Founded on Washington Island, Wisconsin in 2005 by brothers Tom and Ken Koyen, Death’s Door Spirits is a brand that had a very modest start to life. Motivated by the idea that agriculture could be restored, promoted and conserved on Washington Island, with the assistance of the Michael Fields Institute, the Koyens were able to assist the growth of the organic hard red winter wheat, a variety that could survive in the unique maritime conditions on the Island.
After discovering their propensity for agriculture and cultivation, the Koyen brothers began to imagine another use for the organic hard red winter wheat. What began as a wheat variety grown to be made into flour soon became the select speciality grain for use in Capital Brewery’s Island Wheat Ale and all of Death’s Door Spirits future products. They set up a company with a name taken from a body of water between Door County peninsula and Washington Island, and began the process of creating Death’s Door Gin. The botanical elements used in this gin, however, are surprisingly simple. A mix of local, wild juniper berries with coriander and fennel sourced from within the state is all that it takes to create the brand’s core expression, making it the perfect example of how complementary and complex simple spirits can be.
Since its inception in 2005, Death’s Door Spirits has evolved into a very successful, full-fledged business. The company’s state-of-the art distillery in Middleton was completed on June 4th, 2012,becoming the largest craft distillery in Wisconsin and one of the largest in the region, with an annual capacity in excess of 250,000 cases.