Week 2: JK Williams Distillery

If you have family or friends visiting you in Peoria, you know what makes a better souvenir than some magnet or mug that has “Peoria” emblazoned on it?

A bottle of whiskey. Whiskey from a local distillery.

Some friends of our came to spend a weekend with us in Peoria, and we went out to East Peoria to take a tour of JK Williams Distilling, a family-owned local business. They offer tours and tasting on the weekends, with the last tour starting at 4:30 pm, so this makes for the perfect group activity before a dinner reservation!

Which is exactly what we did. We went for the last tour on a Saturday afternoon/evening, and finished in time to go out for a leisurely dinner.

Upon arriving, the Distillery looks unimposing. It’s a small building sharing a lot  with other industrial buildings, in a out-of-the way nook of East Peoria. JK Williams Distilling has only been in operation for a few years, a product of two families’ sweat and tears to bring their heritage into their small-batch whiskies.

We arrived a bit before the tour was scheduled to begin, and we were invited to buy signature cocktails blended using JK Whiskies. The server behind the bar was one of the four owners. This is a true family-run business, with one of the two couples staying to man the home-front and the other going to do whiskey shows and competitions.

1. bottles of JK Whisky and the Young Buck Bourbon; 2. a sampling of their whisky flavors; 3. hot sauce made using JK Whiskies!

The tour starts with a bit of a history lesson. I know, sounds boring. But it’s not! Apparently, Peoria used to be the whisky capitol of the country! Prior to prohibition, Peoria produced the highest volume of whiskey in the country and had huge productions along the river. The two Williams families have a great-grandfather who worked in the Peoria distilleries. The history lesson contains photos from the Peoria historical societies, as well as family photos.

1. a history lesson that highlights Peoria’s whiskey history and the families’ connection to the area; 2. the production area; 3. jars showing the product at different stages of distilling; 4. one of the production equipment

After the mini-history lesson, we walked back into the production area. This part of the tour is more of a science lesson as we were walked through the entire process of distilling whiskey. In sharing about the distilling process, we also got to hear about the families’ journey into starting the business.

Moving on from the distilling room, we went into the barrel room where all their barrels are stored, waiting for bottling. We heard about the process of barreling, where they get the barrels from, how long it all takes, and even about what they do with the barrels after they have been spent and are no longer good for whiskey.

1. showing a sample of what the inside of the barrel looks like (drilled in a honeycomb pattern to provide more surface area); 2. barrels upon barrels of whiskey!; 3. another sampling of what the liquid looks like through the aging process

This is my favorite part: after the barrels are no longer good for making whiskey, JK Williams Distilling has started an Adopt-a-Barrel program. You pay to have a barrel earmarked for you… for that authentic rustic home decor? Whatever you might have in mind for the barrel, it seems such a novel idea to be able to adopt a barrel from a small-batch whiskey distillery.

Also, JK Williams has partnered with a local coffee shop, Thirty-Thirty, to have barrels used for part of the coffee bean roasting process. JK Williams seems to be eager to have partnerships with local businesses, which always sounds cool to me!

As fun and interesting the whole tour is, the most fun is probably the last part: the tasting. At the conclusion of the tour, we were treated to a tasting of all the whiskeys and even the Young Buck Bourbon! To be honest, I’m not a whiskey drinker. But JK offers quite a few flavors of whiskey, and offers pairing suggestions for each. From something bright and refreshing, a pairing for a summer day, to warm flavorful whiskies that evoke fall evenings, JK Whiskies have quite a range.

1. tasting time!; 2. all the bottles lined up, ready for a taste; 3. display behind the bar; 4. pretty bottle with a pretty gift bag

Whether you’re a whiskey drinker or not, the tour and tasting at JK Williams Distilling is a fun weekend activity. Most of the people on the tour seemed to be on dates, but there were a couple groups with us as well. So if you’re trying to plan for a date night or just a night out with friends, keep JK Williams in mind.

And then grab a bottle (or two) to share or give as gifts.. and maybe even a bottle of the hot sauce that is made using JK whiskey!