Grand Rapids Magazine: Long Road Distillers nominated for multiple readers’ choice awards

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By – August 21, 2020
Long Road Distillers was once again nominated as the best distillery in the country in multiple categories as part of the annual USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Travel Awards.

The company announced it was nominated as the Best Craft Specialty Spirits Distillery, Best Craft Gin Distillery, and Best Craft Brandy Distillery for 2020. This marks the fourth time Long Road was nominated in the Best Craft Specialty Spirits Distillery category.

“We’re incredibly proud to receive nominations in multiple categories again this year,” said Kyle Van Strien, co-owner and co-founder of Long Road Distillers. “We’re fortunate to be part of a thriving craft beverage scene in Michigan. While it feels odd to celebrate such honors in light of the challenges our industry is currently facing, we’re happy for the attention it can bring to our region.”

Over its five-year history, the distillery gained national and international attention for its award-winning lineup of craft spirits, including gins, vodkas, liqueurs and whiskeys.

Long Road Distillers is one of 20 nominees in each category from around the country chosen by a panel of American spirits experts.

The nominating panel includes Wayne Curtis, spirits and cocktail author of books including “And a Bottle of Rum: A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails”; Brian Christensen, publisher and editor of Artisan Spirit Magazine; Ziggy Eschliman, founder of ZigStyle and award-winning radio host; Eric Grossman, a food and beverage writer and author of Craft Spirits; and Jack Robertiello, a writer and acclaimed wine and spirits judge.

The public will choose the winners by casting votes on 10best.com/awards. Each person may vote for their favorites once per day until Sept. 14. Winners will be announced Sept. 25.

“Unlike many competitions where the judging takes place behind closed doors, this contest puts the power in the hands of those that enjoy our spirits and those who have supported us over the past several years,” said Jon O’Connor, co-owner and co-founder of Long Road Distillers. “We’re humbled by these nominations and hopeful that we can spread the word far and wide to take home a few new honors for Grand Rapids.”

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MLIVE: Long Road Distillers rolls out 3 popular drinks as new canned cocktails

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The last five years of serving up their hand-crafted cocktails has shown Long Road Distillers which of their drinks consistently rise to the top of the “most popular” club.

The Grand-Rapids-based distillery has selected a trio of drinks from this list to be the first releases of its new canned craft cocktail line.

They’re rolling out these three little numbers in 12-oz cans, which are available for purchase in 4-packs:

· The Polish Falcon ~ Long Road Original Vodka, house made ginger beer and lime juice.

· Long Road GnT ~ Long Road Dry Gin and house tonic.

· Teta’s Lemonade ~ Long Road Original Vodka, house lavender syrup, fresh lemon juice and rosewater.

“We’ve always had a dream to put some of our favorite cocktails into a ready-to-drink format,” said Jon O’Connor, co-owner and co-founder of Long Road Distillers. “We were finally able to focus on fine-tuning recipes and acquiring the licenses and equipment necessary to can a product that lived up to our exceptionally high standards.”

The canned cocktails all have a 10% ABV. And each can is equal to a little more than one regularly-poured cocktail, so you can feel free to share – or not.

Releasing them in 4-packs makes it easy to grab-and-go on your way to a picnic, to the beach, or just to take back to family or friends.

“We understand that convenience is king, particularly during the summer in Michigan,” said Kyle VanStrien, co-owner and co-founder of Long Road Distillers. “We’re excited to bring some of our favorites to market, and we look forward to expanding offerings and distribution footprint in the future.”

The cans are now available for purchase from Long Road’s tasting rooms in Grand Rapids, Grand Haven and Boyne City.

Want to be super efficient and make the pick-up process touch-free? You can order the 4-packs in advance for takeout through Long Road’s website here.

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Saveur Magazine: THE 10 BEST AMERICAN AMARO BOTTLES TO DRINK RIGHT NOW

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U.S. distillers are creating a splash with their own versions of the bitter Italian liqueur. Here, a guide to the best American-made amari

Published on Saveur.com BY LAURA ITZKOWITZ MAY 17, 2019

When Amor y Amargo opened in 2011 in New York’s East Village, there was only one amaro produced in the U.S. on its shelves. Now there are more than 20, though Sother Teague, the bar’s founder and New York City’s resident amaro expert, says the American amaro scene is “still incubating,” so more bottles are bound to come out of the woodwork.

