J. Carver Distillery and Waconia Brewing Company
The Tulip and Schooner for July 4, 2025
The Tulip and Schooner is edited and primarily written by Louis Livingston-Garcia.
I’ll be taking a photo with a shirt of an American flag the day this newsletter hits.
It’ll be worn in honor of what this country could and should be. The fact is, I’ve never really gotten into the Fourth and the ooh rah America feeling. I’ve never felt fully American. Or fully Mexican American.
I don’t speak Spanish – big oof. I have never felt like I belong in this country except in certain pockets with certain people – less of a big oof but not my fault. I’ll be in Northern Wisconsin to celebrate, a place I really need to be on guard when the sun darkens my skin, which already happened this year.
I’m also not a calm person. When my dad heard things about him being Mexican, dude fought. He lost a lot. And yet, the Marine Corp veteran would try to slap the word spic from someone’s mouth with fervor. When I hear things like that from people, I’m confrontational and ready to fight.
But I don’t bench 300 like my father did and it’s just stupid. I’ve never been in a fight in my adult life, thank goodness, and I don’t condone it. I don’t want to have to be in one.
But.
With two kids with a browner complexion, and being brownish myself, in this country, at this time… it’s scary. Last summer I was checking out breweries in the northeastern quadrant of Wisconsin where the cottage is. Rocky Reef was amazing and welcoming. I walked into another spot and it was adorned with so much Donald Trump stuff I was immediately on edge.
I’ve been called a lot of things in northern Wisconsin, threatened with violence, and outright attacked for being different. People used to love to call me a halfbreed.
It makes it a little difficult to love this country. But I do love this country.
Is it shit times in a shit sandwich on the shittiest of timelines lately? Abso-freaking-lotely.
But.
This country allows us to do so many great things. Like having a wonderful, world-leading beer industry. Or have this newsletter with wonderful readers who can and do support it graciously. And to have wonderful beer on a lake thanks to a Milwaukee judge who was progressive and fought for what was right, and bought a little piece of the north for his family to enjoy.
We could use my wife’s grandfather right about now – what a wonderful individual ahead of his time.
I guess more than anything, it’s about finding balance.
I won’t be visiting any bars or breweries outside of Rocky Reef while up north. I’ll be opening a mini keg (five liters) of Oberon at the lake to enjoy with good people.
And side note, I totally only bought that mini keg because I was invited to Oberon Day. Most importantly, that trip really opened my heart to the beer industry again. Things get jaded and tiring when you’re so into your hobby. Oberon Day was just a wonderful celebration of what beer means. Plus, I was given an Oberon “Dad hat” in a goodie bag, and I wear that all of the time with my “Cat Dad” pin attached to it.
I’m excited about that. But I’m worried about what it might be like up there when my kids get older and they want to hang out around the lake or in town.
But America can be good. We have wonderful, talented, brilliant humans. It’s just a shame so much of what’s happening right now inspires skepticism of the flag instead of pride.
Drink a good beer if you can, a THC drink, an Old Fashioned – whatever – and know that I am sending you a cheers from the lake.
A DECADE OF DISTILLING
Despite working in a tough field, J. Carver Distillery still stands tall and stands out
By Loren Green
It’s been a long and winding road for the craft cocktail industry. We’ve seen a lot of distilleries making quality products, but cocktail rooms haven’t offered the same stability to the spirits industry as breweries have provided to taprooms. Despite having been billed as “the next big thing” roughly a decade ago, many cocktail rooms have been closed in the years that followed.
J. Carver Distillery is one of Minnesota’s larger distilleries with a wide selection of spirits, from rye to bourbon to gin and even absinthe. They use local ingredients to make their spirits and they’re proud to showcase Minnesota’s agricultural strengths.
While I’ve written about them repeatedly, I’d never made a trip directly to the source, just 30 miles southwest of MSP. Both J. Carver and their craft brewer neighbors Waconia Brewing Company celebrated tenth anniversaries in 2024, which finally inspired me to take a trip down Highway 5.
ON THE LOT
I already knew the distillery was a former car dealership – which sets it apart from the speakeasy themes that dominate the industry. The building is a standalone structure just off the main road. The establishment offers ample parking but little in terms of next-door walkability. But the building itself is a neat conversion project.
The big glass showroom highlights the stills and aging barrels. Then, when it’s time to take care of business, you head into a smaller room – fortunately not to talk about financing and haggle over dents and Blue Book prices, but to a modern bar.
Our visit was shortly after Valentine’s Day and we were immediately asked if we had reservations (we did not). Everything worked out, but the first impressions were definitely more cute than the industrial-themed taprooms we frequent. While a little more polished than a brewery, the decor is more business casual than formal.
The room has decorative flourishes but is built around the bar itself. Historic photos and upcycled dealership signage are side by side, fusing past and present, mood and atmosphere. The table service was top notch, especially for a casual pay-at-the-bar setup, and our water glasses were never empty as we sipped our drinks.
The first thing I noticed was the huge menu, “maybe too big,” the server admitted. There is a regular menu with roughly a dozen drinks, plus a second, seasonal menu doubling the selection, with drinks mostly ranging between $9-12. While a whiskey flight would normally call my name at this kind of stop, the mission was cocktails so I chose one drink from each menu. Our party also enjoyed a Carver Mule, defined by ginger beer with a boost of fresh lime and mint – a refreshing and traditional crowd pleaser, but not really showcasing the vodka either.
MAKE AND MODEL
The Wise Guy, made with Straight Rye, was balanced between earthy, sweet bourbon notes, fresh lemon, and a hint of spice. A simple syrup mixed with the whiskey base, a dose of real lemon and Jamaican bitters come together for a fresh, zesty drink that’s still led by the Minnesota rye. Pepper flakes float as a garnish and hit the lips at the finish for a hint of heat.
Off the seasonal menu, the Barrel Gin Bees Knees was all about the botanicals. With the barrel aged gin at its core, big floral notes set the stage, with a potent finish that blends the zip of fresh ginger with a strong boozy note. While honey is always the base of this drink, J. Carver’s take uses the honey for a smooth, soft body rather than a sugary base. Moreso, the earthy element brings out the floral botanicals and lets them shine, with natural sweetness in balance with more potent flavors of ginger and alcohol.
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