Located in the historic Hamm’s Brewery on Minnehaha Avenue in St. Paul, 11 Wells Spirits is a part of the revitalization of the Payne Avenue Corridor. Both Bob McManus and Lee Egbert had separate dreams of opening a distillery. It wasn’t until a common friend connected them that they decided to join forces. They each … [ Read more]
Growler Giveaway: Sign Up To Win A Years Supply Of Bottles From 11 Wells Spirits
December 11, 2018 by
Year in Review: Minnesota Wine & Spirits in 2018
December 3, 2018 by
A martini at Nye’s Bar is a fine drink to reflect on the year 2018 in local spirits. In January, this bar, Nye’s in name only, opened in the dust of the demolished Polonaise Room, a place whose divey charm earned it the Best Bar in America designation from Esquire in 2006—a lifetime ago, from the … [ Read more]
Now Open (Or Damn Close): 11 Wells Cocktail Room
June 28, 2018 by
When it comes to local distilleries, we’ve learned to take their timelines with a handful of salt. Construction delays are inevitable. Permitting, licensing, inspections, and label approvals are at the whim of bureaucracy. Recipe development, especially for aged spirits, can be difficult if not agonizing. This is all to say, we don’t fault a distillery … [ Read more]
Trailblazers 2017: Lee Egbert
December 26, 2017 by
There are many ways in which people are contributing to the local craft spirits industry: at the production level in the distillery; at the retail level behind the bar; even as media covering the scene. Lee Egbert, though, is doing it all. As a founding partner of 11 Wells in St. Paul, Egbert worked alongside … [ Read more]
Minnesota 13 documentary to debut at MSPIFF
April 4, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The grain that made Minnesota moonshine famous is getting its night on the red carpet. Minnesota 13: From Grain To Glass will debut at the 35th Annual Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF). The filmmakers describe the documentary as a “film that explores the little-known story of an elite moonshine produced in the heart of Minnesota during Prohibition, … [ Read more]
The State of Minnesota Whiskey
November 17, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The Minnesota craft-distilling scene is looking to find its place in the geography of whiskey. With a handful of distilleries now past that two-year mark, it’s nearing the time for many to make the jump from barrel to bottle and start bringing aged spirits to market. Adrian Panther of Panther Distillery in Osakis believes Minnesota’s … [ Read more]
First Sip: 11 Wells Dry Wermut
August 18, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Last week, with the heat index in the 90s, we stopped by the 11 Wells Distillery where it was at least 10 degrees warmer inside. “Yeah, mashing day,” Lee Egbert smiled. “We got some fans, at least.” But then we were handed a glass of 11 Wells’ Dry Wermut—the first liqueur produced by the St. Paul … [ Read more]
11 Wells Debuts Maelstrom Rum, Cocktail Room To Open This Spring
October 29, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Since the debut of their Minnesota 13 un-aged whiskey, Bob McManus and Lee Egbert have been hard at work. They’ve built a new still, ordered a few truck loads of barrels, and cleared out space to serve some cocktails. Here’s what to expect from 11 Wells Spirits for the rest of the year and in … [ Read more]
Local Booze Debut: 11 Wells (Open house Saturday, June 21st)
June 5, 2014 by Leave a Comment
By John Garland UPDATE: Friday, June 6th: We’ve just received word from 11 Wells that the open house will not be happening this Saturday as first announced. It has been rescheduled for Saturday, June 21st, from noon to 4pm. They decided another two weeks was in order to get their distillery in open house-worthy shape. Minnesota 13 … [ Read more]
Omnibus 2014: Distillers React
May 22, 2014 by Leave a Comment
By John Garland So the Sunday growler sales provision died a sudden, Teamster-related death, but Governor Dayton signed the rest of the bill back on Tuesday the 13th. And while the Sunday sales (sorry, #sundaysales) fight will continue into the next session, S.F. 2336 will affect other local beverage operations, most notably ushering in a nice step … [ Read more]
