusualbeverages like agave, cherry liqueur with a whiskey base, sakura, andhorseradish vodka.
At some youll talk to the distillers themselves. Theyllexplain how they craft their small-batch spirits with locally harvested grainsand other ingredients. Some distilleries offer guided tours of their productionfacilities.
Sit back in our luxurious Mercedes-Benz Sprinter high-topand let our knowledgeable chauffeur/guides take you on a custom tour ofdistilleries based on your tastes and interests. You can choose from thedistilleries listed below and well be happy to make recommendations!
Pricing for private group tours depends on which vehicle you choose and the length of your tour. Visit the page about our fleet for details.
Call Grand Traverse Tours today at or email us at so we can start planning your Grand distillery tour!
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Grand Traverse True North Rye Vodka
Rye grows in droves across Grand Traverse County, Michigan. Grand Traverse Distillery couldn’t help but take advantage. Putting the local grain on full display in their True North Rye Vodka. The Best in Category’ craft vodka boasts powerful notes of spicy rye bread along with subtle hints of dried fruit and lemon curd. The medium-bodied vodka’s fresh-baked flavors are perfect for enjoying all types of ways. Find your bar cart’s True North.
Very Good Cherry Vodka
Heard about this distillery and the cherry vodka they offer. Went in to give it a try and was met by a friendly and gracious staff member who offered me a taste mixed with Lemonade. A must try if you are in the area.
HelloGlad you enjoyed the cherry vodka and lemonade. I love it on a hot summer day and these warm fall days have been perfect also. Come back soon!Cheers
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I’m not a huge fan of distilled spirits, but Grand Traverse Distillery has a nice variety of spirits for you to try. The tour was very informative for learning about the different processes used. Would definitely recommend it to people visiting the area. I love how everything is produced locally and they make sure to use all local ingredients.
HelloThanks for taking a chance and visiting us. Glad you did the tour, we enjoy showing off how we take local grain and end up with a spirit in the bottle. Grain to bottle. 100% of our rye, wheat and corn is grown on the Send Brothers Farms and we will always buy local.Cheers
Nice small distillery that produces vodka, gin, whiskey, and rum. Tour was informative and the spirits were yummy. Walked out with a bottle of vodka and whiskey. Tour and tasting was $10, but worth it.
Hello DavidLooks like your a whiskey guy! Thanks for coming in and tasting our offerings. We hope to have our Islay Rye whiskey back in the tasting rooms soon.Cheers
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Wr Whiskey Journeyman Distillery
A new-make whiskey aged fewer than 24 hours in new white oak, W.R. Whiskey is a bright, floral, raw whiskey unaltered by intense wood flavors. Taste the drink neat to appreciate its unadulterated rye flavors, then add a few rocks and experience the evolution. Journeyman is set in the 19th-century E.K. Warren Featherbone Factory, a former buggy whip and corsets manufacturer in Three Oaks.
Grand Traverse True North Natural Cherry Flavor Vodka
You now have FREE access to nearly 300,000 wine, beer and spirit reviews. Cheers!
Cherry fruit scents of the bouquet evolve to cherry pastry by the end of the sniffing rounds. Palate entry focuses on the dry and spicy cherry compote flavor midpalate is long and intense with dried cherry fruit and peppery flavors. Finishes a little bitter and keenly tart. P.P.
- rating
All tastings reported in the Buying Guide are performed blind. Typically, products are tasted in peer-group flights of from 5-8 samples. Reviewers may know general information about a flight to provide contextvintage, variety or appellationbut never the producer or retail price of any given selection. When possible, products considered flawed or uncustomary are retasted.
Ratings reflect what our editors felt about a particular product. Beyond the rating, we encourage you to read the accompanying tasting note to learn about a products special characteristics.
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Blue Label Gin Red Cedar Spirits Distillery
Red Cedars mainstay Blue Label Gin has a light flavor, easy on the juniper, making this a beverage often favored by those not traditionally drawn to the drink. Want a little fruit in your spirits? Try the Raspberry Gin crafted of Michigan-grown fruit. Red Cedar Spirits, based in East Lansing, traces its beginnings to 1998, making this the oldest distillery in the state of Michigan.
There’s Good And Then There’s Grand
We could talk about the local grains and cold northern Michigan water that we use to craft our spirits. We could tell you about our grain-to-glass process conducted under the watchful eyes of our seasoned distillers. We could even share with you all the shiny awards weâve won. But none of it matters . What really counts is how exceptional and enjoyable our spirits are with every sip.
