Lakeside Distillery
Author: Angie Janacaro
The craft of distilling can be traced back as far as 800 BC so it seemed only natural to Jake and Carolina Balliew to house the Lakeside Distillery in the oldest standing structure in Townsend. The layout of the building lent itself to what the couple envisioned for their business. The long and narrow space with high ceilings allows the business to be sectioned off into three parts: the tasting room, the distillery, and storage for product. The building was truly a diamond in the rough. In a labor of love, Jake and Carolina hauled out thirty-six tons of material during demolition, “It’s a good thing I’m still young so my back could handle it,” Jake comments.
In addition to renovation, distilling and devising tasty recipes for Lakeside Distillery’s featured cocktails, Jake and Carolina work full-time jobs. Jake is a Flight Instructor for the Medivac Unit of the Montana National Guard and Carolina works at the Montana Department of Environmental Quality as the Supervisor of the Federal Superfund Program. One would think such employment would keep a person busy enough, but Jake has used his free time for the past twenty years helping and learning at other distilleries, “Carolina pointed out to me I was starting to do a lot more teaching than learning. I am also eyeing retirement from the military and I’m not college educated, so getting a real job isn’t really in the cards.” And of distilling spirits, Jake says, “I genuinely think I’m good at it.”
Currently, Lakeside Distillery offers four products: a single malt whiskey, wheat whiskey, gin and vodka. Using locally sourced wheat, Jake does the milling, mashing and distilling in house. The eye-catching labels on each bottle were designed by a combat medic veteran out of Helena, Dave Goodson. Hopefully in time for Fall Fest, the distillery will introduce two new products: a rye and bourbon with a label designed to pay homage to the combat medic. “My time serving overseas, you’ve always got Doc with you so we’re pretty much naming a liquor after the medics for all they did.”
When asked about his favorite product, Jake grins, “They’re all good, but if you’re going to put my feet to the fire for an answer, it’s the gin. "Distilling gin is a labor-intensive effort, with Carolina picking over fifteen pounds of juniper berries. The small batch distilling process along with variations in juniper berries makes replicating an exact flavor nearly impossible, but as Carolina explains, “Gin lovers like that.”
In addition to releasing the rye, bourbon and next year a rum, the couple has submitted a grant application to the Montana Historical Society for the continued renovation of the building’s exterior. The application will hopefully be accepted during the upcoming 2023 Montana legislative session.
Lakeside Distillery products are available for purchase in house. The products are also available at the Commercial Bar and Townsend Drug and Spirits. Customers are invited to sit in the air-conditioned comfort of the tasting room while Carolina mixes up one of Lakeside’s four signature cocktails, an Old Fashioned, Mertilope Mule, Blueberry Breeze, or the “Gin”tleman. State law limits the sale of distillery products to two bottles per visit. Distillery hours and amount of alcohol served in the tasting room are also limited by state law.
For right now, with Jake and Carolina's schedules, the business is open Saturday 12-8 and Sunday 12-4.
