Mastermind Distillery has been gaining attention since launching its vodka last winter. The distillery, located in Pontoon Beach, Ill., has yet to celebrate its first anniversary but has already earned a gold medal at this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition for its vodka, made from local corn and wheat. With product slated to increase exponentially, the company is making plans to move to a facility in the St. Louis area.
Nick Roady, Mastermind VP of sales and marketing, stated that the company has placed a contract on a 54,000-square-foot building located near Interstate 70 at Adelaide Avenue in North St. Louis. Mastermind hopes to begin production at the new facility no later than February 2013, Roady said.
One reason why the company needs a larger production facility is to meet the demands for its vodka overseas in China. While current production averages 400 bottles a month, Mastermind needs to gear up to fill 280,000 bottles a month destined for Shanghai.
The increased production will also bring 25 new jobs to the St. Louis area. Roady added that, while the distillery’s clear vodka will continue to be the company’s mainstay, plans are in the works to launch a moonshine in late 2013.
This article appears in August 2012.