I cannot say enough good things about this Distillery! The bartenders take their craft of creating amazing drinks very serious. Each drink was carefully and meticulously created for a vast and unique drink menu. The "virtual bar" of texting your phone number to save your place in line, eliminated any waiting in long lines in a small space. It was incredibly safe and clean. I wish more places would implement this practice for the health of staff and patrons. read more

Ethanology Distillation - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Elk Rapids, Michigan

The atmosphere was great, patio and live music plus the inside looks sweet as well. The cocktails are very good. They take a minute to make but totally expected for the quality you get and the price is more than fair as well. read more

Awesome new place to check out! Our drinks were really good (in fact amazing), our bartender was so informative and the owner came out and introduced himself! My drink was a special, I think it was called an orange dream. So good! My husband had the dirty vodka and said it was one of the best ever! So happy to have this new establishment in Elk Rapids! read more

Ethanology Distillation - So pretty and so tasty! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Elk Rapids, Michigan

The best distillery I have been too. Their cocktails are amazing and it's an art and show to watch the mixologists at work. Staff is dressed professional and they know their stuff! Great attention to detail, the bar room is very cool. We sat in the upstairs loft with classic stadium seats and vintage decor. Great experience! read more

My all time happy place in northern Michigan! The staff are so incredibly welcoming and talented! Each drink is a work of art and the outdoor space is so inviting to listen to good music and socialize. Love that it's also dog friendly .. we will be back frequently and year round! We are also stocking our home bar with all our favorites! read more

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I LOVE this place! The mixed drinks here are incredible. The Mel is incredible. They have ample outdoor space, and are taking covid precautions seriously. We plan to return again and again! read more

Came back one year later, and it was even better than the first time. We had the following thoughtfully-crafted, outrageously delicious drinks: the Cheeky (citrus-y gin), the Holy Grail (pineapple-y vodka), a Caipiroska (lime-y vodka) and a Merlin (a cool color-changing vodka special). Everything was great, and the bartenders remembered us from our visit last year and welcomed us back. These guys are serious about what they do. The live music was a nice touch. Ethanology is my favorite night out in all of Michigan, and I am confident you will feel the same. read more

Easily my new favorite bar! This place is wonderful, the atmosphere is amazing and the staff is so friendly. Love this place!

I love this place for the best craft cocktails in the world!!!! Staff is super awesome as well!!!!

Wonderful atmosphere, amazing cocktails and great music! We went here every night on our stay. I tried several cocktails, all were tasty! My favorite was the Old Fashioned which I highly recommend and I had to get a bottle of the Mel. read more

Great atmosphere! We had the Mel Fashioned, bartender was fantastic. Loved it! We will be back for sure.

I stopped here for the first time today and absolutely loved it! Ethanology has high quality cocktails, a great atmosphere, and friendly bartenders. I tried the White Russian and my friend tried the Mel-Fashioned. Warning, this is the best White Russian you're ever going to have! read more

Ethanology Distillation - White Russian - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Elk Rapids, Michigan

What an awesome experience. I visited this place for the first time and was blown away by both the chill, super cool ambiance, and their excellent customer service! Their mixologist makes everything from scratch and most of these cocktails were new to me. We had so much fun trying new things, connecting with the owners, and listening to how they came up with their recipes. Everything is locally sourced in Northern Michigan, which I can appreciate. Additionally, everything was delicious. I felt like I was having a unique experience visiting this distillery. I have a list of cocktails to try the next time I'm there! I recommend their honey alcohol and their vodka. The gin is great as well. I couldn't resist, and left with both bottles:) read more

Wow! What a great place! Local sourced products and clearly a passion for pure spirits. Great vibe and amazing drinks!

Great spirits and drink menu. Bartenders are super friendly and excellent at their craft. I highly recommend this location. Had a great tour of there distillery and they also have a great outdoor space. read more

I loved this place. My family visits Elk Rapids every summer as long as I can remember and for years the only place to have a drink has been the Town Club. While I love the Town Club, this place is awesome! Great place to have a delicious cocktail and relax. Definitely recommend for a date or a group of friends. I visited here with my boyfriend and I ordered the Dam Beach Mojito while my boyfriend had the Ethanology. The drinks were both amazing! They have a selection of classic drinks and seasonal drinks as well. They will be releasing their gin and mel in the next month according to the owner. The ambiance and building itself were awesome and definitely worth the visit. The staff was so friendly and welcoming, made you feel right at home. No food available at this time. They have live music on Friday and Saturday nights. I hope to be back multiple times during my week vacation. read more

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This place is wonderful. The owners are so kind and grandmas banana bread is better than grandma herself. The Yurks are wonderful as well. 100% read more

Ethanology Distillation - a wood stove in a tent - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Elk Rapids, Michigan

