McCormick Distilling Company facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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McCormick Distillery
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 Location in Missouri
Location in the United States
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| Location | MO JJ, Weston, Missouri |
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| Area | 9.9 acres (4.0 ha) |
| Built | 1857 |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001090 |
| Added to NRHP | April 16, 1974 |
The McCormick Distilling Company is a place where adult drinks are made in Weston, Missouri. It also imports, or brings in, drinks from other countries. This company was started by Ben Holladay in 1856. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important historical site. It is the oldest distillery west of the Mississippi River that is still working in its original spot.
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History
The company chose this area because of the natural springs underground. These springs provided clean water. Benjamin J. Holladay started the Holladay Distillery in 1856. He later became very famous and rich. People called him the "Stagecoach King." He ran stagecoach lines from Missouri to the West Coast. These lines later became Wells Fargo Express. He also bought the Pony Express.
Holladay was an entrepreneur, meaning he started many businesses. He owned saloons, hotels, and silver mines. By 1864, he was the biggest individual employer in the United States. In 1860, Holladay gave the distillery to his brother, Major David Holladay. David ran the distillery until he passed away in 1894. His son-in-law, Thomas Barton, then took over.
The distillery was sold in 1900 to George Shawhan. It was then called the Shawhan Distillery. During Prohibition in the United States, it was illegal to make or sell most alcoholic drinks. However, the company stayed open. They bottled their old whiskey for medical reasons.
In 1936, Isadore Singer bought the distillery. He renamed it the Old Weston Distillery. Singer then bought the McCormick brand name in 1942. He renamed the company McCormick Distilling Company. In 1950, Cloud Cray of Midwest Grain Products bought the company.
Ed Pechar and Mike Griesser bought the company in 1992. Under their leadership, McCormick Distilling grew a lot. It went from 35 employees in 1992 to 186 employees in 2006. Mike Griesser passed away in 2004. As of 2020, McCormick Distilling is still owned by Ed Pechar, Mike Griesser's family, and a small group of employees.
Products
McCormick Distilling Company makes many different types of adult drinks. Here are some of their well-known products:
- McCormick Vodka: This is a popular type of clear spirit. The company says it's the second best-selling American vodka in the world. It comes in many flavors like Apple, Watermelon, Raspberry, and Grape.
- McCormick Gin: Another clear spirit often used in cocktails.
- McCormick Old Style Whiskey: A traditional aged spirit.
- McCormick American Blended Whiskey: A mix of different whiskeys.
- McCormick Caribbean Rum: A spirit made from sugarcane.
- McCormick Scotch: A type of whiskey from Scotland.
- Platte Valley Corn Whiskey: A whiskey made from corn.
- Triple Crown Whiskey
- Holladay White Dog: This is a new, unaged whiskey.
- Ke-Ke Key Lime Cream Liqueur: A sweet, creamy drink with lime flavor.
- 360 Vodka: This vodka is known for being "eco-friendly." It comes in many flavors like Lime, Huckleberry, Mango, and Vanilla.
- Broker's Gin
- Five Farms Irish Cream: A creamy, sweet Irish drink.
- McCormick Irish Cream
- Hussong's Tequila: A spirit made from the agave plant. They have different types like Reposado and Platinum.
- Tarantula Azul
- Tequila Rose Strawberry Flavored Cream Liqueur: A sweet, creamy drink with strawberry and tequila flavor.
- Montego Bay Rum
Awards
Many of McCormick's products have won awards for their taste and new ideas.
- 360 Vodka has won several awards. It received a gold medal in 2009 and a bronze medal in 2008 at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. It also won a gold medal from the Beverage Testing Institute in 2010. The 360 Double Chocolate flavor won a platinum medal at the SIP awards in 2010.
- McCormick's Irish Cream won a gold medal in 2003 at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. It was also voted the number one Irish cream drink by the Beverage Testing Institute.
- Hussong's Tequila won a gold medal in 2006 at the San Francisco World Spirit Championship.
Green Efforts
In November 2007, McCormick Distillery started new ways of doing business. These ways are meant to be good for the environment. They want to be more sustainable. A group called the "Green Group" was formed. Their job is to help the environment, save energy, and teach employees about conservation.
In the first year of these new efforts, the company recycled 167 tons of materials. About 88% of employees took part. To show their strong commitment to the environment, McCormick Distilling teamed up with the Environmental Protection Agency. They also partnered with Renewable Choice Energy.
Here are some of the things they do to help the environment:
- They have air pumps at work for car tires. This helps employees keep their car tires properly inflated. This makes cars use less fuel.
- They have on-site recycling for employees.
- They have special parking spots for employees who drive hybrid or electric cars. These cars are better for the environment.
360 Vodka
As part of their green efforts, 360 Vodka was marketed as "the Planet's first eco-friendly vodka." This means it's made in a way that is kind to the Earth. The bottles for 360 Vodka are made from 85% recycled glass. The labels use 100% recycled paper and special water-based inks. The grains used to make the vodka are grown close to the distillery. They are grown less than 95 miles away. This helps save fuel needed to transport the grain.
Customers can send back the bottle's special swing-top cap to the company. For every cap recycled, McCormick Distilling donates $1.00 to Global Green USA. This organization works to protect the environment.
Forest 360
"Forest 360" is a project to reduce carbon dioxide and other gases that cause global warming. McCormick Distilling worked with the Missouri Department of Conservation. They planted over 200 native trees on 40 acres of land around the distillery. They also asked their business partners to do the same. Some of the companies that joined "Forest 360" include Republic National Distributing Company and MGP ingredients.
Marketing
The company has made videos showing how to mix different drinks. They share these videos on social media sites like Facebook and YouTube. In 2011, they launched a "360 Vodka Virtual Bartender" app. This app helps promote making "green cocktails," which are drinks made with environmentally friendly ingredients.
Collectible Decanters
McCormick Distilling has made special bottles called decanters. These decanters are popular with collectors. They were made between 1968 and 1987. At least 175 different decanters were released in various collections. One of the most popular collections featured forty different decanters of Elvis Presley. Each showed him at a different time in his career.
Decanter Series
- Automotive and Transportation
- Bicentennial series
- Birds
- Bulls
- Confederate series
- Elvis series
- Entertainer series
- Frontiersman series
- Great Americans series
- Gunfighter series
- Jugs
- Lamp series
- Pirate series
- Shrine series
- Sports and sports mascots
- Warrior series
- King Arthur series
- Miscellaneous.
See also
- List of historic whisky distilleries
