History

Valentine Distilling Company was founded in 2007 and was among the country’s first craft distilleries. When Valentine began production, there were about 15 to 20 micro-distilleries in the USA. Today there are more than 2,000. In an era of mass production, quality is Valentine’s focus, which as a principle rejects mass production and puts craftsmanship and small batches at the center.

Mayor Pingree Bourbon has consistently been recognized as one of the world’s best whiskeys. In 2019 Whisky Advocate named Mayor Pingree Black Label as the second-best whiskey in the world in the summer guide, with 93 points. Pingree Blue and Black have also won Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Valentine Vodka was named “World’s Best Vodka” in London by the World Vodka Awards in 2016 and again in 2017. The core of Valentine is American ingenuity, quality in production and small-batch distilling using old techniques without computer-controlled stills.

Production / Manufacturing

Valentine follows a philosophy of quality above all and produces in small batches. They use a copper pot still and one of the largest craft-distillery installations in the form of the Sherbert Still at 1,500 gallons (from Frilli), which is one of the largest stills in a private, small-batch distillery. Their method is based on the senses—taste and smell—to determine the right cuts without computer control. They describe their approach as Clean & Green Production and actively work with the environment: no additives in vodka and spirits, and they have a 10-year climate-sustainability initiative, which focuses on reduction, reuse and recycling of raw materials as well as switching to clean energy, including plans for wind and solar power. They also mention water savings and recycling of raw materials and nearly Bottle-to-Farm systems, where grain is returned to farmers as feed. They estimate that they will save about 4.75 million gallons of water over 10 years and invest around $500,000 to reduce energy and water consumption as well as to recycle raw materials. Their Ferndale distillery uses a small-batch-forward production method and relies on taste and aroma to select the best cask combinations.

Products and Whisky Series

• Mayor Pingree Bourbon: Red Label (bourbon), Orange Label Rye and Blue Label Bourbon, as well as Green Label Rye and Black Label Bourbon. Blue Label is described as single-barrel—each cask carried by retailers is selected by the retailers, and the series is non-chill-filtered.
• Mayor Pingree Rye: Orange Label Rye and Green Label Rye.
• Other products include Valentine Vodka and gin spirits such as Liberator Gin and Old Tom Gin, as well as various vodka variants under the Valentine brand.
• Vodka: Signature Vodka, White Blossom Vodka, Berry Blossom Vodka and Lionblood Orange Vodka, all without additives and with natural ingredients.
• Gin: Liberator Gin and Old Tom Gin (barrel-aged in new American oak barrels for two years).
• Awards: Vodka – World’s Best Vodka (London) 2016 and 2017; Gin – multiple gold and double-gold medals; Whiskies such as the Mayor Pingree series have won numerous prizes and points, including 93 points for Black Label and 91–94 in various evaluations.

Visits and Experiences

• Belle’s Lounge (Ferndale): 161 West Ave. The lounge serves Valentine spirits and offers blended cocktails in an intimate, stylish setting. Opening hours vary through the week (Monday–Thursday 4–11 PM, Friday 4 PM–1 AM, Saturday 1 PM–1 AM, Sunday 12–8 PM).
• Distillery Tours: Ferndale distillery offers “Detroit’s Best Craft Distillery Tour” at 965 Wanda St. in Ferndale. The tour costs US$30 per person and lasts about 1.5 hours, including tastings of whiskey, gin and vodka. Arrival 15 minutes prior.
• Private Events: Valentine offers event space for parties, weddings and business meetings in their former distillery buildings. Facilities include Sonos, projector, wireless internet and flexible catering options.

Philosophy

• Statement from Rifino Valentine: “The difference between average and good spirits is attention to detail. The difference between good and world-class spirits is science.”
• Valentine rejects additives in all their spirits: No Additives; they claim 100% natural vodka without glycerol or limonene and without chemical additives.
• Working toward Clean & Green production with a focus on water- and energy-savings, reuse of raw materials and the introduction of renewable energy to reach CO2 neutrality in the future.