Valentine Distilling Co.'s Liberator Gin Wins National Accolades

Valentine Distilling Co. in Ferndale recently received two prestigious national accolades for its Liberator Gin.

The American Distilling Institute 7th Annual Judging of Artisan American Spirits evaluated 66 gins and picked Liberator as "Best of Category – Gold Medal" for contemporary rectified gins, as well as "Best of Class" for gin, during the group's annual conference April 1-4 in Denver.

"This is particularly rewarding because it's judged by all the industry insiders and other American distillers," Valentine Vodka posted in its Facebook page.

Liberator Gin fans also chimed in about the honors on Valentine Vodka's Facebook page:

• Deb Ortwine: There's no doubt why, it's the best out there.
• Alison Perkins Brown: A Liberator gin martini with lemon is the stuff of dreams.

Valentine Distilling is the home of Valentine Vodka. The distillery, located at 161 Vester Street, serves as the company's distribution center and features a 1,000-square foot vodka and martini bar. Find out more about the business here.

“Our goal from the beginning, has been to bring manufacturing back not only to this country, but to Detroit,” Promote Michigan quotes Valentine Distilling Co. master distiller and owner Rifino Valentine as saying. “We’ve always set our sights on crafting spirits that compete on the international level. To win these competitions, topping some of the biggest and best companies in the world, is not only personally satisfying, but also serves the economic purpose of bringing manufacturing back. Our philosophy has always been ‘don’t drink Valentine spirits just because they are local – drink them because they are better.’ ”

Jessica Schrader contributed to this report.