The distillery makes 18 Vodka, a drink named after the number of times it is distilled. The vodka is made from 100 percent American grown rye. Most other vodkas on the market are potato or wheat-based, but according to Steve rye has been enjoying renewed interest among beer brewers and whiskey drinkers.

Unlike many spirit products, the entire 18 Vodka production process – from grinding, to mashing, to fermentation, to distilling and bottling – is controlled by Virtuoso’s team of distillers at their Grape Rd location.

Proprietor Charles Florance is an army veteran. He knew he wanted to set up a whiskey distillery, but he needed to raise money before he could get started. So he started a crowdfunding campaign. Everyone from close friends to complete strangers put money forward, and by the end of October 2012 he raised enough money to carry out his dream.

Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, Heartland Distillers makes all of their spirits in copper stills. According to Stuart, the copper acts on the mash to create a clean, smooth finish.  Additionally, Heartland Distillers uses the batch distillation method – that means they always remove the first part of the batch. Stuart says many large spirit producers leave this in jeopardizing the integrity of their product.