Fans of local spirits no longer have to drive to LeClaire for their Mississippi River Distilling Company cocktails — the new downtown Davenport location has opened for business.
The Mississippi River Distilling Company Downtown Lounge, 318 E. 2nd St., Davenport, held its soft opening last weekend and will have its grand opening at 4 p.m. June 24. The distillery is open 4-10 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 4-11 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and noon-8 p.m. Sundays.
Owner Ryan Burchett said renovation of the space was right on schedule, though businesses always hope to open just a little bit faster than planned.
"We're really pleased to be able to have things open for the busy summer months and to jump into all the great things that are going to be happening downtown," Burchett said.
With a menu full of LeClaire favorites and drinks unique to Davenport and decor that hark back to the building's origins, the Downtown Lounge is offering a whole new vibe, Burchett said.
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Painted on a wall of the new space is a mural of the original building, emblazoned with "Davenport Buick Co." The original Italian marble floors have been restored, covered here and there by mid-century modern furniture. Bottles of Cody Road whiskeys and other Mississippi River Distilling Company spirits line the walls behind the bar and host desk.
The downtown Davenport location also houses a bottling facility that Burchett said will soon be operational. Once the last of the machinery makes its way from Florida and is installed, which they expect to be finished in early July, staff won't have to bottle the spirits by hand, greatly increasing the product they can put out.
"The speed at which we'll be able to manage stuff through it is wait-and-see," Burchett said. "But we know that it's going to ramp up our scale exponentially, certainly."
A 100-gallon still sits along the back wall, offering customers a glimpse into how the distillery's products are made. While it can't run during the lounge's operating hours — the space gets uncomfortably warm if it's on — Burchett said they plan to use the still for smaller batches of spirits.
Downtown Lounge manager Benjamin Ward said he's excited to show people that this new business was more than just a bar. Some of the drinks on the lounge's menu are also sold in bottles to take home, and offering them gives Ward the opportunity to explain all the work and creativity that goes on behind the scenes.
"I think that's really what we're looking forward to, is showing the community that we're making this from farm to cocktail glass," Ward said.
Across the street from the Downtown Lounge sits Raccoon Motel, Ragged Records and Trashcan Annie, which opened at these spots in 2021. Just a few blocks away, Daiquiri Factory's new Davenport location has been in operation for around one month.
Downtown Davenport Partnership Executive Director Kyle Carter said the Downtown Lounge was a perfect fit for the area, which has seen a lot of investment since the 2019 floods. With streetscape improvements being completed and new development plans for the corner of East 2nd and Iowa streets, the distillery opening is just adding to the downtown's growth.
"[Mississippi River Distilling Company] is kind of our newest cherry on the sundae, but when you're looking at the bigger picture of that corridor … I think we're starting to see some more momentum there," Carter said.
The Mississippi River Distilling Company received a $16,500 interior improvement grant from the Downtown Davenport Partnership to help with renovation costs and worked with the city of Davenport through its small business loan program.
Burchett has always held the conviction that "rising waters float all the boats," he said, and the business the new distillery location will bring downtown will help more than just them.
"We really feel like what we're doing accentuates what's happening over here," Burchett said. "This is not competition; this is us all working together to make this neck of the woods kind of come back to life."
Do you know your state's signature drink? Find out Iowa's here
Do you know your state's signature drink? Find out Iowa's here
Every U.S. state has something it's proud of—and that's especially true of its signature drinks. These are drinks that locals love and ones tourists love to seek out. You know the ones we’re talking about. Can you imagine a trip to California without a glass of Napa Valley red wine? Or breezing through Seattle without a piping-hot cup of coffee? Sometimes it’s the signature drink that helps to solidify a destination’s character.
There is no hard-and-fast rule when it comes to defining a state’s signature drink. Some states even have drinks that are designated as their official state beverages. In fact, the most popular state beverage across the country is, believe it or not, milk—19 states claim milk as their official state beverage. And then there are other states that are well-known for their drinks, like Nebraska and its Red Beer, a concoction of beer and tomato juice similar to Mexico’s “Ojo Rojo” hangover cure. There are also drinks like sweet tea with vodka from South Carolina or Jack Daniel’s from Tennessee. These drinks are state icons, even if they don't have official state symbol status. Tourists and locals alike always seem to find a reason to seek them out and do a taste test for themselves in order to embrace the flavors of our 50 states.
So what are the signature drinks from every state? Stacker looked at official state websites, news, culinary profiles, and historic reports that tie specific beverages to states across the country. Some states had several drinks in the running, so in those cases, the majority ruled.
Are you ready to discover signature beverages from across the country? In fact, do you even know the signature drink from your home state? Read on to discover which drink is your state's favorite, or explore the entire national list here.
Iowa: Frozen blue water margarita
West Okoboji Lake is one of Iowa's biggest claims to fame. In fact, the naturally blue lake is so beloved that it inspired Iowa's signature drink, the frozen blue water margarita. According to Taste of Home, the cocktail is made like the classic margarita with tequila, Cointreau, and lime. The brilliant blue comes from Blue Curacao.
Continue reading to see other signature drinks in your region.
Illinois: Jameson Irish Whiskey
With its Irish population and the yearly tradition of dyeing the Chicago River green on St. Patrick's Day, Illinois is all about Ireland. So when it comes to choosing a signature drink, it has to be Jameson Irish Whiskey, which is the state's most popular spirit.
Minnesota: Milk
Producing more than 9 billion pounds of milk per year, according to the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, the state designated—you guessed it—milk as its official beverage in 1984. Minnesota ranks eighth in dairy production in the United States.
