PAXTON, Ill. - In an effort to diversify the uses for vanishing varieties of heirloom corn, Illinois specialty crop grower Will Glazik and the IDEA Farm Network participated in a 2022 project that succeeded in demonstrating the potential for long-forgotten varieties like “Bloody Butcher” and “Wapsie Valley” as a source for craft whiskeys. The modest $17,530 study, part of the North Central Region SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) Farmer Rancher Project, has helped germinate new market opportunities for small, specialty growers to supply heirloom corn varieties to the still-growing Midwest craft distilling sector.

“We utilize a corn called Bloody Butcher in our bourbon, but there are other distilleries using blue corn or orange corn or white corn. We worked with the University of Illinois – at the time we didn’t yet have our production license – and we sent them five different varieties of corn,” said Glazik, whose family’s specialty operation includes Cow Creek Farm (www.facebook.com/cowcreekorganics/) and Silver Tree Spirits (www.silvertreebeerspirits.com/home). Their state farm distillery utilizes grain that comes from Cow Creek and nearby farms to produce bourbon, rye and wheat whiskeys, as well as vodka.

“A friend sent in some blue corn, another sent in some white, and another sent heirloom yellow. We also had conventional GMO yellow, and we wanted to see if we kept all production practices the same on the whiskey, what a sensory panel and analytical analysis would come up with. We were looking for quantitative differences between the taste of the different varieties of color – and we did,” he added.

Located in Paxton (Ford County) in north-central Illinois, the area encompassing Glazik’s specialty farm was deemed an ideal location to grow the heirloom corn varieties, where each can develop distinct characteristics with the potential to create unique flavor profiles.

“We are a fifth-generation farm, certified organic, with 800 acres of diversified row crops along with cattle. We work with a number of other farmers in our area who are also certified organic through equipment sharing and technical support, as well as on farms where we don’t have livestock, we will have neighbors bring in livestock. All of our grain is grown food-grade and a portion of that goes to our distillery,” Glazik said.

To conduct the NCR-SARE experiment, Glazik, his brothers Clayton and Dallas, and others grew five heirloom corn varieties for distillation at the University of Illinois Pilot Processing Lab. In addition, tests to determine the chemical compounds in each of the corn samples were conducted. After distillation was complete, a panel of flavor testers convened for a tasting at the U of I to sample the distillates and compare results.

“The U of I mashed all of the samples and distilled them at the same proof, and then we had a sensory panel of farmers, distillers and people in the industry. We were able to quantitatively define the differences between the varieties, looking at how the color affects the flavor,” Glazik said before delving into the various flavor profiles.

“Yellow tastes like the yellow you find in most of the bourbon consumed. Even open-pollinated yellow tasted more similar to GMO yellow than it did to, say, a blue or a red. The reds are a little more spicy; they pair well with ice so we make a heavy rye blended bourbon with the red, which we market under the Cow Creek Farm name The blue is more subtle and floral, and a lot softer than the red or any of the other colors, so we use it in gins or light whiskeys, something that is approachable for all kinds of palettes,” Glazik explained.

He noted that the white corn-distilled whiskey surprised the tasting panel due to its unpleasant taste. However, Glazik chalks that experience up to the corn variety since he’s tasted white corn whiskies with a more pleasant palette.

The study also served to establish where growers might sell their heirloom corn varieties. With the spirits industry rapidly growing in the Midwest, many distilleries are willing to pay a higher price for unique products. Glazik is taking advantage of the popularity of the craft distillers industry by marketing the family’s own bourbons made with yellow non-GMO corn (Prairie City, after the former name of Paxton) and blue corn (coming this fall), in addition to their red-based Cow Creek bourbon.

“My 6-year-old son has become a corn breeder and has been breeding a blue corn variety for the last couple of years. We’ve got enough of it saved up and we’re going to age his own barrel of bourbon for 15 years, so he’ll be able to open it up when he’s 21,” Glazik said. 

The study’s results have been shared with grain distillers, farmers, crop scientists and others through networks such as the IDEA Farm Network, OGRAIN, Rodale Institute, The Land Connection, Artisan Grain Collaborative and ReGenerate Illinois, encouraging the adoption of heirloom corn in the production of spirits.

“We’ve been able to really share this as much as possible, and it’s been well received. It’s been a really fun story,” said Glazik, whose experimentation with heirloom corn varieties appears to be in line with what many whiskey entrepreneurs are doing to sustain and expand the craft whiskey market.

American whiskey has “never been more exciting,” according to The Whiskey Reviewer (www.whiskeyreviewer.com), with many craft distilleries across the United States carving out their own space in the whiskey world through the sourcing of local products.

“In 2025, these small-batch producers are not just experimenting with flavor, they are helping redefine what American whiskey can be,” according to the website. “What sets this new wave apart isn’t just scale but spirit. These distilleries embrace local ingredients, revive forgotten techniques, and unexpectedly age their spirits. The result? Bold, innovative, and highly drinkable whiskey that challenges conventional norms and excites even the most seasoned sippers.”

In addition to selling their non-GMO and heirloom corn grain to other distilleries, Glazik’s Cow Creek Farm operates a retail shop in Paxton that is open by appointment and distributes their products to area retail outlets through a food distribution company. HyVee, County Market, Vinny’s and other well-known food and liquor stores stock Cow Creek Farm products.