Like all reviewers before me, I enjoy Ethanology's craft cocktails. The drinks are good. The male owner not so much. He does not deserve or appreciate your business. I have been patronizing this bar since its inception. Back then, the owner was actually happy to see patrons and was warm and welcoming. My wife and I, along with several of our friends have been visiting almost weekly in the summer with the occasional off-season drop-ins. We were at the bar this weekend. Went with another couple who are also regulars, and several associates we are friends with. The large group waded through the current construction and ordered our drinks. I did not wait in line with my wife. We got our drinks and they were good as usual. My friend was behind in line and he bought for he and his wife as well as another couple and their adult children. Seems the other couple left wallets on the boat. My friend left a tip which must have been deemed inadequate and the owner shook him down for a bigger tip. While I cannot speak to the size of tip, I found this distasteful. Tips are personal and not automatic. Fast forward, I got in line to buy another round for my wife and I. The bar keep knows me and we had a pleasant conversation. Toward the end of our transaction, the male owner (his wife is an absolute sweetheart -she is not the problem with ego run amok) came over and unloaded on me to tell my friend to "tip adequately". And further, he essentially ordered me to tell him that if he does not tip adequately "he is not welcome here." To the male owner of Ethanology, I say through this review... loyal customer relationships are precious and should be valued. You have lost this one and anyone I have influence with. I supported your establishment early on when you were struggling. Your pompous ranting at me and lack of simple respect for me spending money at your bar has cost you my families 15 or so visits per year and the patronage of all our summer visitors who we have consistently paraded through your overpriced bar. Further, if you are so worried about the economic standing of your staff that you feel compelled to yell at people you deem as undertipping (again, it is not automatic) and worse; yelling at their friends who were loyal customers, to have them join your beratement, there is a simpler answer. Just pay them a living wage. Don't yell at me about tips (by the way my wife and I have always been very generous) when you are the problem with your meager wages. I am disgusted with your behavior and will not be back. Updating since Nick "aka the male owner" responded in the manner he did. The response is very in line with the personality I saw on display. I paraphrase Nick's response as... I was right, your friend was wrong, I acted like a jerk, and sorry if you did not like it. I have one suggestion for Nick - keep behaving in this manner and watch your business wilt. I also have a suggestion for the female owner... fire Nick before he collapses the business you have built. People visit you for your craft, not Nick's mouth. read more

Called last minute for reservation, accommodated our group of 7 with no problem. Great tour, really cool atmosphere, friendly staff. The drinks to order at the bar are worth every dollar, amazing. read more

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You must stop in! This place is amazing and the drinks were fantastic. It feels like this should be in the city. Love it!

Delicious, stylish beverages served by friendly outgoing knowledgeable staff. A little pricey, but worth every penny!

Best old fashioneds ever thanks to the Mel whiskey!! We drank in the yurts and were warm and happy:)

I was greeted with a complimentary tour by the bartender with a thorough explanation of the brewed spirits. Great stuff. I sat and listened to some music and relaxed. Great atmosphere and relaxing. Would definitely come back. read more

Can't ask for a better place to go for original, from scratch, hand mixed cocktails using on site distilled spirits. This is a unique venue with fun people, live music, and quality distilled products. Just go. You will not be disappointed. You will be delighted! read more

What a fun and relaxing find! We visited on on Sunday in July and were the only customers at 1PM We decided on a private tasting since we had never been before. The spirits were all unique and delicious. We especially liked the MEL and white whiskey. We would have purchased the MEL, but it was not available for sale until August The craft cocktails are amazing and the food truck had some good looking brunch options. It's a great spot to hang and sip cocktails with friends. read more

What a great find! Love the atmosphere, the delicious drinks which are so unique and the customer service! My daughters and I had a great time. Don't miss this gem of a place! read more

Great place for cocktails and great staff! Love this place! Definitely recommend if you're in the area!

Let me start by saying the vodka is one if the best I've had. Atmosphere is fantastic. That being said they made us feel very uncomfortable being a middle aged group that the staff didn't feel was woke enough for them. Seemed very judgmental because I take they thought we were a different political party. SMH read more

One of my favorite spots to chill in Elk Rapids. This team has done a great job of producing a fabulous product and then went beyond that to artistically use their product in drinks that awaken your senses. You can taste the grains in their vodka!!! A must try. read more

