Though our cover story was "visiting family" my boyfriend and I really drove from Boston to Michigan to experience (and purchase) this art. That rye... Oh my. The bartender (I'm sorry I can't remember his name) was more than willing to share his knowledge and his recommendations. The most surprising... A delicious rye vodka! Needless to say we bought enough to make us feel like Prohibition rum-runners. Drawback... They can't ship it. So we have to remind ourselves: small sips. Skip the wineries... Head for the real alchemy. read more

We had the Grand Traverse Distillery tour Friday afternoon with Mike, and it we had a great time! Mike was personable, engaging and very knowledgeable. He explained the process well, answering all of our questions and it was nice to see behind the scenes. We came away with a greater appreciation for the craft, and got to taste some of the products that we might not normally have ordered... which led to some new favorites! read more

Came up from Los Angeles, had a great tour, the staff was great! Our tour guide showed us every step of the process. We chose to do our tasting after the tour. We got to try four of their spirits, but there was definitely bonus tastings. They paired their chipotle vodka with bloody mary mix and it was amazing! read more

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We were able to sign up for a tour and tasting. It is tucked away in an industrial park but walking in you are greeted by a really cool little distillery. Laura was our guide and whiskey sommelier. She was extremely knowledgeable, funny, and did a phenomenal job with the tasting. It was fun to see how whiskey is made, hear the story behind Grand Traverse Distillery, and to see what they do behind the scenes. We absolutely enjoyed ourselves and ended up purchasing quite a few bottles that we brought back to North Carolina. read more

Our group stopped in for a drink in the early evening before dinner. The location is convenient, on the main strip in downtown TC. The Distillery was fairly empty and only the front bar was serving. I imagine the open the back bar when they are busy. Our group tried a few different cocktails. I tried the lemonade with their cheery vodka and was a fan. Good stop for drinks and whiskey tasting. read more

Took the tour and had a tasting. It's awesome to get to check out a local craft distillery doing their thing. I had no idea they were almost completely using local materials to brew with. read more

Super friendly employees. They get it. Spirits were definitely above average. Off the beaten path a bit but worth the trip

Very informative tour guide. The address is NOT the first one that pops up when using Apple Maps - there are two locations. The tour guide waited for us to arrive until starting the tour which was very nice and unexpected. The tour comes with a handful of tastings at the end. Highly recommend, great way to spend a couple hours in the afternoon. read more

A little off the beaten path is this wonderful distillery that came upon my radar this past weekend. If you have a moment to try something other than the wine and beer selections in Traverse, the. You definitely should check out he grand traverse distillery. With a guided tour given by Kent, I was enlightened about the different varieties of distilled alcohol that can be made through the process. Very informative, and very interesting stuff! Make sure to try the corn grain (moonshine) for a nice long burn! read more

Went here after my husband and I went on a tour in Iowa (and had a blast)..... We signed up for the 10 dollar tour and we got tastings and a cute glass. The tour guide was fantastic, knowledgeable, and interesting. He pulled history into the tour as this is the largest and only one of 7 in the state. The alcohol itself was good. I am not a vodka person but I liked the potato vodka and cherry vodka (and we took some home). Liked their rye whiskey and their cherry whiskey. The only problem is by the time we got to it my tongue had tried so much it was hard...... All in all definitely worth the money..... read more

We were given a map of the Traverse City area and I saw a listing for the distillery. We went here after breakfast as an impromptu stop. Although we were an hour early for the tour, the woman in front took us through a tasting of all of their different alcohols and even some cocktails made with them! She was really excellent and very generous with helping us compare and really experience some of the differences between the liquors. After an hour, we took the tour through the back and had the process of liquor making explained to us. It was truly very educational and awesome to see how this little shop creates such amazing liquors. We got to meet the owner and even had him sign a bottle of his liquor we bought. A really enjoyable place that anyone who really enjoys alcohol should visit. read more

Blake greeted us and he was FANTASTIC!! Super awesome of him to take the time out and show us around and answer our questions. I wish more places had people like him! He really made our experience that much better. Also, all the booze (haha) was delicious. read more

We had a very informative and personal tour at the Grand Traverse Distillery. I didn't know much about the distillery process and learned lots! I'm not much of a hard alcohol drinker, but I enjoyed the tasting and bought two bottles. read more

Best cherry vodka on the planet! And all the guys that run it are great AND they definitely know their stuff. I recommend for everybody!