The rise in domestically produced amaro is, at least in part, correlated to an increased interest among consumers in amaro (plural: amari), the category of bittersweet liqueur originally produced in Italy. And though the Italian giants like Campari and Aperol still dominate backbars across the country, a number of craft distilleries that were already making vodka, whiskey, and other spirits right here in the U.S. are adding an amaro to their portfolio. There are even some distillers that started out expressly producing amaro, even if they have since added other liqueurs to their range.

“Whatever was being produced was just being consumed by the maker or the neighborhood, which is how it starts all over the world,” says Teague, explaining why he’s got so many more domestic amari on his shelves now than he did in 2011. Now that they’re becoming more available, America is going through a bit of an amaro craze, and Teague is one of its most vocal champions. At Amor y Amargo, he pours the products that he likes best, and distillers send him their bottles with the hopes of getting them on his shelves.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about amaro is that each one is so unique that almost everybody can find a type that suits them. While American distillers are using some less traditional ingredients like coffee or hibiscus, Teague believes there’s no fundamental difference between Italian amari and American ones, since they’re so hard to define in the first place. “Overwhelmingly, even American amari try to stick to the traditional thinking and methodology,” he says, alluding to the rich history of sourcing local botanicals for amari, and creating a taste of place. “Each one of these is trying to do things with stuff from where they’re at.”

While the American amaro market continues to grow, there are already a few available that are the best of the best. Here are the 10 American amari Teague recommends seeking out right now.

….

The Coffee-Tinged Amari

Teague sees these as a great alternative to saccharine coffee liqueurs like Kahlúa and Tia Maria. Both amari are made using local coffee. Amaro Pazzo—which translates to “crazy bitter” in Italian—is produced by Long Road Distillers in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The base spirit is distilled on-site, where they also make vodka, gin, whiskey, and a few other spirits and cordials. It’s infused with wormwood, gentian, chicory, orange peel, and several other botanicals, and then blended with coffee by Madcap Coffee Company.

Bartender and distiller Ryan Maybee revived Kansas City whiskey—a type of whiskey that died out during Prohibition—and named his distillery J. Rieger & Co. after the family that used to make it in the early 1900s. He recently teamed up with Kansas City coffee brewers Thou Mayest to create Caffè Amaro, which Maybee ages in his old whiskey barrels.

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Grand Haven Tribune: Distillery approved – ‘I’m glad you didn’t give up on us’

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ALEXANDER SINN • MAR 19, 2019

There was little fanfare Monday night as the Grand Haven City Council voted to allow Long Road Distillers to set up shop in town.

The approval of a tasting room at 102 Washington Ave. came after the council earlier this month rejected the Grand Rapids-based distillery’s proposal for a similar venue at the city’s train depot building near the waterfront.

Instead, Long Road will open a Grand Haven location as part of the space currently occupied by the Copper Post bar and restaurant.

For months, Long Road owners Kyle Van Strien and Jon O’Connor attempted to win over city officials with their plan for the depot, but Mayor Geri McCaleb and Councilman Dennis Scott disapproved of bringing an alcohol-serving establishment to the waterfront, due to the depot’s proximity to family-oriented activities at the Lynne Sherwood Waterfront Stadium.

Van Strien and O’Connor attended Monday’s meeting but declined to share comment to the council on the new project. Van Strien said he was disappointed with the city’s process for selecting a depot tenant, which the Long Road owners pursued for its historic nature and waterfront locale.

Council members thanked the business owners for not abandoning their quest to come to Grand Haven.

Councilman Josh Brugger said the city was able to expedite the approval process, placing both a public hearing and liquor license approval on Monday’s agenda.

“I’m glad you didn’t give up on us,” Councilman Bob Monetza said.

Monetza’s thoughts were echoed by both the mayor and Scott as the council approved the liquor license 5-0.

Van Strien said the plans for the Washington Avenue venue will be similar to the proposal for the depot, with an emphasis on cocktails and retail. He said the site is at a crossroads in the downtown between restaurants and retail, and will straddle both markets.

There are currently no plans to build a kitchen in the space, Van Strien said, and food options may be limited upon opening. Long Road and Copper Post will remain separate entities, he added.

After Long Road was rejected for the depot space, Van Strien said numerous property owners in and out of Grand Haven approached him and his partner with offers — none of them public listings.

