GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A popular local distillery received a big honor at the West Michigan Food and Beverage Industry Awards.
Eastern Kille Distillery was named the best distillery in West Michigan.
"We are honored to be named Distillery of the Year by the judges of the West Michigan F&B Industry Awards! It's a testament to our great team and all the hard work they put in to create the best experience for our guests," said owner Brandon Voorhees on receiving the award.
The business just broke ground on a brand new location in Plainfield Township near Rockford. The new distillery location will also include a restaurant and cocktail garden.
Eastern Kille has been a part of the Beer City scene since 2016.
They expanded last year with a satellite tasting room on Wealthy Street in Grand Rapids, and now the growth continues into the new year.
The owners were able to get some acreage for the new space, creating an outdoor dining space. The vibe and design are inspired by Norwegian and Scandinavian styles, while the menu will focus on Neapolitan-style pizzas and more.
"It creates versatility for us. And also a little bit more of a streamlined menu. For our first concept we wanted to, I don't want to say keep it simple, because we're going to try to make the best pieces that we can possibly make. Quality is going to be the main focus just like it is with our spirits in our cocktails," Vorhees said. "But we felt like this was going to give us the best chance to serve what we hope is a good amount of folks trying to come in visit and try our stuff out."
Plans are to open another satellite tasting room in Grand Rapids in the future. The goal is to have the Plainfield Township location open sometime this fall.
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