The Founding
Journeyman Distillery was open to the public in 201 by Bill and Johanna Welter. Bill is a graduate of Missouri State University and Johanna a graduate of Grand Valley State. They actually met in Chicago at a going-away party for a mutual friend. Bill had grown a fondness and passion for whiskey while living in beautiful Scotland in 2000 and brought this fondness back to the states with him.
The distillery was opened in the historic Featherbone Factory in Three Oaks, Michigan. Believing in maintaining tradition and old-fashioned values in each product, they have kept the factory as close to the original building as they possibly could. Bill’s dad, Chuck Welter, had some collaboration in the renovation of the Featherbone Factory as well as sound business advice and guidance for his son.
Featherbone Factory
EK Warren, a famous prohibitionist, founded the factory in 1883 as a Buggy Whip and Corsets Factory. He became well-known as a revolutionary for his creativity and originality when it came to corsets and continued this success into the late 19th Century.
Due to his revolutionary success with corsets, EK Warren brought attention and impact to Three Oaks, Michigan, putting it on the map, where it is still famous today.
Opening the Doors
Bill and Johanna Welter officially opened their doors in 2011, but in 2012, word spread and the fascinating business grew, so they decided to expand and offer products to Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and New Jersey. They are continuing to expand today, offering more products elsewhere in the United States!
The Spirits
The Journeyman Distillery produces organic Spirits, Whiskies, Rums, Vodkas, Gins, and more! Today, they offer over 19 different delicious products that are popular everywhere.
In fact, in 2021, the Journeyman Distillery introduced a classy drink called the “Lady Marmalade,” a signature cocktail with ginger, vanilla, lemon juice, syrup, gin, and many more original ingredients. They are continuing to come up with new drinks and original recipes every day.
While they continue to offer a wide variety of products, their focus is on producing homemade whiskey. All products are distilled, bottled, served, and sold in the EK Warren historic Featherbone Factory in Three Oaks, Michigan.
This great Organic Spirits Distillery offers tours in their factory, where you can actually see the whiskey being made. You can watch the distillery process as you enjoy the organic maple flooring that was put in place in the 1800s and is still being honored today.
The Farm
Journeyman Distillery uses wood from the Welter family farm in Central Indiana. Everything is handcrafted, so you can be sure you are getting a homemade, value-packed, original Spirit when you order something from the distillery!
Not only that, but you know they pay close attention to every detail of the product you purchase, and you are helping support, local organic farmers, when you purchase from this distillery because they buy organic grain that is only grown by families in the Midwest! Journeyman Distillery respects tradition and local farmers. When you buy from them, you are supporting family farms of all sizes and avoiding toxic chemicals!
The Midwest Organic Services Association (MOSA) is a non-profit organic certification agency and has certified Journeyman Distillery as being organic because they produce their products without the use of fertilizers, pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, food additives, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
