Green Frog Distillery

Keokuk holds the distinction of being Iowa’s southernmost city, combining architectural history and beautiful bluffs that overlook the Mississippi on its Eastern border. Hidden within a scenic drive through Southeast Iowa’s woods and farmland is the rustic Green Frog Distillery, which owner, manager, and head dishwasher John Patterson says will delight both moonshine enthusiasts and newbies alike.

When Patterson and his friend decided that they, along with their bodies, had enough of the construction and paving business, they decided to open a distillery. It wasn’t on a whim, mind you. Patterson had been distilling for his own use as far back as the mid1980s. However, family obligations and priorities led to a pause in his distilling activities until he could revive his passion and basic recipe in 2006, continuing to tweak and work the recipe until it was, in his words, golden. About ten years later, he and his partner brought the Green Frog Distillery to life, named after the experiences and memories he and his friends made in their younger days around a pond located on his property.

Patterson offers four main products, each distilled with local corn, using his original clear straight corn whiskey moonshine as a base. In addition to the exceptionally smooth original, Patterson offers Caramel Flavored Whiskey, limited and numbered Barrel Aged Whiskeys, and his Cranberry Whiskey, which has developed into a customer favorite. Additionally, around Thanksgiving and Christmas, Patterson releases a limited-edition spirit aged at least two years with a minimum of 123-proof that sells out quickly.

With generally about 1700 hundred gallons of product on hand, Patterson says that his Caramel Whiskey is the biggest seller, with the barrel-aged offerings quickly gaining ground. This spring, Green Frog Distillery will release a Pear flavored whiskey that promises to be a tasty and refreshing pour.

Green Frog Distillery is just the place to step back in time and check into an authentic, rustic, backwoods moonshine distillery to share a drink with a highly experienced moonshiner who has perfected his craft and, in Patterson’s words, come up with the best, smoothest, most flavorful corn liquor ever produced.

While experiencing this entirely hand-built and homemade distillery, you’re supporting a genuine, local craft producer who takes pride in his products and is excited to now share those products and his experiences along the way with others.

Tastings and tours are always on the menu at Green Frog Distillery in Keokuk. Patterson says that visitors can always call ahead to schedule a time, but he’s always up for giving interested customers or even curious passers-by an impromptu tour to chat, visit, taste his offerings, and have a look around to see his distillery, including his homemade still.

That’s the kind of hospitality you can expect from Patterson and the Green Frog Distillery. For further information on the distillery, available products, merchandise, great recipes, and more, visit www.greenfrogdistillery.com.

We are a unique, small-town distillery that we have built from the ground up. We offer some of the best corn whiskey in the area, and everything from the grinding of the corn to placing the final label to the bottle is all done by hand.

We offer a variety of corn whiskies, Straight, Caramel, Cranberry, Barrel Aged, as well as our Limited Edition whiskey we release twice a year. (Thanksgiving & Christmas)

We offer tours, samples, apparel and other merchandise. Please feel free to us give a call or send a message to set up a tour for groups over 6.

Hours of Operation: Wednesday - Saturday 12pm - 6pm

Phone: (319) 795-3346

Email: greenfrogdistillery7@gmail.com

Website: www.greenfrogdistillery.com

Follow us @ www.facebook.com/GreenFrogDistillery/ 3345 270th Ave., Keokuk, IA 52632 other 354 days of the year, it is the home to auto shows, livestock exhibitions, flea markets, antique shows, concerts, trade shows and more. See what’s happening at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

• Adventureland Park: More than 100 rides, shows, and attractions, including the new family spinning roller coaster, The Phoenix! Rides for all ages are available from mild to wet-and-wild. Shows throughout the park feature a variety of family entertainment. Don’t miss Iowa’s newest water park, Adventure Bay. Water park admission is included with admission to Adventureland Park. Please see www.adventurelandpark.com for Park and Water Park operation dates.

• Prairie Meadows Casino Racetrack & Hotel: With more than 2,000 slot machines, game tables, live horse racing from April through October, award-winning restaurants, bigname entertainment, and a contemporary hotel, it’s no secret that Prairie Meadows has it all. Also featured is the Prairie Meadows Events and Conference Center, making Prairie Meadows the perfect place to hold your next conference or event. Open 24 hours a day.

• Blank Park Zoo: Blank Park Zoo is “Iowa’s Wildest Adventure!” Experience the wonders of nature found in the tropical rainforests, Australian Outback and Africa. The zoo offers educational classes, tours and rental facilities.

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• Lake Red Rock: Iowa’s largest reservoir. Enjoy boating, hiking, camping, biking, fishing, birdwatching, and more!

• Pella Historical Village & Vermeer Mill: Step back in time to early Pella! Log cabin, general store, Dutch costume displays, and much more. Tour the Vermeer Windmill, one of the tallest working windmills in North America. The Wyatt Earp Experience explores the life of the famous western lawman who grew up in Pella.

• Molengracht Plaza: The Molengracht Plaza, located in Pella’s central business district, was built to replicate an authentic Dutch canal and is over 100,000 square feet. The better of two worlds, the Molengracht complex combines a 21st century entrepreneurial spirit with Old World Charm.

• Frisian Farms Cheese House: Small farm producing artisan Gouda Cheese, tours by appointment.

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• National Balloon Museum: This national nonprofit is dedicated to educating the public on its ballooning history through collections and exhibitions. More than 10,000 visitors attend the museum every year to comb through over 200 years of ballooning archives. The National Balloon Museum calls Indianola home because of the area’s prime flying conditions. Indianola also played host to the Balloon Federation of America’s National Hot Air Balloon Championships before it took on its current nine-day national event, the National Balloon Classic. The museum is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., and guided tours are available to those who call ahead.

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• Reiman Gardens: Take in the stunning beauty of the 17 acre Reiman Gardens, located on the campus of the University of Iowa. The year-round botanical garden offers events, programs, lectures, and a butterfly wing that houses over 800 butterflies.

• McFarland Park: Hit the outdoors at McFarland Park, a 200 acre paradise offering views of a variety of habitats, including prairies and woodlands. Picnic, fish, camp, hike, bike, and trail walk to your heart’s content against one of the area’s most beautiful backdrops.

• Octagon Center for the Arts: Get a close look at local artists’ contributions at the Octagon Center for the Arts, a not-for-profit organization that promotes and supports Iowa’s local artists. Exhibits are evolving throughout the year and offer the viewers a chance to own original clothing, textiles, pottery, paintings, and photography from Iowa’s local art community.

Boone, IA

• Boone Scenic Valley Raiload: Take a ride on the rails to experience the scenery of Central Iowa. Riders can enjoy beautiful views of the Des Moines River Valley, where it is not uncommon to see a convocation of bald eagles. Take the Dinner Train in historic 1950’s passenger cars.