Middle West Spirits is an Ohio craft distillery that makes whiskey, gin, and vodka. The distillery has a wide selection of these liquors, though you'll find more variety in their whiskeys than gin and vodka combined.
If you considered buying one of their bottles but don't know anything about the distillery, you've come to the right place. We'll go through everything to know about this distillery and review their liquors.
Middle West Spirits: An Introduction
Middle West Spirits is a craft distillery in the Midwest. The company operates on a fairly large scale, where you can book a tour to visit their facilities north of Columbus. The distillery is well-known for its OYO vodka lineup and various whiskeys.
Middle West Spirits' American Character Vodka, Michelone Reserve, Dark Pumpernickel, and Straight Wheat Whiskey are the most popular bottles. While the distillery is well-known for these, you may also know them for VIM & PETAL or LUX & UMBRA dry gins.
Below, we'll discuss more about the individual liquors crafted by Middle West Spirits, along with a brief history of this Midwest distillery, ingredients used for their liquors, where you can find their bottles, and more.
What Is the Alcohol Content of Middle West Spirits?
Middle West Spirits follows standard alcohol content ranges for their liquors. For example, their vodkas have an ABV of around 40%, which is common for vodkas in the US.
Here's a quick rundown of the alcohol content of Middle West Spirits' liquors.
- Whiskey: Middle West Spirits' whiskey alcohol content is between 15% and 55% ABV.
- Vodka: Middle West Spirits' OYO Vodkas range between 35% and 40% ABV.
- Gin: Middle West Spirits' gin alcohol content is 42% ABV.
What Is the History of Middle West Spirits
Middle West Spirits was founded in 2008 by Ryan Lang, who's the current CEO and master distiller of the distillery. In just under 16 years, the distillery became one of the top 10 US whiskey producers, with a recent expansion to the east side of Columbus.
Where Is Middle West Spirits From?
Middle West Spirits is an Ohio-based distillery at 1230 Courtland Ave in Columbus. The distillery is open to visitors, and you can book a tour on their website. It costs $10 per guest, and individuals 21 and over can sample the artisan spirits of Middle West Spirits crafted in their distillery as part of the tour.
When Was Middle West Spirits Created?
Middle West Spirits was created in 2008 by Ryan Lang. Coming from a family of distillers, Lang is a fourth-generation distiller who kept his family tradition alive by learning every aspect of distillation and expanding Middle West Spirits to where it is today.
What Types of Middle West Spirits Liquors Are There?
Middle West Spirits produces a wide variety of whiskey, vodka, and gin. The brand is recognized for the OYO vodka lineup and diverse selection of whiskeys. They have rye and wheat whiskey, bourbon, flavored and traditional vodkas, and dry gins.
Middle West Spirits Dark Pumpernickel
Middle West’s Dark Pumpernickel is a wheat whiskey made with wheat, yellow corn, and 2-row barley. Experience flavors like ground cinnamon, vanilla bean, sandalwood, and chai latte with every sip. Bottled at 96 proof.
Middle West Spirits Straight Wheat Whiskey
An award-winning wheat whiskey made with Ohio soft red winter wheat. Aged for three years in American oak and includes flavors like brandied cherry, vanilla bean, nutmeg, and custard. Middle West Wheat Whiskey is bottled at 92 proof.
Middle West Spirits Sherry Finished Bourbon Whiskey
A complex spirit crafted from a blend of corn, wheat, and barley. Experience flavors like cherry, plum, and nutty chocolates with each sip. Sherry Finished Bourbon Whiskey is bottled at 97.25
Middle West Spirits Ported Pumpernickel Rye
A full-bodied spirit aged for five years with flavor notes of nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon, and spiced rye. Porter Pumpernickel Rye is bottled at 99.50 proof.
Middle West Spirits Bourbon Cream
The award-winning Michelone Reserve Bourbon Whiskey is blended with sweet cream for a delicious cream you can add to coffee, espresso, eggnog, or hot chocolate. Bourbon Cream Includes hints of vanilla, caramel, dark chocolate, and much more.
Middle West Spirits OYO American Character Vodka
Middle West’s flagship vodka, OYO American Character Vodka is a smooth vodka with hints of vanilla, fruit confection, and baking spices. Bottled at 80 proof, it's a delicious vodka for shooting, sipping, or mixing.
Middle West Spirits OYO Honey Vanilla Bean Vodka
Middle West’s flagship vodka is infused with local wildflower, honey, and vanilla beans to give you a smooth and delicious vodka. OYO Honey Vanilla Bean Vodka is bottled at 80% and includes flavor notes of marshmallow, vanilla, root beer, and a hint of leather spice.
Middle West Spirits Vim & Petal Gin
Bottled at 84 proof, Vim & Petal Gin is a dry gin made with botanicals like Ohio soft red winter wheat, toasted black tea, jasmine, orris, and 14 other botanicals. It's smooth, fruity, and perfect for sipping and mixing.
What Ingredients Are in Middle West Spirits Liquors?
Middle West Spirits only use non-GMO, food-grade materials to craft their artisan spirits. Everything from the distillation to packaging is done at their Ohio distillery.