I wanted to share the experience my family and I had to witness during our visit to Ethanology this past Memorial Day weekend. The manner in which the co-owner conducted himself was inexcusable. In my opinion, the arrogance and entitlement that he displayed really showed the true nature of who he is and as an extension of what Ethanlology is as well. Ethanology does not deserve any future business from my family and me nor should any reader of this review feel that they should patronize this establishment. Save a lot of your money and go somewhere else. My family and I along with several other families have visited Ethanology numerous times every year since nearly their inception. This includes during last year's pandemic. We made special trips to Ethanology in season and out of season to do our part to help them stay solvent during this difficult financial time for small businesses like themselves. When Ethanology first opened they welcomed our group and genuinely seemed to appreciate our business. Now that they have started to establish themselves, the ownership seems to think that they can berate and humiliate customer's that do not meet their self-imposed expectations. The arrogance of Ethanology was on full display. If Ethanology is willing to treat loyal customers in the manner described below, then how do you think they would treat someone coming into their establishment for the first time? Please read on. This past weekend we were at Ethanology with our fairly large group again. As I was waiting at the bar for my drinks to be prepared, I noticed a member of our group is being verbally abused by the owner for not tipping what the owner felt was an adequate amount. To the owner's credit there was no swearing. However, the ridicule and the embarrassment that he was directing at my friend was very humiliating. Recognizing that he made an error, my friend went back into his pocket and added to the tip that he already made. Apparently, this additional amount still did not appease the owner and he continued the beratement. My friend not needing anymore of this treatment took his drinks and walked out to join our group. When he left the owner continued on this beratement for several minutes. He said "If he cannot tip better than that than he is not welcomed here anymore". Based on the reaction of the staff behind the bar that was working at the time, this type of reaction by the owner is not uncommon when he thinks a sub-standard tip is being given. Then to top it off he asks another person in our party to relay the message to our friend that he is not welcome if he cannot tip better. The owner could not deliver the message himself but was more than brave enough to express his position after our friend walked away. In no way should this type of beratement be considered an attempt at humor just because we are identified as somewhat regulars. The owner was serious in his position. I eventually paid for my drinks and ensured that I tipped more than adequately just to avoid this type of treatment. If this type of reaction would have been from an employee, he / she would have been terminated on the spot. I would hope. Since this reaction came from the owner it is an obvious indication of the culture that exists within Ethanology. Maybe I am out of line. Tips in my opinion are earned. When I go to places such as Ethanology I know that tips are a large part of the personnel's salary. However, under no circumstances should anyone including the ownership demand that a certain level of tip be provided to the person providing the service. If the ownership team feels that their employees should make a certain wage then they should make up any difference that exists. The prices on the drinks at Ethanology are already excessive for what you get. Now the owner seems to think that it should fall onto the customer to ensure that their employees make a certain wage as well. read more

Wow, what a cool place. All local distillery from start to finish. Amazing craft cocktails!

These people take craft spirits seriously. They just opened but they're already making fantastic cocktails and it's a super cool place to hang out outside on the patio area. Looking forward to coming back when they have more spirits released. read more

A cool distillery and sometimes restaurant. The drinks are pricy but delicious. Staff friendly and engaging. If the taco food truck is there be sure to order some food! read more

So cool! Elk Rapids needed Ethnology, a place with a great selection of spirits. The exterior color of the place reminds me of some of their products. The interior is organically funky. Great service by the very knowledgeable proprietors who are masters at their craft. I say, go and enjoy! read more

This is one of my favorite local spots! The key to a great craft cocktail is good spirits and quality ingredients. Ethanology has both. All of the spirits are exceptional, the blue corn whiskey is my favorite. Ingredients are locally sourced and the cocktails and carefully crafted. I am so impressed that they make every bitter, syrup, and every ingredient that goes into their cocktails. And the staff here is amazing! Very friendly, great atmosphere. And they remember you when you come back. Put this place on your list to visit! And then go back time and time again. read more

What a treasure! Stopped in for a drink and discovered a beautiful building, fantastic craft liquors and cocktails, and superb service. Highly recommend. read more

The staff is outstanding. Super friendly, appreciative of the customers and thanking them for coming in and having to wait a bit in line. Cocktails are the best and the atmosphere is perfect. Parking could be a bit easier. read more

I wish I could give this place 6 stars - I stumbled across it via an Instagram post and after looking it up decided to stop in. Couldn't have been more impressed. Troy provided a fantastic, detailed tasting of all 5 spirits they craft in-house (a super smooth siping vodka, 2 botanical-forward gins, a blue corn white whiskey and the Mel). Everything is sourced within 33 miles of the distillery. We then moved into the main bar for a cocktail - top notch creative seasonal cocktails. They even let my friends and I sample a few up-and-coming fall cocktail they were experimenting with. We also met the owners Nick and Geri - very nice genuine people. Geri is the head distiller which was awesome to see. They designed the facility themselves and it was gorgeous...what I'd like my house to look like. Nick also showed there philanthropic outreach with a gift to a charity my girlfriend works with. I purchased a hat and 2 bottles - can't wait to experiment and drink them at home. Will for sure be back anytime I am in Elk Rapids and suggest you do the same. Heck, it's worth going out of your way for. They are destined for big things. read more

What can I say other than, Wow! This is a very cool place. They are just a small craft distillery, but don't think for a moment that means they don't have great spirits, as that would be a tremendous mistake. I'm typically a Bourbon/Whiskey drinker but found their vodka to be one of the better ones I've ever had. While typically in America Vodka is supposed to be neutral, thus has a lot of flavor and is incredibly smooth to drink even neat. If you are ever near Elk Rapids, you owe it to yourself to stop in and at the very least do a tasting. read more

Nice add to Elk Rapids. Parking limited. Most of the seating is designed to encourage standing (very uncomfortable stools). When I am spending $12 on a mixed drink - I would like to sit and enjoy it. The drinks were good - but at the time they only had the vodka options. I wish them luck. read more