





THE BARN
Thank you for considering hosting your event at The Barn at Iron Fish Distillery.
Our beautifully restored barn is nestled on a 119 acre working farm where we grow the grain to create our premium artisan spirits. The barn sits adjacent to our state of the art distillery and tasting room. With a backdrop of a gorgeous 45 acre maple forest, all of these amenities come together to create a breathtaking rural environment, a one of a kind place to celebrate life’s most important moments.
The farm and distillery are located in Thompsonville, about one mile from Crystal Mountain Resort. Iron Fish is Michigan’s first dedicated field–to-glass farm distillery and produces a full line of premium quality spirits. We distill small batch spirits from grains farmed on our fields and sourced from partner farms. Wherever possible, every step of production from growing and harvesting, to milling, mashing, fermenting, and distilling are done by hand at our distillery.
The Betsie River scenic watershed provides a sense of place for our farm settled by George Chamberlain in 1887. George developed the property into a diversified farm and passed it on to his son Victor who ran it until his death in the late 1990’s. The farm, barn and fields remained abandoned until 2013.
The Barn is the original structure used by George and Victor, and has been fully refurbished to accommodate events, parties and weddings. It features ground level access to the primary events space for dinner with space enough for dancing, musicians and displays. An outdoor ceremony space has been carved out of a mature stand of maple trees and includes seating for up to 100 people.
Take a few moments to review the information below, and contact events@ironfishdistillery.com for more information or to schedule a on site meeting.
Can I come tour the venues onsite?
Yes, we are happy to schedule an appointment for you to come take a look!
What about heat if it’s cold outside?
If you are concerned about the weather and wish to have heaters, we have heaters for rent.
Is there an extra fee for using the ceremony site?
No, this is included in the barn venue rental.
What are your responsibilities at your event?
• Secure a caterer
• Flowers and other decorations
• Music – DJ or band including sound equipment
• Bathroom facility rental
• Transportation service – we encourage a shuttle for guests
• Insurance rider
Can we use our own caterer?
Yes, You can choose a caterer of your choice; The Event Coordinator will provide a preferred vendor list for your planning convenience.
What are the caterer’s responsibilities? PDF of Caterer’s Responsibilities
• Serving, dishware, silverware, and set-up for all food and equipment.
• Removing and cleaning of their dishware and equipment
• Removing left over food the night of reception
• Table linens and coffee/tea service including equipment
• Ice for drinks
• Water for drinking
Can we “Potluck” the reception?
Of course! You would just need to coordinate all the aspects of food and beverage service that a caterer would provide including responsibility for food safety. This also would include complete clean up the night of the reception.
Are there any restrictions on use?
• There can be no use of candles, fireworks, open flames, or smoking in and around the
barn for the safety of everyone.
• No pets are allowed and no camping is available on site.
• No nails, tacks, or other sharp objects can be used in decorating the barn.
• The only adhesive material allowed on the walls/pillars is drafting/painting/masking
tape which will not damage surfaces. No duct tape, electrical tape, transparent tape or
double stick tape are permitted.
• No glitter, confetti or rice may be used on the property. Birdseed, flower petals are
permitted in outside areas.
What is the alcohol policy?
You are welcome to have alcohol at your celebration with a couple of requirements.
• Any spirits (vodka, gin, rum, whisky) that you wish to serve must be from Iron Fish Distillery. Beer and wine can be brought in and purchased through whatever means you choose.
• A TIPS trained bartender must be used to serve all alcohol.
• Last call should occur no later than 10:30pm
Can IFD provide alcohol & bartending?
Yes!
Does every event need a bartender?
Yes!
What is the maximum guest count for the barn, Gallery and tent?
Barn: 150-180. If you have over 200; you will need to rent a separate tent on the side of the barn. (Refer to preferred vendor list for rental companies) Gallery: 35 max, Tent: 50 max.
What access to the barn do we have for setting up?
Set up starts at 9:00 am the morning of the reception.
When do we have to be out of the barn?
Music should stop by 10:30pm and guests must leave by 11:00 pm. All clean up and removal of personal items must be completed by 9:00 AM the morning after the celebration.
Is anyone from The Barn at Iron Fish Distillery staffing the event?
Yes, there will be a staff member on site to help with parking and to answer any questions or troubleshoot anything that might come up
How much is the venue and what’s included?
Please refer to the information tabs above.
Our goal is to provide you with a wonderfully-coordinated event at a beautiful barn venue on a working farm, and to make your celebration a day to truly remember!
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to make this day special!
The Barn Rental includes:
- Our 38’ X 80’ beautifully renovated, ADA compliant barn with all new electrical system.
- Capacity to seat up to 150 guests inside the barn for dinner. For events with more than 150 guests, we suggest considering a tent for dining and use of the barn layout for your bar/cocktail set up, hors d’oeuvres, musical entertainment and dancing. Our Events Coordinator can work with you to create a layout that best suits your guests.
- Restrooms: Two handicapped accessible restrooms are available for event use at no additional charge and are located a short walk from the barn.
- Tables and Chairs to seat 150 guests – (linens need to be provided by caterer)
- Mobile bar
- Maple tree canopied ceremony site with seating for 100 guests
- Parking for guests (with additional spaces available for those with mobility restrictions)
- Use of property for portraits
- An events coordinator to work with your designated wedding planner and caterer.
Congratulations! Having a special celebration at our historic barn venue will create an unforgettable memory for you and your guests. We would love to help build those memories! There are a few things to think about and some contacts for you or your wedding planner to make. Some important ones come to mind…
CATERER
You will need to hire a caterer to prepare food for your guests. Many also will provide trained bartenders to keep your celebration safe. We have a list of preferred caterers we are pleased to share with you.
BATHROOMS
The next call will be for portable toilet facilities as barns do not have bathrooms. There are modern toilet facilities that are as nice as those in a fine restaurant. These can have flushing china toilets, marble countertops, hot and cold running water, air conditioning and heating. There are more basic facilities that have running water and nice lighting. Handicap access facilities are available at all levels. We will work with our vendor to provide the facilities that best meet your needs.
TENT
If your celebration planning includes a tent we have plenty of space. We will work with our exclusive tent provider to coordinate the size/configuration of tent that will work for your event.
INSURANCE
An insurance rider is required that is explained in our contract.
After these phone calls you will be well on your way to an unforgettable celebration!
FARMHOUSE RENTAL
Located on the same farm property as our barn is the original farmhouse that has been beautifully renovated. This 3 bedroom, 2 bath home sleeps 6 very comfortably, and offers great indoor and outdoor spaces for relaxing, with a living room on both the first and second floors, a fully equipped kitchen and great dining space as well as a back patio and classic front porch. If you are interested in seeing whether this could accommodate you or your guests during the time you will be holding your event at the Barn at Iron Fish Distillery, details can be found here.
Contact Events@IronFishDistillery.com for rates.
Download link for Barn Info HERE
RESERVED DATES (FOR YOUR PLANNING PURPOSES)
- May 4th, 2023
- May 5th, 2023
- May 6th, 2023
- May 7th, 2023
- June 2nd, 2023
- June 3rd, 2023
- June 5th, 2023
- June 14th, 2023
- July 25th, 2023
- August 1st, 2023
- August 7th, 2023
- September 1st, 2023
- September 2nd, 2023
- September 3rd, 2023
- September 4th, 2023
- September 7th, 2023
- September 16th, 2023
- September 22nd, 2023
- September 23rd, 2023
- September 30th, 2023
- October 6th, 2023
- October 7th, 2023
Please contact to inquire about availability.
events@ironfishdistillery.com
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— Thank you