Le Claire, Iowa, April 30, 2012 - Fans and whiskey enthusiasts will soon be able to find another Mississippi River Distilling Company whiskey on store shelves.  Queen Bee Honey Whiskey will be released for sale this Friday, May 4.  This is a corn whiskey infused with fresh honey from beekeepers near Preston, Iowa, just 30 miles north of the distillery.  The use of fresh honey is unique says owner and distiller Ryan Burchett.

"There are several honey whiskey products on the market, but if you look closely at the label you'll see that they are actually labeled as liqueurs and not whiskeys," Burchett comments.  "That's because once you add sugar to a product, you can't call it whiskey anymore.  Queen Bee is whiskey with real honey added to it, nothing else, which provides a nice smooth sweetness without overwhelming the palate."

Queen Bee Honey Whiskey is the latest seasonal product to be released by MRDC.  Each seasonal product is a limited bottling, usually 3,000 - 4,000 375-ml bottles total available for distribution.  The idea behind each seasonal spirit is to bring some unique products to the market and also partner with other local businesses to incorporate new local ingredients.

The distillery is limiting production to 6,000 bottles of Queen Bee Honey Whiskey.  "It's our biggest seasonal yet," said owner and distiller Garrett Burchett.  "We did 3,200 bottles of our seasonal rye whiskey in February and distributors were sold out in six weeks.  We're making a little more of this one, so hopefully it will last a bit longer."

Friday, May 4 will also be MRDC's "First Friday" with a Cinco de Mayo celebration from 5:30 to 8 p.m.  The First Friday feature event is a free open house and May marks the one year anniversary of these monthly evening socials.  Chef Stephanie is preparing a honey mustard sauce with the new Queen Bee Honey Whiskey and celebration the fiesta night with fried bananas.  The bar will feature a couple different kinds of margaritas prepared with River Baron Artisan Spirit and River Rose Gin.

Le Claire, Iowa, January 26, 2012 - The gang at Mississippi River Distilling Company has been busy again distilling up another seasonal whiskey.  Windmill Rye Whiskey will be available to purchase and taste on Friday, February 3 at the distillery and local retailers.  MRDC encourages spirit connoisseurs and rye novices to explore the spiciness and earthy qualities of rye in this whiskey.

Locally grown rye from Reynolds, Illinois was taken to De Immigrant Windmill in Fulton, Illinois for milling.  This authentic Dutch windmill, which sits right on the banks of the Mighty Mississippi, is just 20 miles upriver from the distillery.  Each seasonal spirit MRDC produces is a product of partnering with other local businesses and using local products.

"The power of nature churned the rye into a flour that was then returned to our distillery for fermentation.  The spirit is 100% rye and was aged over charred oak and then finished in used bourbon barrels," remarks owner/distiller Ryan Burchett.  "It was really a pleasure to work with the volunteer millers in Fulton.  They were so eager to take part in this unique venture.  They even came out and helped us bottle it!"

The whiskey has a very unique flavor and finish that is quite different than the typical rye whiskey.  "Most rye whiskey is blended with corn."  Said distiller Garrett Burchett.  "We like to let people experience the complexities of the grain, so this one is 100% rye.  Just as you'd expect from a rye bread, this spirit is a little heavier and more complicated.  We've been amazed at how it opens and evolves in the glass in between sips.  It's been a lot of fun to hear all the different flavors people are pulling out of it."

As with each of their seasonal spirits, the rye whiskey will be a limited release.  Distillers and volunteers bottled approximately 3,200 bottles.  Windmill Rye Whiskey will also be specially featured at MRDC's First Friday event on Friday, February 3 from 5:30 - 8 p.m.

Fans of MRDC spirits should also mark your calendars now for the next big release, Cody Road Bourbon Whiskey.  The second release of this much sought after spirit will be Friday, March 2, with distillery doors opening at 10 a.m.  The first release in December saw 120 bottles sell out at the distillery within four hours with the rest of the 1,000 bottle batch selling out in just 3 days at retailers.

Mississippi River Distilling Company is open from 10 AM to 5 PM Monday through Saturday and from 12 to 5 PM Sundays.  Free tours are offered to the public daily on the hour from 12 to 4 PM or by appointment.  The tour takes visitors through the entire distilling process and end in the Grand Tasting Room with free samples of products for those patrons over 21 years of age.

