Bottoms U.P.

Exploring the wines and spirits of the Upper Peninsula

By Craig Manning

In the spring of 2020, Northern Express planned the perfect Upper Peninsula vacation for a craft beer enthusiast, plotting a 10-stop itinerary highlighting breweries all over the U.P., from Cedarville to Ironwood. Three years later, we started thinking: Why not bring back the concept of a U.P. sip-and-savor tour, but turn our focus this time toward wineries and distilleries?

This side of Yooper drinking culture was considerably more of a mystery to us Lower Peninsula trolls than their craft beer is. At least five breweries featured on our beer tour list—Blackrocks, Ore Dock, Barrel + Beam, Keweenaw, and Upper Hand— are easy to find on the shelves of your nearest bottle shop. The same can’t be said for Yooper wine or spirits, which arguably makes an on-the-ground tour that much more fascinating.

So, without further ado, let’s pull out our maps, gas up the car, and hit the road for a journey through seven U.P. establishments and the outstanding libations they make.

Stop 1: Great Turtle Brewery & Distillery

7

452 Main Street, Mackinac Island

The establishment: Since Mackinac Island is the middle ground between the Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula, we thought it would be a perfect place to kick off our tour. Not only does Great Turtle Brewery & Distillery offer terrific beer and spirits, it also has a Traverse City connection. According to their website, the “unique infrastructure of Mackinac Island” makes it impossible for the business to brew its own beer on-site. Instead, the beer at Great Turtle comes courtesy of a partnership of TC’s own Right Brain Brewery.

The drinks: On the spirits end, Great Turtle makes four—a vodka, a gin, a whiskey, and a spiced rum—as well as a signature cocktail featuring each spirit. Vodka fans, check out the Off the Dock, which mixes the Great Turtle Vodka with simple syrup and strawberry lemonade. Shell Time pairs the distillery’s rum with melon liqueur, lime, and pineapple juice, while Somewhere in Time is gin, orange juice, prickly pear syrup, and lime juice. Our favorite? Lost on Mackinac, featuring Great Turtle Whiskey, blue curacao liqueur, sour mix, and a splash of lemonade. Be careful, though: If you have too many, you’ll be lost on Mackinac, too…

Stop 2: Les Cheneaux Distillers

172 South Meridian Street, Cedarville

The establishment: If the name looks familiar, it could be because we also featured this Cedarville distillery in our U.P. brewski tour. The Les Cheneaux serves a nice array of different beers, from signatures like the Buoy Tipper Blonde pilsner to seasonals like the delectable Maple Bourbon Stout. But this time around, we’re focused on their spirits.

The drinks: Les Cheneaux makes vodka, gin, rum, and whiskey under the Straits brand name and has an ever-changing menu of over 30 handcrafted cocktails to spotlight the spirits. We’re fond of the Angry Ass, and we promise it’s not just because of the name. The cocktail is a whiskey mule, and if you’ve never tried a Moscow mule with whiskey instead of vodka, we can assure you that you’re missing out. We’re also fond of the Laid Back, which pairs gin and vodka with pineapple juice, grape juice, and a splash of tonic, and which—we kid you not—is labeled on the menu as “Inspired by Snoop Dog!” Time to start singing along: “Sippin’ on gin and juice, laid back/With my mind on my money/And my money on my mind…”

Stop 3: End of the Road Winery

6917 Burns Road, Germfask

The establishment: This seasonal winery just reopened for spring and summer on May 13, which means now is the perfect time to plan a visit. Established in 2015, End of the Road Winery grows all its own fruit—including grapes, raspberries, and apples—and makes a wide variety of reds, whites, and fruit wines.

The drinks: One thing to note at the outset of a U.P. wine tour is that most wineries you’ll visit aren’t going to have the vintages you’re used to drinking. Despite the thriving wine scene here in northwest Lower Michigan, our wineries are pushing the climate limits for the grapes they grow. Yooper wineries have fewer options, which not only means they rely on cold weather grapes to make their reds and whites, but also results in the U.P. having a much bigger fruit wine scene than we do. (As the Schitt’s Creek fans out there know, Canada is in the same boat.)

The wine list at End of the Road Winery spotlights both wines made from cold-hardy grapes—like the Niagara grape on the white side or the concord and petite pearl varieties for red—and wines made from harvest fruits. Try the Tahqua Rush, a wine made mostly from fresh rhubarb from local family farms, or Son of a Peach, crafted from Michigan peaches. It’s not just fruit, either: End of the Road also makes “Happy Sap,” a sublime maple wine made from locally processed pure maple syrup.

