The first time I visited master distiller Doug MacKenzie was at the old Great Lakes Distillery. There weren't bubbling beakers puffing steam, but the large copper still and the stainless steel tanks gave the place a certain laboratory feel. And though he seemed entirely normal, MacKenzie's passion for creating spirits and his openness to try just about anything gave him a certain mad scientist vibe.
The Great Lakes Distillery tasting room has opened at 616 W. Virginia, at the corner of 6th and Virginia, adjacent to the distillery, in Walker's Point. The tasting room contains a bar (lined with slats from oak barrels), a shop selling Rehorst spirits, along with glassware, T-shirts and more, and a pair of windows that look down into the distillery below.
Is there anything more frustrating than buying gifts for that one seriously-difficult-to-buy-for food-loving friend who seems to have everything? The gourmand whose cupboard contains foods that the average person doesn't even know how to pronounce? This year, skip the stress and choose from this collection of 10 clever gifts for that food lover on your list, all of which are locally made, handcrafted, unique and affordable.
Like brewery tours? Great Lakes Distillery - a small-batch distillery that makes spirits like Rehorst vodka and gin - offers tours at their Walker's Point space, 616 W. Virginia St. Soon, the distillery will feature an expanded tasting room and a patio.
The Milwaukee Artist Resource Network's Art Treasure Hunt comes to Great Lakes Distillery, 616 W. Virginia Street, from 6 to 11 p.m. on Saturday, 12 May. ...