To mark its 6th year, Iron Fish will introduce the Mad Angler® brand of estate whiskeys and will embark on a major commitment to triple production capacity of its estate whiskey, by investing approximately $900,000 in new equipment and facility improvements. To celebrate, Iron Fish will host its 6th Anniversary Party over Labor Day Weekend, Friday, September 2nd through Sunday September 4th.
To mark its 6th year, Iron Fish will introduce the Mad Angler® brand of estate whiskeys and will embark on a major commitment to triple production capacity of its estate whiskey, by investing approximately $900,000 in new equipment and facility improvements. To celebrate, Iron Fish will host its 6th Anniversary Party over Labor Day Weekend, Friday, September 2nd through Sunday September 4th.
Since 2015, Iron Fish has grown and harvested grain on its farm, as well as purchased grain from Michigan farmers to distill spirits and age whiskey. While waiting for its estate whiskeys to age, Iron Fish distilled vodka and gin from Michigan grain and also sourced whiskey for its celebrated line of barrel finished whiskeys, created and aged in three barrel rack houses on the farm.
Iron Fish Distillery is Michigan’s first farm distillery, attracting over 125,000 guests annually to its agricultural end destination in Thompsonville. Named for the Steelhead, Iron Fish is situated on the scenic and protected Betsie River where it operates a third party environmentally verified farm, through the Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program.
The anniversary party will feature sampling of estate whiskeys, including Mad Angler Bourbon, Mad Angler Rye Whiskey, Mad Angler Bottled in Bond Whiskey, each aged over 4 years and distilled from grain grown at Iron Fish and Michigan farms. The weekend will be packed with fun, spirits, cocktails, food and refreshments, games and live music. The schedule of events can be found on its website and includes:
9/2 Friday
Whiskey Barrel Making, Croze Nest
Live Music featuring Adam Carpenter
9/3 Saturday
Ice Cream on the East Patio
Children’s Pinata
Bagpipe Blessing of the Spirits
Live Music featuring Beth Bombara
9/4 Sunday
Flower Crown Station
Birthday Cake and Candles
Live Music, featuring Elizabeth Landry,
Blake Elliott and Sierra Cassidy
9/2 Fri – Whiskey Barrel Making, Croze Nest
Live Music featuring Adam Carpenter
9/3 Sat – Ice Cream on the East Patio
Children’s Pinata
Bagpipe Blessing of the Spirits
Live Music featuring Beth Bombara
9/4 Sun – Flower Crown Station
Birthday Cake and Candles
Live Music, featuring Elizabeth Landry,
Blake Elliott and Sierra Cassidy
Investment to expand production of estate spirits will increase the amount of grain Iron Fish will purchase from Michigan farms to 725,000 pounds annually, increasing the number of growers supplying Iron Fish from six to 10 farms, including Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where rye grain has been sourced since 2015. New distillery production equipment is on order, and is scheduled to be operational in early 2023. Private investment and bank financing was supplemented with a loan from the Manistee County EDC and a $55,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Agriculture.
“Our expansion is possible because Michigan consumers and retailers are embracing local, and this project will dramatically increase our ability to source ingredients from Michigan growers in the production of our spirits and food and beverage offerings.” said Richard Anderson, Co-Owner of the family-owned farm distillery located in north Manistee County.
Iron Fish spirits are distributed in Michigan, Wisconsin, and home delivered in 40 states by the digital spirits retailer, Spirit Hub. Iron Fish is expanding distribution to Colorado and California in September and Illinois and Indiana later this fall.
About Iron Fish Distillery
Iron Fish Distillery was founded in 2016, as Michigan’s first farm distillery, growing grain and distilling spirits, and barrel finishing sourced whiskey. This third party environmentally audited working farm and distillery attracts over 125,000 guests annually to the agricultural destination, reborn on a long-time abandoned 120-acre farm located in rural Springdale Township in Manistee County.
Named for the Steelhead that journeys up the nearby Betsie River, every step of the Iron Fish soil-to-spirit process occurs onsite. The process starts in farm fields where the distillery grows and harvests its own grain. Milling, mashing, fermenting, distilling, and barrel aging is on full display for visitors. Iron Fish also carefully sources bourbon for finishing in barrels from around the world. To date, their library of barrel aged spirits exceeds 2,000.
