“Mix up some romance this Valentine’s Day” (WOODTV8)

, ,

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) If you are looking to mix it up a little this Valentine’s day, why not turn to a mixologist for a little help? Long Road Distillers is perfecting the art of the craft cocktail with some special events for Valentine’s Day weekend.

Long Road Distillers prides itself by using local ingredients and making every drink by hand. They also offer classes to teach the art of making cocktails.

On Valentine’s Day weekend, you can find Long Road Distillers at the Downtown Market Grand Rapids on Saturday for Valent-ICE. They will also have some special cocktails at their Leonard Street location, along with live music on Saturday from local musician Alexander Lynch.

Long Road Distillers
537 Leonard St. NW
Grand Rapids

Monday – Thursday, 4 p.m. – midnight
Friday & Saturday, noon – midnight
Sunday, noon – 9 p.m.

/by
Long Road Distillers

Grand Rapids Business Journal Names Newsmakers of the Year

, ,

There’s a lot more to Long Road Distillers than just being Grand Rapids’ first distillery.

Kyle Van Strien and Jon O’Connor took an old grocery store on the west side and turned it into a state-of-the-art distillery that, within the first year of operation, is already one of the state’s largest.

As long-term proponents of the city’s west side, Van Strien and O’Connor are expanding on the organic neighborhood revitalization occurring on the corner of Leonard Street and Quarry Avenue with The Mitten Brewing Co. and Two Scotts BBQ.

It helps that the two owners are involved in the community, with Van Strien on the Grand Rapids Planning Commission and O’Connor a newly elected city commissioner – and a Business Journal 40 Under Forty honoree.

The pair are fond of telling their story, highlighting the process of going grain-to-glass with their product, with ingredients sourced from within 30 miles of their Grand Rapids tasting room.

The products are better for it, too. Long Road has already been named Michigan Vodka Distiller of the year, and is helping define what cocktails can be in the Mid-west.

And they know they’re doing in right.

“I’ve tasted it. We know good spirits when we taste them,” Van Strien said. “We went out to find the right equipment you need to make it; we found the guys capable of making it; we’ve put the pieces together to be able to make the best liquid.”

See the full publication for GRBJ’s Newsmakers of the Year here.

 

/by
Long Road Distillers

Crafting a renaissance on GR’s west side (MiBiz)

, ,

GRAND RAPIDS — The West Grand neighborhood in Grand Rapids soon will offer residents and visitors the ultimate trifecta when it comes to craft alcoholic beverages.

That’s because a local cidery plans to open a tasting room in the growing neighborhood along West Leonard Street, a development positioned to complement its neighboring businesses: a microbrewery and a craft distillery.

While having locally-made beer, booze and cider available at consecutive addresses may be a boon for craft beverage fans, those developments and others underway in the immediate area signal a renaissance for one of Grand Rapids’ hardscrabble neighborhoods.

That’s a vibe that Jason Lummen, owner of Grand Rapids-based The People’s Cider Co. LLC, wants to tap into as he plans to open the company’s first off-site tasting room. If his plans are approved by the city next month, he hopes to have cider flowing by May at 539 Leonard St. NW, next door to craft distillery Long Road Distillers LLC and two doors down from The Mitten Brewing Company LLC.

Lummen admits that his plan to move into 450 square feet of space is fairly modest in the broader scope of Grand Rapids development, but it’s indicative of a period of growth not just for his nearly four-year-old business, but also for the West Grand neighborhood as a whole.

“It’s not too much of a stretch and it’s responsible for us,” Lummen said of the tasting room. “It allows us to keep the blue-collar ethic of the cider company intact and allows us to do something to get into what’s going on (on West Leonard). We’re just very fortunate to piggyback with (Long Road) and the guys at The Mitten and to have supportive neighbors.”

The move would give People’s Cider more exposure than it has at its current tasting room and production facility at 600 Maryland Ave. NE near Oak Industrial Park in northeast Grand Rapids, Lummen said. The site would offer seven ciders on tap — including one guest tap — and would be open to guests bringing in outside food.
ADDING DENSITY

If approved by the city, Lummen would rent the West Leonard Street space from Long Road’s owners, Kyle VanStrien and Jon O’Connor, who were also drawn to the opportunities presented by the neighborhood revitalization. Indeed, VanStrien and O’Connor plan to “double-down” on that revitalization with a proposed new mixed-use development of their own.

