Sneak Peek: O'Shaughnessy Distillery

It's a full-on experience.

by

The O'Shaughnessy Distillery is nearly ready for its closeup. Sitting nicely in the Prospect Park neighborhood, kissing patios with Surly Brewing and gazing over at Malcolm Yards from its fermenting tanks, it's like a party ready to pop. It has come so far since I first visited in February. 

But like everything right now, there's a bit of a pause with some permitting issues and supply chain hiccups. The team is willing, the whiskey is waiting, but we'll likely have to hold until August until all things align and you are sitting at the Potato Bar sipping a radicchio lilted cocktail handed to you by Pip Hanson. Oh, but it's coming. 

Head distiller Brian Nation and his crew know that they are creating something really special here, the three pot distillation method that is traditionally used to make Irish whiskey will be making American whiskey created with Northern ingredients. Education about their mission and their goals is very important to them, so they've built the distillery with tours in mind. The media got a little taste of the tour, and a little taste at the end of the tour, and I have to say, even if you know about how whiskey is made, it's worth it to hear their vision (and see the tanks up close). 

You'll start in the store, where there's lots of branded merch and bottles of their first blended whiskey, Keeper's Heart, will be available to purchase. It will be the first of many cool copper lighting installations you'll see. 

Heading into the production area, you'll learn about the grains they use and the fermentation process. Those tanks have the best view of any distillery I've been to, how is anyone going to get any work done?

Then you'll get up close and personal with those copper pot stills. As a whiskey nerd, I love them. No two pot stills are exactly the same and their shape and nuances are part of what gives the distillate its character. Nation told us about how he believes this is a whole new genre of whiskey, what they're going to be making here. Make sure you understand about the head, the heart, and the tail.

You'll move through, following the liquid's path through the process. They are taking the opportunity to really teach anyone who wants to understand about oak, and char, and what the aging process will do for the bottled goods. If you've ever been on a Napa winery tour, this all will feel familiar. 

Your tour will end in the tasting room, as it should. They've got a nice big table in a room called The Keep. We ran through the components that go into their Keeper's Heart bottles, discussing the blending and tasting each element before getting to the composite. It's true that as a new whiskey distillery, they won't have their own spirit ready for a few years, that's the nature of whiskey: time and wood. But they are bringing in other variously crafted whiskeys and blending them to create a flavor that comes close to what they want O'Shaughnessy to be known for. 

Finally, to the bar. After understanding what goes into each bottle, it's time to cheer on what comes out of each bottle. The bar set up in the main room is equal to the three pot stills it's facing. Hanson and his crew are working on cocktails that can be made quickly and efficiently. 

As you might know, for a distillery, the Minnesota beverage laws won't allow other spirits to be used on site. They can't bring in Campari to make a negroni, so they have to figure out a way to create the flavors they want without the brands they might be used to. Hanson's the man for the job: one of the aperitifs we tried used radicchio as a flavoring agent to bring about that desired bitterness. Yes, the Old Fashioned is very good. 

There are lots of areas to gather in this building, the upstairs Potato Bar will likely be booked for private events, but will also be open for general seating. There isn't a window in the place with a bad view. It's a balance of light and brick and leather and wood. 

There's an outdoor deck off this space that looks right into the Surly patio. Currently under construction, O'Shaughnessy will also have an outdoor container bar in the back. There is a full kitchen on site, and the menu is also currently under construction. 

There's a small road to go for this new distillery, but the O'Shaughnessy family has made the investment in people, space, and time for it to be something significant. August is not that far off. Stay tuned.