You’ll find Perlick Distillery tucked away on County Highway B in rural Sarona, Wisconsin, a small farming community about 30 minutes southeast of Rice Lake. Dick Perlick, who built his reputation manufacturing commercial refrigeration equipment for bars and restaurants worldwide, founded this craft distillery in 2012 after deciding he wanted to create something people could actually consume and enjoy. The operation sits on the Perlick family farm property, where Dick converted existing farm buildings into a 3,000-square-foot distillery and tasting room, maintaining that authentic rural Wisconsin atmosphere while housing modern distillation equipment. Perlick brings the same engineering precision that made his refrigeration business successful to crafting vodka, gin, and flavored spirits. He installed custom German copper stills and sources local ingredients when possible, including Wisconsin grain and pure water from their own well. The transition from making equipment for the hospitality industry to producing spirits wasn’t entirely random—Dick had been studying distillation techniques for years and saw an opportunity to apply his manufacturing expertise to something more personal. His background in precision engineering shows in every aspect of the operation, from temperature control during fermentation to the consistency of their final products. The distillery operates as a true family business, with Dick’s wife Barb handling much of the day-to-day operations and customer interactions. Visitors step into what feels like a working farm distillery, complete with the original barn structure and agricultural equipment nearby. The tasting room maintains a casual, unpretentious vibe where you can sample their spirits while learning about the distillation process directly from the people who make it happen. It’s the kind of place where conversations flow easily and you leave knowing more about both the spirits and the family behind them.