They’re in the early planning stages of converting an abandoned and contaminated gas station property at 555 Leonard St. NW into a two-story or three-story project with potential apartments or offices upstairs and a ground-floor commercial tenant that’s “complementary” to neighboring businesses.

Currently, the Kent County Land Bank Authority is using state funds to clean up the contamination at the 96-foot by 132-foot site. Following the remediation process, an entity controlled by the owners of Long Road plan to acquire the property.

VanStrien said he wants to attract some mixed-use development to the area along the West Leonard corridor similar to what’s developed in neighborhoods like East Hills and along Bridge Street in recent years.

“We need more density and to build up the population so that they can support the businesses,” VanStrien said.

O’Connor agreed.

“We believe in developing in a good urban context,” he said. “We see opportunity in this neighborhood and we are putting our money where our mouth is.”

The West Grand Neighborhood Association welcomes the prospect of adding new housing and other businesses to the area.

Interim Executive Director Annette Vandenberg told MiBiz the neighborhood strives to support developers, provided they attempt to accommodate all income levels and make a push to hire people already living in the West Grand area.

“Anyone who’s willing to create jobs and housing for all income levels, we think that’s a great idea,” said Vandenberg, adding that the neighborhood association board is in the process of drafting a letter of support for the proposed People’s Cider tasting room.

She added that the board is aware of the proposed gas station redevelopment, but the parties have not yet had formal talks.

“Nothing functions here without the support of the community,” Lummen said. “That’s the big thing. I love the vibe and it’s the residents that will continue to support these things. People are walking from their houses to come to these establishments, and it’s more and more people everyday.”
TAKING NOTICE

While plans for the gas station site remain in the early stages, VanStrien and O’Connor said they hear increasing demand for newly built quality housing options in the neighborhood.

As proof, they noted that many staff members at Long Road now live in the immediate area.

Other investors appear to be taking note of the demand as well. A drive or walk down the West Leonard corridor shows multiple older buildings — many of them vacant — quietly being worked on and at various stages of construction and redevelopment.

Additionally, the property at the southwest corner of Leonard Street and Broadway Avenue went up for sale in early January for $1.5 million, according to the property listing. The site consists of two single-family homes and four commercial buildings with frontage on Leonard Street. It last sold in 1999 for $60,968, according to property records.

Long Road’s owners say they’re hopeful more developers come into the West Grand neighborhood and activate many of the vacant buildings in the area. And while they’re confident that their proposed mixed-use project will take place, VanStrien and O’Connor said it was too early to offer a specific timeframe for the redevelopment because the growth and sustainability of their distillery operations must take priority.

Since launching in late May last year, Long Road has focused on ramping up its distribution efforts and already expanded with an upstairs event space and music venue. In the coming months, the distillery also plans to release a variety of small-batch aged ryes and whiskeys.

As they continue to develop the plans for the mixed-use project, they’re watching the neighborhood grow and eyeing needs that could be filled in the ground-floor commercial space at the redevelopment.

“The first two things that came to our head were cider and coffee,” O’Connor said of needs in the neighborhood. “We saw this as a really great opportunity to do something unique in the fact that I can’t think of another place in this country where you can get beer, liquor and cider in consecutive addresses and independently owned and operated. … The fact that we have three independent things is just a unique opportunity to sort of put a foothold here as this corner of craft beverage making.”

Full Story by Nick Manes available here.

/by
Long Road Distillers

New and familiar West Michigan venues hosted spirited performances by the likes of Bigfoot Buffalo, Olivia Mainville, Lady Ace Boogie, Mavericks & Monarchs and others, documented in Local Spins photos. (LocalSpins.com)

, ,

Anticipation and curiosity.

They always greet the debut of a new performance venue, and such was the case Saturday night for Long Road Distillers on Leonard Street NW in Grand Rapids when it officially christened “The Rickhouse” upstairs, attracting a sizable and lively crowd.

