Family-run distillery produces bicentennial bourbon
Story and photos by India Garrish
From the preparation of mash tuns Friday night to the barreling of a family recipe Sunday, Blacksmith Artisanal Spirits of Lohman operates a family-run distillery that has quickly grown in popularity over the past year. After they created a limited-edition bourbon whiskey in June 2020 for Cole County’s bicentennial celebration, they were noticed by the state and chosen to make the official Missouri Bicentennial bourbon, which can be tasted in August.
“Missouri 2021” is made with Missouri-grown corn and aged rye and barley in Missouri oak barrels, making it an official “Missouri Bourbon” style whiskey. It has notes of caramel, vanilla and smokiness from the barrel’s charred wood, which gives it its signature color and flavor over a two-month aging process.
Between the family’s history of spirit making and their hard-working dynamic, the “expensive hobby” has remained an exciting one for the Blacksmith crew — and one they want to continue growing for generations.
“The dynamic of working together as a family unit is so much stronger I think — and more fun,” patriarch Mike Broker Jr. said, adding the operation is always on the family’s mind. “I’m proud that (the family) took something made 70-80 years ago, have used the same recipe and adapted it to a more modern approach.”
Bicentennial celebrations will be happening now through August, when the state celebrates its 200th birthday Aug. 10.
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