PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A local distillery has proven its worth recently by winning a gold medal at the 2020 USA Sprits Ratings.
JK Williams Distilling won the award for its Gold Zephyr Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Spirits were awarded by a panel of judges who looked at a combined rating for quality, value, and packaging, according to a press relase.
This is the first competition the brand has entered since changing ownership and relaunching in October 2020. The distillery is located at 8635 North Industrial Road in Peoria.
“Our distillery is named after bootician and Prohibition legend J.K. Williams, but it’s more than just the name,” said Andy Faris, JK Williams Distilling owner. “We’re proud to use the same recipe for Gold Zephyr that he used in the early 1900s. This gold medal is an indication that the quality is still there – it’s a great first step towards re-establishing Peoria as a respected whiskey distilling area while also a step towards our goal to continually operate at a high level of quality with every product we produce.”
Spirits are available for purchase at select retailers in Peoria and Central Illinois. The Peoria-based distillery also plans to sell whiskey directly to customers at a new retail store in Downtown Peoria in the near future.
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