Dayton Story: Distillery Tours 2/21!

We've got distillery tours this Saturday at 11, 2 & 3! Join us!

Part One: Dayton Bourbon

The Meeting of the Waters

We’ve talked a lot about Bernadotte lately, and we will certainly get back to that story... but we also have our more everyday and original bourbon that deserves its time in the sun: Dayton.

There is a common mistake made in Minnesota history, but it’s an important one to correct: our Dayton Bourbon is not named for the department store family. It’s named for Lyman Dayton, a railroad executive and St. Paul investor who arrived in Minnesota in the 1850s. Platted in 1855, the city of Dayton honors the man who was instrumental in building the state's early infrastructure.

While Lyman Dayton was focused on the iron rails, the town was built on the water. Located at the northernmost point of Hennepin County, Dayton sits exactly where the Crow River meets the Mississippi River. On our bottle, you’ll find a literal map of these paths meeting—a tribute to the geography that defines the spirit. This bourbon is a celebration of that meeting of the waters, a journey that begins with us and flows through the heart of the state.

Part Two: Dayton Bourbon

The Grand Loop — From Lake Ida to the Crow

Whiskey is, at its core, a conversation between grain and water. For Dayton Bourbon, that water follows a massive "Grand Loop" through the Minnesota landscape.

It starts with us in Padua, where our water enters the North Fork of the Crow River. It winds through the rich soils of central Minnesota, gathering minerals before reaching the confluence at Dayton.

But look at the map on our bottle and trace the Mississippi North. You’ll reach the Crow Wing River, and eventually, the Long Prairie River which carries the overflow from Lake Ida. This is where our friends at Ida Graves Distillery operate. They use that clear, northern water to proof the bourbon that eventually returns to us. Whether it's the working water of the Crow or the deep-lake purity of Ida, it all meets at Dayton.

Part Three: Dayton Bourbon

The Alfalfa Filter — Nature’s Purifier

If the rivers are the veins of this story, the crops we grow are the kidneys. To keep the water in the Crow and Mississippi rivers clean for our whiskey (and our neighbors), we rely on a humble but powerful plant: Alfalfa.

Alfalfa is a perennial with roots that can reach 15 feet deep. Unlike annual crops that leave the soil bare for months, alfalfa keeps living roots in the ground year-round. These deep roots act as a massive filter, "scavenging" nutrients before they can reach the groundwater or the North Fork of the Crow. When we plant alfalfa to feed our cows, we aren't just growing forage; we are protecting the watershed. It prevents erosion and ensures the water flowing toward Dayton is as clean as the day it fell.

Part Four: Dayton Bourbon

The Dairy Solution — Why More Cows Mean Better Water

There is a common misconception that more agriculture means more pollution. In reality, for Minnesota’s water quality, we actually need more cows.

Dairy cows are the economic engine that makes water-protecting crops like alfalfa and clover viable. Because cows eat these perennial forages, dairy farmers keep more "living cover" on the land. If we had more cows in Minnesota, we would have more acres of alfalfa acting as a permanent filter for our lakes, rivers, and streams.

By utilizing manure as a natural, slow-release fertilizer and keeping the soil covered, dairy farms actually improve the health of the North Fork Crow, the Crow Wing, and the Mississippi. Dayton Bourbon is a product of this cycle. It is the result of a landscape where cows and deep-rooted plants work together to keep the water clear. When you drink Dayton, you’re supporting a system that values the river as much as the harvest.