At culture, we have covered some interesting things. We have explored the history of the United States government cheese program which began during the Great Depression. We have written about the return of England’s lost cheese and the Little Goat Cheese That Packs a Big Punch. All this to say, we were pleasantly surprised when Redhead Creamery’s most recent press release found its way to our editors.
The big news? Well, let me throw you a question first: can you make booze with milk?
Yes! The multigenerational, family-owned Redhead Creamery opened their first whey-based distillery. The distillery, or “CreamStillery”, filters, ferments, and distills spirits in house. The spirit produced by the award-winning creamery from Brooten, Minnesota is called Azro Araga.
Named after the first Minnesotan creameryman Azro P. McKinstry, who won the dairy division at the 1886 World’s Fair, Azro Araga is made by distilling milk wine into whey spirit. The whey-based spirit is 40 percent alcohol by volume and can be used in place of whiskey in your favorite cocktails.
“Redhead Creamery [cheese] certainly pairs the best [with Azro Araga] and tells the best story,” said Co-Owner and VP of Bubbles Lucas Sjostrom. He has visited about two hundred distilleries to extract the best ideas for Redhead’s Creamstillery. “However, if you [were to] substitute other fine cheeses or other fine spirits, we just strongly recommend that you don’t substitute both at the same time,” Sjostrom said cheekily.
Whey-based alcohol has environmental advantages, too. Traditionally, leftover whey can be fed to pigs, used to fertilize crops, or—albeit undesirable—sent to a landfill. By turning a byproduct of cheesemaking into another artisanal product, Redhead Creamery is keeping whey out of landfills in a more creative—and delicious—way.
When asked if we can order Azro Araga online, “no, sir,” said Lucas. “Not until the laws change.”
Indeed, what Redhead Creamery has accomplished thus far is a risky endeavor. Entering the alcohol industry presents regulatory challenges, significant capital requirements, and high market competition. Redhead Creamery gives thanks to the Dairy Business Innovation Alliance for their grant and the State of Minnesota, Minnesota Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, professors from Cornell University, University of Wisconsin-Eau Clare, and University of Georgia.
“When creating new business cards, the partners of Redhead Creamery wanted to come up with more descriptive titles,” said Alise Sjostrom, co-owner and cheesemaker. “Jerry Jenisson, VP of Talking to Strangers [and also Alise’s father], gives tours and loves conversations with anybody that walks by. Lucas, VP of Bubbles [and Alise’s husband], is in charge of fermented liquids, which creates bubbles and the cocktails that come from them. Linda Jenisson, VP of Taste [and Alise’s mother], heads up the kitchen and first appearances, so taste in terms of both food and looks.”
Their funky titles and newest spirit reflect the family-owned creamery’s ethos. “Our mission is to work with and serve people and have fun doing it,” says Linda, “and I’m not sure there’s a better example of it than in our whey spirits.”
It is also a testament to how the creamery evolves with new technology. From thirty cows in a tie-stall barn started by Alise’s parents Jerry and Linda in 1983, the Creamery now utilizes electronic activity monitors, robotic milkers, manure collectors, and feed re-sorters to manage two hundred cows. These technological advancements are what allow a small scale production like Redhead Creamery to distill whey-based spirits.
Redhead Creamery’s other additions include a new farm-tour welcome and tasting area, an expanded kitchen and restaurant, and automated cheese aging rooms. They also incorporate the family’s one-acre apple orchard for different components of the business. The tasting room features jams, crackers, chocolates and honey, as well as paninis and pan fried cheese curds, as well as Minnesota-crafted beers, ciders and wines.
Redhead Creamery is located at Jer-Lindy Farms and offers farm tours at 12:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Events, distillery tours, and additional farm tours are available by appointment. If you are keen on trying Agro Azara-based craft cocktails and artisan cheese, you might just have to add Redhead Creamery (and CreamStillery) to your bucket list.
Philip Han
Philip Han is a food writer and filmmaker based in Seoul and Lewiston, ME. A rising senior majoring in Philosophy at Bates College, he has worked for the Cumberland County Food Security Council, Rogers Collection, and UpPortland. When not in the field covering his next story, you might find him playing squash or snowboarding down the treelines of Maine. He is also banned from using his roommates’ communal fridge after storing epoisses for two months.