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Valentine Vodka Valentine Distilling Co
Named Worlds Best Vodka at the 2016 World Drinks Awards in London, Valentine distills its spirits from a production facility in Ferndale. Sample the beverage at Valentines tasting bar, built of reclaimed construction materials from abandoned Detroit buildings. Or buy a bottle to take home and share.
Nain Rouge Absinthe Verte Two James Spirits
A 19th-century French recipe formed the basis of Two James absinthe, a lovely green spirit that relies on the distillation of more than 100 pounds of botanicals. Farm-to-glass is the mantra at Two James, where the distillers are obsessed with using locally-sourced ingredients. Find Two James in Corktown, Detroits oldest neighborhood, or on your grocery shelves.
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Can’t Find Our Product On The Shelf No Problem
Our products are distributed through Imperial Beverage. So if you can’t find what you’re looking for just ask your local merchant to order what you’d like using or MLCC Codes below:
- True North Rye Vodka: 80 Proof, MLCC Code: 4406
- Wheat Vodka: 80 proof, MLCC Code: 5899
- Cherry Vodka: 80 proof, MLCC Code: 4713
- Chipotle Infused Vodka: 80 proof MLCC: 24008
- Peninsula Gin: 80 proof, MLCC Code: 12708
- Barrel Finished Gin: 80 proof, MLCC Code: 22052
- Ole George Rye Whiskey: 100 proof, MLCC Code: 13459
- Ole George Single Barrel: Cask Strength, MLCC Code: 22730
- Straight Bourbon : 100 proof, MLCC Code: 18955
- Single Barrel Bourbon: Cask Strength, MLCC Code: 22731
- Cherry Whiskey: 80 proof, MLCC Code: 16893
Brewvine: Valentines Drinks At Grand Traverse Distillery
Valentines Day is normally characterized by flowers and a heart shaped box of chocolates but if youre looking to change things up this year, Grand Traverse Distillery has some tasty options.
Whitney Amann and photojournalist Jeremy Erickson take us to their tasting room for some valentine themed cocktails.
Its our wheat vodka infused with cocoa nibs and we put very minimal sugar in it, said Shelby Plamondon, tasting room manager.
Grand Traverse Distillery has a wide variety of flavored spirits like their chipotle flavored vodka and cherry flavored whiskey but this time of year is when their cocoa bean vodka really comes in handy.
If you like the taste of chocolate covered raspberries, you might want to try the fizzy and tangy cocoa berry buzz.
The distillery has some great gift boxes that you can take home to your valentine but if youre looking for a fun date night idea, you can always stop by Grand Traverse Distillerys tasting room for some pre or post dinner drinks.
I always like to go out and have a drink before I go out to dinner on date night, so its the perfect stop, said Plamondon. Theres a lot of different shops down here to go to dinner too and this is right on the way.
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Islay Rye Whiskey Grand Traverse Distillery
Crafted from world-class rye grown in the Traverse City area, Grand Traverse Distillery handcrafts its whiskey, vodka, rum and gin one batch at a time. Grand Traverse traces its beginnings to 2007 and ranks as Michigans oldest craft distillery.
Crafted exclusively from Michigan grains, Long Roads young bourbon carries bright flavors and satisfies your thirst neat or made into a Manhattan or a Mint Julep. The Grand Rapids-based distillery also produces find vodkas, gins and aquavit.
Pear And Its Spirit Black Star Farms Suttons Bay
When the air turns crisp nothing warms you quite like a glass of brandy. Black Stars Pear and Its Spirit brandy is dry, rich, a beautiful after-dinner drink and fun to cook with. Try soaking fruit in it for dessert, or mix the brandy into a fresh fruit salsa. When the brandy gets low, buy another bottle to keep the pear immersed. Isnt that submerged pear beautiful? Arent you dying to know how they got the pear in the bottle?
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Homegrown Rye Detroit City Distillery
Detroit City pours its Homegrown Rye, made with Michigan-grown grain, in its tasting room in Detroits Eastern Market, Michigans oldest and largest farmers market. Taste the spirit in a classic cocktail, like a Sazerac. Or sample one of the distillerys creative originals, like the Richard Scott, which incorporates apple brandy, cinnamon and black walnut bitters.
Grand Traverse Cherry Vodka
Traverse City, Michigan proudly boasts the title of the Cherry Capital of the World. It’s a moniker that Grand Traverse Distillery wears with pride as well. Their Cherry Vodka highlights locally sourced cherries that are tart and sweet. Blended into Grand Traverse Distillery’s wheat-based vodka, the local cherries inspire notes of maraschino cherries. But there are competing notes of peppery spice and marzipan cookies. It’s complex. It’s sweet. Expect no less than the Cherry Capital.
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