Production places
Connections to water sources, peat places, maltings, cooperages, warehouses and maturation sites. Uncertain connections are labelled.
No documented production places are linked to this distillery yet.
Brother Justus Whiskey Company
Overview of the Distillery
Brother Justus is a Minneapolis-based distillery that makes American Single Malt from 100% malted barley. The distillery highlights local ingredients — Mississippi water, malt from Rahr Malting, and American white oak — and focuses on letting Minnesota’s climate and resources determine the whiskies’ flavors. Their line ranges from an unaged Silver to experimental, peat-influenced releases under the Cold-Peated® label.
History
The story of Brother Justus is tied to a local legend of a bootlegging monk whose craftsmanship and teaching helped build a regional whiskey tradition in Minnesota. Phil Steger, the company’s founder and CEO, has built the brand around this inspiration, but also around a practical working discipline: hundreds of distillations and persistent experimentation to refine the recipes. The distillery’s identity is thus both historic and modern; it combines an acknowledgment of Minnesota’s Prohibition-era history with an ambition to create a place-specific expression based on the state’s water, barley, and its own cooperage.
Raw Materials and Production
Brother Justus distills exclusively on 100% malted barley and uses water from the Mississippi near the distillery. The barley is milled and malted by Rahr Malting in Shakopee. Tour materials highlight a 1,000-gallon still and an on-site bottling line, and the company’s approach has been iterative: recipes and blend decisions are the result of hundreds of distillations. At the product level, production ranges from an unaged Silver edition that is only “kissed” by the barrel, to stronger reserve releases and experiments with local peat in the Cold-Peated® line. The distillery combines modern production facilities with a clear focus on the origin of the raw materials.
Aging and Cask Types
Aging is centered on barrels marketed as ’world’s coldest oak™’ — American white oak from Minnesota’s forests. American Single Malt releases are described as aged in these oak casks, while the Silver edition undergoes only light barrel contact. Cold-Peated® experiments use short aging periods combined with local peat to achieve peat character without heavy smoke, and the distillery deliberately works with the barrel’s origin and Minnesota’s climatic extremes as part of its aging strategy.
Whiskies
The range includes a core American Single Malt and a Silver edition, both bottled at 43% ABV, as well as special releases such as Cold-Peated® (43% ABV) and Founder's Reserve 3 (cask strength 62.5%). There are also special series such as Single Barrel Select and The Commander’s Own, and the distillery sells both online and through select retailers. Some releases are marked as limited, and Bottle Shop at the distillery carries exclusive and locally available bottles.
| Whisky | Type / Series | Alcohol | Age | Cask and Style | Flavor Profile | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Single Malt Whiskey | American Single Malt | 43 % | American white oak ("world's coldest oak™") | Core range: a 100% malted barley American Single Malt, bottled at 43% ABV and aged in the barrels the company calls "world's coldest oak™". | Current; Core range; Available online and in stores (with some shipping restrictions in certain American states). | |
| Silver Whiskey | American Single Malt (unaged/ lightly barrel-kissed) | 43 % | Unaged (lightly barrel-kissed) | Light barrel kiss (no prolonged aging) | An unaged, 'polished' edition of the company's malt whiskey, bottled at 43% ABV and described as clean and versatile. | Current; Core range; Available online and in stores. |
| Cold-Peated® Whiskey | American Single Malt (peated); Limited Edition | 43 % | Short-aged casks (experimental for Cold-Peated®); peated | A limited edition that aims to deliver Minnesota peat character without heavy smoke; bottled at 43% ABV. Tour materials mention short aging periods for this line. | Limited; Limited; check stock at retailers. | |
| Founder's Reserve 3 | American Single Malt (cask strength) | 62.5 % | Hand-selected casks (cask-strength release) | Cask-strength edition (62.5% ABV) made from 100% malted barley and hand-selected casks; described as concentrated with notes of fruit and spice. | Limited; Limited; check availability in stores. | |
| The Commander’s Own | American Whiskey | 43 % | Not specified | A 43% ABV release described as a classic American whiskey with notes of vanilla, caramel, roasted peanuts and toasted oak; a portion of proceeds goes to the 34th Infantry Division Association. | Current; Available in-store and online (see availability). | |
| Founder's Reserve 2 | American Single Malt | |||||
| Single Barrel Select | Single Barrel American Single Malt | |||||
| Brigid’s First Batch | American Single Malt |
Whiskies’ Style and Flavor Profile
Across several products, the malt character again combines 100% malted barley with clear oak notes from aging in local American white oak. Reserve releases are described with fruity and spicy layers, while The Commander’s Own is noted to have vanilla and caramel notes. The Cold-Peated® line adds an earthy, peat-influenced direction without heavy smoke, so the overall range spans from malt sweetness through fruit and spice to restrained peat and oak character.
Visit the Distillery
The Northeast Minneapolis distillery offers several paid experiences: a standard Distillery Tour & Guided Tasting ($35) featuring a tour of the 1,000-gallon still and a tasting of American, Silver and Cold-Peated®; a Master Blender’s Tour & Tasting ($60) led by Master Blender James Jefferson with technical depth; and an Evening with The Founder ($120) where Phil Steger talks about the brand’s history and development. Visitors receive 20% off at the Bottle Shop on the day of the tour. The Bottle Shop is open Thursdays and Fridays 14:00–18:00, and the Cocktail Room has been temporarily closed for revision as of October 2025.
The stated hours are Bottle Shop: Thursdays and Fridays 14:00–18:00. Tours take place on select dates (see events calendar). The Cocktail Room temporarily closed as of 19 October 2025 for revision/remodel.
Philosophy and Craft
The company operates under an explicit philosophy of prioritizing quality and flavor over forcing products to fit into a specific category. There is a clear focus on local ingredients and on letting Minnesota’s climate, soil, and wood actively inform the choice of malt, oak and peat experiments.
Awards and Recognitions
- Double Gold; Best of Class (2026, Double Gold; Best of Class, American Single Malt Whiskey)