Long Road also has a tasting room in Boyne City, and Van Strien said coming to Grand Haven and other Lakeshore locations are not “mutually exclusive.”

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MiBiz: Long Road Distillers plan Grand Haven tasting room

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BY SYDNEY SMITH & JOE BOOMGAARDTuesday, March 19, 2019 04:53pm

GRAND HAVEN — Grand Rapids-based Long Road Distillers LLC hopes to open a new satellite tasting room on the lakeshore.

Long Road Distillers plans to move forward with an offsite tasting room at 102 Washington Ave. after the Grand Haven City Council voted unanimously in favor of supporting the company’s request for a tasting room license from the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.

The move comes just days after the body rejected the company’s plans to open a tasting room in the city’s historic former train station.

In a text message to MiBiz, co-owner Jon O’Connor said the Washington Avenue location “looks like a good path moving forward” for the distillery, although he acknowledged there were “still some hurdles” the company needs to overcome.

The initial plans call for a 1,000-square-foot tasting room, he said. The company also hopes to add outdoor seating.

If the Grand Haven plans come to fruition, the tasting room will be the second for Long Road, which also operates a tasting room in Boyne City. The distillery has a full-service bar and restaurant at its main Grand Rapids operations.

“The Long Road team is thrilled to join the Grand Haven community,” Kyle VanStrien, Long Road co-founder and co-owner, said in a statement. “We’ve been working to secure a location in or around downtown for nearly two years, and we’re excited to now find ourselves in the heart of the retail and entertainment district of the city.”

An official opening date has not been announced, though Long Road expects to begin the hiring process soon.

Changes enacted last year to the state liquor control code allow distilleries to serve full pours and cocktails at their tasting rooms, where they had only been allowed to offer samples in the past, as MiBiz previously reported.

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Mlive: Distillery coming to Grand Haven after city’s rejection

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By Justine Lofton | jmcguir4@mlive.com March 19, 2019

GRAND HAVEN, MI – Long Road Distillers is coming to Grand Haven despite being turned away from a city-owned property earlier this month.

The distillery will take over about half of the space currently occupied by The Copper Post restaurant in downtown Grand Haven, officials with both businesses said.

“It’s got really nice charm and a vibrant retail district,” said Kyle VanStrien, co-owner of Long Road, of why the company is determined to have a Grand Haven location. “We think we have something to bring to the community in terms of craft cocktails and our award-winning spirits.”

Earlier in March, city council voted down a lease that would have put the tasting room in the city-owned, now-vacant Grand Trunk railroad depot on the downtown waterfront.

The goal is to be open by this summer, he said. Long Road expects to offer handcrafted cocktails, spirit samples, special tasting events, merchandise, bottles and maybe food.

Long Road’s distillery, main tasting room and restaurant are in Grand Rapids. There’s also a tasting room in Boyne City.

During summers, customers flock to the waterfront and business in Grand Rapids slows, which makes Grand Haven a perfect complement, VanStrien said. The company has been working for two years to open in the beach town.

Grand Haven City Council unanimously approved a distillery tasting room license at 102 Washington Ave. for Long Road Distillers during a meeting on Tuesday, March 18. The license application still needs state approval through the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.

The city council narrowly rejected leasing the historic depot space to Long Road, with some members objecting to the idea of a distillery so close to the waterfront stadium.

It’s “unfortunate” that the depot will sit empty, VanStrien said. But as soon as the lease was denied, downtown Grand Haven business owners reached out with alternatives. That included the owners of The Copper Post.

“It’s humbling to have that kind of outpouring of support,” he said. “We were surprised at the number of opportunities that weren’t right in front of us – that weren’t listed.”

The Copper Post, 100 Washington Ave., opened during June 2018 in a building that has seen a revolving door of bars and restaurants since 2014 when the Rosebud closed after 12 years. The Rosebud was followed by short stints of Joe’s Wooden Nickle and Grand Haven Brew House.

Business has been good so far, said Cooper Post operating partner Mike Thorp, but he’s not concerned about the loss of seating that will come with leasing or selling a large portion of its indoor space to Long Road. The details of the agreement haven’t been worked out yet, he said.

The Copper Post will keep its patio that has seating for about 75 in addition to the indoor bar area that’s immediately inside the door at the corner of Washington Avenue and First Street.

