Noble Cut Distillery expands to Put

Noble Cut Distillery just opened a new distillery and tasting room in Put-in-Bay. (Photo by Noble Cut Distillery)

PUT-IN-BAY, Ohio – Columbus-based Noble Cut Distillery just opened a distillery and tasting room in Put-In-Bay. The brand makes whiskeys, "cellos," and vodkas. While its citrus-based cellos --like limoncello -- are a novelty item, its most visible product is Shiphouse Vodka. The vodka is sold in a bottle modeled after the well-known ship-shaped Benson Ford Shiphouse in Put-in-Bay.

Noble Cut Distillery has been producing Shiphouse Vodka since 2022 in conjunction with the owner of the Benson Ford Shiphouse, Bryan Kasper of Sandusky. Kasper maintains the highly visible property as a private home.

Shiphouse Vodka is a signature brand of Noble Cut Distillery. (Photo by Noble Cut Distillery)

Shiphouse Vodka is distilled six times from American-grown grain, then filtered 10 times through activated charcoal filters. The time-consuming filtration process means the vodka is produced in small batches of 200 to 300 gallons.

In April 2023, the spirit was awarded Double Gold at the famed San Francisco International Spirits Competition.

"Double Gold is awarded to a spirit that received a gold rating from every judge on the panel and is a testament to the quality put into every bottle. There are only 20 Double Gold winners in the whole world, and we’re one of only 11 recipients in the United States," says Tony Guilfoy, co-owner and head distiller of Noble Cut Distillery."

While most products will continue distillation at the Columbus location, the Put-in-Bay distillery, 280 Delaware Ave., will create small-batch offerings like Limited-Edition 100-proof Limoncello and Noble Cut Signature Vodka. The new space will feature tours, enhanced tastings and the opportunity to learn the background and history of the spirits.

This summer, Put-In-Bay residents and visitors can also pick up a Noble Cut Cocktail Passport, which will serve as a guide to finding the distillery's spirits on local menus and can be redeemed for a prize once it has been filled.

"This new location on Put-In-Bay is special to us for a couple of reasons," says Shawn O’Reilly, CEO of Noble Cut Distillery. "It is the residential home of one of our owners, and we have a strong customer base on the northern shore of Ohio."

The distillery will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. until the end of the summer/fall tourism season. Noble Cut products are also available throughout the state at OHLQ agencies. For availability, visit OHLQ.com.

Paris Wolfe is a life and culture reporter for Cleveland.com. She has a special interest in food, dining, cocktails and spirits. You can reach her with news and story ideas at [email protected]. Here's a directory of her latest posts. Follow her on Instagram @pariswolfe.

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