Posted Wednesday, August 16, 2008

First it was the wineries, then the micro-breweries. And now local micro distilleries!

Yahara Bay in Fitchburg is the first legal spirits distillery in Southern Wisconsin and the third in Wisconsin.

"it's just that natural progression. People realize with wine and beer that you can get a very high quality product made locally and in Europe every town of any size has a winery, brewery and a distillery so we're just in that track, I guess," says Nick Quin, Owner of Yahara Bay Distillery.

Using many local products, Yahara Bay makes premium vodka, rum, gin, lemonchella and an apple brandy.

The apple brandy, for example, is made with 100% Wisconsin Apples from the Kickapoo Orchards in Gays Mills.

"The beauty of the apple brandy is that particular brandy is made 100% with honey crisp apples. That variety only.... I couldn't believe I found it. A lot of people are waiting for that!"

One thing they could not find here was the copper distiller. This is made in Germany.

There were 90 micro distilleries in the country last December, already that number has grown to 120.