It is expected that Long Road customers will enter through a door facing Washington Avenue that was previously used but is now covered by the building façade, VanStrien said.

Long Road is expected to be in what is currently an additional dining room for The Copper Post. The space has its own bar and has in the past hosted music entertainment, but does not have its own kitchen.

Long Road and Copper Post officials said they hope the distillery will serve food although it’s not clear if it will be Copper Post’s food or something else.

An archway that connects The Copper Post bar to the future home of Long Road is expected to have a door when the distillery opens, Thorp said.

The distillery will “bolster our brand” and “raise the bar” for Grand Haven’s spirit offerings, he said of why the restaurant owners wanted Long Road in town enough to offer their own space. “It’s a win-win.”

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Grand Haven Tribune: Distillery sets sights on downtown Grand Haven

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ALEXANDER SINN • MAR 15, 2019

Long Road Distillers may be coming to Grand Haven after all.

After the Grand Haven City Council denied the Grand Rapids-based distillery use of its historic train depot building on the waterfront, property owners in the community reached out to help bring the business to town.

Copper Post, a bar and restaurant at 102 Washington Ave. in the downtown, has offered Long Road a portion of the venue for a tasting room, similar to the proposal for the depot.

A public hearing will take place at Monday’s City Council meeting to grant Long Road a liquor license.

Long Road co-owners Kyle Van Strein and Jon O’Connor had for months been courting the City Council to grant them a 20-month lease at the depot. On March 4, the council voted 3-2 in favor of the distillery, but the measure required a 4-1 vote because it involved a property agreement.

While Mayor Geri McCaleb and Councilman Dennis Scott were concerned about access to alcohol on the city’s waterfront, Councilman Josh Brugger was a strong proponent of bringing in the new business.

“Long Road is potentially a destination spot for people,” Brugger said, calling the likely outcome a “win-win” for the city and the business. He said he anticipates a unanimous vote Monday to approve the distillery’s liquor license.

Van Strein said he was disappointed by the city’s process for selecting a depot tenant, but the business has received an outpouring of interest and support. No listed local properties fit the bill, he said, but property owners extended offers personally.

“The silver lining is a lot of people agreed with us that the process was poorly handled,” Van Strein said. “We’re still committed to the Grand Haven community as a whole.”

Other West Michigan communities have also shown interest in bringing in Long Road, he said. While the distillery may expand elsewhere, Van Strein added, he is enthusiastic about coming to Grand Haven’s downtown.

The Copper Post has two venue spaces, each with a bar, and Long Road would occupy the left-hand side from the entrance at the corner of Washington Avenue and First Street.

Van Strein said he and O’Connor were drawn to the historic building and its interior character, and are open to making improvements. The venue is situated at the transition point of the downtown between restaurants and retail, which Van Strein said is a unique opportunity.

“Us having both dining and drinking components, as well as a heavy focus on retail, we think will be a great transition into the more retail-centric portion of Washington,” Van Strein said.

The Rev. Dr. Jared Cramer, rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Grand Haven, urged the council to bring the distillery to the city. Cramer said the craft distillery movement is growing in the country and is just coming to prominence in Michigan.

Cramer said he hopes everything goes “like clockwork” with the approval of the liquor license.

City Council remains focused on bringing a tenant to the depot building to help the city break even on the operating costs, Brugger said. The building, at 1 N. Harbor Ave., features about a third of the space designed for a fixed vendor. The building has undergone renovations in recent years, and City Council will review plans Monday for continued upgrades.

Brugger said he is hopeful the council can agree to bring a vendor to the space soon.

“I have been a proponent of leveraging the community assets for the benefit of the community,” he said. “The depot is a community asset, and right now taxpayers are covering the bill for it. I’m optimistic we’ll find somebody to fill that space.”

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Grand Rapids Business Journal: Spirits maker wins statewide Distillery of the Year title

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December 12, 2018| By Ehren Wynder |

A local distillery has received some love on the state’s east side.

Grand Rapids-based Long Road Distillers was named Distillery of the Year last weekend at the first-ever Golden Jigger Awards, hosted by Nick Britsky, founder of NickDrinks.com, at the Willis Show Bar in Detroit.

“This is an amazing honor,” said Jon O’Connor, co-founder and co-owner, Long Road Distillers.

