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The Taste of Emporia Q&A – Wheat State Distilling

Avatar photo by Casey Woods, Executive Director | April 14, 2015

This is Part 4 in a series of The Taste of Emporia vendor Q&As that will lead up to the event on April 18th!

David Bahre is the Master Distiller & Owner at Wheat State Distilling.

Q: What can you briefly tell us about Wheat State Distilling?

A: Wheat State Distilling is a Kansas artisan distillery producing premium spirits including vodka, gin, whiskey, bourbon and rum.  Our Wheat Vodka, Gin and White Rum are for sale now at the distillery and at liquor stores across Kansas.   We also carry Small Batch Aged Rum, Barrel Rested Gin and micro-barreled Bourbon available at the distillery only. We currently are aging our Wheat Whiskey, Bourbon Whiskey and Spiced Rum and will have it out soon.

Wheat State Distilling’s goal is field to bottle distilling, tracing the ingredients we use from the FARM to the MILL to the STILL to the BOTTLE.  You can track how your spirits were made with the hand written batch and bottle numbers on your label this web site.

David Bahre’s love and knowledge of grains and fine spirits combined into an obsession.  After years of planning, he started building the distillery in January of 2013 and Wheat State Distilling officially opened in December of 2013.  David is a Wichita native and self-professed nerd.  Following a family tradition in agriculture, he received his bachelor’s degree in Grain Science and Milling from Kansas State University and is working on his Masters in Agribusiness from KSU as well.  Wheat State Distilling is a family owned and operated business.  David’s wife, Kim, a Wichita native and KSU grad as well, works along with him.  Their daughter, the inspiration for Bella Bahre’s Bourbon, is a frequent sight at the distillery in addition to great friends and family who help out when needed.  Shiloh, the Great Dane better known as the Hooch Pooch can regularly be spotted lounging on the couch watching the hard work happen.

Q: What products should this year’s participants expect from you? Anything new?

A: New Gin and Rum

Q: What new products do you have coming available that we should know about?

A:  Bourbons and Whiskeys

 

Be on the lookout for more Vendor Q&As soon!

About the Author

Casey Woods, Executive Director

Before accepting the director position in March of 2009, Casey worked in both retail and agricultural jobs in the family businesses. A lifelong resident of the Emporia Area, Casey was a ten year volunteer for Emporia Main Street prior to his appointment as director. During that time he served as the board president and chair of the Economic Vitality Committee.

Casey also serves as a partner in PlaceMakers, LLC, a consulting firm that routinely works with both large and small communities, and their businesses, to promote sustainable economic growth through community and economic development practices. Casey consults with businesses, organizations and communities to understand their market capacity and fill vacant spaces. He has been involved in two projects that included crowdfunding as a part of their overall business funding strategies, Radius Brewing and Twin Rivers Winery & Gourmet Shoppe.