Traverse City Whiskey Co. Broke Ground on Michigan's Largest Whiskey Distillery

Originally published January 26, 2023

Traverse City Whiskey Co., broke ground on its brand-new distillery in Traverse City, Michigan. The expansion comes in response to the rapid growth of the company, with its portfolio of bourbon, cherry whiskey, ready-to-drink Highballs, and signature cocktail cherries. A project nearly five years in the making, the new distillery and tasting room will not only increase production capacity but will also serve as a destination for whiskey lovers.

The 70,000-square-foot campus is set on 35 acres not far from the company’s current production facility in downtown Traverse City. “We purchased the property—a former fruit processing plant —back in 2018 when the previous owners shut down their business,” says co-founder and president Chris Fredrickson, “Since that time, we’ve reimagined what the property could become, which involved us significantly increasing the overall footprint of the campus and our production capacity.”

At its current facility, the distillery is able to produce 3 barrels of whiskey per day; at the new facility, its production capacity will increase to 70 barrels a day, about 24,000 barrels a year. In addition, the company is devoting a portion of the property to growing grain, allowing it to produce each whiskey from grain to glass. “We’re thrilled to finally stand up all remaining aspects of end-to-end whiskey production—mashing, fermentation, distillation, and maturation—under one roof,” says Fredrickson.

Left to Right: Co-founders Jared Rapp, Moti Golding, and Chris Fredrickson

In addition to a state-of-the-art rickhouse and dedicated processing and packaging spaces, the new facility will also feature a visitor center, tasting room, and indoor and outdoor hospitality spaces. “Essentially, we’re increasing our footprint in all aspects: production, storage, etc.,” says Fredrickson. “While our current facilities have served us well, the new campus will include a world-class tasting room and visitor’s center, which will allow us to host whiskey lovers from across the state, the country, and the world. Once complete, this will be Michigan’s largest whiskey distillery.”

A project of this scale comes with a hefty price tag. Traverse City Whiskey Co. plans to invest $20 million into the new campus in the next year and will pursue additional expansion as the facility is brought online. The company received additional support from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation in the form of a $750,000 grant. Fredrickson says the company plans to give back to the state by creating 100 jobs for the surrounding community. While the new campus will primarily be used to produce its own products, the facility will be large enough to support other Michigan distillers in need of distilling capacity for their own growing brands.

The distilling team, led by Fredrickson, along with co-founders Jared Rapp and Moti Goldring, plans to begin production in the new facility by next year. “We’re targeting early 2024 to have production up and running and anticipate opening to the public several months later,” says Fredrickson. “Designing and bringing our new distillery to life is a dream come true for me and my long-time business partners but also essential to the brand’s expansion nationally. This is a significant accomplishment for an independent, family-owned operation, and an incredible way to commemorate 10 years in business.”