Tattersall Distilling and Voyageurs Conservancy, the official nonprofit partner of Minnesota’s Voyageurs National Park, have announced the release of Voyageurs Five Grain Whiskey. This limited edition collaboration whiskey was created to celebrate the preservation of Voyageurs National Park’s dark skies.
“We couldn’t be more excited to be working with Voyageurs Conservancy to create this incredibly unique whiskey,” says Jon Kreidler, founder, and chief officer of Tattersall Distilling. “We’re honored to commemorate all of the hard work that has been put into preserving one of Minnesota’s and our country’s truly special places.”
The whiskey is distilled from a blend of five grains including rye, wheat, oat, corn and barley before being aged for nearly three years in charred Minnesota white oak barrels. The spirit is 90 proof, or 45% ABV, with mellow notes of honey, cinnamon and hazelnut. Just 120 cases of Voyageurs Five Grain Whiskey have been produced for this special occasion.
The limited-edition Voyageurs Five Grain Whiskey is available in 750ml bottles for $50 at select retailers across the state found here. Beginning today, 375ml bottles can be purchased at Tattersall’s Northeast Minneapolis cocktail room for $30. Proceeds from the whiskey benefit the Voyagers Conservancy’s work to protect and preserve the park’s lands, waters and dark skies.
“Voyageurs National Park has some of the darkest skies in the region, allowing visitors to take in millions of stars, views of the Milky Way and occasionally dancing Northern Lights,” says Christina Hausman Rhode, executive director of the Voyageurs Conservancy. “We are grateful for the opportunity to celebrate Voyageurs’ certification as a Dark Sky Park with Tattersall, a valued partner with conservation values helping us preserve the park’s lands, waters and skies.”
In December 2020, Voyageurs National Park, Voyageurs Conservancy and the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) announced the certification of Voyageurs National Park as an International Dark Sky Park. This recognizes Voyageurs National Park for the exceptional quality of its dark night skies, for the park’s commitment to preserving darkness and educating the public about this outstanding resource. The certification came after a two-year process, measuring darkness throughout the park and identifying light fixtures that emitted light pollution and replacing them with “night-sky friendly” lights.
Voyageurs Conservancy will be hosting a free virtual fundraising event on April 8 at 6 pm CST to celebrate the spring thaw and the park’s starry skies. Keynote speaker, Kevin Hainline, a nationally-recognized astronomer, educator and tour guide to the night sky will discuss ways to take in the night sky and its cultural past. To register and learn more about the Voyageurs Spring Thaw, visit: voyageurs.org/springthaw