Mike Swanson and Cheri Reese opened Far North Spirits in 2013 on Swanson's family farm outside Hallock, Minnesota, 25 miles from the Canadian border. Swanson is a fourth-generation farmer and the head distiller. He grows the rye, mills it and distills it.
Far North plants named rye varieties chosen for flavor rather than yield, then bottles them separately. The Distilled Spirits Council put that idea first in its 2026 Innovation Showcase. Musketeer is 95% Musketeer rye and 5% malted Musketeer rye, bottled at 94 proof and not chill filtered. Every variety tastes different, so the label names the rye the way a wine label names the grape.