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LeClaire, IA, December 21, 2011 - The homegrown allure of locally made spirits has caught the attention of a national news anchor.  John Roberts, Senior National Correspondent for FOX News and former anchor and reporter for CNN and CBS News, toured Mississippi River Distilling Company in LeClaire while visiting family in the area over the weekend.  He was so enamored with the distillery and tour that he decided to tell the story to the world.

Roberts penned a "Food & Drink" feature article for FoxNews.com.  "When you walk into the tasting room, with its expansive view of the Mississippi River, you're hooked." he wrote.  Roberts contacted distillers Ryan and Garrett Burchett on Tuesday to ask a few questions for the story.

"What was really cool about talking with John is that he sincerely enjoyed his time at the distillery.  It's always fun to hear different impressions from tourists about what we're doing here.  It's a real thrill to have someone who has seen the world tell us he gets a kick out of what we're doing here and enjoys our products." said Ryan.

Garrett gave the tour to John and his family.  As mentioned in the story, John was worried that he asked too many questions.  "We get a lot of questions on every tour.  So I never thought twice about it." said Garrett. "But I guess it's not every day that you're questioned by a national news correspondent."

The brothers told John that if he makes it back to Iowa for the January Caucuses, they'd love to have him back to check on the progress of the next batch of Cody Road Bourbon Whiskey.  The whiskey was sold out while John was on his visit.

You can read John's entire article online at:
http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2011/12/21/new-use-for-corn-in-iowa/

Mississippi River Distilling Company in LeClaire is open from 10 AM to 5 PM Monday through Saturday and from 12 to 5 PM Sundays.  Free public tours are offered daily on the hour from 12 to 4 PM or by appointment.  The tour takes visitors through the entire distilling process and ends in the Grand Tasting Room with free samples for patrons over 21 years old.  The distillery will be closed December 25 and 26 as well as January 1 for the holidays.

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Le Claire, Iowa, November 8, 2011 - Mississippi River Distilling Company has recently been recognized with two exceptional industry awards for their spirits.  MRDC's River Pilot Vodka received the Beverage Tasting Institute's (BTI) Gold Medal in the International Review of Spirits as well as a Bronze Medal at this year's 2011 New York International Spirits Competition (NYISC).

BTI described River Pilot as, "Aromas of rye cracker and salt water taffy with a satiny dryish medium-to-full body and a grainy, creamy vanilla, dusty stone, and Brazil nut accented finish.  A nice balance of raw and refined characteristics."

The Beverage Testing Institute relies heavily on highly experienced, professional guest tasters who are either retailers, restaurateurs, or prominent writers that are especially knowledgeable about the beverage category being reviewed.  All panelists are rigorously screened and audited and then trained in BTI's proprietary blind tasting methodology.

The second award came from the prestigious New York International Spirits Competition.  NYISC uses trade-only judges from top to bottom that consist of people who are buyers from the top retail stores, restaurant and bar owners, distributors and importers.  Each submission is placed in its product category and along with other spirits in its same price range.  While the full list of 2011 winners has not yet been publicized, in 2010 only 2 medals were awarded in this highly competitive category.

"These are fantastic awards and such a compliment to what we are doing," Ryan Burchett, owner/distiller says.  "To have a product handmade from local ingredients be recognized with by two prominent nationally recognized organizations in the industry is just outstanding.  It lends a lot of credibility to what little guys like us are doing."

These awards are on the heels of another national recognition for MRDC's River Baron Vodka.  In August, River Baron was recognized as the 8^th best vodka made in the United States by TheFiftyBest.com.

It's been an exciting time at the distillery as MRDC crossed another big milestone over the weekend.  The distillery welcomed its 20,000^th visitor in less than 11 months of being open.

"It has been so encouraging to visit with all the people who have stopped in to see what we're all about," said owner/distiller Garrett Burchett.  "People have taken such a tremendous interest in our locally grown products.  We love having the opportunity to share our story with everyone who walks in the door and for them to see the grain-to-glass process in person."

Mississippi River Distilling Company is open from 10 AM to 5 PM Monday through Saturday and from 12 to 5 PM Sundays.  Free tours are offered to the public daily on the hour from 12 to 4 PM or by appointment.  The tour takes visitors through the entire distilling process.  Tours end in the Grand Tasting Room with free samples of products for those patrons over 21 years of age.  Mississippi River Distilling Company's next product release will be their much anticipated Cody Road Bourbon Whiskey will hit store shelves on December 2, 2011