In the heart of America’s Midwest, where cornfields stretch as far as the eye can see, a family-run distillery has been quietly building a reputation for crafting spirits that blend old-world techniques with homegrown grit. Cedar Ridge Distillery, tucked between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, is celebrating two decades in the game with something special: their first Anniversary Edition Bourbon. This isn’t just another bottle on the shelf—it’s a nod to the hard work, trial and error, and bold experiments that turned a simple vineyard into a powerhouse of American whiskey.
The story starts back in 2003, when Jeff and Laurie Quint spotted a piece of land that screamed potential. They snapped it up, planting vines and dreaming of wine. But life has a way of throwing curveballs, and by 2004, Jeff started tinkering with the idea of distilling spirits. It wasn’t long before they made it official—on August 16, 2005, Cedar Ridge got the green light to produce booze. Fast forward to 2014, and their son Murphy steps in, bringing fresh energy that kicks things into high gear. Under his watch, the place evolves, diving deep into bourbon innovation and even pioneering American Single Malt. Today, they’ve got more than 200 finishing casks on site, each one adding layers of flavor that set their whiskeys apart.
This Anniversary Edition Bourbon is Murphy Quint’s way of tipping his hat to that journey. As the master distiller, he wanted to create something that bridges the distillery’s wine roots with its bourbon expertise. “To mark our 20th anniversary, I wanted to create a whiskey that honors our beginnings while also representing what we’ve evolved into,” he explained. “This release unites two cornerstones of our history—Iowa bourbon and wine—with the craft we’ve mastered in recent years: blending cask-finished whiskeys. The result is a wine-cask finished bourbon, a truly special release that brings our journey full circle.”…