Grand Ten Distilling

A couple of weeks ago, Lena organized a small group of bloggers to visit the new Grand Ten Distillery for a tour and tasting. Their premier spirit is Wire Works gin, so being a gin lover I was excited about the chance to check it out. Grand Ten is tucked into a warehouse space right next door to Peter Welch’s Gym,  in a building that used to be home to an iron foundry. Owners (and cousins) Matt and Spencer have reworked the space to make it suitable for distilling, but also to make it a bit more visitor-friendly, with vast wooden doors and accents.

When we arrived, we had time to wander around the space, snap some photos, and try some gin. We learned about the history of the warehouse space, how the distillery came to be, and or course all about how they make Wire Works gin. I don’t necessarily consider myself a gin aficionado, but I do love gin, and appreciate a high quality spirit. The Wire Works is really something special – I rarely drink gin straight, but this was smooth going down, and had plenty of flavor. The gin is made with a variety of ingredients and botanicals, which are actually macerated with water and a neutral spirit to make the gin, something that sets Wire Works apart from it’s competitors.

After our first tasting, we took a quick of the space, and the process the gin goes through from start – botanicals and a neutral spirit, to finish - labeled and bottled and ready to go! Since Grand Ten is still such a new venture, everything is done by hand – from making the gin to filling the bottles, labeling, sealing, and boxing up to sell. It’s clearly a business run with a great amount of passion, and it’s nice to see people doing something they love.

Before we headed out for the evening, we had a chance to try a few other spirits, which are still being developed. We tried the Fire Puncher Vodka, which is a chipotle vodka with a yellow hue. I typically stay away from spirits made with any type of pepper, but this vodka was incredibly smooth. The pepper flavor was prominent, but the heat was bearable, and it was really just so unique and incredible. We were all impressed with this one, and convinced it’d make a great bloddy mary.

We also tried and Almond liqueur, made from fresh almonds and sugar, which literally tasted like sweet, boozy almonds. I generally don’t like Amaretto or anything with an artificial almond flavor, but this just tasted pure and real and fresh. It was my favore aside from the gin! The last spirit we tried was made from Angelica root – also involved in the gin making process, but sweeter. It was tasty as well, and I think will be developed into something really unique.

Spencer and Matt are busy getting the space ready for an official tasting room, which will be open to the public sometime later this year. I can’t wait to check it out again once all is said and done – and if you’re local encourage you to do the same! I’m excited to see how they grow, and feel fairly sure that they’ll go far. They’re already selling to some local restaurants and liquor stores, so check out their website for more information.

A big thanks to Lena for organizing, and to Grand Ten for the complimentary tour and tasting. This visit was a treat!