Local distillery brings craft spirits to St. Joe

Craft spirits meet space-aged technology at St. Joseph’s newest distillery, Obbink Distilling.

As always, only enjoy alcoholic beverages if you are 21+ and remember to Stop@Buzzed.

Named after co-founder Gregg Obbink, the business first opened to the public on June 1. Obbink spent much of his life designing satellites for NASA before retiring to Minnesota in 2008. Along with SJU graduates Adam Weber, Lukas Inveiss and Ian Scherber, Obbink aimed to refine the aging process of whiskey, employing technology similar to what he used to send a rover to Mars.

Though typically aged in barrels, Obbink whiskey is aged in proprietary aging tanks, making the process less time-consuming. It is a more eco-friendly option as well, eliminating much of the wood usually required in the aging process.

With names such as Forté, Cibola, Moxe, Alexis 001/001 and Bear 002/001, the bottles of whiskey serve as a reminder of Obbink’s intergalactic past.

“All of our bottles of whiskey are named after satellites that Gregg [Obbink] designed, built and launched,” Weber said. “They all have interesting backstories, and on our marketing materials we have the artwork that coincides with the satellite.”

Whiskey isn’t the only spirit distilled at Obbink, however. The distillery also has a variety of gins, vodkas and liqueurs on tap, each with its own unique, space-themed name. Patrons can choose what type of corresponding spirit they want added to their cocktails, with traditional drink offerings ranging from cosmopolitans and martinis to moscow mules and whiskey sours.

Obbink offers a variety of specialty cocktails as well. Each one is made with their spirits and other flavor pairings, all of which are made in-house.

“On our grand opening weekend, we had a line out the door every day from Thursday to Sunday,” Weber said. “On Saturday, we ran out of ingredients and had to open a little bit later than advertised because everything is made on-site with fresh ingredients. We certainly weren’t expecting the turnout we had.”

In recent years, St. Joseph has welcomed a number of local breweries and taprooms, namely Bad Habit Brewing and Milk & Honey Ciders, each of which, Weber finds, have been helpful and welcoming throughout the start-up process.

“Having the trifecta in town is really fun,” Weber said, referring to the three businesses. “St. Joseph has had craft beer and cider for a few years now, so we wanted to add another dimension to the community’s specialty alcohol offerings.”

Aside from the excitement of developing and testing new products, Weber finds the community aspect of running a business to be most rewarding. Along with the other cofounders, he hopes to create a relaxed atmosphere where community members can come together for good drinks and camaraderie.

“Obbink is a place where everyone is welcome,” Weber said. “We have an amazing crew and passion for what we do, and I think that translates really well to the customer experience. It isn’t something that you can plan for–it just happens organically–and it has been really fun to watch.”