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08/29/2007One man's spirited endeavorHe's confident his distillery is part of trendSpecial to the Record-Eagle About Grand Traverse Distillery
General manager George Wertman monitors the distilling process at Grand Traverse Distillery, located in Meadowland Industrial Park just off Three Mile Road. Address: 781 Industrial Circle, Traverse City Phone: (231) 947-8635 or Online: grandtraversedistillery.com Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday Employees: 3 Years in business: 1 "In business" is a weekly feature on northern Michigan businesses. Next week: OPA! Coney and Grill. TRAVERSE CITY — Kent Rabish believes his new Traverse City business — Grand Traverse Distillery — is part of a trend, similar to the evolution of mirobreweries two decades ago. "Just as the beer industry experienced an explosion of different beers that offered a much wider variety of taste with the emergence of microbreweries, now the distilling industry is seeing the development of handcrafted, small-batch spirits from microdistilleries,” said Rabish. His first product, True North Vodka, is a "super premium spirit” produced in small quantities, under close supervision and with local ingredients. "We discard up to 25 percent of the alcohol that comes out of our still because it doesn't pass our high standards,” Rabish said. "That's what sets us apart from the big companies.” Rabish buys local rye, then uses a blending tank to reduce the 190 proof vodka to 80 proof, with the help of filtered northern Michigan water. The attention to detail determines the end product, but it also helps to have the latest technological equipment, including a 1,200 liter (325 gallon) still from Germany made from more than 6,000 pounds of copper. "It makes all the difference,” he said. "As I've gone through this process, I've learned that distilling seems to be the perfect blend of tradition, art, technology and passion.” Rabish got the idea for a microdistillery six years ago while visiting friends in Oregon and couldn't get the idea out of his head. He learned that microdistilling was not a new idea, but a return to distilling as it had been done for centuries. Both Poland and Russia claim vodka as their own invention, dating back to the 14th century. But the liquor didn't become popular in the U.S. until after World War II. Strict government regulation and lots of paperwork slowed the growth of distilleries. "It's a daunting process to get a license to manufacture spirits in this country,” said Rabish. "Quality and safety are assured, but every drop is carefully accounted for and taxed.” The state of Michigan closely regulates distribution. Three distributors are in the state, and manufacturers are required to use one of them to get their product to a licensed seller. Manufacturers, including Rabish, can't distribute or sell it. "It means that unlike local wineries, who can sell directly to the public, you won't see any bottles on a shelf at our distillery,” said Rabish. "If I want a bottle, I have to go to a local store — a licensed seller — to buy my own True North Vodka.”
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