EVERY DROP of liquor produced at this Sheridan distillery comes from a 500-liter copper still made in Portugal called Stilla. Hunt Club’s self-described “president, distiller, and toilet cleaner” Mark Schilling—for whom distilling is a family legacy—is currently hunting for a second still to keep up with demand. Schilling’s grandfather used to make bathtub gin during Prohibition. When asked if that’s the same gin recipe he uses today, the Zionsville resident just laughs. “It was simply not palatable,” he says. It took two-and-a-half years of tinkering to find a recipe he did like, and the result is a smooth-drinking 94-proof spirit. (He also offers a 151-proof gin that has much more of a kick.)
Schilling uses recycled barrels from Woodford Reserve and Jack Daniels to age his 88-proof bourbon, while the corn used to make it is entirely raised within a 45-mile radius of Sheridan. Wanting to use Indiana-raised ingredients for as many of his spirits as possible, Schilling forgoes using sugarcane for his rum, opting for sorghum molasses produced by a nearby Amish community. Juniper for the gin is grown on-site and at his nearby home—and sometimes harvested from trees shading local chain restaurants. The tasting room is a happening place on warm-weather weekends, thrumming with bands, food trucks, and the occasional wedding. The facility is located about half a mile from the Monon Greenway end point, making it a great stopover for bicyclists enjoying a day on the trail.
ADDRESS 3774 State Road 47, Sheridan, 317-441-7194
HOURS Thu 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Fri–Sat 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Sun noon–4 p.m., Mon–Wed by appointment only