Cute little place. I was surprised how small it was. They really take the time to talk to you and answer all of your questions. We went on the "tour", but it was really the guy the back room. I think this business is really on the way to making itself well known. We bought two bottle... Spent $75 bucks. A little pricy for me, but I don't mind buying Michigan made products. read more

Came into this place after getting tired of wine tasting and to try some whiskey. There were not many people in the place so we had good service. The server was full of information and helpful to describe each tasting. I had a gin and tonic which was amazing they make their own tonic and gin which together create a party in your mouth. My husband did most of the whiskey tasting and fell in love with how much flavor was in it. I would love to come back to try some of their other cocktails they all sounded so great. The only reason for a lost star is that the place is small and you can get forgotten quick if it gets busy. read more

Went to their little store on Front St and had a tasting. My significant other enjoyed the whiskey. So we decided to make a purchase, but when his card got declined he ran to the bank to get money out. While I was waiting for him another couple tried to make a purchase and the computers wouldn't work with their card either. When he got back to pay we stated how it must be their machine and the man very rudely said how it was our card and it was our fault it was declined. So that said we won't be back to this location unless the customer service changes. After this we made several purchases with our card no problem. Fix your computers and don't make your customers feel embarrassed. read more

Heard about this spot and on a whim decided to stop in ... Got there just in time and caught them place just about 30 minutes before closing. Didn't get a tour of the facility, but opted for a $5 tasting of 3 spirits. I even got a cute little tasting glass to keep! Loved, loved the bourbon ... and loved the cherry whiskey. I also tasted the chocolate vodka. That was really good with a splash of club soda. Decided to get my dad the bourbon as a gift and get myself the cherry whiskey ... It is going to make me some great manhattans in the near future! read more

Fantastic! Wonderful addition to the Black Star property. The Chocolate vodka, Cherry vodka, and Rye Whiskey were stand outs. I even loved the take home shot glass! read more

Went during the week. Disappointed no tour available. Bought the $5 sniffing glass and got 3 pours. Didn't care for it, but maybe you will. Would have really liked to learn more about the Distillery. Oh well. read more

This review is for the tasting room in downtown Traverse City. The place is really nice with a tasting bar in the back. We didn't have much time since the kids were hungry, but I sampled a couple of their whiskeys. I tried their rye, Bourbon, and a cask strength rye. I bought a bottle of the cask strength. Nice stuff, although pricy for younger Bourbon and Rye whiskeys. You're basically buying it for the unique Michigan/local product, at least right now. Every distillery was a start-up at some point. The worker was very knowledgeable about the product and seemed eager to discuss and help. read more

The TC vacation wouldn't be complete without a stop at the distillery! The downtown location is a really great space. It's large enough for lots of small groups or a few large parties. The guy working was extremely friendly and very knowledgeable. It was a little after lunch on a Thursday, so Scott and I basically had the place and him to ourselves. I know nothing about spirits and Scott has moved from beer to spirits, so it was great that he had a chance to talk shop and learn the ropes. They offer flights and you get a free souvenir glass too! Scott did the tasting and ended up buying some goodies to bring back to Indiana. I am not much for spirits but I really enjoyed the experience and was happy to see such a great interaction between Scott and the guy working! read more

When first driving up to the place I thought it might be just a warehouse but walked in to find a cute little store. They let you sample the different vodkas and whiskey for a dollar. They also have a variety of mixed drinks you can buy. The people there are very laid back and easy to talk to. The only thing I would change would be to add some chairs. read more

This is a fantastic place to visit for a tasting. They will mix drinks for you as well and give you recipe suggestions which is fantastic. You get to keep your glass for tastings as well which is a nice touch. Cherry vodka is amazing. We ended up buying far more bottles than we had originally planned because everything was so good! read more

We stopped at the store which is located on the Black Star Farms property. Like I mentioned in my Black Star Farms review, I wasn't impressed by how huge and gaudy this place was. I want to help the local, smaller place, not these huge corporate giants. That being said, I was already not in the mood to deal with this place after leaving Black Star Farms wine tasting room. However, we were decently surprised with this place. You get 3 tastings for $5 and the size of the tastings are fair for what you are actually drinking. I'm not a fan of whiskey as much as much husband is, so I let him do all the tasting. His favorite was the "Old George" whiskey. The girls who poured were knowledgable and were very attentive. If you're into liquor, the place is worth stopping at. read more

Service is poor. They act like they are doing you a favor to serve you. Drinks are ok.

