Michigan distillery’s flagship bourbon gets its magic from a century-old maple syrup farm
Updated 10:27 AM;
Today 10:27 AM
Thompsonville-based Iron Fish Distillery works with the Griner Family Sugar Bush, a local maple syrup producer, to create its award-winning maple bourbon whiskey and bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup. Those two products come together in the distillery s popular craft cocktail, the Salted Maple Old Fashioned, pictured here, center. Photo provided by Iron Fish Distillery
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THOMPSONVILLE, MICH. The new distillery in town hadn’t even opened its doors yet when its founders came calling on Scott Griner, fifth-generation steward of a maple syrup farm a few miles away.
Steam flows like a river of white puffy clouds from a sugar shack on a dirt road in rural Marathon County. Inside, Mitch Hoyt wheels up to a sleek stainless steel cooker reminiscent of an old steam train engine. It s making nearly as much noise.
Hoyt checks a gauge as golden brown sugar laden liquid gushes from the cooker s spigot into a holding tank. Satisfied with the readings, Hoyt dips a thin cylindrical cup in a pool of maple syrup in a holding tank. He tests the density.
There s a science to Hoyt s art, but a taste test is the only test one needs in order to confirm Hoyt s syrup making skill. Warm. Smooth. Viscous. Maple sweet. It would be a perfect topping over a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. But that s another story.