Central Standard Distillery showcases local ingredients from across Wisconsin at this year’s state fair

Central Standard Craft Distillery Cofounders Pat McQuillan and Evan Hughes are helping put the Wisconsin in the Wisconsin State Fair as the Distillery’s Milwaukee-made spirits and premium cocktails made with local Wisconsin ingredients will be available at eight locations throughout the 2023 fair.

“From cherries grown in Door County to honey harvested in Germantown, we source our ingredients from all over the state and are honored to represent all of our partners Wisconsin-wide at this year’s state fair,” Hughes said.

The Wisconsin State Fair, which opens today and runs through Aug. 13, bookends a successful summer festival season for Central Standard in the Badger state. “We’re incredibly proud to be Wisconsin-made, use local Wisconsin ingredients and support Wisconsin family farmers,” McQuillan said. “It’s been a great summer for us as our spirits have been served at dozens of festivals statewide.”

Access to locally produced ingredients helps Central Standard ensure a high level of freshness and quality in everything Hughes and McQuillan make. “For us, it all boils down to our tagline of ‘Crafted to Gather.’ Whether folks are attending the fair, hanging out in their backyards, or heading up north – we have the locally-made spirits and cocktails that make summer entertaining easy. And, that all starts with the best ingredients from right here in Wisconsin.”

Central Standard spirits are also being poured at home brew crew games, as well as Lake County DockHounds and Fond du Lac Dock Spiders games.

“From a business perspective, venues like the state fair and sporting events like local minor league baseball games, offer us an ideal sampling opportunity to highlight our Milwaukee-made spirits and the local ingredient we source,” Hughes added. “Attendees can try our spirits and cocktails onsite and then pick up a bottle or two for their next picnic, party or barbeque on their way home.”

Central Standard: Your Local Midwest Craft Distillery

Central Standard Craft Distillery, a small batch, craft distillery in Milwaukee and the fastest growing top-10 Wisconsin-based distiller, handcrafts award-winning spirits from locally sourced ingredients. Founded in 2014, Central Standard spirits have won 40 medals across multiple categories for their craft distilling.

“For us, it’s not about the awards or the accolades,” McQuillan explained. “It’s about making the best-tasting craft spirits with the finest ingredients that bring to life the outdoor lifestyle of the Midwest.”

Central Standard’s portfolio of premium spirits* includes Red Cabin Bourbon, Door County Cherry Vodka and North Wisconsin Brandy. Door County Cherry Vodka is a blend of Central Standard’s award-winning 100% handcrafted vodka infused with Door County cherries, which are mellowed with a touch of local-harvested, fresh honey. North Brandy, which is handmade in small batches and aged for a minimum of two years, is finished in Central Standard bourbon barrels.

Red Cabin Bourbon is aged to perfection and then finished in California Cabernet wine barrels. Thanks to the red-wine-barrel-finishing, Red Cabin Bourbon – which earned a Gold Medal and received a 93-point score at the prestigious Los Angeles Invitational Wine and Spirits Challenges – delivers a complex-yet-approachable taste.

Judges in the invite-only competition called the Wisconsin-made spirit, which is aged to perfection and then finished in Cabernet wine barrels from California, “rich, complex, with layer of oak and hints of caramel and cocoa.”

Central Standard Crafthouse & Kitchen: A Must-Visit Milwaukee Destination

A multi-million-dollar project transformed a formerly vacant three-story, 11,700-square-foot building in downtown Milwaukee into the Central Standard’s new Crafthouse & Kitchen. The distillery’s home boasts a tasting room, tour operation, restaurant, private-events space and rooftop patio. In addition, the renovated building, which was built in 1874 and is one of the oldest in Milwaukee, houses a 100-gallon pot still that will produce all spirits served and sold on site.

* You must be 21-years of age or older and a fan of great tasting spirits to enjoy. Please drink responsibly.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.