O-Y-Can't I Drink You All the Time?

Last night, yours truly and her partner-in-crime, the Bro-in-Law hit up MiddleWest Spirits for their Wednesday evening $5 tour and tasting. If you've not heard of MiddleWest and their exceptional spirits, come on out from under that rock, find a bar that serves their OYO (oh-why-oh) products, and prepare to have your idea of clear, "flavorless" vodka redefined.

Started by Brady Konya and Ryan Lang, MiddleWest is the first microdistillery in the city, and dedicated to producing distinctly local spirits: ones whose tastes reflect the very nature of Ohio, while at the same time promote sustainable manufacturing processes and encourage local enterprise. What is inspiring and most notable about Brady and Ryan is how passionate they are about product: they believe profoundly in what they're making, and they believe in making it the best they possibly can. ...And if Maxim, the Beverage Tasting Institute, and glowing write-ups in out-of-state papers, are correct, then these guys are definitely among the best.

Their distillery, just north of the intersection of 5th Ave. and High St., is an open, expansive warehouse with gleaming copper stills at the front and center of the space. Both Brady and Ryan shared tour duties on our visit, coming in and out of the conversation as they addressed the day-to-day business of managing a rapidly growing business. Unlike many distilleries, who fiercely guard their production processes, MiddleWest encourages the community to tour their facility and see exactly what goes into their spirits--most importantly, the soft red winter wheat, sourced from Fostoria, Ohio. The tour is entertaining and informative, and of course ends in a tasting of their flagship vodka (smooth and slightly sweet, with caramel/butterscotch notes), honey-vanilla vodka (smelled like honey, but tasted of sweet vanilla), and whiskey (easy to drink, with a flavor of burnt caramel on the end). Just to keep it fun, they also offer a top-shelf vodka for comparison, and let you draw your own conclusions. (Confession: none of us on the tour bothered finishing our tastes of the top shelf, compared to the OYO, it wasn't worth it!)

We learned that Ryan and Brady have a couple of additional projects coming down the pipe for MiddleWest, and are currently aging their second batch of OYO whiskey (which comes out in June, and runs out fast, so keep your eyes peeled if you want to order a bottle!), so thankfully, these guys are only just getting started. Their dedication to their craft and to the community is inspiring, so show your gratitude by ordering a OYO Vanilla Sidecar or OYO Manhattan and give a toast to our local entrepreneurs...and pour one for me while you're at it.

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