Middle West Spirits' whiskeys are made with a blend of Ohio soft red winter wheat, 2-row barley, yellow corn, and dark pumpernickel rye. Their vodkas are made from Ohio soft red winter wheat. While their flavored vodkas, such as the Honey Vanilla Bean Vodka, are infused with single-source, organic raw vanilla beans processed at their distillery.
Lastly, the two gins Middle West Spirits crafts and sells are made with Ohio soft red winter wheat and various botanicals like juniper, angelica root, epazote, green cardamom, hibiscus, jasmine, Indonesian cinnamon, lemon peel, Sichuan peppercorn, toasted black tea, rose hips, and mace blades.
How Much Does Middle West Spirits Liquor Usually Cost?
Middle West Spirits' whiskey ranges between $26.99 and $104.99. Vodkas go from $33.99 to $39.99 and gins are $32.99.
What Is the Best Way to Enjoy Middle West Spirits Liquor?
Middle West Spirits offers various types of liquors. They have the most variety in their whiskeys, ranging from white rye whiskey to cask-finished bourbon. All their products can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or used as a mixer for cocktails.
However, Ported Pumpernickel Rye and Oloroso Wheat Whiskey are best enjoyed neat or with ice as they are premium whiskeys.
Middle West Spirits has more flavored vodka than plain vodka. All their bottles are great options for making quick cocktails and can be enjoyed neat or with just a few ice cubes. Lastly, their gins are very neutral-tasting and smooth, making them suitable for various cocktails, like a gin and tonic, gin fizz, or gin martini.
How to Choose a Good Middle West Spirits Vodka, Gin, or Whiskey
While choosing one of their vodkas or gins is straightforward, finding the appropriate Middle West Spirits whiskey to your liking may take some expertise and a few tries. With ten different whiskeys, you first should choose what type of whiskey you want.
Middle West Spirits has rye, wheat, and bourbon whiskey. If you enjoy standard American whiskeys, Michelone Reserve and Dark Pumpernickel can be appealing options. These are also the most popular products crafted and sold by Middle West Spirits.
If you're looking for a more premium option, we recommend Ported Pumpernickel Rye, Oloroso Wheat Whiskey, and Sherry Cask-Finished Bourbon.
As for their vodka, you'll only find one plain option: their American Character Vodka. It's smooth and refined with tones of honey and vanilla. It's a great vodka for its price range that you can sip or mix for cocktails. Middle West Spirits have more flavored vodkas, such as Stone Fruit Vodka and Honey Vanilla Bean Vodka.
Finding the best Middle West Spirits bottle for you depends on your personal preferences. Middle West Spirits' Honey Vanilla Bean Vodka is great, but those who like their vodka neat will find the extra $1 worth paying for Barrel-Finished Honey Vanilla Bean Vodka. It has a more mouthful feeling compared to others.
While all their whiskeys are enjoyed by many, the highlight of this distillery is the Sherry Cask-Finished Bourbon. It has complex notes of coffee, dark chocolate, and leather, making it a very fine drink.
Where Can You Find Middle West Spirits?
Middle West Spirits is available nationwide but is more common in the Midwest, as it is an Ohio-based distillery. If your local liquor store doesn't have one of the distillery's products, you can order them online through Speakeasy.
Since Middle West Spirits' artisan spirits are growing and the company is expanding, you may also find them in restaurants and bars that have a wide selection of whiskeys and vodkas.
Middle West Spirits FAQs
Still have questions about Middle West Spirits? We've answered the most common ones below.
What Do Middle West Spirits Make?
Middle West Spirits is the maker of artisanal rye, bourbon, and wheat whiskey. The distillery is also behind the OYO Vodka, selling various flavored vodkas and American Character plain vodka. In addition to these, Middle West Spirits crafts and sells two different dry gins.
What's the Best Middle West Spirits Whiskey?
Middle West Spirits has two frontrunner whiskeys, Michelone Reserve and Dark Pumpernickel, which are their top-selling whiskeys. Both offer complex flavors and are mostly enjoyed neat or on the rocks. Middle West Spirits also has the Sherry Cask-Finished Bourbon, arguably the best whiskey from this distillery for many.
Can I Visit the Middle West Spirits Distillery?
Middle West Spirits is open to visitors. Anyone over 16 years of age can tour the distillery, but only those 21 and over can test samples. The tour costs $10 per person, with seniors and military personnel getting discounted prices. Service animals may accompany those with a disability.
Take a Sip of Middle West Spirits
Middle West Spirits is one of the leading whiskey, vodka, and gin distillers in the Midwest. You'll find a variety of rye, wheat, and bourbon whiskeys from Middle West Spirits, ranging from $26.99 to $104.99. The distillery also crafts a handful of vodkas and gins.
Middle West Spirits' Straight Wheat Whiskey, Michelon Reserve (Straight Wheated Bourbon Whiskey), and Dark Pumpernickel (Straight Rye Whiskey) are notable bottles from this distillery that won't disappoint whiskey enjoyers. If you're new to Middle West Spirits, we recommend starting off with their award-winning Straight Wheat Whiskey.
