Award-winning MN bourbon-makers say a strong connection to farmers is key
Above: 10,000 Drops Craft Distillers owners Rob Kruchoski (second from left), Pat Jacobs (center), and Jake Hvistendahl (second from right) with Kenyon, Minnesota, farmers Andrea and Mike Kasper (left and right, respectively). Grain from the Kaspers’ farm is used in the bourbon produced by 10,000 Drops.
Written by Jonathan Eisenthal
Jake Hvistendahl, Pat Jacobs, and Rob Kruchoski met in junior high school, and they’ve been best friends ever since. But they swear that’s not where they acquired their taste for the corn-based Kentucky whiskey called bourbon. That came a bit later, after careers in the restaurant industry. In 2018, they opened 10,000 Drops Craft Distillers in Faribault, and released their first barrels of the extremely popular beverage in 2022.
In August, their Single Barrel Bourbon won “Best in the State of Minnesota” at the 2023 Heartland Whiskey Competition, a blind taste test judged by members of the American Craft Spirits Association. The award is sponsored by Minnesota Corn Research & Promotion Council.
10,000 Drops depends on the strong connection to their farmers, according to Hvistendahl. About two-thirds of the grain that goes into the fermenter for their bourbon is corn.
“Our farmers do the hard work, and as long as we start with really good number two field corn that’s dried properly, all we need to do is mill it, extract all the starches, and turn that into sugar, ferment it, and distill it,” Hvistendahl explained. “Our bourbon also uses unmalted red wheat and malted barley. Mike and Andrea Kasper are our farmers in Kenyon, Minnesota. They grow all of our corn and our red wheat. Now, they are a fully-certified organic farm operation. They do really cool stuff with sustainability and regenerative agriculture.”
One of the things that cemented the relationship between the Kaspers and 10,000 Drops was the fact that they are ready to take back and use the mash after it has been used in the alcohol process. The leftover solids are a high-protein animal feed source known as distillers grains. When the Kaspers are fully supplied with feed for their heritage breeds of cattle and pigs, they compost any remaining distillers grains. The Kaspers even use 10,000 Drops rum wash as a foliar spray for their crops.
10,000 Drops bourbon, which is aged four years, also took home gold from the American Distilling Institute’s Craft Spirits Competition. Because it is so popular, the small distillery now produces bourbon at a rate of 40 barrels a year — a much higher volume than their craft gin or craft dark rum.
“In terms of super-premium spirits, the hottest market in the world right now is bourbon,” Hvistendahl said. “For something that is expensive to produce, and launch, and at a higher price point (than most spirits) — there is a really robust market for bourbon all over the country…”
Laughing, Jake admits, “We are also really big bourbon fans, so that’s part of it too, so we have to make sure we have enough to drink.”
Learning from artisans
Hvistendahl, Jacobs, and Kruchoski became fans of bourbon before they started their venture when Kruchoski, a chef by training, started bringing jars of moonshine home to Minnesota on his visits to family and friends. Kruchoski had begun creating moonshine out of corn syrup while working at a biodiesel company in western Pennsylvania — a region with a strong moonshining tradition. “We thought it was great,” Hvistendahl said.
The idea for the distillery started in 2015, around the time when the first craft distilleries in Minnesota were opening. A 2014 Minnesota law allowed for micro-distilleries to sell cocktails on site.
As Hvistendahl, Jacobs, and Kruchoski started dreaming about, and drafting plans for, their own distillery, a very important step was taking time to learn the craft from artisans in Kentucky.
“There is a really good training distillery down there called Moonshine University. It’s way more legit than it sounds,” Hvistendahl said. “It’s a lot of big Kentucky distillery guys who left and are now teaching the next round of craft distillers how to do stuff. We have done lots of courses down there and continue to learn new things, whether it’s developing a new product with their help, or taking a new class that comes online. About once a year we try to get down to Kentucky.”
Multiple access points
For those curious about the taste experience with the 10,000 Drops Single Barrel Bourbon, there are two ways to access it.
“We have a cocktail room,” Hvistendahl said. “There’s a big bar, with a comfortable lounge vibe. It’s pretty popular in the surrounding communities in Faribault. We have an outdoor patio where we do live music and have food trucks on the weekends. We also have trivia nights. It’s a really active side of our business.”
People who stop out to 10,000 Drops can buy one 750 ml bottle per person per day, or two 375 ml bottles, following Minnesota state law for micro-distilleries. Their distributor also gets a small amount from each barrel harvested and distributes it to stores and restaurants around the state. Those in search of the spirit can use a store locator on the 10,000 Drops website.
Hvistendahl, Jacobs, and Kruchoski really enjoy sharing their experiences and interest in what they do, and just took part in the Minnesota Distiller’s Guild’s booth at the Minnesota State Fair. There is a lot to talk about, according to Hvistendahl, because of all the distilled spirits, the rules to qualify as bourbon might be the most extensive. Bourbon is the only spirit in the world that requires a new barrel every single time, made from American white oak. Each barrel must be toasted and charred and then aged for a minimum of two years. To qualify as bourbon, a liquor must be at least 51 percent corn, and it must be made in the U.S.
Most of all, Hvistendahl, Jacobs, and Kruchoski like to share their experience with the ‘magic’ of making bourbon.
“Every barrel is going to be different,” Hvistendahl said. “We can control for some of the different variables, but a lot of the magic of bourbon takes place in the barrel. For us, so far, it’s only been four years, though aging can go longer. Each one is different. Some are more caramel-rich, some have dark fruits or coffee notes. Each barrel we release, and we are releasing about one a month now, is going to have a different proof point. … The difference of one proof point — say going from 104 to 105 — those two spirit expressions can be wildly different. (For every barrel), we taste about 20 different proof points along a range and see which one we like the most — what has the most complexity, what is really balanced across its finish, and has the best mouthfeel and flavor.”
Learn more about 10,000 Drops Craft Distillers at its website.
