Michigan is like home to me. It’s where I spent my boyhood summers. My grandparents introduced me to its beautiful people and welcoming countryside.
The longest freshwater coastline and the second largest agricultural industry in the United States call Michigan home. Famous for its cherries, Michigan blankets the “Mitten” with white blossoms in spring, and later tops off everything with a cherry. Whiskey and more are no exceptions, thanks to Grand Traverse Distillery.
Only fresh Michigan cherries will do.
Scroll down to see more photos and read more about Grand Traverse Distillery.
“This brings in the smokiness of chipotle. Unbelievable. Grand Traverse Distillery makes a ‘WOW’ vodka!”
Never drink and drive. Do drink responsibly at home. Our road trip to Frankenmuth, Michigan brought us a satisfying conclusion by way of armloads of spirits from Grand Traverse Distillery. Being lightweights, Lisa and I invited our friend Julie to help us bend an elbow.
Cherry Whiskey brought Lisa and I back to River Place Shops in Frankenmuth. Of course there are other cherry whiskeys (lowercase mine); but, Grand Traverse Distillery harvests the best fresh Michigan cherries for their local, small batch, handcrafted spirits. I’m no spirit sommelier, but I’m nobody’s fool.
Grand Traverse Distillery is home to the best cherry-infused spirits.
Lisa and I were prepared to say, “Hello” again to Cherry Whiskey, but this time we said, “Hey!” to chipotle. We brought Cherry Whiskey home, but also Chipotle Vodka. With the sun setting earlier and earlier, we wanted to turn up the heat.
Julie, Lisa and I concocted Classic Bloody Mary cocktails with Chipotle Vodka. After a few splashes of lemon and Worcestershire, we drew a breath after our first sip. Julie: “This brings in the smokiness of chipotle. Unbelievable. Grand Traverse Distillery makes a ‘WOW’ vodka! The Chipotle Vodka mixes well in the Bloody Mary Cocktail. The smokiness is deeper than the usual salty tomato taste. This tastes better with every sip!” Lisa: “The Chipotle Vodka is very aromatic! This is bright and crisp. I can feel a little heat on my tongue. The finish is clean and flavorful!” And me: “The chipotle takes this vodka to another level! I really like the chipotle with lemon and Worcestershire. It’s the perfect balance!” Everyone still had their eyebrows and eyelashes. This was a good thing.
To gentle down the night with a nice dinner pairing, we popped open a bottle of Black Star Farms Apple Cherry Hard Cider. Julie almost jumped out of her seat, “Ooohhh…I like this! I like the cherry fizz, a little sweet and some tart. The Black Star Farms Apple Cherry Hard Cider blends perfectly!” Lisa’s eyes opened wide, “The fragrance is amazing. It looks like a Merlot. There’s a nice bite. This would pair nicely with so many foods!” And I almost forgot to eat, “The color is beautiful. I can smell the dark cherries. Everything is so fresh. This is so nice, not overly sour and bitter like something pretentious. This is what I want to drink!” This was the perfect finish.
“This is bright and crisp. I can feel a little heat on my tongue. The finish is clean and flavorful!”
Rewind to Frankenmuth. Lisa and I experienced an impromptu tasting at Grand Traverse Distillery. Mulled Wine was brought out, steaming hot, and featuring Black Star Farms Cherry Wine. Lisa and I took a sip and were deeply impressed. Lisa: “Oh, my. The Black Star Farms Mulled Wine recipe is insanely good, great for parties and holidays. Wow!” And me: “This is like a warm hug. The temperature is perfect. And the flavors are so lively. Beautiful!” We had to have the recipe, and we needed to cook this up for Thanksgiving. What turkey?
Black Star Farms Mulled Wine:
Ingredients:
Recommended wines include: Red House White, Artisan Red, Hard Apple Cider, Cherry Wine
1 bottle preferred wine
8 oz. water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground clove
2 sprinkles ground nutmeg
Instructions:
1. Combine ingredients in a sauce pan and stir well.
2. Heat gently without boiling, and do not stir again.
3. Skim off the spices.
4. Serve and enjoy!
“The color is beautiful. I can smell the dark cherries. Everything is so fresh. This is so nice, not overly sour and bitter like something pretentious. This is what I want to drink!”
As a boy, Frankenmuth to me was Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland, Bavarian Inn Restaurant & Lodge, the Glockenspiel Tower, and Main Street. River Place Shops sprung up fairly recently since my childhood, and Grand Traverse Distillery is now a star on the map. Cherry Whiskey, Chipotle Vodka, and Black Star Farms Apple Cherry Hard Cider will keep us lowriding with every visit.
I want to visit the Grand Traverse Distillery and the Black Star Farms. Like our second visit to Frankenmuth together, there would be so much more to experience. I highly recommend that you sample spirits, wines and hard ciders from Grand Traverse Distillery and Black Star Farms at River Place Shops in Frankenmuth, Michigan. When you catch up, maybe we will see you at the Distillery or the Farms soon. Only fresh Michigan cherries will do.
To learn more and plan your visit to Grand Traverse Distillery, click Grand Traverse Distillery
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The Simple Luxuries 
Nice post and well written. I liked your infusions of commentary from yourself and your friends. Makes me want to read more of your posts, which I certainly do.
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Thank you, Doug! Hopefully you can visit some of the places reviewed. Now, let me visit your blog! 🙂
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Great photos and blog and a good reminder not to drink and drive. some stores don’t like photos or video taken inside but some are cool and appreciate what your doing!
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Thank you, DJ Trishms! Yes, some places don’t like cameras but friendliness goes a long way, and shopping at these places helps too, along with a free blog post! 🙂
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