In the 1500s, the first published book outlined the art of distilling medicine, and by 1618 The Penniless Pilgrimage (PDF) speaks of the recreational drinking of “aqua vitae”, which is Latin for “water of life” and refers to distilled alcoholic beverages. In the United States, the past decade has produced a growing number of craft distillers hoping to develop their own famous “aqua vitae.”
In the last decade, Lenawee County saw several breweries and wineries open for business, but we did not have any distilleries. In 2019, Clinton, Michigan welcomed its first craft distiller Alévri Mill Distilling Company, a company that would resurrect the spirit of one of the county’s oldest operating businesses.
The Spirit of the Mill
“Three or four years ago, we looked at the market and felt that brewing was getting saturated,” said Ethan Gibson, one of the five owners of the Alévri Mill Distilling Company. “We enjoyed whiskey, so we started exploring the process of making whiskey. We even began randomly looking at properties throughout Michigan.”
Gibson, Ryan Penterics, and most of the other owners grew up in Clinton and had an affinity for keeping the distillery in Lenawee County.
“We looked at property in Lenawee County but also other locations throughout the state. When the Atlas Milling Company went up for sale we jumped on the opportunity to start the business right here in our hometown,” said Penterics. “Being on US-12, close to Ann Arbor and on the route to the Irish Hills gave us the confidence to purchase the property.”
When the Atlas Milling Company closed in 2006, it was the second oldest business operating in its original location in the state of Michigan. For generations, the mill provided grain and feed to local families.
“Shortly after we purchased the mill, another property on US-12 in the heart of Clinton’s downtown became available, and it was a perfect location for the tasting room,” said Gibson, speaking of the historic Ford automobile dealership built by George Lancaster at the request of Henry Ford in the early 1900s.
Today, both historic buildings are the heart of the small-batch distillery that produces vodka, gin, rum, and bourbon with locally sourced ingredients.
Turning Spirited Dreams into Reality
“When we decided to pursue opening the distillery, we realized that we needed to acquire significant capital to get started without help. Our local city administrator referred us to Lenawee Now,” explained Gibson. “We knew what we wanted to do but not necessarily how to do it, or how to go about developing a business plan or doing market research. Lenawee Now helped us find the right direction, develop a business plan and financial projections, connect with the right people, and more.”
The business plans took a few years to develop as decisions were made surrounding the two acquired properties and how they would use them. “With the guidance and support from Lenawee Now, we could approach investors and banks more confidently when we were ready to acquire funding,” said Penterics. “We were prepared for their questions and potential investors could tell we weren’t just playing around.”
By 2019, all the hard work paid off as plans were made to open the doors to the public during the Clinton Fall Festival held in September.
“We realized we needed one last round of funding in order to open. That’s when Lenawee Now referred us to the LION Fund to secure a loan,” said Gibson. “The LION Fund group also provided coaching and connected us with resources we still use today.”
On a crisp fall day in September, the four owners of the distillery served their first glimmering shot glasses of hand-crafted spirits, gave tours to show off their small-batch process, and were warmly welcomed to the Main Street of Clinton.
From the Field to the Bottle
“The goal at Alévri is to make the highest quality spirits we can,” said Penterics. “We’re not just making vodka, rum, bourbon, and gin. We’re making the best vodka, rum, bourbon, and gin we absolutely can. We not only want to put Clinton on the map but also Lenawee County.”
The distillery is dedicated to sourcing their ingredients locally whenever possible. They strive to purchase grains grown within a 100-mile radius or less. They also use the highest quality ingredients available.
“We use a truly small-batch approach to distilling,” said Gibson. “There is no automation process or dilution of flavors. Someone is involved every step of the way.”
Currently, the tasting room serves vodka, rum, bourbon, gin, and unique mixed drinks while also partnering with food vendors and food trucks and featuring live events for patrons to enjoy. Customers can also purchase bottles of craft spirits displaying labels with hand lettering and vintage-inspired design.
Most recently, the distillery was able to quickly adjust during the COVID-19 pandemic to produce hand sanitizer for local organizations and individuals. “Fortunately, we were able to modify our equipment to accommodate the demand for sanitizer,” said Gibson. “We were able to produce hundreds of gallons of sanitizer in the three-month period before we could reopen. We’re glad we were able to provide this kind of service to our community during a very difficult time.”
The distillery’s tasting room has reopened to the public after the pandemic with live music, food vendors, and a new patio area.