 |
| Customers sample CD Vodka in the tasting room at Mid-Oak Distillery in Midlothian. |
Southland Savvy
If Matt Altman succeeds, the south suburbs may soon be known
for its … vodka?
Altman, 33, a lifelong Midlothian resident last week opened Mid-Oak Distillery at 4704 W. 147th St. in Midlothian’s Tiffany Plaza, where he produces CD Vodka.
Altman, 33, a lifelong Midlothian resident last week opened Mid-Oak Distillery at 4704 W. 147th St. in Midlothian’s Tiffany Plaza, where he produces CD Vodka.
“I was home brewing my own beer for years, and a friend of
ours from New Zealand told us that we should get into craft distilling,” he
said explaining the evolution from home brew master to commercial distiller.
“He said craft liquors were going to be the next big thing and here we are.”
Altman said the journey was not always an easy one.
“If you ask my wife, she’s now on board with this,” he said
with a laugh. “But at the beginning …”
And making your own vodka is certainly not cheap.
“Everything we use is from the Midwest and that means it’s
more expensive than if we got it from China,” he said. That includes everything
from the bottles, which are made in Glenview and screened in Milwaukee, to the
corn used to make the vodka, which is grown right here in Illinois.
Altman opened the Mid-Oak tasting room on June 14 after the
village granted his a business license the night before.
“Response from the village has been so great,” he said.
Altman said the first batch of CD Vodka left the distillery last
week and should be available at most south suburban bars including Sullivan’s
in Midlothian as well as select liquor stores including Madori’s Liquor &
Deli at 14710 S. Cicero Ave. in Midlothian.
You can also sample CD Vodka on Saturday at Bobby McGee’s,
10139 S. Harlem Ave. in Chicago Ridge.
The CD Vodka Girls will be offering free tastings from 9-11 p.m. The bar also will feature CD Vodka in $3 Bullfrogs all night.
Customers can sample CD Vodka at the tasting room, which is
right next door to the distillery. If they like what they try, they can buy it
there, as well.
“We can make 15 cases of vodka a day,” Altman said.
Mid-Oak at present only sells CD Vodka in 750 ml bottles
(for $24.99), but that will change as the business grows. Altman said flavored
vodkas will be coming later along with different sized bottles.
Different spirits may also be available in the future.
“We’re only in the preliminary stages,” Altman said. “But I
plan on producing an American-made single-malt whiskey.”
For information on availability of CD Vodka and tasting room
hours, call 708-925-9318, email them at admin@cdvodka.com, visit Mid-OakDistillery or check out their Facebook page.
Ultra Opens in
Crestwood
Ultra Foods finally opened today at 13180 S. Cicero Ave. in Crestwood.
The opening took longer than expected because of extensive remodeling required
for the former Dominick’s Finer Foods.
Flossmoor Farmer’s Market
Opens
The Flossmoor Farmers Market is now open from 8 a.m. to 1
p.m. on Fridays at the Flossmoor Library parking lot, 1000 Sterling Ave. It will run through Oct. 12.
Get Down with WCCQ
Personalities
Roy Gregory from 98.3 WCCQ will broadcast from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
on Saturday at Aqua Pools in Homer Glen. Visitors will get a chance to win a
pair of tickets to see Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw at Soldier Field.
WCCQ’s Bossman will host a pre-concert tailgate party from
3-5 p.m. on Saturday at Odyssey Sweet Spot Sports Bar in Tinley Park leading up
to that night’s concert by Sugarland at the amphitheatre.
There will be a bags tournament, flippy cup, mechanical
bull, Zip Line ride, BBQ and red solo cup drink specials.
Bossman will be giving away free pairs of lawn tickets every
30 minutes.
