The copper pot still at Whiskey Run Distilling Co. is where Wisconsin grain begins a transformation that can take years to complete. But the idea behind the New Glarus distillery began much earlier, with Friday fish fries, a glass of Korbel brandy and Todd Kuehl's growing curiosity about whiskey.

Kuehl remembers brandy as one of his first drinks in the mid-1980s. Drinking itself was never the focus, he said, but it was woven into familiar Wisconsin experiences, especially going out for fish on Friday nights. Later, frequent travel introduced him to distinctive whiskeys and the experiences distilleries built around them.

"Being able to be creative and put our own stamp on our spirits was very attractive, and that is what drove us," Kuehl said.

That interest eventually became Whiskey Run, the family-owned craft distillery Todd and Janet Kuehl opened in 2023 beside Bailey's Run Vineyard & Winery at N8523 Klitzke Road. The companion businesses grew from the couple's move to New Glarus and their decision to build a destination around locally made drinks, food and hospitality.