Of course, it helps when you pump up the lineup with one of Grand Rapids’ hottest psych-rock bands, Heaters, and add popular hip hop artist Lady Ace Boogie (plus special guests) to the mix — both of whom didn’t disappoint the audience with engaging sets that showed off the venue’s sound capability. What the upstairs quarters lack in terms of stage lighting (which amounted to a flashing string of Christmas lights), it makes up for with a groovy, enticing atmosphere.

Long Road Distillers will host live music regularly in coming months, with everyone from Mark Lavengood to Hannah Rose & The Gravestones to Alexander Lynch playing the distillery/bar at 537 Leonard St. NW. Check out the photo gallery here, with some video snippets below.

Full story and photo gallery available here.

/by
Long Road Distillers

Distillers grapple with truth in advertising (Grand Rapids Business Journal)

, ,

With craft distilling on the rise, some are cashing in without even making their own product.

By Pat Evans and Jesse O’Brien for the Grand Rapids Business Journal

The story behind a bottle of spirits sitting on the shelf might be murkier than its contents.

Look closely at that bottle and the label can be confusing — and misleading.

There are a variety of descriptions that can be slapped on a label, including, “Distilled in,” “Bottled In,” “Manufactured In,” “Produced In,” “Aged In” and any combination of those.

Just because a label reads “Bottled in Michigan” does not mean the spirits were made in Michigan, said Kent Rabish, owner of Grand Traverse Distillery in Traverse City. If it reads anything other than “distilled,” at least in whiskey, it wasn’t made by the company.

Rabish said the distilling industry is mostly split in two camps, with producers and merchant producers.

Producers, like Grand Traverse Distillery and Long Road Distillers, are involved with nearly the entire process of distilling, from grain to bottle. Merchant producers purchase their spirits from a larger distillery, often in bulk quantities and sell it under their own label.

This shouldn’t be a problem, Rabish said, unless the “craft” distiller is intentionally deceiving the consumer. In some cases, he said, distillers are buying their spirits from industrial factories that churn out whiskey, and then sell it under a “craft” label.

“I think that’s kind of the tragedy of non-distillers,” Rabish said. “They’re clogging the shelves. It looks like craft, like they bring raw grain in, like they have product they’re making. (Craft) costs more, but it’s a better product.

“I try to point out to people, why do most vodkas taste alike? Because most are made by the same handful of companies.”

Rabish anticipates that soon enough, consumers will begin to notice the difference in taste, and the divide between distillers and merchant producers will become clearer.

“It’s getting out there and I do think the customers of craft spirits will start hearing rumblings and start hearing more and more about who’s making it and who are the merchant distillers,” Rabish said. “There’s no reason you can’t set up a company and be a merchant distiller, you’ve just got to be straightforward with what you’re doing.

“And I think over time it’s going to pan out. I think long term, the ones who are going to succeed in this industry are the ones who are honest about their product.”

There is some gray area as producers are often limited by the type of still they have and might only be able to produce a whiskey or vodka or gin, and would like to package and sell the others, said Jon O’Connor, co-owner of Long Road.

“There are layers. There are legit distillers making all their own whiskies but they buy vodka,” O’Connor said. “At least they’re trying to make some stuff — that’s good.”

Still, many distilleries opening up across the country perform zero distillations because the rebranding of already distilled spirits makes financial sense as starting a distillery is a capital-intensive business.

A distiller hoping to enter the market and create an authentic product with an authentic brand would first need to spend approximately $1 million on necessary equipment, thousands of pounds of grain, labor and utility costs to run a still three times, mash for eight hours and hand bottle and label the finished product. Distillers hoping to sell authentic aged whiskey must sit on inventory for years before it’s ready to sell.

“We’re not playing the short game; it’s capital intensive,” O’Connor said. “That’s why people take the short cut. To get whiskey takes a while. To make vodka is not cheap.”

Rabish said some new distillers might choose to buy their whiskey from an industrial manufacturer, with the intention of selling their own whiskey after it’s been aged. In theory, a distiller could build its brand this way, selling bottled whiskey until it is ready to bring its own aged whiskey to the market. However, that’s not always the case.

“There’s a number of brands out there that have been on the market for four or five years and still not selling their own whiskey,” Rabish said. “They’re selling product, they’re making a profit, but I think five years from now, customers will figure it out and it’ll catch up to them.”

