First Legal MN Distillery Creates Spirits With Locally Grown Ingredients

In 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. Panther Distillery in Osakis, is making history in Minnesota distilling a clear whiskey, aptly named White Water Whiskey.

Brett Grinager, Panther's Master Distiller, is the man that checks the mash, watches the fermentation and yes, does taste testing. He told us that not only is Panther unique, 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..."