THREE OAKS, Mich. — Like prospectors in 1849, Journeyman Distillery struck gold in California. The craft distillery from southwest Michigan entered Old Country Goodness, its apple cider liqueur, in the 2015 Los Angeles International Spirits Competition and ended up receiving a gold medal in the fruit liqueurs category. Scoring 91 points, Old Country Goodness was named “Best of Category.”

The 2015 Los Angeles International Spirits Competition received 365 spirits entries from 130 producers. The competition is partner of the Los Angeles International Wine Competition, a competition bestowing medals to the best wines from around the globe for more than seven decades. The Los Angeles International Spirits Competition began in 2007, awarding medals for Blue Agave Tequila, before expanding to all spirits in 2010.

Old Country Goodness, commonly referred to as O.C.G., is an apple cider liqueur based on a secret family recipe. The liqueur blends Journeyman’s rye-based W.R. White Whiskey with organic apple juice and apple cider from Michigan and a touch of cinnamon for a kick of spice.

The liqueur began as a distillery-only drink but quickly became one of the most popular orders in the distillery’s tasting room. The spirit entered distribution in its iconic growler bottle for the first time in 2014 and quickly became one of Journeyman’s best-selling spirits.

“Cider has been one of the quickest growing segments in the alcoholic beverage industry,” says Nick Yoder, Journeyman’s marketing director. “We’re seeing a lot of crossover from the craft cider consumer wanting to try our apple cider liqueur.”

According to Chicago-based market research firm IRI, cider sales increased by 75.4 percent in the same 12-month period through the end of November 2014.

“We’ve been extremely impressed with how well O.C.G. has done across our distribution footprint,” remarks owner Bill Welter. “We’re considering adding a new mash tun dedicated exclusively to O.C.G. production just to keep up with demand. Winning this gold medal certainly won’t do anything to tamper the demand.

 

About Journeyman Distillery

Founded in 2011, Journeyman Distillery crafts organic and kosher certified spirits in the historic Featherbone Factory in Three Oaks, Michigan. The distillery prides itself on using the highest quality grains sourced from Midwestern organic farmers to craft its award-winning spirits. Journeyman spirits are distributed in twelve states and Washington, DC.