That’s where “clogging the shelves” comes into play. Nondistillers are selling bulk-produced spirits under the guise of being handcrafted at a significant advantage, due to the large disparity in manufacturing costs.

A $14 bottle of “craft” vodka on a liquor store shelf is relatively impossible, O’Connor said.

“You can’t do it without buying vodka for $1.50 a gallon,” he said.

Antiquated state liquor laws have a big effect on the end shelf price, said Kyle Van Strien, O’Connor’s partner at Long Road.

At the federal level, producers are taxed by gallons produced. So small distilleries like Long Road and larger ones such as Smirnoff are taxed at the same rate based on how much they produce. Michigan, however, taxes based on how much a distiller can sell its product to the state, creating a huge disadvantage for smaller producers.

“For us, a bottle of vodka, maybe we’re paying more than $8 in state taxes,” Van Strien said. “Popov pays about $2.50 for the same quantity of vodka because it’s cheap and they produce on such a (large) scale that they can.”

The mass-produced quantity is where it becomes an issue as some “craft” distillers can buy from those massive producers and bottle it and label it as their own and sell it for a “craft” markup of $30 or more a bottle.

“It costs eight to 10 times more to start with grain,” O’Connor said. “You can buy a gallon of high proof vodka for two bucks a gallon, and the margins are exceptional if you can throw a craft brand on it and sell it for $30 bucks.”

Several major brands have been caught in the transparency issue, including Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Templeton Rye Whiskey.

In 2014, following an article in Forbes magazine detailing the process of Tito’s handmade process, several lawyers sued Tito’s over that key word in the name: “handmade.” While Tito’s has an elaborate story, the reality is the vodka starts as a neutral grain spirit shipped from a factory in Iowa and redistilled as Tito’s vodka.

Judges in various courts have been torn in the decision on Tito’s, including in New York and California where judges ruled consumers can be confused by the term, while in Florida the judge dismissed five of six charges.

Templeton settled three class action lawsuits last year in cases questioning the whiskey’s “Made in Iowa” claim, as the whiskey is really made by a company in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Templeton also had produced a branding story suggesting it was using a pre-Prohibition recipe for “small batch rye whiskey.”

Both Tito’s and Templeton have turned into national brands, with similar stories happening at a more local level, and it doesn’t help the distillers trying to build an authentic brand from scratch, Van Strien said.

“It’s not bad whiskey or vodka,” O’Connor added. “Everyone picks the way they do business. For us, the authenticity thing has been so paramount to what we want to do. Do you want to lie to people to make a fast buck? (If) that’s your business model, go ahead.

“But I don’t want to be compared to someone else because I’ve chosen to do something in an authentic manner.”

Full story available here.

/by
Long Road Distillers

Hard cider maker plans urban tasting room (Grand Rapids Business Journal)

, ,

The West Leonard beverage scene is growing bigger.

Hard cider maker People’s Cider Co. is planning to open a tasting room in Grand Rapids, at 539 Leonard St. NW, next door to craft spirits maker Long Road Distillers, at 537 Leonard St. NW, and at the same corner as Mitten Brewing Co., at 527 Leonard St. NW, and Two Scotts BBQ.

The plans still need go to the Grand Rapids Planning Commission on Feb. 11, as well as the city commission and liquor control commission.

“There is no other place, that we know of, that these places exist with a consecutive address,” People’s Cider owner Jason Lummen said of having a brewery, distillery and cidery all in a row. “It’s not one large project. It’s three separate businesses all collaborating with each other.

“We’re all creating things that are enhancing the neighborhood, continuing to make it a great place to live and a great place to work.”

Lummen hopes the space will be completed and open by May 1, the fourth anniversary of the company.

The space

The opportunity came when the same company that owns the Long Road Distillers building, which owns the site next door, separated the Chicago Style Gyro shop, which will remain open.

“What we’re effectively doing is utilizing the urban street wall,” Lummen said.

The owner of the buildings didn’t want to lose the gyro shop, however.

“They’re a great asset to the neighborhood and add a diversity of food we don’t have in many places in this city, let alone this neighborhood,” Long Road Distillers co-owner Kyle Van Strien said.

People’s Cider

People’s Cider is currently operating a tasting room out of its 1,000-square-foot production facility in Grand Rapids, at 600 Maryland Ave. NE.

