On the morning of May 29, 2020, Chris and Shanelle Montana arrived to find the inside of Du Nord Craft Spirits’ warehouse gutted and burned. The first black-owned craft distillery in the country, Du Nord was one of many minority-owned businesses damaged by rioters in the weeks that followed George Floyd’s killing. Distilling is a … [ Read more]
Fooling Father Time: ‘Rapid-aging’ and the future of craft whiskey
June 20, 2017 by
The standard formula for whiskey, the way it’s always been done, is this: you fill up an oak barrel with a clear spirit and then you wait. And wait. And wait. Inside that barrel, things slowly unfold. Alcohol seeps into the toasted oak, degrading the polymers that make up its structure. The lignin and hemicellulose in … [ Read more]
3 Minnesota distilleries take home medals from 2017 American Craft Spirits Awards
February 22, 2017 by Leave a Comment
Minnesota’s spirits scene may be young, but the state has some top-notch distilleries that are producing award-winning libations. At this year’s Distillers Convention and Vendor Trade Show in Nashville, Tennessee, the American Craft Spirits Association judged 550 spirits across categories including whiskey, gin, rum, vodka and grain, brandy, and specialty. When the votes were tallied, three Minnesota distilleries … [ Read more]
Du Nord’s newest spirit is here: Café Frieda Coffee Liqueur
November 29, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Just in time for the holiday season, Du Nord Craft Spirits is releasing its newest creation: Café Frieda Coffee Liqueur. The product’s beginnings stretch back to the beginning of Du Nord, when owners Chris and Shanelle Montana noticed the lack of a coffee liqueur that actually tasted like real coffee. And after over a year and a half … [ Read more]
Distiller Profile: Chris Montana of Du Nord Craft Spirits
October 31, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Many of us are content in finding a steady job and settling into a comfortable routine. Chris Montana, on the other hand, has a voracious appetite for new disciplines. “My general philosophy on life is that you should do everything. Try to do different stuff because so many people live other people’s lives without really … [ Read more]
Du Nord’s Fitzgerald Gin wins gold at Denver Int’l Spirits Competition
March 29, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Du Nord Craft Spirits of South Minneapolis struck gold in Denver earlier this month; the distillery won a gold medal for its Fitzgerald Gin, along with silver medals for their Apple Du Nord and L’etoile Du Nord Vodka at the 2016 Denver International Spirits Competition. “We had never entered Fitzgerald or Apple Du Nord in … [ Read more]
New Booze: BĒT Vodka, crafted from Minnesota sugar beets
January 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Minnesota is the number one sugar beet-producing state in the country. It should follow that we would be distilling some of that bounty into booze. BĒT Vodka (pronounced “beet”) is Minnesota’s first vodka distilled from 100% sugar beets (L’etoile Vodka from Du Nord Craft Spirits is distilled from a mix of sugar beets and corn). … [ 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]
Craft Cocktail: A La Mode at Du Nord Craft Spirits
October 27, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The very thought of Thanksgiving is enough to evoke aromas of turkey, stuffing, and, of course, freshly baked pies. Every year, while my cousins and grandparents devour the pumpkin pie, I always find myself taking a piece from the apple pie. The simple dessert hits all the right notes: sweet and tart, flaky crust and … [ Read more]
Craft Distillery Bottle Sales Start Friday in Minnesota
June 26, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The rise of craft breweries and cideries in Minnesota has coincided with a renaissance of craft distilleries throughout the state. There are 14 microdistilleries currently in operation (or soon to be). But unlike taprooms, which can sell their beer directly to customers in growlers, distilleries were unable to sell bottles of their liquor on site. Until … [ Read more]
New Beers—and More—at Target Field in 2015
April 13, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Baseball season is finally back, and with it comes the announcement of the Twins’ starting lineup for the home opener today—and Target Field’s 2015 lineup of local beers. First, let’s go over the seasoned players of the stadium’s locally-brewed options: Indeed (Dandy Lager, Day Tripper, Shenanigans) Summit (EPA, Hopvale, Maibock, Saga, other seasonals) Surly (Furious, … [ Read more]
Du Nord Opens Twin Cities’ First Cocktail Room Jan. 9
January 5, 2015 by Leave a Comment
While many of the major legal issues for beer fell flat in the 2014 legislative session, Minnesota’s craft distillers celebrated a change to the law allowing micro-distilleries to sell craft cocktails at a distillery “cocktail room,” similar to a brewery taproom. On January 9, 2015, Du Nord Craft Spirits will open the doors to the first licensed cocktail room in the Twin … [ Read more]
Du Nord Craft Spirits Releases Fitzgerald Gin
August 20, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Gin drinkers of Minnesota, rejoice. The new golden age of juniper spirits is only getting better. This week, Du Nord Craft Spirits will become the fifth Minnesota microdistillery to release a gin. Fitzgerald Gin will hit retail shelves on Friday, and will evolve for the first year of its lifetime. “We’re hoping to produce two to … [ 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]
L’Étoile, Du Nord Craft Spirits first vodka hits shelves this weekend
April 30, 2014 by Leave a Comment
L’Étoile Du Nord Vodka, distilled using sugar beets and corn, is Du Nord Spirits first offering Du Nord Craft Spirits, a South Minneapolis distillery, is releasing it’s first craft spirit to the market on May 2nd. L’Étoile Du Nord Vodka, which takes its name from Minnesota’s state motto and the French phrase for “north star,” … [ Read more]
