The Minnesota distillery scene is growing and we love so many of them, but our recent visit to J Carver Distillery made it my new favorite! We spent a day in Waconia, MN which could be nicknamed the booze capital of Minnesota with its 3 wineries, 2 breweries and distillery!
Here are the reasons why J Carver Distillery is my favorite Minnesota distillery. And if you’re looking for another unique thing to do in Waconia, check out our visit to the llama farm here!
Locals supporting locals
J Carver Distillery has such a great story surrounding it. The owners live in Waconia and wanted to start a local business that supported and gave opportunities to the area they love. They ultimately decided to start a distillery and I’m so glad they did! And they’re staying true to their word. Everything, I mean EVERYTHING, they use is local. From the grain (which comes from farmers in Glencoe and Plato) to the Minnesota white oak barrels, to the 35 people who work there!
Grain to glass
The highlight of our time at J Carver Distillery was the Grain to Glass tour. It’s not officially called that, but the tour does a fantastic job of teaching you all about the spirit-making process. From the time they get the grains to the bottling process. Our tour guide was able to answer every question we had and explained everything in a way that we could understand. No need to be an expert to understand what’s going on on this tour! Tour last an hour and costs $10.
Barrel room
The barrel room at J Carver Distillery deserves its own shout out because it is so pretty and unique! And smells so good! This room houses over 1300 barrels, and each barrel can only be used once. They mainly age whisky, but J Carver Distillery also specializes in a barrel-aged gin which is so good and something that no one else has!
Tasting
After the tour is a free tasting where you are able to choose three spirits to sample or a cocktail (if you don’t want to drink something straight!). Make sure to pay attention on the tour – they do a great job explaining their different spirits, how they’re made, and how they’re different. If any of them sound like something you like you can try it after! Anyways, I’m a huge gin fan, so I tried their three different kids of gin and liked the Grimm Farm Gin the best!
Cocktails please!
We couldn’t leave the distillery without trying a few of their specialty cocktails. They taste as pretty as they look! My favorites are the Minnesota Manhattan which is made with rye whisky and local maple syrup, the festive gin and tonic which is made with gin and rosemary simple syrup, and the Bees Knees (another gin fav!). We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to snap a few photos 🙂
J Carver distillery has everything a Minnesota distillery should have. Maple syrup, local support, and the friendliest people you’ll meet! We had a blast and will be back again!
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