Overview: One Well Brewing in Kalamazoo, MI is extending its beverage portfolio beyond craft beer with the introduction of branded spirits, seltzers, and a cocktail menu. Owner Chris O’Neill notes that while the brewery’s core identity remains unchanged, the addition of these products deepens the venue’s offerings for the community. The expansion includes seven-year-aged rye bourbon and four-year-aged corn whiskey among other distilled options.
The Full Story
After 12 years of focusing on quality craft beer, an expansive food menu, and good vibes, One Well Brewing is adding spirits to its lineup. Located at 4213 Portage Street, the establishment now serves seven One Well-branded spirits including gin, vodka, rum, agave, triple sec, corn whiskey, and rye bourbon. The spirits can be ordered by the bottle or as part of a new cocktail menu that debuted approximately three weeks prior to the report.
The cocktail menu was designed to appeal to a broad amount of people, featuring staple bar drinks such as the old fashioned, the bloody mary, and Moscow mule. Margaritas have been one of the most popular cocktails, available frozen and on the rocks. O’Neill stated that guests really appreciate a nice frozen something to enjoy on the patio during this time of year. The cocktail and spirits menu became available to the public about three weeks ago.
Production & Profile
The production workflow involves partnering with MGP, a large production distillery in Indiana, to source aged barrels. O’Neill explains that holding a rickhouse full of whiskey for aging is not cost-effective for this scale, so the brewery purchases aged barrels and blends them to create high-quality products. Specific aging specifications include seven years for rye bourbon and four years for corn whiskey. Agave spirit has been resting in aged barrels for about a month.
Other potential blends One Well has in mind include spiced rum, flavored vodkas, and possibly a coffee-infused liquor. O’Neill wants the spirits to evolve batch-to-batch and year-to-year. The brewery already has a blending project in the works, using the first casks of emptied whiskey and the bourbon barrels to age agave spirit. One Well sees itself as a blender, following the workflow of bigger brands like Whistlepig.
Brand & Industry History
For the past decade and a half, One Well Brewing has prided itself on quality craft beer within the Kalamazoo community. Owner Chris O’Neill states that none of the original identity is changing with this expansion, but the well just got a lot deeper. The discussions regarding added spirits revolved around what the venue was missing to offer a little bit of everything for its community after 12 years in business.
What This Means
The menu expansion addresses shifting drinking trends where younger generations lean into spirits and seltzers rather than traditional craft beer. O’Neill notes that beverages like vodka seltzers and malt-based seltzers represent a current spot in the industry where people’s drinking trends are shifting. While the main goal has been to offer products in-house to keep guests happy, there are plans to potentially get One Well spirits and seltzers into stores at some point.
Consumer Takeaway
The cocktail menu features staple bar drinks such as the old fashioned, bloody mary, Moscow mule, and frozen margaritas on the rocks or frozen. A vodka seltzer called Clear Sky is available in black cherry and grapefruit flavors, packaged in a can for inside use or to go. Four-packs of the seltzer are priced at $9.99, while fifths of spirits range from $20 for vodka and rum to $50 for rye bourbon.
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