Iron Fish Distillery Review Tour

We opted for the Distillery and Farm Tour. Having made our reservation online, we checked in inside the visitor/retail center/cocktail bar and restaurant. Our tour began promptly, and this being a farm distillery, it also began outside. Sam, our guide, began with a bit of the history of the property as alluded to above. We then headed down the main road toward the original farmhouse and learned that Iron Fish is a farm distillery because it grows a portion of its own grain, and that which it can't, it sources locally around northern Michigan. Rye and wheat are both grown on-site. Unfortunately the fields had been recently harvested so we did not get to see any "amber waves of grain”. Interestingly though, it turns out that corn, the main grain used in bourbon, does not grow well in this particular part of Michigan because the soil is too sandy.

Our next several farm points of interest included the original farmhouse, mill house, and barn. The farmhouse was a walk by. It's been beautifully restored and now is offered as an Airbnb. The mill house sets just behind the barn looking much the same as it has for many years. It still houses the hammer mill used by the Chamberlain's. They were truly among the first farm distillers, distilling their surplus grains for added income. Sam relayed that Prohibition stopped even the farmers from distilling as the local sheriff confiscated most of the farm stills. An old photo in the visitor center provides the proof. The last farm stop was the barn. Fully renovated, this structure is original to the property. Even the old cement milk cooler remains, tucked back in the corner still looking ready to chill. The barn now serves as an event space which can seat up to 150 people. As we made our way toward the distillery portion of the tour, we briefly stopped at the outdoor ceremony site. Decorated by nature, the site has lovely lodge-pole trees as a backdrop while the canopy of maple trees makes for the perfect sunshade.

Leaving the great outdoors behind, our first stop on the distillery side was the barrel storage warehouse and bottling. This was one of 3 warehouses onsite. While Iron Fish has been waiting for their own whiskey to come of age, in addition to making vodka, gin and rum, they have been finishing MGP sourced whiskey in a wide variety of different barrels sourced from around the world. To date, Iron Fish has approximately 1400 barrels aging. As we breathed in the faint whiff of the angels' share, Sam explained the rules of bourbon and a few of their barreling techniques. For example, their Iron Fish Maple Bourbon starts by filling a used bourbon barrel anywhere from 10-20% with local maple syrup. The syrup rests in the barrel for around 4 months. After the allotted time, the syrup is removed and bottled for sale while the empty maple barrel is filled with bourbon for finishing. Once finished, the maple bourbon is bottled for sale.

The bottling area is tucked in the corner of the warehouse where the entire process is done manually. Empty bottles start at the hand bottle filler, then move to a small stainless steel table to be hand labeled, hand sealed, and of course boxed by hand for distribution or sale on-site.

Having covered bottling, warehousing, and barreling, it was now time to see where the magic begins. Sam led the way to the distillery, which is housed inside the original 4900sf building that started it all. On one side is the distillery, the other does duty as the retail shop, cocktail bar, and restaurant. As we stepped into the distillery, we immediately headed upstairs to the gallery. The gallery wears many hats. From monthly art shows, to private events, to distillery tastings, this spacious room overlooks the entire distillery floor courtesy of its spectacular oversized window. Unfortunately, we were not allowed in the actual distillery area so as not to interfere with production.

As we viewed the distilling equipment from above, Sam gave a quick rundown on the process. Each mash or cook uses 1100 pounds of grain along with 500 gallons of water. The distillery's water source is an underground aquifer that feeds into Lake Michigan. Each mash takes about 6 hours and when completed the mash is sent to either one of the six 1100 liter or one oversized fermenters where the yeast is added and a long slow fermentation begins, about 10 days. Once the yeast is pooped out and fermentation has ended, it is time for distillation in one of the two stills. The larger one is a Kothe DUO. It’s a dual column hybrid still which is used primarily for the vodka, gin and rum. There is also a smaller single column hybrid still which is used primarily for stripping and whiskey. The crystal clear new make is now ready to be barreled and warehoused.

Our distillation lesson completed, all that was left to do was sample some of the distillery's hard work. Since tastings are held in the gallery, we were set to go. The tour came with 5 tastes, ours being: the Iron Fish Woodland Gin, the Iron Fish Bourbon Whiskey finished in Caribbean Rum Casks, the Mad Angler Whiskey (a wheat whiskey, part of their recently release estate series), the Iron Fish Maple Bourbon Finish, and the Iron Fish Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple syrup. Sam gave a brief description of each sample as we tasted them one by one; and before we knew it, samples were done, and so was our tour. We headed back down to the gift shop, bar, and restaurant area and found the spaces bustling. The patio was filling up with hungry diners, while the bar was busy with cocktail craving patrons. We made a beeline for the retail counter/tasting bar, where more samples from the large line up were to be had. Finally, with a few more samples tasted for good measure, we were ready to make our bourbon purchase, and of course, the buttery deliciousness of the bourbon barrel aged maple syrup was not to be missed.

With our bottles purchased and packed, our time at Iron Fish Distillery had ended. We certainly enjoyed our visit to Michigan's first farm distillery. While Iron Fish may be a little bit off the beaten path, don't underestimate what they have to offer. The list is surprisingly long. Want a little education? Come for a tour. Hungry? Tasty morsels are available Friday-Sunday. Thirsty? The bar is ready to serve. Enjoy live music? Yes, even that is available most weekends. Want to stay on the farm for a few days? Reserve the farmhouse through AirBnB. Have your own house on wheels and want to stay a few days? Reserve your RV spot through Harvest Hosts. Bottom line, no matter your reason, come and see what this farm distillery has to offer. You'll be glad you did.

Check out our short video tour!

Days of operation	Depends on Season currently Thurs and Fri 3-8pm Saturday 12-8pm Sunday 12-6pm
Paved Drive / Lot	No, packed dirt and gravel
Motorcycle Parking	No
-Motorcycle unfriendly features	Gravel parking lot
Number of tours per day	Thur & Fri 2 daily Saturday & Sunday 3 daily
Length of Tour(s)	1h 20m
Advanced topic tours?	Yes, by email reservation
Advanced topic tour names	Private Estate Tour
Tours by owners /distillers available?	Yes. The Private Estate Tour is given by an owner
Number of different types of tours	2
On-Line Tour Reservations Available	For the standard Distillery & Farm Tour
Advanced Reservations Recommended/Required	Advanced online recommended Space available can be made on-site
Cost for tour(s) in $	$20 plus tax
Tasting Included?	Yes
Number of samples included in tasting	4 + the bourbon barreled maple syrup
Tasting Only Option?	Limited complimentary samples at the bottle counter
Tasting Only Option Cost	N/A
High-end tasting option?	No
High-end tasting option cost?	N/A
Designated Driver Option	No
Handicapped Accessible?	Yes
Souvenirs included with tour?	Yes, with the Private Estate Tour
Gift shop	Yes
On-Site bottle sales?	Yes
On-site food: Restaurant/Cafe/Snacks	Yes, but limited hours
On-site Cocktail bar	Yes
On-site event space	Yes
Should I visit? (Yes, Perhaps, No)	Definitely
Unique Features	Farm Distillery The farmhouse AirBnB and the Harvest Host RV accommodations
Website	ironfishdistillery.com
Date Visited	August 2021

Iron Fish Distillery Review Tour

Please note that due to COVID Distillery Hours and Tour/Tasting Availability may vary. Please contact the distillery or check their web page or social media for details before you go.