![]() The pair say they are intensely focused on getting the approvals in place and renovating the facility so they can get into the process of making spirits, all of which will be produced in-house - not using outside contract producers. ![]() “We want to be part of the change that’s happening here,” O’Connor said. While neither partner is a Grand Rapids native, they both came to the city for college and lived in the city’s west side neighborhood, which they described as an up-and-coming area. of Grand Rapids as their contractor and plan to have an architect in place soon. The partners have tapped Willink Construction Inc. The company is buying specialized equipment from a manufacturer in Germany, which will also take six to eight months to make and ship to West Michigan, O’Connor said. Long Road hopes to open by fall, but that’s dependent on securing the necessary local approvals, as well as the federal and state licenses. “We want to be a place you go to on the way to dinner and the place you stop on the way home from dinner.” We want our place to be a destination,” Van Strien said, noting the initial plans call for a tasting room that will serve small plates, but not be a full-service restaurant. “We want it to feel like a micro brewery. They plan to make $300,000 in property improvements to upgrade the facility – which dates back to the late 1800s – for production and commercial use, as well as buy about $400,000 in production equipment and furniture and fixtures for the tasting room, according to city documents. Long Road Distillery and the holding company that owns the property, River Bed Investors LLC, go before the Grand Rapids Planning Commission on March 27 with applications for industrial facilities tax and obsolete facilities exemptions. The project is being internally financed with the help of a silent partner, Van Strien said. … We’ll never be to the scale where we’re making 100,000 barrels a year, but we can do small-batch innovation.” “We think there’s a sophisticated palate here that has an appreciation for distilled spirits. “Companies like Founders Brewing and (Mitten Brewing) have laid the foundation for quality beer in Grand Rapids, and we want to have that same quality in spirits,” O’Connor said. Long Road plans to sell bottles of spirits, offer tastings, serve cocktails in their bar and distribute products in the state, O’Connor said. They plan to make a full-range of spirits and experiment with local fruits and grain commodities used in the distilling process. The company’s mission is to be a true “grain to glass” distillery in Grand Rapids using as much locally sourced materials as possible, he said. The investment will go to renovating the 8,000-square-foot space and buying a 500-liter, 18-plate still - one large enough that it will be suitable for making vodka, Van Strien said. Long Road Distillers has leased space at 537 Leonard Street NW, across Quarry Avenue from Mitten Brewing Co., with plans to invest $750,000 into opening a craft distillery at the site. ![]() Kyle Van Strien and Jon O’Connor, the two public partners behind Long Road Distillers LLC, have a vision to tap into local residents’ passion for quality, locally sourced beverages. (231) 459-4393, behind a fledgling craft distillery in Grand Rapids think the city’s reputation as a haven for craft beer drinkers plays well into their marketing of small batch vodkas, rums, gins and whiskeys. Try some at Long Road’s new tasting room in Boyne City, 118 Water St. But if the bitter and complex finish that follows its initial pop of sweet and citrus proves too medicinal for you, as it did for many on our staff, we highly recommend ringing in 2019 with Long Road’s own cocktail Siciliano: 1.5 ounces each of Amaro Pazzo, sweet vermouth, and a strong cold brew, stirred into one ounce of Long Road Bar Syrup, then strained into a glass, topped with 1 ounce of club soda and garnished with an orange peel. Amaro Pazzo’s proprietary blend of herbs and spices - think: wormwood, gentian, chicory, orange peel, myrrh, and more - are nothing if not strong and restorative. Remember: The name Amaro means bitter, and alone, is intended as an aperitif. ![]() Its Amaro Pazzo (57 proof, 28.5% ABV), made with Michigan-grown red winter wheat and blended with a special coffee blend concocted by its Grand Rapids neighbor Madcap Coffee, is - as the ancient Romans intended - an ideal way to say goodbye to gluttony (read: your holiday indulgences) and wake up to the New Year. And if you ask us, the timing couldn’t be better for Long Road Distillers version, released just this month. 29, 2018Īmaro, a centuries-old Italian herbal liqueur, is experiencing a rebirth of popularity in America. Long Road Distillers Amaro Pazzo Bottoms Up By Lynda Wheatley | Dec.
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