イサンティスピリッツIsanti Spirits

Isanti Spirits is a craft distillery founded in 2015 by Rick Schneider in Isanti, Minnesota, located in the Isanti County lakes region north of the Twin Cities. Schneider launched the operation with a commitment to using primarily Minnesota-grown grains and Minnesota-coopered barrels, making it a genuinely regional grain-to-glass operation from fermentation through aging.

The distillery produces three core spirits: Sunken Bobber Bourbon Whiskey, Isanti Rye Whiskey, and Tilted Cedars Gin. The Sunken Bobber Bourbon is the flagship, bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV) with a mash bill of corn, rye, and malted barley, aged in Minnesota-made barrels. Tasting notes emphasize rich chocolate, vanilla, and hazelnut on the nose with a finish of berry and allspice. The Isanti Rye Whiskey is bottled at 45% ABV, offering a spicy yet balanced character with strong vanilla and caramel notes—sold as a two-year expression at local retailers.

Schneider handles labeling and glass work personally alongside his wife, keeping the operation small and artisan in character. The distillery sources its primary grain from local agricultural partners and uses a Kothe copper still imported from Eislingen, Germany, which contributes to the clean, precise distillate character across all products.

Isanti Spirits has built a loyal local following and is distributed within Minnesota. The distillery's rural location, hands-on ownership, and emphasis on Minnesota grain make it an authentic representative of the craft spirits movement in the upper Midwest.