The new tasting room will open up about 400 square feet of space that People’s Cider can use for expanded production. Last year, People’s produced about 5,000 gallons of cider, and Lummen expects this move to double the number.

“Right now, I’m limited by how much finished product I can put out in a week, and this will drastically increase production capabilities,” Lummen said. “I want to be good to the existing wholesale we have now and use the space to grow the brand.”

The new tasting room will also be the first time Lummen has needed employees.

“It’s still pretty small, but it’s big for us,” Lummen said. “It’s more than I can handle. But I’m happy to be able to provide income for more people and families.”

Former plan

In 2013, Lummen had plans to open a tasting room on Jefferson Avenue. The plan, however, fell a part when a new owner purchased the building.

Lummen said that was a blessing in disguise.

“I wish it could have worked out, but it’s funny how things always work out,” Lummen said. “That one was a little bit early, but this one I’m ready for. I was extended a little bit further than I should have then, but it didn’t sink the project.”

This opportunity comes at a time when he feels it’s better for the company and as production needs to be increased.

It’s also in a neighborhood he would pick over any other in the city, despite being a lifelong Eastown devotee.

“If I sit down and think about where I want to be, this is where it’d be,” Lummen said. “This is a premier neighborhood of Grand Rapids and is extremely proud and vibrant.

“It’s a great place to live, great place to work, and I hope to add to the diversity.”

Full Story Here.

/by
Long Road Distillers

Grand Rapids food scene in 2016: Where to eat, what to eat and how we should eat it (Rapid Growth Media)

,

As we welcome the new year, Grand Rapids is perfectly positioned to embrace what’s on our plates and in our glasses.

Michigan is an agriculturally rich, vibrant state that offers produce and proteins in tune with the seasons. This year, we are ready to take hold of that, expand upon it and West Michiganders are prepared to embark upon an adventurous year of meals that celebrate everything from local farms to authentic Vietnamese, Dim Sum and Mexican dishes —and a whole lot more.

It’s 2016, and we need to make it the year we respect our palates. Our local restaurants are increasingly considering the passionate, and, yes, emotional response food can elicit from patrons of their establishments, and we, as consumers, need to embrace that. Here’s what’s happening, Grand Rapids, in your local food scene.

Where We Will Eat

There are exciting secret (and not so secret) projects in the works all over our town. The West Side is blooming, with new spots like Long Road Distillers already developing a strong fan base with their quality cocktails and simple, approachable small plates. Harmony Hall recently opened in the old Rauser Quality Sausage Factory building a spacious, atmospheric and warm two-story place that embraced the history and roots of the West Side, offering craft sausage along with their beer. The West Side neighborhood will also be home to The Søvengård, a biergarten and kitchen that plans on not only being a part of the area’s growth, but the Midwestern food revitalization as well.

Rick Muschiana, The Søvengård’s owner who also happens to call the West Side home, explains that, “we really wanted to embrace the sort of new food revolution that is happening — with local sourcing and local producers, and sort of put that in the blender with a very Michigan culinary standpoint. Many people look at that and say, ‘Well, what is that? There’s no such thing as Michigan cooking.’ It’s really about defining what Midwest regional cooking is, and what it could be. There is a shift happening with food, whether people realize it or not.”

Chris Perkey, the owner and chef of Osteria Rossa and the new eatery, Iron, recognizes this shift as well. Calling 25 Ottawa Ave. SW home in downtown Grand Rapids, Iron will offer atmosphere, food and drink that is “simple, real and honest” — and all about the Midwest. Regional farmers, businesses and brewers will all be a part of their menu. 25 Ottawa will shift dramatically, become more intimate and familiar, the trappings of the former failed restaurants in that space falling away with the plaster dust and ceiling tiles during reconstruction.

“Iron brings you back to the roots of what you grew up eating,” Perkey says. “It’s embracing that Midwestern food culture. [Midwestern food] gets a bad rap in a lot of ways, everyone thinks of heavy, meat and potatoes type food. It is, to an extent, but people forget that Michigan has the second largest agricultural diversity in the United States and it really opens up a lot of what we are able to grow. I don’t only want to embrace Midwestern food from a culinary standpoint, but also the mentality of the Midwest. Iron is as much about the conversation and the service as it is about the food. It goes back to that real, down home comfortable feeling, the old school supper club feel of a restaurant.”