Stop 4: The Honorable Distillery

136 West Washington Street, Marquette

The establishment: The Honorable Distillery gets our vote for coolest history of any place on this list. Though the distillery itself just opened just last summer, its building in downtown Marquette has a long and fascinating story. Once known as “the Peter White Building,” the historic structure was converted in 1936 to a single-screen movie house called The Nordic Theater, with a design by Michael Hare—a New York City architect who had a hand in designing both Radio City Music Hall and Rockefeller Center. The theater operated for nearly 60 years before closing its doors in 1994. When new owners Anne White and Scott Anderson bought the building, they converted the old auditorium space into a distilling operation and turned the lobby into a tasting room. They also commissioned a replica of the Nordic’s original marquee, so from the street, the distillery still looks like an old-fashioned movie theater.

The drinks: The Honorable Distillery makes four flagship spirits: a rye whiskey, a straight bourbon-style whiskey, a gin, and a vodka. Currently, the distillery also has a special spirits line—called The Cinema Series—that pays tribute to the building’s history. The Red Salute Vodka is named after the 1935 comedy that was the first movie ever shown at The Nordic. Anatomy of a Murder Gin celebrates the famous 1959 film of the same name, in which Jimmy Stewart plays a small-town lawyer from the Upper Peninsula; the film was shot in part in Marquette, and had its world premiere at the Nordic on June 29, 1959. Finally, Black Beauty Rye Whiskey is named for the 1994 adaptation of Anna Sewell’s novel, the final film ever played at the Nordic. Those spirits are only available at The Honorable Distillery and are in limited supply, with each beautifully-labeled bottle numbered 1 through 1,000.

Stop 5: Northern Sun Winery and Vineyards

983

10th Road, Bark River

The establishment: What a lovely place to spend an afternoon. Northern Sun Winery is open year-round, but it’s especially popular in the summer, both as a wedding venue and as a place to take in a concert. If you happen to be in Bark River on a live music day, take a blanket and a picnic basket, pair it with a bottle of Northern Sun wine, and enjoy.

The drinks: All wines at Northern Sun Winery are 100 percent estate grown and are handpicked with help from the local community. We’re particularly fond of the Leon Millet, a red wine described as “a hybrid between old world French vines and hardy American stock” with “smooth, smoky” well-rounded character and “velvety subtle notes of raspberry, cherry, and a touch of chocolate.” If you prefer whites, try the LaCrescent, a crisp and refreshing wine that has netted Northern Sun Winery numerous gold medals at wine competitions.

Stop 6: Leigh’s Garden Winery

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4 Ludington Street, Escanaba

The establishment: This quaint spot in downtown Escanaba has a lot of history.

According to the Leigh’s Garden website, the winery’s tasting room at 904 Ludington Street was built in 1884 and “has been home to appliance repair companies, electricians, grocers, cigar merchants, furniture and appliance repair and retailers, clothiers, pubs, bars, [and] nightclubs.” Whether you’re stopping in for a quiet wine tasting or enjoying an evening of live music, Leigh’s has a cozy small-town atmosphere we just love.

The drinks: Leigh’s Garden Winery offers a dynamic selection of white, rosé, and red, with selections ranging from dry to sweet in each category. We’re especially taken with the Some Guy (a dry rosé made with Frontenac gris grapes), the Ludington Street Red (a dry red made with Maréchal Foch grapes), and the Strawberry Moon (a sweet dessert wine made with local strawberries).

Stop 7: Threefold Vine Winery & Meadery S232 Menominee Street, Stephenson

The establishment: Situated in the building that used to house the Bank of Stephenson, Threefold Vine Winery & Meadery crafts wine and mead exclusively from ingredients grown on a nearby 160-acre farm. At the farm, the Threefold Vine team grows grapes, makes its own honey, and even keeps its own animals—including a majestic llama dubbed “The Dalai Llama.” (No llama sightings at the tasting room yet, but we’re holding out hope.)

The drinks: Like most U.P. wineries, Threefold Vine Winery offers a selection of red, white, rosé, and fruit wine. While you’re here, though, we’d recommend something we haven’t gotten much of during other parts of this tour: mead! This fermented honey beverage is still harder to come by in Michigan than most other alcoholic libations, and Threefold Vine makes some darn good versions of the form. Which meads are available will depend on seasonality, but keep an eye out for popular favorites like rhubarb mead or cranberry mead.

Awesome!

Even with declining occurrences of tornadic storms, Kansas is famous for its twisters (thanks, Dorothy). Some cause extensive destruction, but on May 9, one tornado took precise aim on an unexpected target: a coconut cream pie. KSNT-TV reported that a baker in Clay Center, Nancy Kimbrough, filed an emergency report with the details: Her son was delivering baked goods to the Clay Center Country Club when the storm boiled up. The wind was so strong that it ripped the meringue right off the pie and splattered it across the parking lot. The club repaired the pie with Cool Whip and served it to guests anyway, and Kimbrough got a good laugh out of the incident. "It'll probably never happen again," she said, therefore inviting another pie-eating storm.

