Coppercraft Distillery sets bar high with superior spirits and cuisine

By Kelsey Smith

Coppercraft Distillery’s mantra is all about keeping things authentic and traditional. It’s no surprise the small-but-mighty distiller is consistently in the spotlight.

Based in Holland, with a new tasting room in Saugatuck, Coppercraft honors the industrial traditions of West Michigan with its ingenuity, time and artisanship.

“We want to use our spirits when they’re old enough to be used,” said Brandon Joldersma, general manager. “We spend all this time producing barrels (of spirits), so we focus on the quality of our aged spirits more than anything else.”

This year, Coppercraft became the first Michigan distiller to produce canned cocktails. The distiller hopped on the trendy canned cocktail scene with its famed Gin & Tonic, measuring in at 10 percent ABV.

And this past summer, Coppercraft rolled out its newest canned creation: the Michigan Mule. The mule is a refreshing take on the classic Moscow mule, made with ginger hard cider, Coppercraft vodka and lime.

As far as food goes, Coppercraft’s focus is simple.

“We wanted to do things that would be received very well by the Holland community,” Joldersma said. “We decided to just do simple food, but done really well. We have a burger, a fried chicken sandwich, a few salads — and our most popular menu item is our tacos. We also expanded the appetizer menu quite a bit and added poutine, which has been super popular.”

The distiller opened the restaurant at its Holland location last year.

“Ultimately, the restaurant is marketing for the spirits,” Joldersma said. “We want to provide people with a good experience.”

The farm-to-table fare translates over to its cocktail menu, where every syrup and spirit is made in-house. Signature cocktails include the Ruby Mule, Cucumber Cooler, Fool’s Gold, The Bison, Juniper Sunrise, and Peaches & Diesel.

Coppercraft’s award-winning spirit lineup consists of vodka, citrus vodka, gin, rum, two bourbons and a rye whiskey

Coppercraft Distillery
184 120th Ave.
Holland
616-796-8274
coppercraftdistillery.com