How an Engineer Built Wisconsin’s First Craft Distillery

Guy Rehorst is the founder and CEO of Great Lakes Distillery, Wisconsin’s original post-Prohibition distillery. From hobbyist homebrewer to pioneering entrepreneur, discover how curiosity, experimentation, and an engineer’s perspective led him to transform the Wisconsin’s spirits landscape.

Find out about the challenges of building a craft distillery from the ground up, from navigating regulatory hurdles to sourcing local ingredients and championing sustainability. This episode also delivers invaluable lessons for entrepreneurs – including the hard realities of sales, market volatility, and the power of adaptability in an ever-evolving industry.

In this episode, we explore: 

(00:00) Pioneering Wisconsin craft distilling

(04:05) Trailblazer’s journey into craft spirits

(06:22) How bourbon is made and planned

(10:06) Reviving absinthe after re-legalization

(15:37) Making spirits vs selling them

(17:37) THC cocktails and production challenges

Links mentioned in this episode:

Connect with Guy Rehorst on LinkedIn

Great Lakes Distillery