Why Bourbon Fits Michigan So Well

Bourbon isn't usually the first thing people associate with Michigan, but there's a real case for why it belongs here.

The grain connection

Michigan's agricultural economy runs on corn at real scale, part of the same grain belt that's supported American whiskey for generations.

The climate connection

Michigan's genuine seasonal swings, real winters, real summers, give both local distillers and drinkers a practical reason to care about bourbon's warmth and proof, especially through a long, cold stretch of the year.

The history connection

Michigan's whiskey story goes back further than most people realize, from a pre-Prohibition run as the country's top rye producer to Detroit's Prohibition-era Whiskeytown identity. Bourbon's own presence here builds on that same longer arc.

The growth connection

A 2008 change in state law helped grow Michigan's craft distilling scene from 36 distilleries to more than 80, with a real share of that growth going directly into bourbon and other whiskey styles.

The water connection

Michigan borders four of the five Great Lakes and holds more than 11,000 inland lakes, a genuine resource behind any water-intensive production, distilling included.

Add it all up, and bourbon in Michigan isn't a stretch. It's a natural fit with real history behind it. Stop in and ask us about our current Michigan-made bourbon selection.