By CINDY LADAGE
Illinois Correspondent

LECLAIRE, Iowa — LeClaire, home of the Mississippi River Distillery Co., is a river town. The Mississippi literally laps at the doors of this new distillery that opened a mere seven months ago.
Garrett Burchett, along with his brother, Ryan, decided to start up the Mississippi River Distilling Co. in 2010 when they acted on a dream. “We met our wives at Iowa State University,” Garrett said.
The distillery idea is to create homegrown, handmade spirits. On their website, they state: “If you appreciate the fine quality that only comes from the freshest ingredients … If you believe in honest hard work and the integrity of the family farm … If you know that a commitment to quality takes some extra time … If you’re looking to experience pleasure far beyond taste in the bottom of your glass … You’ve come to the right place.”

Visitors who come to “the right place” may take tours and sample a taste of the products created by this family-owned and -operated company. “On our distillery tour, you get to see the entire process of spirit-making from beginning to end. We’re one of only a handful of distillers in the U.S. who take this ‘grain to glass’ small batch distillation approach,” the brothers stated.

They added they purchase farm fresh grain, directly from the farmers who grow it locally; all grains come from within 25 miles of the distillery. “What ‘grain to glass’ means is that when you come to visit us, you’ll see us handling every step of the process ourselves, under one roof to take our fresh grain and make it into your favorite liquors.

“We sort and clean the grain. From there, we mill the grain into a flour-like consistency. We cook the grain to make our mash and then add yeast to let it ferment. We distill the fermented mash and then filter it and blend it to proof. From there, it either goes into a barrel or a bottle. We bottle our spirits by hand.”

When touring, the copper still catches the visitor’s attention. The still was handmade by Kothe Distilling Technologies in Eislingen, Germany, and it is a remarkable piece of equipment. It provides flexibility to make about any distillate the Burchetts want. The brothers said they spent time in Germany training with some of Europe’s finest distillers to get the most out of the equipment.
The still consists of a 1,000-liter handmade German boiling pot and two tall copper rectification columns. Those columns house rectification plates that allow us to distill the purest vodka up to 95 percent alcohol.

 One of the products created by the brothers is their River Baron Vodka. A blend of corn and wheat, they promise it makes for vodka “like you’ve never tasted before … full flavored with the flowery aroma of wheat and the sweet, smooth finish of corn.” The vodka is distilled in small batches that the brothers’ say ensures the quality.

Another product is River Rose Gin, which is created using a blend of botanicals from a recipe that dates back from the late 1800s. A few of the ingredients include traditional juniper, orange, grapefruit and lemon, lavender, rose petals and locally grown cucumbers.
Like the vodka, the gin is created in a slow, small batch process. The brothers say they write the batch number over each cork so consumers are able to see the commitment to every bottle that passes through their distillery. These are the two main offerings, though bourbon is coming soon.

The brothers also recently offered their first seasonal whiskey, a limited release called Wide River Wheat Whiskey.
To learn more about the Mississippi River Distillery Co., check out www.mrdistilling.com or call 563-484-4342. The distillery is located at 303 North Cody Road in LeClaire, IA 52753.