Last weekend Cam and I met our friends Patrick and Dixie (and their baby Nico!) at a spot I’ve been wanting to try for a couple months now. It’s a place that oozes with charm, glistens with class, and delights in both local pride and family heritage. A place that echoes of something old world and distant, and yet inherently intimate and familiar. A place where friends gather, acquaintances grow fonder, and lasting bonds are made over a glass of the good stuff.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you O’Shaugnessy Distilling Co.
Opened just this past August, O’Shaugnessy Distilling Company is a premier whiskey destination located right in the heart of Minneapolis. Started by two cousins and lifelong friends, Patrick and Michael, this company is grounded in the vision of making whiskey that speaks to the relatives’ rich Irish American heritage, brings people together, and creates a lasting legacy for future generations. Notably, the distillery is helmed by world renowned Master Distiller Brian Nation, former head distiller for Jameson as well as several other prominent Irish favorites. Fueled by a mission to produce world-class whiskeys and foster local pride, the O’Shaugnessy family intentionally built a state-of-the-art distillery in their hometown of Minneapolis. And let me say this: We’re sure glad they’re here.
At O’Shaugnessy Distilling Co. the magic of whiskey making begins with three massive, stunningly gorgeous triple copper pots that are used to make American whiskey in the traditional Irish triple distillation style. The goal is to leverage Minnesota’s northern waters and midwestern grains and use the triple-pot technique – which lends Irish whiskey its smooth, consistent nature – to create something that is deeply based in tradition and yet simultaneously offers a unique, distinctly American spin.
Like all good things, good whiskey takes time, and as a new distillery O’Shaugnessy won’t have its own spirits available for a few years yet. However, in the interim the distillery is bringing in other variously crafted whiskeys and blending them to create a flavor that closely mimics the distinct profile O’Shaugnessy wants to be known for. Indeed, the distillery’s flagship offering, Keeper’s Heart Irish + American Whiskey, is the first whiskey to blend the most acclaimed facets of Irish and American distilling traditions, and the combination unlocks a truly remarkable taste experience.
Cam, Pat, Dixie, and I had an absolute blast visiting the distillery, taking in its stunning views, and sampling Keeper’s Heart – as well as a few Irish-inspired appetizers – for ourselves. Comprised of plush leather furniture, stunning copper accents, and romantically moody dim lighting O’Shaugnessy’s whiskey lounge creates an experience that whisks you away to another place and time. I felt impossibly glamorous drinking my Killarney signature cocktail – featuring Keeper’s Heart, Radicchio, Lemon, and Orange Bitters – from one of the open-faced booths and looking out over the exquisite space that sprawled before me. As Cam sipped his whiskey neat – which I sampled and loved, by the way – I couldn’t help but think what an inherently unique, decidedly neat experience this was and how grateful I am that such a place exists so close to home.
O’Shaugnessy sits on the precipice of a major milestone for the Twin Cities. We’ve had local labels like Tattersall and J.Carver go national before, but we’ve never had one go global, and with its roots planted firmly in Ireland O’Shaugnessy Distilling Co. has the potential to do just that. As for Cam and me, this first trip was just the beginning: We plan to visit O’Shaugnessy Distilling Co. regularly, and we’ve already decided we want to bring both our families there next time the opportunity presents itself. It’s that stunningly memorable.
Remember, sometimes the biggest gems are hiding just within plain sight, simply waiting to be discovered. And while I don’t know what all is next for O’Shaugnessy Distilling Company, I do know that, like all good things (whiskey included) it will take time. And yet, I can guarantee it will be well worth the wait.
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