Awesome tour of the distillery and quaint tasting room. They will even mix you a drink. The staff is knowledgable and friendly and they take their time answering your questions. If love vodka/gin/whiskey...especially the small batch and craft movement then you must check this out. Oh and the libations are fantastic. read more

Extremely knowledgeable and friendly staff as well as high quality products. We stopped in because the place was recommended to us since we were already in town, but there was a couple in there from Indiana who planned their vacation around coming here. That tells you a lot. If you're serious about craft spirits, this is a must. read more

Very disappointed. What a sad change from their beginnings. First thing we noticed was the bottles changed from the originals. Almost walked out as we were completely ignored. After about 10 minutes of the three bartenders walking by us and looking at us with no recognition of our presence, one of them explained to another couple who arrived after us their tasting program. Oddly enough one bartender told the other couple that one sample was free, then if you bought a glass you could get three more complimentary tastings. Another bartender finally aknowledged our presence and told us that in order to get a sample tasting we would need to purchase a glass. We bought a pair of glasses, and sampled a variety of selections, all of which have departed from their former smooth pallate to a harsh alcohol aftertaste. Keep in mind that we have been here before and their product was a departure from the mainstream, sadly, with the change in bottle evidently came a change in quality and/or recipe. Their $52 a bottle whiskey might as well have been replaced with a $12 bottle of Cabin Still. We left with a bad aftertaste in our mouth for the rest of the day, and of course without any product, which we expressly came to Traverse City to purchase. 1 star review only because you can't review with zero stars. read more

While on vacation we stopped in to the downtown Traverse City tasting room. I am a novice Bourbon drinker, and the Bartender was patient , helpful and knowledgeable. We also found the smaller tasting room in Leeland near Fishtown. The young lady there was equally as nice and accommodating. Both locations were bright and inviting. We came home with a couple of bottles of product and a souvenir or two. The Cherry Bourbon as well as the Straight Bourbon are quite nice. Next trip we will try to get to the Distillery for the tour.... read more

Went to the tasting room downtown Front Street during our short trip. Jim was very knowledgeable about each product they carry and easily recommended drink recipes. We purchased 3 bottles of whiskey. They can't ship alcohol by law but thankfully my sister in Colorado will be enjoying her mixers that they can ship!! read more

The folks there were friendly and knowledgeable! I'm just starting out in learning nuances and differences between whiskeys and bourbons and the gentleman working took his time to explain the differences in a friendly, easy to understand, interesting and professional manner. Would definitely say add this to your itinerary of things to do when your up in TC! read more

The cherry wine that's a big summer hit was surprisingly good and different. My mom and I also enjoyed (and bought) their award winning "Etcetera" white wine. I was not told about their whisky and I'm bummed I missed it! read more

First time visiting and I was not disappointed. Highly recommend the Dark Reserve Rum! Semi dry Riesling was great too. Melissa took excellent care of us. Wonderful overall experience! read more

Very disappointed in the two "bartenders" on Friday, 19. The bar was not busy at all and yet neither one acknowledged us. The time was 9:10 so I guess they were more interested in getting out of there instead of doing their job. The most frustrating part was when the guy finished making drinks for 3 people, he started cleaning up glasses around us and I had to ask HIM for a drink. Even then it seemed like an inconvenience. We were very excited to see this place and was completely let down. read more

We went in hoping to do a tasting and buy some things, but weren't able to do either. We were greeted by the person behind the counter and wasn't acknowledged again until 10 minutes later as we were walking out of the door. I could understand if they were super busy, but there was a grand total of 3 customers including me and my fiancé. They should hire someone with sales and customer service skills that could actually manage to serve more than 1 person at a time. read more

There are so many things to do when you are in Traverse City but this is something that you shouldn't pass up. Espesially if the wheather isn't nice, you should go here. If you like Vodka, then you should go here. Amazing. Just take 45 minutes in total and come by for a visit. You will learn A LOT... and if you like to learn a lot (about alcohol), then this is the place to go. They do have the best vodka anywhere. read more