Wisconsin’s rich dairy history is finding new life in a unique and flavorful way, thanks to a local distillery that is incorporating milk sugar, a byproduct of cheese production, into their spirits. This innovative approach not only supports the local dairy industry but also adds a distinct character to the final product.

The distillery sources its milk sugar from a nearby family-run cheese factory. "Milk sugar starts with the dairy farmers and the cheesemakers," Heather Mullins, founder and head distiller of Knowlton House Distillery explains. "When they make cheese, what's left behind contains cream, protein, and lactose—the milk sugar we use in our process. That lactose is the key ingredient that we incorporate into our distillation, setting our spirits apart from others."

Understanding the process behind these unique spirits begins with a basic knowledge of distillation. "There are two major parts: fermentation and distillation," Mullins continues. "Distillers first ferment some type of sugar using yeast to create alcohol. But unlike brewers or winemakers, we take it a step further by distilling the alcohol produced. The choice of sugar is crucial—while most vodka and gin distillers extract sugar from corn, wheat, or potatoes, we use milk sugar that comes straight from the cheese factory."