What We Will Be Eating

This is the year for simplicity and experimentation. This year, seek out the authentic, and rediscover the flavors in our backyard.

Craft Cocktails

If you’re going to pay for a cocktail, pay for a cocktail that takes itself seriously. Discover Sidebar, tucked away in 80 Ottawa NW — a tiny, dark and delicious spot that serves up handcrafted cocktails that have quality ingredients, are made with pride and care, and are worthy of your money and time. If you are one of the lucky ones who can manage to snag a seat, try a Moscow Mule — a classic cocktail at its finest here.

Bar Divani, a longtime resident on the Ionia strip, has a new bar manager/head bartender who can make you a helluva cocktail. I enjoy the Whiskey Ward Ambassador, as I have an overly fond attachment for the alcoholic beverage. If you end up going there and aren’t quite sure what you should get, ask Chris. He’ll mix something perfect for your taste buds and your mood.

You’ll also notice that your accoutrements, syrups and mixers are leaning heavily on Michigan-sourced produce and made-in-Michigan options. For example, take Brix Soda Co, a pure cane sugar soda from right here in Grand Rapids that is used in many local restaurants.

Beer and More Beer

Beer City USA won’t be a title leaving Grand Rapids anytime soon, and we’ll continue to see growth throughout West Michigan in this industry. Lucky us, the beer will just keep getting better as the public becomes more educated and willing to step outside of the Bud Light box.

Just on the cusp of celebrating its fifth anniversary, East Hills favorite Brewery Vivant has a rotating tap list of seasonal appropriateness, all with a Belgian twist. Go in and try whatever is in the Firkin or the Wood-Aged beer that’s on tap, and please don’t hesitate to ask your server or bartender any questions you have about the beer. They know their stuff.

Be on the lookout for Creston Brewery, partly owned by members of the local band Vox Vidorra, which will be heavy on the creativity, community and accessible new experiences (for your ears and your mouth).

Speciation Artisan Ales will bring Grand Rapids experimental, spontaneous and sour beers that range from funk to tropical on your palate. Speciation is owned by the husband and wife team of Mitch and Whitney Ermatinger, Grand Rapidians at heart who came back to us from Denver, where Mitch worked at Former Future Brewing Company and helped work on an award-winning wild beer with them.

Michigan Bounty

Locally sourced Michigan proteins, vegetables, simply presented, lovingly prepared. This is what we’ll eat.

The Søvengård crew brought us beautiful examples of how these things can come together.

A root salad, featuring both raw and pickled — carrots, beets and radishes, was dressed simply with a housemade carrot mayo and beet vinaigrette and topped  off with crispy kale and the surprise of candied kumquat, adding that little bit of sweetness to the earthy taste of winter produce.

A pork chop, perfectly cooked, served with charred carrots, kabocha squash and cipollini onion, the tartness of pickled cherries and the fragrant, evolving taste of oolong tea bean puree, served with the cherrjus pan sauce is big, bold, and filling.

Meat pies and traditional Danish open-faced sandwiches called Smørrebrød rounded out the taste test. The pictures speak for themselves.

Michigan Diversity

Step away from anything fusion and embrace the authentic.

Chuancai Fang on 28th Street offers real Sichuan Chinese cuisine alongside the more Americanized offerings. Try the number F05: a fish dish made with pickled chili and tofu, spicy but perfectly so. For an appetizer, order the Sichuan cold noodle salad, a simple, yet interestingly complex noodle dish that you’ll want more of.

The Kim Nhung Store complex at 4242 Division Ave S is a gem of a shopping center, housing not only an amazing Asian supermarket full of fresh fruits, vegetables, and must-haves for Thai and Vietnamese cuisine, but some delicious little restaurants as well.  Go to Wei-Wei Palace for Dim Sum, Pho Soc Trang for Vietnamese style soup, and Ly’s Sandwiches for Banh Mi — a French inspired Vietnamese sandwich on a baguette with a variety of filling options.

