How an Engineer Built Wisconsin’s First Craft Distillery

About this episode

Guy Rehorst shares his journey of founding Wisconsin's first craft distillery and the challenges faced in the industry.

Guy Rehorst is the founder and CEO of Great Lakes Distillery , Wisconsin’s original post-Prohibition distillery. From hobbyist homebrewer to pioneering entrepreneur, discover how curiosity, experimentation, and an engineer’s perspective led him to transform the Wisconsin’s spirits landscape. Find out about the challenges of building a craft distillery from the ground up, from navigating regulatory hurdles to sourcing local ingredients and championing sustainability. This episode also delivers invaluable lessons for entrepreneurs – including the hard realities of sales, market volatility, and the power of adaptability in an ever-evolving industry. In this episode, we explore:  (00:00) Pioneering Wisconsin craft distilling (04:05) Trailblazer’s journey into craft spirits (06:22) How bourbon is made and planned (10:06) Reviving absinthe after re-legalization (15:37) Making spirits vs selling them (17:37) THC cocktails and production challenges Links mentioned in this episode: Connect with Guy Rehorst on LinkedIn Great Lakes Distillery

People in this episode

Host: Bill Mitchell

Guest: Guy Rehorst

Topics covered

• craft distilling
• entrepreneurship
• sustainability
• regulatory challenges
• market volatility
• adaptability

Keywords

• craft distillery
• entrepreneur
• sustainability
• regulatory hurdles
• market volatility
• THC cocktails

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Great Lakes Distillery

Places: Wisconsin, Wisconsin

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