Driftless Studios

Driftless Glen Distillery sits on the banks of the Baraboo River at 300 Water Street in Baraboo, Wisconsin, inside the Driftless Region, the unglaciated corner of the Upper Midwest known for its natural sandstone aquifers. The distillery draws its process water directly from that aquifer, filtered through natural basalt and carbon, and sources its grain locally, making the operation a true grain-to-glass producer rather than a bottler of sourced whiskey.

History & Heritage

Driftless Glen began distilling in 2012, founded by Brian and Renee Bemis alongside an initial business partner. By 2015 the Bemises had bought out that partner, becoming full and sole owners of the distillery, a position they still hold today. The couple built the operation around a striking piece of equipment: a 10,000-pound, 44-foot-tall column still paired with a one-of-a-kind pot still, engineering choices that separate Driftless Glen visually and technically from most craft distilleries of its era. The stills on site include a Vendome 550-gallon copper pot still, a 42-foot, 24-inch column still, and a 330-gallon pot still reserved for clear spirits, the last custom-designed by Dave Pickrell. The distillery has built its reputation on a "0% waste" philosophy: spent mash and grain go to livestock feed or an anaerobic digester, and used barrels are sold to breweries or repurposed rather than discarded.

The Whiskey

Driftless Glen's bourbon runs on a mash bill of 60% corn, 20% rye, and 20% malted barley, while its rye whiskey uses 75% rye and 25% malted barley; custom mash bills are also available on request. Every batch follows a "sweet mash" process, using rye, corn, and grain mash only once before recycling, rather than the sour-mash backset method common at larger producers. Whiskies age in charred American oak, with some expressions finished in smaller 25- and 30-gallon barrels to accelerate maturation. The core lineup spans a Small Batch Bourbon (the flagship, non-chill filtered), a Single Barrel Bourbon offered at both 96 proof and cask strength, and a 10-Year Bourbon available in 100 proof and cask strength versions, alongside a Wheated Bourbon aged at least five years. On the rye side, Driftless Glen produces a Small Batch Rye, a Single Barrel Rye (96 proof and cask strength), the distinctive 51 Rye (51% rye in the mash bill, bottled at 51% ABV), and a 10-Year Rye in 100 proof and cask strength. The catalog extends beyond whiskey to an American Single Malt Whiskey, a DG 5 Year Reserve Brandy made from French grapes, aged in French oak and cask-finished in used bourbon barrels back in Baraboo, a WisconGin built on a 100% corn base with indigenous botanicals, a Premium Vodka, and Rivershine, a moonshine blending grain and cane spirits.

Why It Matters

The distillery has collected recognition across multiple competitions: Wisconsin Distillery of the Year from the New York International Spirits Competition, a Whisky Advocate score of 90 for its bourbon, and a Top Ten US Spirits Brand You Must Try nod from the London Spirits Competition. At the 2019 Heartland Whiskey Competition, Driftless Glen took Best of Wisconsin and won the Rye category outright with its 51 Rye. The 2018 London Spirits Competition brought a silver medal for the DG 5 Year Reserve Brandy and bronze medals for both the Single Barrel Straight Bourbon and the 51 Rye, and in 2021 the Straight Rye Whiskey Single Barrel earned a gold medal with a 91-point score at the same competition. In 2024, Driftless Glen placed in the Top 3 for Best Bar for Cocktails, Best Outdoor Dining, and Best Destination Restaurant in the Best of Madison awards, reflecting a hospitality operation that has grown well beyond the still house.

Visiting the Distillery

Driftless Glen offers tours Thursday through Sunday, departing on the hour and running approximately 45 minutes. Each tour includes a sampling of Renee Olive Oil and Balsamic followed by tastings of five different Driftless Glen spirits, plus a commemorative tasting glass to take home. Tours cost $20 per person, payable on arrival, and are limited to 21 and over. The route is wheelchair accessible but involves standing and moving between buildings, group size is capped at 10 people per tour, and reservations are recommended. A restaurant and gift shop round out the visitor experience on site.