Michigin is not a typo. Instead, it’s a new Michigan-based gin (get it?) from Long Road Distillers, a Grand Rapids distillery that’s been making spirits for about two years. The company’s portfolio currently sports a handful of whiskeys, aquavit and cherry brandy. Michigin is the company’s second gin, and their first release featuring all-Michigan ingredients.
Michigin keeps things local with a base spirit that’s distilled from red winter wheat and blended with water straight out of Lake Michigan. The variety of botanicals, including lemon verbena, fennel and lemon balm, are all sourced from nearby farms. Finding local juniper proved trickier, but eventually, Long Road Co-Founder Kyle VanStrien stumbled upon an abundant source on Lake Michigan’s Beaver Island, securing the final puzzle piece needed to make Michigin a reality.
The result is a unique gin that starts with “the familiar aroma of fresh pine and juniper berries, but quickly transitions into scents of cucumber, cedar, vanilla and tropical fruits. The rich juniper flavors lead the way at first taste and gradually shift to notes of melon, vanilla and hints of bright citrus.”
The 90-proof gin just became available at the Long Road distillery, plus in bars, restaurants and retailers throughout Michigan. For now, that’s the only place you can find it. So until that changes, here’s a video to live vicariously through your friends in the Wolverine State.
