Copperwing Distillery sits in a converted warehouse space on Cambridge Street in St Louis Park, where founders Matt Voge and Alex Rude turned their homebrewing passion into something stronger in 2018. These guys spent years perfecting their craft before going commercial, and you can taste the difference that obsessive attention to detail makes. The 3,000-square-foot facility houses custom copper stills and fermentation tanks, where they’re producing small-batch bourbon, rye, and gin with a focus on locally-sourced ingredients whenever possible. Voge brings a background in food science while Rude handles the business side, though both get their hands dirty in production. They started with a 250-gallon copper pot still and have gradually expanded their capacity as demand grew. The operation reflects their philosophy of controlled growth—they’d rather make less and get it right than rush to market with mediocre spirits. Their bourbon uses a high-rye mash bill that gives it more spice than typical Minnesota offerings. The tasting room feels industrial but welcoming, with exposed brick and steel beams that remind you this used to be a working warehouse. You’ll taste spirits while watching actual production through glass windows, and the staff genuinely knows the process inside and out. It’s not the fanciest operation you’ll visit, but the spirits speak for themselves, and there’s something refreshing about a place that lets the product do the talking rather than relying on flashy marketing.