September is Michigan Craft Spirits Month, and the Petoskey area has so many ways for you to celebrate!
Sure, the north country is fabled for its fantastic craft beers and wineries. But it might be news to some that artisans have also been creating alcoholic spirits that rival the country’s best.
From rye whiskey, bourbon, gin, and vodka to more unusual beverages like grappa, northern Michigan has a variety of smooth-drinking spirits to slake your thirst. Whether you’re enjoying the summer, taking in the fall colors, or reveling in a snowy landscape, you’ll enjoy a visit to one of our area distilleries.
Sit and sip as you watch the sun set over our beautiful fresh waters. You’ll be glad you did.
Burnt Marshmallow Brewstillery
Distiller and brewer Matt Hopf explains the distilling process at Burnt Marshmallow Brewstillery.
Burnt Marshmallow Brewstillery
339 Lake Grove Rd.
Petoskey, MI
A beloved winery just down the street from Walloon Lake has recently added a distillery component to its offerings.
Rudbeckia Farm is well known for its thriving vineyard, selection of wines, acres of pastureland, and scenic event space. Now, they’ve entered the business of distilling, in addition to their rotating selection of home-brewed beers, with their Burnt Marshmallow Brewstillery. Keeping with the spirit of their vineyard, many of their spirits are made with grapes instead of grains.
Owners John and Vickie Wysokinski knew they wanted to distill spirits when they first opened their doors in 2016. One thing that’s special about their operations: they’re taking on the European tradition of using as much of their harvest as possible. Their grappa—a spirit with the flavor profile of cognac, according to Vickie—is made from the skins and seeds of grapes that have been grown on their farm and crushed at harvest for wine.
The winery/brewstillery serves classic cocktails as well as fun twists like apple highballs and campfire cola. In the chill and idyllic space you can also pick up small-batch bottles of vodka, rum, grappa, limoncello, gin, whiskey, and their top-selling bourbon.
High Five Spirits/Gypsy Vodka
High Five Spirits is a popular tasting room in downtown Petoskey with a seasonally rotating cocktail menu.
5251 Charlevoix Ave, Petoskey
231-867-0800
312 Howard St, Petoskey
231-867-0800
The logo of a lovely kerchiefed woman with flowers woven into her hair is a familiar one in Petoskey. High Five Spirits—makers of award-winning gin and vodka—is home to incredibly popular beverages in the Petoskey area.
The company name and logo are inspired by two free-spirited wanderers who traveled across the country before returning to Michigan with dreams of opening a distillery: twins Michael and Adam Kazanowski. They became hooked on the idea of distilling vodka after meeting a Colorado distiller on a ski hill. Now, they own a tasting room in downtown Petoskey (High Five Spirits) and a huge space with craft cocktails, eateries, games, and availability for wedding and other event bookings (Gypsy Distillery).
You can try a delectable cocktail at one of their tasting rooms, or pick up a bottle of vodka, gin, rum, or whiskey. There are some seasonal flavors, like Apple Pie Vodka, and you can indulge in flights of rum at the Mackinac Island Rum CO (closed for Summer 2024 – moving locations), where spirits are delivered by boat and horse-drawn carriage.
Mammoth Distilling
A bottle of Mammoth Distilling’s Limited Release Northern Rye Whiskey, available at Provision’s Spirits & Brews in downtown Boyne City.
4181 Main St., Petoskey
231-622-8776
Mammoth Distilling started with the dream of Michigander Chad Munger, who longed to return to the north country after many busy years spent in Chicago. After a weekend course on craft distilling at Michigan State University and a chance meeting with distiller Ari Sussman, Mammoth opened its doors in northern Michigan.
The brand’s dependence on local terroir—think prolific peat bogs and a magical landscape shaped by glaciers—has been a huge success, with tasting rooms in Bay Harbor and beyond. Mammoth has even developed a pact with the National Park Service to bring back a vintage variety of grain called rosen rye on South Manitou Island that’s perfect for rye whiskey with a superior flavor.
Mammoth Distilling offers bourbon, gin, rye, vodka, coffee liqueur, and cherry bounce, along with classic and craft cocktails at their tasting rooms.
Muskrat Distilling
Muskrat Distilling’s Becky Houser mixes up The Curse of Karens with vodka, cran-raz shrub, lemon, and more in the newly restored downtown Boyne City tasting room.
121 Water St, Boyne City
231-268-0178
Live music? Check. Hiking happy hours? Check. Staff dressed up as rats for the July 4 parade? Double check. Muskrat Distilling, named for the chunky semiaquatic rodent who plies northern Michigan’s waters, is the brainchild of Augie Englehart and Matt McCann of Detroit Stillworks. They opened their tasting room in a historic building dating to the 1890s after lovingly restoring it to its former splendor, complete with the original hardwood floors and ceiling tins.
Muskrat doesn’t currently distribute bottles of its rum, vodka, gin, or bourbon, so you’ll have to visit the storefront to purchase their wares. Their cocktail menu ranges from old favorites to delightful twists, such as the Devil of Michoacan with elderflower vodka and smoked peppers, or Saturn, made with gin and passionfruit tea.
For those in your party who aren’t into spirits, they can still tag along—each venue has a variety of non-alcoholic drinks like mocktails, sodas, teas, and even kombucha. Check their online menus for availability before you head out. And enjoy Michigan Craft Spirits Month in the picturesque Petoskey region!
About the Author: Jen DeMoss is a newcomer to the Petoskey area and loves northern Michigan. You can catch her paddling a canoe, hiking a trail, or swimming in Lake Michigan as often as the weather cooperates. She’d love to help you make the most of your time in this paradise she now calls home.