State's only whiskey distillery opens in Osakis; tours offered

Panther Distillery, Minnesota's first and only legal whiskey distillery, is now open for business in Osakis.

Founded in 2010 by owner Adrian Panther, the distillery officially started cooking distilled spirits in May of this year. "It took us two years of planning and applying for permits to receive our license, but we're finally legit," said Panther.

In honor of their historic achievement, Panther Distillery will open its doors to the public for free tours July 4-7 from 1 to 4 p.m. Visitors are welcome to tour the facility, visit with staff, and watch master distiller Brett Grinager make handcrafted distilled spirits in the distillery, located at 300 East Pike Street, Osakis.

To make their line of distilled spirits, Panther Distillery uses a 500 gallon copper still and fresh, local ingredients from area farmers.

"We know the best tasting whiskey and bourbon comes from the freshest ingredients available," said master distiller Brett Grinager. "We're sourcing everything locally to deliver the highest quality product. Even the barrels are made in Minnesota."

Panther Distillery is currently barreling their signature whiskey and bourbon liquors, which will be aged for two years. In the meantime, they will produce a clear, unaged whiskey-flavored liquor.

"We're calling it White Water Whiskey," said Panther. "It will be available as soon as we receive approval on our label."

Panther also plans on making a gin, a rye whiskey, and a rum-flavored liquor made from locally grown sugar beets.

"We're overwhelmed by the amount of support we've received," said Panther. "We're looking forward to celebrating our place in Minnesota history with other whiskey fans in the state."