SELF-PROCLAIMED “cocktail nerds” Dan and Jamie Fahrner discovered their love of easy-drinking afternoon aperitifs on a trip to Italy a decade ago. Hi & Mighty, the boutique gin distillery they opened with friend and longtime chef Nick Traeger last year, however, pays homage to sweet home Indiana—in particular the Indiana State Fairgrounds, where they house their operations in the Southwest Pavilion. A pair of signature gins, one with citrusy floral notes and another that’s savory with hints of dill and celery, are the trio’s mainstay spirits. But the recent buzz has been about their canned all-natural, gin-based interpretation of the iconic summertime lemon shake-up, with an easy, light carbonation and dry botanical undertone to balance the sweetness. A cherry version came out over the summer. This fall, they’re branching out with a new drink named Sipper Club, a take on a Wisconsin brandy old fashioned with a muddled cherry and crisp citrus finish.
