Long Road Distillers Nominated as Best Craft Specialty Spirits Distillery in the United States

Long Road Distillers Nominated as Best Craft Specialty Spirits Distillery in the United States

Local distillery faces tough competition in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Travel Awards Contest

Grand Rapids, Michigan – Grand Rapids distillery, Long Road Distillers, has been nominated as the “Best Craft Specialty Spirits Distillery in the United States” as part of the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Travel Awards. This marks the second year in a row for their nomination. Over their three-year history the distillery has gained lots of attention for their award-winning, locally-sourced and craft distilled line-up of spirits, including gins, vodkas, aquavits, and whiskies.

The public will choose the top 10 by casting votes on 10best.com. Each person may vote for their favorites once per day until September 3. Winners will be announced on Friday, September 14.

Long Road Distillers is one of 20 nominees from around the country that were carefully chosen by a panel of American spirits experts. The nominating panel includes Emily Arden Wells, editor and founder of Gastronomista, Brian Christensen, publisher and editor of Artisan Spirit Magazine, Ziggy Eschliman, founder of ZigStyle and award-winning radio host, Kevin Gray, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Bevvy, Eric Grossman, a food and beverage writer and author of Craft Spirits, and Jack Robertiello, a writer and acclaimed wine and spirits judge.

“This nomination is another incredible honor for us,” said Jon O’Connor, co-owner and founder of Long Road Distillers. “We have a ton of respect for every nominee on the list, and some have been leaders in our industry for years. To even have the chance to compete against them is a big deal for us.”

The distillery is quick to admit how this award is different from other competitions, and that they will be relying on their loyal supporters and the community in West Michigan that has garnered similar national attention for the craft beer scene that has developed over the years to help them top the list of winners.

“Unlike some competitions where the judging takes place behind closed doors, this contest puts the power in the hands of those that enjoy our spirits and have supported us over the past several years,” said Kyle VanStrien, co-owner and founder of Long Road Distillers. “We’re humbled by this nomination and hopeful that we can spread the word far and wide to take home another win for Grand Rapids!”

Long Road’s no-shortcuts approach to crafting spirits and a dedication to using locally sourced ingredients has earned them numerous honors and awards, as well as international acclaim for some lesser-known spirits categories, such as Aquavit. Their spirits can be found at the distillery on Grand Rapids’ West Side and at over 1,000 retailers, bars, and restaurants throughout the state of Michigan.

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About Long Road Distillers:

Long Road Distillers was born from the belief that making world-class spirits means never taking shortcuts along the way. After becoming the first craft distillery in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Long Road Distillers formed relationships with local farmers to bring that mission to Grand Rapids’ West Side neighborhood. Each spirit produced at Long Road Distillers is milled from locally sourced ingredients, fermented, and distilled on-site. The result is an uncompromised lineup of spirits including Vodka, Gin, Whisky and more. Their spirits, along with a handcrafted collection of cocktails and a wide variety of food can be enjoyed at their tasting room on Leonard Street. www.LongRoadDistillers.com

About 10Best.com: 10Best.com provides users with original, unbiased, and experiential travel content of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world. The core of the site’s uniqueness is its team of local travel experts: a well-traveled and well-educated group who are not only experts in their fields – and their cities – but discriminating in their tastes. These local experts live in the city they write about so the content is constantly updated. 10Best.com averages 5 million visitors per month. It was acquired by USA TODAY in January of 2013.