Suspicions Confirmed

A tourist identified as Mr. Zhang checked into a hotel in Lhasa, Tibet, on April 20, only to discover a foul smell in his room, CNN reported. He stuck it out for half a day, thinking it might be his own feet or the restaurant downstairs, but finally he asked to be moved. Two days later, he was informed about the source of the bad odor: a dead body under the bed. Police officers questioned Mr. Zhang but said he was not a suspect because the body had been there before he checked in. He cooperated with police and then took his leave of Tibet, saying he was suffering from the shock of the incident. "I stay up until 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. every morning, and the slightest movement would wake me up," he said. "It left me in a bad mental state." So yes, Billy, there really IS something scary under the bed.

The Fetishists

David Neal, 52, is the night manager at the 4th Avenue South Hilton Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee -- or he was, until a bizarre incident on March 30. WKRN-TV reported that around 5 a.m. that day, Neal allegedly made a key card to enter an occupied room and suck on the toes of the sleeping guest. When officers arrived at the hotel, Neal admitted entering the room but said he had done so because he smelled smoke and wanted to check on the occupant. He was arrested on May 5 at his home and charged with aggravated burglary and assault.

A cyclist and a hunter came to the rescue of a 51-year-old man who had been tied to a tree near the German town of Bueckburg on May 3, KRQE-TV reported. The situation was the unfortunate outcome of a sex game he had been playing with a woman; he told police that after she tied him up, she got a phone call and suddenly fled. He was fully dressed and had pantyhose over his head when he was found, but the box cutter he had brought "for such situations" was unreachable. The man was unharmed and refused to identify the woman for authorities.

Questionable Judgment

Chloe Stein, 23, of Jeannette, Pennsylvania, stopped attending classes at Penn State more than a year and a half ago, but her family was expecting her to graduate this month. So she did what any enterprising college student would do: She faked her own kidnapping. The New York Post reported that Stein left her job at Sonic on May 1 and texted her boyfriend that she'd been pulled over by police on a quiet road -- then she disappeared. When authorities caught up with her about 20 hours later, she was at the home of an acquaintance a few miles from the Sonic, where she had walked after abandoning her car and phone. She at first told police she had been bound and "semi-assaulted," but then admitted the whole thing was a hoax to cover for the fact that she wouldn't be graduating from college. State trooper Steve Limani said the search for Stein had cost the state "tens of thousands of dollars" in manpower and equipment. She is facing a number of charges in the case.

Don't Hear That Often

Beth Bogar of West Chesterfield, New Hampshire, was just finishing up a trip with her husband to Bali when things took a turn. WMUR-TV reported that the couple ended their tour at Mason Elephant Park & Lodge, where she got to swim with and ride an elephant. But when she posed with the pachyderm for a photo, her arm got "pushed" into the animal's mouth. "I couldn't get my arm out. I could just hear cracking and I just started to panic," she said. Bogar was rushed to a hospital an hour away, where the surgeon was able to reassemble her arm with plates and screws. "It's gonna be a long road," Bogar said. She noted that she knew the risks going in and doesn't blame the elephant.

The Neighbors

Ninety-two-year-old Colette Ferry of Frontenex, France, was surprised to answer her door recently and find two police officers, The Guardian reported. The officers informed Ferry that they would have to remove three large frogs who lived in her garden pond and had been croaking loudly enough to keep Ferry's neighbor awake. Ferry said the frogs didn't belong to her but were squatters. "They're in and out of the water playing with my fish," she explained. "There's always someone ready to complain about someone else." She's looking forward to watching officials try to catch the frogs. "That'll be fun ... They jump."

In the Burns Beach community of Perth, Australia, a dispute has arisen between a woman named Sarah and her neighbor, Perth Now reported. "Could you please shut your side window when cooking please," Sarah wrote on behalf of her family. "My family are vegan and the smell of the meat you cook makes us feel sick and upset." On the front of the envelope, she wrote, "PLEASE TAKE SERIOUSLY." But no such luck: The letter was posted to Facebook on May 5, where commenters were merciless: "I'm offended by the smell of the kale she always cooks," one said, while another said they'd be "firing up the bbq and inviting the entire street."

Animal Antics

On May 8 in Enid, Oklahoma, officers were called to a farm where someone had reported hearing shouts of "Help!" Officers David Sneed and Neil Storey arrived at the scene and also heard the cries for help: "I think it's a person," Sneed says on bodycam video. When they discovered the source of the hollering, it wasn't a person at all, but a goat. A person working at the farm then approached the officers and explained that the loud goat was "a little upset because I separated him from his friends," People reported.