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(1 vote, average 5.00 out of 5)
Written by Louis Weisberg, Staff writer
Sep 8, 2010
Swathed in a label of rainbow-colored stripes, its neck gaily festooned with a rainbow ribbon, Wrapped in Pride Yahara Bay vodka practically has LGBT written all over it.
The specialty liquor, made from corn and apples grown in Wisconsin – the apples come from Gays Mills – arrive on store shelves in Wisconsin this month. As the label suggests, the product has specific ties to the LGBT community. Yahara Bay Distillers, the Madison-based artisan distillery that produces it, will donate 10 percent of the proceeds from each bottle sold to LGBT service organizations and HIV/AIDS agencies.
The idea for a Pride-themed liquor originated with openly gay state Rep. Mark Pocan last year while he was working on legislation to allow Yahara Bay and the state’s other artisan distilleries to sell products and offer samples to visitors in the same way that wineries do. Prior law banned such activity.
“A lot of people like to come out and visit these distilleries,” Pocan said. “It’s nice that they can actually now provide their product at their own location.”
A growing trend nationwide, artisan distilleries provide a finely tuned, small-batch alternative to the mass-produced liquors marketed by major labelers. “We smell, taste and touch the alcohol as it’s coming out, and in the process we’re able to eliminate the bad alcohol that has a lot of chemicals in it,” said Yahara Bay owner Nick J. Quint. “We’re able to keep the aroma and taste but distill out the chemicals and the headaches they cause.”
Artisan distilleries also provide an additional market for local crops. Pocan saw the overall economic-development potential these distilleries offer.
“Just having more products made in Wisconsin and buying local puts more money back into the community,” he said. “This is a good example of a company that’s putting money right back into the hands of the community.”
The state of Washington has added 20 artisan distilleries in the past couple of years. The concept has caught on so well with connoisseurs that even factory distillers are starting artisan lines.
The Wrapped in Pride label and packaging were created by openly gay Yahara Bay president Kris Kalb, who said initial response to the product has been “just phenomenal.” After sampling the product, major distributors in Colorado and Florida placed substantial orders – even before bottling was completed in late August, he said.
“Distributors all over Wisconsin are jumping on this,” added Kalb, who also produces gourmet foods and chocolates using Yahara Bay spirits that are marketed under the Spirit of Wisconsin Gourmet Foods brand.
In addition to Wrapped in Pride vodka, Yahara Bay produces gin, rum, apple brandy, whiskey, lemoncello, aged Mad Bird Rum and apple crisp liqueur. A cherry brandy made from Door County cherries is also in the works, Quint said.
