Panther Distillery sits on East Pike Street in Osakis, Minnesota, a small town surrounded by lakes about two hours northwest of Minneapolis. Founded by husband-and-wife team Dan and Linda Oskey, this craft operation opened its doors in 2013 after Dan retired from a career in engineering and decided to turn his home distilling hobby into something bigger. The couple converted a former auto repair shop into their production facility, keeping the industrial bones but adding the copper stills and aging barrels that define the space today. They focus on small-batch bourbon, rye whiskey, and vodka, with everything produced on-site using traditional methods and local ingredients when possible. The Oskeys didn’t jump into distilling blindly—Dan spent years perfecting recipes in his garage before they committed to the commercial venture. Linda handles much of the business side while Dan oversees production, and they’ve built a loyal following among locals and visitors who appreciate their straightforward approach to craft spirits. The operation remains deliberately small, with Dan able to personally monitor every batch that comes off their custom-built copper pot still. They age their whiskeys in new charred oak barrels stored right in the production space, so you can literally see the entire process from grain to glass during visits. What strikes you most about Panther Distillery is how unpretentious it feels. This isn’t a slick tourist operation trying to recreate some romanticized version of distilling—it’s two people who genuinely love making spirits and want to share that passion with visitors. The tasting room occupies one corner of the production facility, so you’re surrounded by the actual work happening. Tours are intimate affairs, often led by Dan himself, where you’ll learn about their mash bills, fermentation process, and aging philosophy. You can taste their bourbon and rye while standing next to the barrels where they’re aging, which gives the whole experience an authenticity that’s hard to manufacture.