Hosted by The Mather & Iron Fish Distillery. The art of bourbon blending is as much about tradition as it is about creativity - and now you have the opportunity to craft your own. You are invited to an exclusive bourbon, blending and finishing workshop featuring Iron Fish Distillery cofounder Richard and Sarah Anderson, who will guide you through with the rich history of bourbon, the nuances of a barrel, finishing, and the art of custom blending.
Evening highlights:
- welcome reception featuring a cocktail and first round of appetizers - an opportunity to network with whiskey aficionados (or those just getting acclimated)
- introduction to the history of bourbon and the craft of blending whiskey.
-tips on performing sensory analysis to evaluate whiskey like a pro.
- tasting and exploration of four unique barrel finishes:
* Michigan maple syrup barrel finish
* Caribbean rum cask finish
* French cognac barrel finish
* Spanish Sherry barrel finish
- Guided session on crafting your own Four Cask Blend.
Enjoy an evening of discovery, creativity, and expertly crafted whiskey, and an intimate setting at the historic Mather. Participants will select the best blend in a blind tasting and earn the opportunity to bring a party of four for a VIP state farm and distillery tour, followed by dinner, including woodfired pizza and a round of cocktails at Iron Fish Distillery.
About Four Cask Bourbon:
Four Cask reflects the vision of our talented blending team using carefully sourced high bourbons finished in barrels from around the world, Spanish Sherry, French cognac, Caribbean, rum and iron fish, Michigan maple syrup. Each cask adds a layer to this rich complex and beautifully, balanced whiskey. This whiskey recently was awarded a double platinum metal the highest achievable metal at the 2025 ASCOT AWARD in the special barrel finished bourbon category, the American Spirit Council of Tasters (ASCOT) award is an international spirit competition created by spirit, personality, and nationally recognized veteran tasting judge, Fred Minnick.
About Iron Fish Distillery: Iron Fish Distillery was founded in 2016 as Michigan’s first farm distillery, growing grain and distilling spirits and barrel, finishing sourced whiskey. Located along the Betsie River watershed home of the steelhead. This MAEAP certified working farm and distillery attracts over 120,000 guests annually, the agricultural destination reborn on a long time abandoned 120 acre farm located in rural Springdale Township in Manistee County. Every step of our soil to spirit process starting in our farm fields, where we grow and harvest our own grain to milling mashing, fermenting and distilling and barrel aging occurs on site iron fish also sources bourbon for finishing in barrels from around the world to date our library of barrel, aging spiritsexceeds 2500 barrels consisting of carefully sourced farm barrel finished whiskeys and estate whiskeys distilled from grain grown on our farm and from nearby farms.
Also check out other Workshops in Ishpeming, Arts events in Ishpeming, Entertainment events in Ishpeming.
