Mission Micro Distillery / Northern United Brewing Company, Traverse City, MI

History

Company was established in 2009.

Civilized Spirits are created in our secret forest hideaway on the Old Mission Peninsula. The site has a long tradition of distillation! Spirits have been made on the site since the late 1800's when it was built by lumber baron J.W. Stickney and his wife Genevive. Civilized continues the long-standing tradition and we are proud to continue that legacy and bring it to you.

Civilized Spirits — a family of liquors created for the woodland gentleman of yore; the sort of man who cut wood for a living and wrestled grizzlies for fun, but still found time to wax his mustache and comb some pomade through his hair. Although the grizzlies may be gone, the dedication and appreciation of artisanal spirits lives on in every Civilized Spirit we hand-bottle.

Our site has a long tradition of distillation. Spirits have been made on this site since the late 1800s. Bowers Harbor Inn was built in the 1880s and remodeled in the 1920s as a summer retreat for Chicago lumber baron J.W. Stickey and his wife, Genevive. The inn sits peacefully along West Grand Traverse bay amidst the majestic oaks and pines of Old Mission Peninsula. This well-loved historic structure has been a treasured part of the Old Mission Peninsula landscape for generations Sprits have been made on the site since the Stickney's moved in and we are very proud to continue that legacy with the Civilized brand Sprits.

Civilized Spirits are created in our secret forest hideaway on Old Mission Peninsula. The new distillery was built in 2009 and sits peacefully behind the existing Bower harbor Inn -- nestled between our vineyard and herb garden. Civilized Spirits are distilled on-site by Head Distiller Mike Hall. His 20 years of distillation experience and artisan passion are evident in every batch of spirits he creates. Mike works with the best farmers in the world -- located on Old Mission Peninsula -- to hand-select many of the ingredients for distillation. In fact, each of the Civilized spirits use local products from local farmers!