Long Road Distillers held it’s grand opening to the public on
Thursday, May 28th at 5 PM. The distillery is located at 537 Leonard St NW in Grand Rapids with
The Mitten Brewing Co. as their neighbor and the also the recently opened
Two Scotts Barbecue across the street. The distillery is a true “grain-to-glass” operation with everything milled, mashed, fermented, and distilled in-house. Their handcrafted vodka, gin, and whisky is sourced with as locally available ingredients as possible. The tasting room features a full cocktail menu of specialty drinks with Long Road’s spirits as a base and also features a kitchen with salad, and sandwich options.
The drink menu includes a variety of selection using each of Long Road Distillers currently available products. For instance, the A.B. Garden features their juniper-forward in made from Red Winter Wheat along with cucumber, green tea, mint, & lime. Also featuring the gin is the LRD Martini. Featuring their vodka is the Lower West Side with orange cordial, lime and rhubarb. Whisky options include a white Manhattan with vermouth and orange bitters. The gin, vodka, whisky are also available as a flight as well as to-go in 375ml and 750ml bottles. Additional products in the planning stages include Patriot gin, raspberry & blueberry vodkas, and a spirit crafted with Michigan maple syrup. Long Road Distillers also features three draft selections being a gin and tonic, a non-alcoholic ginger beer, and cold brew coffee on nitro.
Wayfarer’s Guild is Long Road’s take on a mug club. A members-only opening event was held a day prior to the Grand Opening. Annual membership is $65 and include choice of t-shirt or logo glass. Member’s drinks are served on an individually numbered wood coaster, with drink specials on Guild nights and $1 off cocktails throughout the week. Additional members-only events are planned for later in the year. Long Road Distillers food menu includes sandwiches, and salads, as well as kielbasa. The Dancing Goat “Merze Tate” Cheese served with baguette makes for an excellent appetizer. Long Road also has a variety of merchandise for sale including t-shirts. Long Road is open 7 days a week from 4 – midnight Monday through Thursday, Noon to midnight Friday and Saturday, and Noon to 9 PM on Sundays.
