History

The history starts with two young entrepreneurs, Nick and Geri, who founded Ethanolo¿y in Northern Michigan. According to the website, the company was originally based on an undergraduate project, where Nick wrote the business plan; it was envisioned as a retirement project, a dream, but the plans changed. After growing up in the U.P. (Upper Peninsula) and moving northward, they developed a vision of a life deeply rooted in the land and its people, inspired by Torch Lake and the nature of northern Michigan. Geri learned distillation and spent around 12,000 hours on research and development, while Nick focused on an innovative business model. Together with their two distillery dogs Mabel and Sofi, they founded Ethanolo¿y, which emphasizes terroir and craft in small batches. The company sits along the 45th parallel and emphasizes that the region's soil and sustainable relationships with local farms are central to their approach.

Production / Manufacturing

Ethanolo¿y is described as The Science & Art of Distillation and Spirites Redefined. Their method centers around hyperlocal substrates and botanicals representing Northern Michigan; the distillation process takes place in extremely small batches in a vertically integrated supply chain, where ingredients are often produced in-house to achieve high quality. The distillery sits directly on the 45th parallel, where world-renowned fruits and non-GMO corn are supplied by sustainable local farms. An approach that emphasizes the land's terroir, and the company highlights its approach as craft and science in one process, where the water sources (Elk Lake and Lake Michigan) play a role in the interaction between nature and the distillate.

Products / Whisky Series

The company produces several whiskey-like products, including: - Birobur Bourbon | 6 Year Old | Double Oak: A bourbon with proprietary blue corn, finished in Mel® barrel. Described as a bourbon of their time, with details such as Release #1 (192 bottles) and later Release #2; alcohol content around 45% ABV/90 proof; never filtered. - Frumentum White Whiskey and Frumentum Blue White Whiskey: 100% Frumentum Blue Corn, corn-based. Both variants are described as white whiskey at 40 ABV/80 proof. - Mel®-family and related products (e.g., Mel® and Vespera® Mel®) are honey-based spirits, separate from the whisky descriptions, but included in the Whisky family as the company's unique projects.

These products showcase Ethanology Distillation's focus on grain-based and corn-based whiskey-like spirits with terroir and a finished-in-house finish.

Visits and Experiences

The company offers experiences such as Barrel By Name, where you name your own barrel through an intensive workshop with the head distiller and founder Geri. Participants get to choose their own grain, milling, fermentation, distillation and maturation in their own barrel, and the engraved name is pressed in brass on the barrel, which is stored in Spirit House. In addition, a case of 12 bottles of the spirit from one's own barrel is included.

Cuts Club is a membership that includes a range of benefits such as lifelong access to tours and tastings (complimentary), discounts on cocktails and events, and early access to exclusive releases and single barrels. Members also receive a lockable depot rack in Spirit House for personal glassware and other benefits with no annual fees if conditions are met. There are also a range of gift boxes and individual experiences linked to Barrel By Name and other products.

Philosophy

The philosophy at Ethanology Distillation rests on a strong terroir-based view with hyperlocal substrates and botanicals representing the region, and a mission to redefine spirits through a vertically integrated, sustainable, and innovative approach to the distillation process. The name Ethanolo¿y is a combination of ethanol and ology (the science and study of something), reflecting the company's balance between science and art in distillation. There is an emphasis on Never Sourced and Never Filtered in their products, and they describe Torch Lake and Lake Michigan as integrated into their identity. The company also marks its connection to the 45th parallel and the landscapes that constitute the terroir of their spirits.

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