We all know the song goes: rain makes corn, corn makes whiskey… Illinois corn is no acceptation, with exception, with its dominance in Busch Light and other locally made alcohol.
“All that hard work that our farmers are out there doing in their combines, they may be able to drink it soon, which is exciting,” shares Adam Vitale, President of G&M Distributors.
One distillery that focuses on using Illinois corn for its product is Star Union Distillery of Peru, Illinois.
“They came up with the name Star Union because way back in history, in Peru, there was a company called the Star Union Products Company, and they brewed Star Model Beer. They were in operation from 1845 to 1966, and then they closed,” says Vitale. “And so these guys got together, they renovated the building, built a beautiful, beautiful distillery. To complete the deal, they wanted to try to use products from as many American farmers as possible and as many Illinois farmers as possible!”
So the next time you raise a glass of Illinois-made vodka, whiskey, or beer, remember, it all starts right here in the fields- and Illinois farmers are making sure that story keeps pouring strong.