Taqueria San Jose on Division Ave is just one of the few places in our city that offers affordable, fresh and authentic Mexican food. Order and eat your tacos the way they should come — skip the ‘supreme’ topping options like lettuce and tomatoes and go with the onions and cilantro instead. Order the taco lengua (tongue) and nibble the roasted jalapeno that comes with your meal. Be brave and eat well.

How We Should Be Eating It

Grand Rapids restaurateurs are practically shoving goodness down our throats. They recognize the shift happening nationwide, and the growth in our city. We, as consumers and diners, need to see it too and be receptive to the change. We might be surprised at how much we like it.

There will be a greater push towards education of the consumer with food, beer and spirits. What does medium rare really mean? How did that pig make it from the farm to the restaurant kitchen and become that sausage on your plate? Your server could very well be a Certified Beer Server, tested and trained to understand what your best beer options are for your meal.

Resolving that cognitive dissonance between the brain and the gut requires us to listen, observe and appreciate what it really takes to make your meals. And our area restaurants are trying to make it right.

Chris Freeman, operator of the 16,000+ strong Facebook group EatGR, offers some wide-ranging perspective: “What I see locally is restaurateurs who are interested in taking a chance on something a little more challenging or different in the way of cuisine…things that are available in bigger cities. But I don’t feel that the public is necessarily ready to follow.”

“For example, people kept crying for authentic Ramen noodles,” Freeman continues. “Noodle Monkey switched from Thai food to authentic Japanese Ramen, but the public that said they would be there to support them has been slow in responding. I do see newer places like The Old Goat doing well by tapping into what is already familiar to people here. They take a dish that people are comfortable with but put a fun an interesting twist on it. That is appealing to the population in West Michigan.”

(Sidenote: Go to The Old Goat for brunch, and get ‘The Board of Education.’ Housemade and Michigan-centric, with enough uniqueness to satisfy the staunchest food critic.)

Patrick Conrade, executive chef at the soon-to-open Søvengård, has cooked in our town for the last 24 years and knows a thing or two about where we are, or should, be going with food trends in this city.

“The direction I’m hoping for is smart farming and sustainable crops,” he says. “Working with what we have, not trying to push it beyond just because you can. I look at cooking very simply. That’s the direction that’s happening nationally. That’s the direction I hope Grand Rapids chooses to go.”

This is fundamentally the concept of “The Third Plate” — beyond just farm-to-table. Dan Barber, author and chef, coined this term, noticing that what should be sustainable wasn’t all that friendly. It involves rotation of crops, creating a way of growing and eating that supports the ecology and scope of place.

Chefs, like Conrade, are at a unique point in our community right now that can allow them to cultivate what West Michigan dining is, and redefine what American food means.

So, cheers, Grand Rapids — let’s get out there, raise our glass and eat!

Tiffany Ewigleben is a mother, craft brew aficionado, freelance writer, wife of a chef, and a true Michigander in her heart, despite being from Washington D.C. She hopes you won’t hold that against her.

/by
Long Road Distillers

Local liquors and tasty eats at Long Road Distillers (WOOD TV 8)

, ,

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich (WOOD) – Grand Rapids first every distillery, Long Road Distillers, visited in studio to mix up a few cocktails with unexpected combinations, like pink peppercorns and lemon! Longtime friends Kyle Van Strien and Jon O’Connor are self proclaimed “neighborhood boys” who love West Michigan and have done a lot of work in the community. They always wanted to start a business and decided it was time for Grand Rapids to have a distillery. What makes Long Road special? Everything they serve has been hand crafted by them for you! Fresh squeezed juice, small batch ginger beers, everything made by starting with the raw ingredient. All the grains they use for the liquors are sourced within 30 miles of Grand Rapids, it doesn’t get much more local than that!

Besides tasty liquors, Long Road has awesome food! Kyle and Jon explain that, “You’ll come for the drinks and stay for the food. But the food will keep you coming back!” The menu is small and concise, but filled with yummy and unique dishes with local ingredients. Everything from munchies like deviled eggs and shrimp cocktail to heavier plates like kielbasa and large salads. They whip up a few menu favorites for Rachael and show off a very cool gift idea. Their “bathtub gin kit” is a great cocktail box with a Prohibition theme. It includes a botanical kit to infuse the Long Road vodka, instructions, and everything you need to mix up your own Prohibition vodka. All proceeds go to the Grand Rapids Public Musesum. Find out everything about Long Road Distillers by clicking here!

