A potato-made vodka that originated from a northern Michigan family farm, and was inspired by the Manistee River has started one of its few production runs.
North River Vodka is distilled in Traverse City through a partnership with Grand Traverse Distillery and is made from fresh potatoes grown in Kalkaska by Iott Seed Farms. The vodka founder Chris Iott grew up on Iott Seed Farms, and his product is available for bars, restaurants, and stores across Michigan to carry.
“We take the same pride in making North River Vodka, which is handcrafted exclusively from whole, fresh potatoes are grown on our family farm. It’s the first Michigan vodka produced that way. It’s Michigan’s True Spirit. […] We grew up on a farm in Northern Michigan that remains in our family today. We gather regularly just down the road from there at the Manistee River. Those two important places in our lives are the inspiration for North River Vodka,” the manufacturers wrote on their website.
The Iott family has been farming in Michigan since the 1800s and has had the farm in Kalkaska since 1974. They grow roughly 10,000 metric tons of seed potatoes each year.
Traditionally, vodka was made from potatoes. But most vodka today is produced from grains such as sorghum, corn, and rye since it’s cheaper to produce, according to experts. Due to its distillation process, vodka tends to have little-to-no flavor but it can have varying tastes determined by the different methods and ingredients used.
