Local distillery Northern Latitudes announced that Friday will be the last day serving spirits from its Lake Leelanau location from noon to 7 p.m.
Music will be going from 4:45 to 6:45 p.m.
“We are extremely excited to host our customers in our new home,” Mandy Moseler said.
The distillery’s “Chamber” gift shop will remain open until the end of the month for any last-second needs, with a special sale. The watering hole will then go silent for a few months until its new building, located less than a mile east of its current location, is open.
“It’ll mean everything. It’ll be easier and more user-friendly for all of us, and everybody wants to own their own building,” Mandy said.
The Moseler family is in full moving mode and will break down the distillery over the coming weeks.
“We will be moving out completely by the end of the month, and looking forward to reopening at our brand new distillery just down the road (date TBA). We can’t think of a better way to celebrate this bittersweet occasion than with the talented and dynamic musical duo Loose Change. Come raise a glass with us as we close this 13-year era and look to the future,” Northern Latitudes Distillery said in a Facebook post.
The new NLD building is not ready yet, but it has made signifi cant progress over the past few months. A lot still needs to be done, but it is on track after a series of delays that stopped construction from an expected January 2025 opening date.
The Suttons Bay tasting room will continue to be open Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“Mark, myself, and all of our NLD crew cannot thank you enough for your support and the fun times you have helped us create here in our first home. We are all super excited to work and enjoy our new home, though, and cannot wait to host you there,” Mandy said.
The new facility broke ground in September 2023 after the family purchased five acres from Bruce and Betsey Price in 2022.
Since beginning to serve the village with libations in 2012, Northern Latitudes has outgrown its 4,000-square-foot leased tasting room and retail space next to Hannah’s Cupcakes. The open-air distilling room in front of their rented space can be seen before driving across the narrows heading west, but there’s not a lot of room to maneuver. Storage, bottling, and fermentation are relegated to the basement. The new Northern Latitudes headquarters will be roughly 12,000 square feet. Approximately 2,500 to 3,000 square feet will be the production facility.
Mark and Mandy Moseler, both former teachers, had a vision for opening a distillery that friends said would thrive in Grand Rapids, Lansing, or Kalamazoo. But they chose Lake Leelanau for their business plan and plan to stay put.
The distillery opened in 2012 with four products for sale: Deer Camp vodka and bourbon, Limoncello Di Leelanau, and Ice Dunes Vodka.
