First Legal MN Distillery Creates Spirits With Locally Grown Ingredients

n what seems to be the next wave of liquor-based entrepreneurship, Minnesota's first legal distillery is up and running and producing a unique spirit; White Water Whiskey.

Panther Distillery in Osakis, is making history in Minnesota distilling a clear whiskey, aptly named White Water Whiskey. On Wednesday morning (Jan 16), Pete & Doug from The Midday Show on WJON talked Brett Grinager, Panther's Master Distiller.

The man that checks the mash, watches the fermentation and yes, does taste testing, told us that not only is Panther unique as being the first in the state to distill whiskey, they're also buying many of their base ingredients from the farms around them.

Believe it or not, Minnesota has rich history with gangsters and a sorted bootlegging past. You've heard the tales of famous golden era gangsters frequenting Minnesota as a vacation spot and you can be sure that during prohibition, the lake shores and river fronts were the home of family stills. In fact, according to the book Minnesota 13;

"The skill of the local moonshiners -- combined with the perfect strain of corn -- produced some of the best whiskey in the United States. It was bootlegged and sold in speakeasies from New York to San Francisco..."

Listen to the entire interview from The Midday Show with Pete & Doug below.