Traverse City Whiskey continues to grow

March 11, 2016

People always hope to find a treasure squirreled away in their attic, their garage or their basement. For Chris Fredrickson, that dream came true when he and his father made a startling discovery in the family barn in Empire.

“My great-grandfather was a chemical engineer for Dow in the 20s and 30s,” said Fredrickson.

Apparently great-grandpa John did more than work on agricultural chemicals, elemental chlorine and other materials for which Dow became known. Chris and his father found a series of patents for distilling spirits. John had inherited a passion for brewing and distilling from his father John Fredrickson Sr., a master brewer and distiller originally from Czechoslovakia.

The patents were a felicitous discovery for Fredrickson, a self-confessed “whiskey nerd” whose own passions reflected those of his forebears. He enlisted the aid of two college friends, fellow whiskey enthusiasts Jared Rapp and Moti Goldring, using his greatgrandfather’s patented recipe to launch the Traverse City Whiskey Company.

They introduced the brand with their eponymous bourbon in 2012, although they didn’t yet have the facilities to distill it themselves; they had a fellow distiller make the whiskey from their patented recipe. Next up was, naturally, a cherry whiskey.

Throughout this time, they were on the lookout for a Traverse City location where they could distill their products and set up a tasting room. Eventually, they settled on a former electrical substation at the intersection of Cass and 14th streets. Built by Traverse City Light and Power in 1929, it had most recently served as home to Mod-Zel Screen Printing.

Fredrickson and his partners found the funky, chunky building a perfect choice based on its character, history and location.

“We wanted to be off the beaten path a little,” he said.

Located about halfway between the bay and South Airport Road, Fredrickson said, “We still consider ourselves to be downtown.”

Fredrickson and his partners immediately set to work remodeling the interior in the rustic industrial style favored by many casual restaurants and brewpubs across the region. They were so sure of themselves they put a sign outside in early 2014, letting people know they’d be open soon.

It turned out that soon didn’t even mean that year.

“It was a year and a half,” said Fredrickson with a laugh. The tasting room finally opened in January 2015, the distillery after that.

Since then, things haven’t slowed down. If anything, they’ve been more successful than they anticipated. The reaction online has been very positive, whether reviewed on Yelp or the many whiskey-related websites. Fredrickson said they are now selling the whiskey in 12 other states and hope to expand their reach. They’re also preparing to launch a new rye whiskey within the next month.

Photos by Michael Poehlman Photography Next up is a plan to move the whiskey distilling and office to a new location west of town — but not to worry; they’re not leaving their still-new haven! Fredrickson said the tasting room will continue to operate and they will use the processing area to distill other spirits, such as vodka and gin, though under a different name.

Without a kitchen, the menu at the tasting room is limited: small plates of whitefish pate from Burritt’s, olives from Folgarelli’s and pimento cheese spread from Zingerman’s of Ann Arbor. They’re meant to complement, not overwhelm, drinks such as the New Fashion and the TC Whiskey Smash.

The Traverse City Whiskey Company also welcomes outside food for those who want to munch on something more substantial while they sip the bar’s creations, all built around the company’s two bourbons.

The tasting room is open for cocktail service from noon to 8pm Sunday through Thursday and until 10pm Friday and Saturday. Bottle sales and tastings start as early as 9am.

For Fredrickson, the opportunity to work at what would otherwise have been only a hobby in his hometown is as important as the positive reception Traverse City Whiskey has enjoyed.

“I love the fact we can create a product people like and being able to represent a hometown whose culture reflects who we are, and vice versa,” he said.

The Traverse City Whiskey Company is located at 201 E. 14th Street in Traverse City. For more information, visit tcwhiskey.com or call (231) 922-8292.