Rum Guide To Michigan

Rum in The Great Lakes State

Michigan in the Midwest is famous for the Great Lakes, the motor city of Detroit, and it now has many craft distilleries that make rum. Michigan has two peninsulas: the Upper Peninsula, a forested and mountainous region in the north, and the Lower Peninsula, shaped like a mitten and generally flatter, with rolling hills in the north. Michigan borders four of the Great Lakes, significantly influencing its climate.  Summers are warm and humid, while winters can be cold and snowy, especially in the Upper Peninsula.  Michigan is known for agriculture and sugar beet farming primarily in the south. Michigan is known for fishing and has the longest freshwater coastline in the US.

Journeyman Distillery

Founded in 2010 by husband-and-wife Bill and Johanna Welter, Journeyman Distillery in Three Oaks has captured the palates of spirits enthusiasts across 35 U.S. states and built a reputation rooted in integrity, community, and authentic hospitality. The family-owned grain-to-distillery has garnered the prestigious Whiskey of the Year and Craft Distiller of the Year awards from the American Spirits Council of Tasters (ASCOT) Awards in recent years.

Journeyman Distillery double-distills two rum varieties from 100% organic Mexican Blackstrap Molasses. The Road’s End Rum is reminiscent of early 20th-century Jamaican rums, with a robust flavour profile excellent for cocktails or sipping neat. The Road’s End Rum Aged – Navy Strength is a barrel-aged version of the spirit, matured in Journeyman Featherbone Bourbon barrels and bottled at 114 proof, Navy Strength. Both bottles honour the sense of reflection and renewal associated with the end of a long journey. Enjoy the spirit in a spiced Rum Punch Bowl or a Pom Royale cocktail at Journeyman’s Staymaker restaurant inside The Featherbone Factory.

Find out more on Journeyman Distillery

Michigan’s strategic location along the Great Lakes played a significant role in the rum-running in the Prohibition era. Proximity to Canada facilitated the smuggling, supplying Detroit bars and other major cities. Rum Runners on the Great Lakes

In modern times, the State of Michigan passed a law in the spring of 2008 that allowed small distilleries to operate in the state. As it takes a few years to get up and running, you’ll notice many distilleries started around 2012. On this rum road trip, we bring you from rural Upper Peninsula Great Lakes to the biggest cities in Southeast Michigan. After reading this, Michigan will be on your mind.