ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Ann Arbor’s only spirits distillery, Ann Arbor Distilling Co. has made its stamp on Michigan spirits.
We chatted with new head distiller Alyssa Hughes about her distillation, her favorite spirits and what she has planned for 2020.
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Having started at Ann Arbor Distilling Co. about two-and-a-half years ago as an apprentice distiller, Hughes hit the ground running. She was immediately included in the distillation process with former head distiller John Britton.
“It was a little bit on a fast-track, “ Hughes said. “That’s not really normal for distilleries to have apprentices start distilling immediately. It was kind of like a trial-by-fire.”
“But, the good thing about that is I got as much “still-time” in one year as an apprentice elsewhere would get in five years.”
Hughes stepped into the role of head distiller on Sept. 1 but an official announcement of her post should come around April of 2020, marking her third anniversary with the downtown distillery.
A former cheesemaker, Hughes said that distillation is a lot like making cheese, the equipment is similar, as is the mindset -- you have to think about the product you want to have in the future and work backward.
For her, the chemistry and process behind the different spirits attracted her to the field, as did the philosophy of thinking about the effects different elements added to her spirits.
Additionally, Hughes has learned a lot about how to combine the right barrel with the right spirit.
“Just how the whiskeys and barrels affect each other -- that has been a very, very fascinating aspect that I’m constantly researching because I just love it.”
Hughes said that a barrel’s age, plus its size, determines how a spirit is distilled within it. Finding that perfect balance has been her passion from early on in her time at A2DC.
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When she started at the distillery, whiskey was Hughes’ favorite spirit but things have changed.
“But I think my favorite spirit, and I would not have said this when I first started here, is gin,” Hughes said. Particularly, A2DC’s Fall gin.
“Which makes sense, because I was a whiskey drinker before and it’s [the Fall gin] aged in whiskey barrels so it’s kind of a blend between a whiskey and a gin. But, it also has all the cozy aspects of fall,” Hughes said.
“It has baking spices, and rosemary and oregano, but it also has outdoorsy flavors like cedar and oakmoss.”
Hughes said that her preferred part of the distillation process is distillation itself. She loves working with “Jenny” -- A2DC’s distillation still -- which she got to name when she was an apprentice.
“So probably my favorite aspect is -- one, getting to know the machinery and equipment and how it affects spirits, and then number two would be the actual distillation process itself because it’s very ...it almost feels like magic. It’s very scientific but there something very ethereal about it."
And Hughes is a bit of an alchemist, she transmutes grains and fruits into alcohol.
Looking forward, Hughes said that she’s excited to release various additional spirits in 2020. The distillery plans to make these spirits out of Michigan grains and fruits and give them an A2DC twist.
Visit the Ann Arbor Distilling Co. website to learn more about its seasonal gins, whiskeys, vodka and more.
The distillery is at 220 Felch St.