Courtesy of O'Shaughnessy Distilling Co.
O'Shaughnessy Distilling Co.
Well, top o' the morning to you. Here's some news that's almost as good as your first Irish coffee of the day: We are about to have a world-class whiskey distillery in our midst when O'Shaughnessy Distilling Co. opens in the next few months. It's under construction next to Surly Brewing, and across from the coming Malcolm Yards Market. Prospect Park is so hot right now.
What makes this new distillery world-class? The team, the space, the commitment to what they want to achieve. This is something the Twin Cities hasn't really seen before, and when I walked the space a few weeks ago, I found myself comparing it to the whiskey distilleries I've toured in Kentucky and Japan.
Let's start with the O'Shaughnessy family. They are not the ones who own a vineyard in California, nor are they the family behind Valspar (both rumors I've heard). They are a good ol' St. Paul family that is excited about Irish whiskey—this is a locally owned project. What they've already done is kind of incredible: They've lured globally known Master Distiller Brian Nation away from Jameson. Let that sink in. The guy who was in charge of making the golden tones of Jameson, Redbreast, Powers, and Middleton whiskies is moving to Minnesota to now make whiskey.
I caught a few seconds with him while he was in town last month, and I asked him the question we always ask people who relocate here: Are you sure? "I'm excited! Of course it was an attractive opportunity to be involved in a brand from the ground up, but it was also the culture. Meeting Patrick O'Shaughnessy and really just seeing the passion, the belief, the foresight, and also the support of the family culture. It's an adventure for me and my family to actually take myself, my wife, and my three kids to move from Ireland. We've never lived outside Cork in our life! And as people say, I never do things by halves, so it's a move from Cork all the way to Minneapolis."
So making American whiskey in the traditional Irish style of triple copper pot distillation in Minnesota will be a thing. They plan to use 100% American grains mingled with the Irish techniques. Using a mash bill of malted and unmalted barley, the triple-distilled whiskey will be matured in virgin American oak casks. "We've been kind of talking about this for a while, and we're talking about Irishizing American whiskey and Americanizing Irish whiskey, and I think that would give us a lot of scope, a lot of opportunity to innovate. But I think one thing that we're going to be proud of, and the one thing we will always be proud of, is the quality of the whiskey that we'll produce. We're really excited about this fantastic state of the art distillery, and there's going to be a lot of flexibility within it. It gives us great opportunities to show what we can do and to really showcase not just distillation, but the education, and the experience, and the under tale, so I think we've got a lot here to be really really proud about."
Part of that experience will be the responsibility of Pip Hanson. Known in the Twin Cities as the innovative beverage professional who created the Marvel Bar, Hanson left town to stretch his wings and landed as head of Artesian Bar in London, winner of World's Best Bar. He returned to Minnesota in 2016 and worked behind the scenes, until now. He'll be heading up the drinks at the distillery's bars.
The distillery itself was shaping up to be quite a looker when I walked through early construction. There will be multiple bar areas, private spaces for events, outdoor patio seating, and food service of a sort. Gleaming copper pot stills are a great focus, and there will be an extensive tour program which will walk you through the entire whiskey making process. That's the education piece they are excited to create.
And what about the whiskey? Well you're going to have to wait to get your hands on it, but today, on St. Patrick's Day of 2021, O'Shaughnessy's is launching their Keeper's Heart Cask Society. Keeper's Heart whiskey will be their first launch this summer, and this members-only society is the first chance to get it. As a member you'll get the first opportunity to purchase the rare whiskey aged in a unique cask bearing your name. Plus, members will receive behind-the-scenes access at the distillery, personal meetings and conversation with Brian Nation, personalized bottles, personalized tastings, and an official Key to the Keep.
From a statement, co-founder Patrick O'Shaughnessy shared, “Keeper’s Heart is all about family. The whiskey is a tribute to our Irish American heritage, and we see the distillery as a home away from home to bring people together. The Keeper’s Heart Cask Society creates an opportunity to be among the first to join our family. Members will share something unique and enjoy special experiences. The opportunity to experience the aging of a cask is something truly special. We are very proud of what we’re building, including a community that we are pleased to welcome on this journey with us.”
Whiskey nerds like me understand that there is something significant happening here, this is your first chance to be a part of it. Stay tuned for more news about the opening of the taproom and what that local experience will look like.
