Spring has sprung: J. Carver Distillery Events and Bourbon Whiskey

Some say good news, bad news. At J. Carver Distillery, we say good news and great news. The good news is we have a number of special events and liquor store tastings occurring in the Twin Cities highlighting our line of J. Carver spirits. Store locations and times are detailed on our website Events tab. Looking for an event that will certainly make your taste buds do a jig? One of these fabulous events is being hosted by Sanctuary Restaurant in Minneapolis. Sanctuary Executive Chef Patrick Atanalian has created a special one night menu this Thursday, March 24, from 5-9 pm incorporating J. Carver Distillery gin, vodka, and whiskey. For reservations, call 612-339-5058 or go online. Stay tuned for details regarding a speculator gin event at Black Forest Inn Minneapolis on April 6th. Erica and team have some great surprises up their sleeves or lederhosen as the case may be.  

Sanctuary Restaurant Minneapolis 

The great news is spring is in the air just in time for the release of one of the first grain-to glass bourbons distilled in Minnesota. J. Carver Bourbon Whiskey has a mash bill of 75% local corn from Plato, MN and 25% local rye from Clear Lake, MN, and has been aged in oak barrels coopered in Avon and Park Rapids, Minnesota. We are thrilled with the response we have received. Check out the feature written by Loren Green with City Pages and another by The Whiskey Wash, a website dedicated to all things whiskey. 

J. Carver Bourbon Whiskey Batch No. 1

From our press release: "J. Carver Bourbon Whiskey offers the sweetness of corn with a spicy rye finish. While it is crafted for straight sipping, its notes of cinnamon, toffee and oak make it ideal for drinks with bourbon as the central focus. J. Carver Bourbon Whiskey mixes exceptionally well in classic cocktails including the Old Fashioned, Manhattan and Sazerac." 

J. Carver Bourbon Whiskey Old Fashioned served straight up

Try our featured specialty J. Carver Bourbon Whiskey Ginger Old Fashioned. Enjoy straight up or on the rocks. Here is the recipe:

2 oz J. Carver Bourbon Whiskey
½ oz Ginger Simple Syrup
3 dashes bitters Jamaican #1
Shake and strain in a chilled martini glass or serve over ice in a low ball glass and garnish with an orange slice and a bourbon cherry. 

Another thing putting a spring in our step is the celebration of Easter this weekend. Not too early for the Easter Bunny to start making his rounds. Maybe there is a basket of J. Carver spirits hidden for libation lover in your family. Speaking of Easter, J. Carver Distillery will be closed this weekend so our team can spend time with family and friends.  We will resume regularly scheduled cocktail room hours and tours and tastings on Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2. Enjoy the spring season everyone and don’t forget to take time to smell the flowers, breathe the fresh air, and enjoy some J. Carver spirits and specialty cocktail to welcome the new season. Happy Easter from our J. Carver Distillery Family to you and yours. Cheers!

The Wait Is Over - It's Tour Time and So Much More

It has been a busy couple of months with lots of changes at the distillery. Historical photos adorn the walls in the tasting room and racks in the barrel room are filling up fast. Barrels, barrels, and more barrels. 

We opened our doors last week and were thrilled with all the distillery friends and fans, old and new alike, who stopped in for a tour and a taste.

Our tours provide a unique glimpse into the inner workings of our artisan distillery. You'll get a step by step overview of our grain to glass approach, from the mash tun to the custom copper stills to the barrel room. Our knowledgeable distillery staff will explain the differences between distilling brown spirits including our whiskey, rye, apple brandy, and grape brandy and white spirits like vodka, gin, and grappa. We are so proud of the collaborative work being done with our local wineries and breweries (more to come on that).

To top it off, you will enjoy a sampling of spirits or a tasting cocktail which is included in the tour. Stop in Saturdays in June from 12-5 pm for a Tour and Tasting or try a tasty J. Carver Specialty Cocktail. Tours start on the hour at 12, 1, 2, 3 pm. Book on-line at jcarverdistillery.com

Many have asked if the tasting room is open to stop in for a specialty cocktail made with our J. Carver Spirits. The answer is yes! Looking forward to seeing you!

Photo by J. Carver Distillery

All the action is not just here at the distillery.  J. Carver Barrel gin is taking the cocktail scene by storm and we couldn't be more proud!

Spoon and Stable

Robert Jones of Spoon and Stable is a spirits genius with the cocktails he is creating with private barrel #157 J. Carver Barrel Gin featured in Eater.com "Flower Power: 26 Rose Cocktails to Try This Summer - Eater". 

Photo by Spoon and Stable

Coalition Restaurant

Just down the road in Excelsior Coalition Restaurant has mastered amazing cocktails with J. Carver Barrel Gin. Andrew knocks it out of the park with his J. Carver creations and the last visit was as amazing as the first. Coalition is hitting high notes with J. Carver Barrel Gin Barrel #206. Yes! Andrew creates amazing libations that keeps customers coming back for more. One of his signature cocktails with the J. Carver Barrel Gin is called the Water Street Smash - it's a must try!

Photo by Coalition Restaurant

Photo by J. Carver Distillery

After all this, who's thirsty? Stay tuned and until next time, keep an eye out for these delicious libations and stop by the distillery for a tour and a taste! We'd love to see you and show you what we are up to! J. Carver Distillery - Spirits of Discovery. Cheers!