Looking for New Year’s Eve plans? Celebrate the New Year in The Rickhouse at Long Road Distillers!

Cocktails, food, music and a one-of-a-kind ball drop are all included with your $25 ticket!

Join Long Road for :

  • A Sparkling Cocktail Toast at midnight
  • A Slider Bar with all the fixins
  • LRD Drunkin’ Truffle Dessert
  • Music to get you moving on the record player, spun by local talents Return of Sparkle Motion (Eric Schmieder, Jeff Finan, and Jason Richardson)
  • A VERY special, Long Road edition, ball drop from 3 stories up in the distillery atrium!

And, before you head upstairs at 10 p.m., join them downstairs for Shrimp Cocktails (4/$10) with a house Cocktail Sauce made with our horseradish infused vodka, and vynil tunes spun by Dan Climie and Benjamin Davey!

Full story here.

/by
Long Road Distillers

Local First of West Michigan Blog: Long Road Distillers

, ,

There is an added sense of connectivity when we frequent the places that reside within a few miles of our home. When a business puts down roots in the neighborhood where owners and workers and goers live, a deeper sense of community grows. Long Road Distillers, located in Grand Rapids West Side, is more than the city’s first distillery, it a place where people commune together over unique, handcrafted cocktails. Owners Kyle Van Strien and Jon O’Connor call the West Side Grand Rapids neighborhood home; the elbows of guests lean on the dark wooden tables in the dining space, wearing them down with story; the bartenders behind the bar craft a unique drink of homegrown flavor. It is as much about the spirits being consumed as the souls in the room.

Long Road honors the journey, respects the craft, and takes no shortcuts. Their story encompasses the local community. At Long Road their ingredients come from Michigan, from the places they know and places that resemble home. Whether it be wheat, corn, rye, fruit, or cider it has a Michigan label. They are, as Van Strien shared “highlighting what we have available.” Long Road is an in-house distillery, making everything on location. They are perfecting the art of draft cocktails, stepping out, doing new things, and embracing the long road.

We are delighted to have Long Road Distillers joining us at Fork Fest this week Thursday, October 22. They will be on site with their draft Gin and Tonic, as well as Teta’s Lemonade (vodka, lemon, lavender syrup, rose water). Stop by their bar and give one of these a try!

Interested in learning more about Long Road? Sign up to take one of their tours. Or stop by for a midweek dinner and drink. They are open seven days a week and house a delicious food menu. They also recently expanded their upstairs space which can be rented out for private events, wedding receptions, and corporate events. Find out more at longroaddistillers.com.

Local First of West Michigan, Mallory Huizenga

Full Blog

/by
Long Road Distillers

Craft spirit maker begins distribution (Grand Rapids Business Journal)

, ,

A local distillery has launched its Michigan distribution.

Long Road Distillers in Grand Rapids launched two of its spirits into statewide distribution this month.

The distillery’s gin and vodka are now available to all restaurants, bars and retailers in Michigan.

The distillery opened in May, and distribution is coming right about when co-owners Kyle Van Strien and Jon O’Connor expected in their timeline.

“We wanted to make sure we could meet demand here and work out our kinks,” O’Connor said. “A lot of times, distillers go into distribution and can’t satisfy demand. They get an initial launch and can’t provide more.”

Van Strien said one of the most common questions from a restaurant group is, “If we run a featured cocktail at our three locations, will we run out?”

Now, Van Strien said that assurance is possible and within the first week, The Winchester in Grand Rapids had a cocktail menu featuring spirits by Long Road Distillers.

Van Strien added that several other local businesses will carry its products: Donkey; Siciliano’s Market; Rishi’s International Beverage; and Essence Restaurant Group.

“To see some of the places we respect so much have our products . . . it’s a lot of fun,” Van Strien said.

O’Connor said they welcome restaurant and bars to bring in owners, managers and staff to show them the manufacturing process.

“We encourage other folks to reach out,” O’Connor said. “We love to host potential partners. We want to educate people on what makes our products different and what’s unique about it. The more people we talk through the process, the better.”

/by
Book A Tour