New Distillery in Saint Cloud

I know a few members on here are from around the Saint Cloud area. There is a new Distillery that recently opened here in town. Its name is Iron Street Distillery. It is located on the East side of saint cloud close to the Val’s burger. Its in a rather old cool building. They did a real nice job of fixing it up for a cool casual bar setting. For now they make Vodka, Rum, Rye Whiskey, and Bourbon. I believe soon they will also have Gin. Because they can not also have a regular liquor license in addition to the distiller license they can only serve the liquor distilled on site. This make some of the drink option a little limited because they can not use any other products that contain liquor ( Vermouth and Bitters come to mind ) They do not serve any food at the location, but you can bring in your own, or have it delivered and eat onsite. When I visited we had a pizza delivered. I tried their old fashioned. They have one made with Rye Whiskey and one with Bourbon. I tried both. The server must have overheard me telling my buddy he better try mine made with Bourbon first before ordering one as it had a slight smokey taste and I know he did not like a bourbon his son in law had us try one time ( really smoky flavor ) she brought me a rye version for free to try. They were both good. I will say I liked the rye version better. My wife had a Rum drink with OJ and Pineapple juice. It was rather tasty as well. They do sell their products onsite. You are limited to 1 bottle within a 24hr period. That seemed strange, but I guess distillery’s have some real strange laws here in Minnesota. They do have plans to have food truck onsite often. Overall it was a cool visit, I’m sure I’ll visit them again. Here is a link to their website:

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fishthumper wrote:

They do not serve any food at the location, but you can bring in your own, or have it delivered and eat onsite

Umm, near Val’s? Easy decision.

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>fishthumper wrote:</div>
They do not serve any food at the location, but you can bring in your own, or have it delivered and eat onsite

Umm, near Val’s? Easy decision.

Dang right!

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

Umm, near Val’s? Easy decision

Yep. I hear lots of people pick up a burger from Val’s and bring it over there to eat.

fishthumper wrote:

Yep. I hear lots of people pick up a burger from Val’s and bring it over there to eat.

They should just put menus in the distillery for vals and have someone run the food over. They would make a killing on it.

The wife and I and some friends stop be there a few weeks ago. I wasn’t impressed with the Bourbon or Rye to say the least. They where very weak tasting. The atmosphere is really nice though.

walldows wrote:

The wife and I and some friends stop be there a few weeks ago. I wasn’t impressed with the Bourbon or Rye to say the least. They where very weak tasting. The atmosphere is really nice though.

I typically am not a Bourbon or Rye Whisky drinker so I had nothing to judge it by. Most my Whisky drinking is limited to Canadian Whisky’s.

CaptainMusky wrote:

They should just put menus in the distillery for vals and have someone run the food over. They would make a killing on it.

I had heard from someone that Val’s would deliver your order there. I sent a Email asking them if that was true. later called to verify that. NO GO !!!! got the reply back from the email 2 days later saying the same thing. They are not real quick on their Email reply’s. Must be to busy making those yummy burgers. I guess they sell enough that they don’t feel the need to deliver.

I thought bourbon took a few years to age before it could be sold as bourbon? Have they been at it a few years? There’s a vodka distillery near our cabin and the owner said they were branching out to bourbon but it wouldn’t be ready until it aged. I think he said 3 years?

^^^that is correct…

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

Umm, near Val’s? Easy decision.

I’m slightly embarrassed to say this, but I went to college in St. Cloud for 5 years and had never even heard of Val’s until after I graduated. Only after I went back there a few years later for work did someone recommend it, and then I tried it.

Ok thanks. I was wondering how a new distillery had bourbon. But now I know.

Doesn’t mean that they have good bourbon …

Most likely not but yes you are correct.
If you want good bourbon stick to those that know how to make good bourbon.
Those folks live in Kentucky.

gim wrote:

I’m slightly embarrassed to say this, but I went to college in St. Cloud for 5 years and had never even heard of Val’s until after I graduated. Only after I went back there a few years later for work did someone recommend it, and then I tried it.

You should be more than slightly embarrassed to say that.

CaptainMusky wrote:

You should be more than slightly embarrassed to say that.

Lol I know. I have no idea how it eluded me for 5 whole years.

Someone asked me what I thought of Val’s and I looked at them like “huh? What’s that?”

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

Umm, near Val’s? Easy decision.

I wonder how many burgers have been sold out of that place since it opened. I know I have added a fair amount to their total.

fishthumper wrote:

I wonder how many burgers have been sold out of that place since it opened. I know I have added a fair amount to their total.

Haha yeah, it’s gotta be millions, and between myself, family and friends I’ve gone there with we’ve probably added a few 100. Still swing in on cabin runs and add 6 total, 2 doubles and 2 singles for the family.

Hopefully the distillery does well, they need some rejuvenation on the east side.

BigWerm wrote:

Hopefully the distillery does well, they need some rejuvenation on the east side.

Yes they do. Sadly the powers to be in this town don’t want to do much to help out the east side. Sometimes I feel like they think everything from the River East is a dead waste land.

Hard Water Fan wrote:

Ok thanks. I was wondering how a new distillery had bourbon. But now I know.

Doesn’t mean that they have good bourbon …

So maybe after some of their bourbon has time to age it will get better. Then again like I said I would probably not know the difference between a good one and a poor one.

suzuki wrote:

I thought bourbon took a few years to age before it could be sold as bourbon? Have they been at it a few years? There’s a vodka distillery near our cabin and the owner said they were branching out to bourbon but it wouldn’t be ready until it aged. I think he said 3 years?

Pretty sure they are sourcing the bourbon. Back of the bottle gives a couple details and I cant remember if it was Indiana or Virginia.

Is it in that old window factory ?

Jake wrote:

Pretty sure they are sourcing the bourbon. Back of the bottle gives a couple details and I cant remember if it was Indiana or Virginia.

That would be odd. The owner told me they were not allowed to serve or sell anything that they did not distill there. Unless they have a related distillery some place else and they are allowed to use liquor made at that location as well.

fishthumper wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Jake wrote:</div>
Pretty sure they are sourcing the bourbon. Back of the bottle gives a couple details and I cant remember if it was Indiana or Virginia.

That would be odd. The owner told me they were not allowed to serve or sell anything that they did not distill there. Unless they have a related distillery some place else and they are allowed to use liquor made at that location as well.

Their website claims aged 3-5 years. Hard to believe they have been aging their own stuff that long.