Whiskey Masterclass with Mike Swanson of Far North Spirits - Madison

In the world of wine, one of the most important things we talk about is "terroir" - the combination of soil and climate that gives wine its sense of place. But when it comes to whiskey, we're more likely to talk about water sources than land.  If you’re interested in what terroir-driven spirits taste like, there is no better place to start than this special evening with Founder, Distiller, and Farmer Mike Swanson of Far North Spirits on Monday, Sept 14th from 6-7:30pm.

Far North has quickly become a Waterford favorite, and we are thrilled to have Mike back with us to lead this session. Mike is widely regarded as one of the most important voices in American Rye, and a pioneer of seed-to-glass production of single-varietal ryes.

We'll be featuring their single varietal rye projects, including as well as the incredibly limited 5 Year Bottled in Bond Bourbon

Located 25 miles from the Canadian border, in Hallock, Minnesota, Far North is on Mike's family farm. The Red River Valley Swanson farm has been continuously farmed by Swansons since 1917. It is a thousand acres of jet-black, abundantly rich soil that produces exceptional rye and heirloom corn. Built in 2013, the distillery sits on what was once a wheat field, and it is one of only a handful of estate distilleries nationwide to also grow their own grains.

This seed-to-glass approach sets all their spirits apart, but is most significant in their rye. Most rye is made in a grain elevator and sold in bulk. Not only do producers not know where it's coming from, but they don't even know what types of rye they are using. Swanson found an heirloom variety of winter rye - AC Hazlet - to be the most agreeable to this farm and the style of whiskey he wanted to make, and his whiskies are built around this single variety. And it’s genius!

Please join us for an exceptional evening of spirits.