“We have a ton of respect for every nominee on this list, as they are the leaders of craft distilling in metro Detroit. To be nominated with them is honor enough — but to top the list coming from West Michigan demonstrates our commitment to crafting world-class spirits.”

Long Road topped a list of five Michigan distillery nominees selected by NickDrinks.com.

The winner was chosen by public vote, a panel of metro Detroit food and beverage media, hospitality industry professionals and the team at NickDrinks.com.

“With the input received by the public vote and our expert panel of judges, it was clear that Long Road Distillers has established themselves as one of the go-to Michigan distilleries for Detroit bartenders and spirits enthusiasts,” Britsky said.

“Their hard work in crafting unique spirits and their intentionality in building relationships in metro Detroit has certainly paid off.”

NickDrinks.com is a news blog that focuses on the Michigan beverage industry.

The site also runs a weekly TV show, “Nick Drinks at Night,” filmed live at CMN TV in Troy every Monday night at 7 p.m.

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Grand Rapids Business Journal: Spirits maker and coffee company partner on liqueur

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December 10, 2018| By Ehren Wynder |

A local distillery and a coffee roaster have teamed up to produce an Italian liqueur.

Grand Rapids-based Long Road Distillers will release Amaro Pazzo tomorrow at a special release party from 4 p.m. to midnight at the distillery, at 537 Leonard St. NW.

Statewide distribution will follow the in-house release, and the liqueur will be available year-round.

Amaro Pazzo was created in collaboration with Madcap and utilizes Madcap’s Reko coffee as one of the primary ingredients.

The release party will feature half-off the new liqueur and coffee cocktails made with Amaro Pazzo and Madcap coffee.

“Few put as much time and dedication into their craft as Madcap,” said Jon O’Connor, co-founder and co-owner, Long Road Distillers. “Amaro Pazzo is an ode to our shared commitment to take the time to do things right and to craft the exceptional. We can’t wait to introduce people to what we’ve been able to create together.”

Amaro is a traditional Italian herbal liqueur, commonly enjoyed before or after dinner. It is typically bittersweet in flavor and has some sugar added for balance.

Madcap’s Reko coffee comes from the Kochere region of Ethiopia. After tasting coffee varieties from all over the world, Madcap and Long Road agreed that Reko would impart the most complementary flavors for Amaro Pazzo, most notably citrus, lemongrass and ginger.

“The team at Long Road has a special respect and intention for the ingredients they work with,” said Ryan Knapp, coffee director, Madcap. “Collaborating with our friends at Long Road was a natural fit with our similar philosophy on how we approach ingredients and flavor.”

Long Road Amaro Pazzo, is also made with myrrh, turkey rhubarb, two types of orange, wormwood and a blend of other ingredients.

It is bottled at 57 proof, or 28.5-percent ABV.

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Grand Rapids Business Journal: Spirits maker releasing new batch of bourbon

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November 30, 2018| By Ehren Wynder |
A local distillery is rolling out a limited-release spirit.

Grand Rapids-based Long Road Distillers will release batch No. 2 of its Straight Bourbon Whisky on Dec. 3 at the distillery, at 537 Leonard St. NW.

Statewide distribution will follow later in the week.

Long Road’s Straight Bourbon Whisky was one of the earliest products the company distilled.

Straight whiskey, by definition, must be aged at least two years in a new American oak barrel that has been charred on the inside.

Long Road’s bourbon is bottled at 93 proof, or 46.5 percent alcohol by volume.

Its mash bill consists of corn and wheat from Heffron Farms in Belding and malted barley grown along the lakeshore and malted locally.

“Good whiskey takes time,” said Jon O’Connor, co-founder and co-owner, Long Road Distillers. “We’ve patiently waited to release our second batch of straight bourbon and have carefully selected barrels from two different mash bills to blend together for a whiskey we’re proud to call our own.”

To celebrate the second iteration of Straight Bourbon Whisky, Long Road will be offering half-off tastes, pours and cocktails of the spirit, as well as the first opportunity to purchase a bottle. Specials will be available from opening at 4 p.m. until close at midnight.

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Long Road Distillers

CONTACT | MEDIA KIT
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Grand Rapids Location

537 LEONARD ST NW
GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49504

PHONE: (616) 228-4924
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18 WASHINGTON
GRAND HAVEN, MI 49417

PHONE: (616) 414-7797

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959 CHERRY ST SE
GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49506

PHONE: (616) 570-0131

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