Fourth-generation farmers grow grain, distill whiskey and serve it — right on the family farm
STORY by Sara Schafer | PHOTOS by Sara Schafer and Jim McCarty
On a warm fall afternoon, Cole Rosier wasn’t thinking about barrels or bottling lines. The head distiller at R/Farm Distilling Co. was still making whiskey — just starting the process — as he watched rows of corn disappear beneath the header of a combine. While most of that corn will end up as livestock feed or ethanol, some will be milled, mashed and fermented at the Rosier family’s on-farm distillery.
Good whiskey starts with good grain, and the Rosiers know grain. They’ve been farming row crops in Holt County for four generations — and now, they’re using that knowledge to create something new from the crops they’ve always grown. In 2022, the family opened R/Farm Distilling Co. and began serving up a menu of flavored whiskeys and vodka. Soon they will release their first barrels of bourbon and rye whiskey.
Family Tradition
R/Farm Distilling Co. is a true family business, anchored by a large farm operation, an on-farm distillery and a tasting room. Parents Kim and Kirby Rosier run the business alongside their three sons and daughters-in-law — Dylan and Lauren, Cole and Holly, and Gage and Ashley — while the next generation, nine grandchildren in all, is already finding ways to pitch in to the family business.
“We are still traditional farmers through and through,” says Ashley, director of marketing and distribution for R/Farm Distilling Co. “We just allocated a little of our resources differently.”
With the ever-changing, roller-coaster farm economy, the Rosiers knew they had to keep creating opportunities for the current and future generations. Simply buying or renting more acres wasn’t a sustainable answer going forward. Rather than growing more grain, they wanted to add value to what they were already producing.
The distillery idea started with Cole and Dylan. “Cole came into my office one day and said, ‘I think we should start making whiskey,’” Kirby recalls. “I said, ‘What the hell are you talking about?’ ”
The sons spent years researching the idea and convinced the rest of the family a distillery would be a smart way to diversify the operation and create jobs for family members and neighbors. Cole attended Moonshine University in Kentucky to learn the ins and the outs of the distilling process, and the family transformed a former soybean field into a production facility and tasting room.
The family received a Rural Economic Development Grant from USDA, which was facilitated by their electric cooperative, Atchison-Holt Electric Cooperative. It helped them purchase distilling equipment. They also received a Missouri Department of Agriculture grant, which helped them expand their bottling capacity and storage facilities.
Thousands of people now visit the craft distillery destination each year. “We want you to learn something about modern agriculture when you visit,” Cole says. “The tours start in the field, and you’ll learn the full process until you taste the product. That’s what ‘Farm to Finish’ means — we have our hands on every single process from the kernel to when it’s in your glass.”
Farm to Finish
Generally, Cole distills twice a week. He will mill down whichever grain he needs, add water and heat the mash mix to nearly 200 degrees. The bourbon mash is then run through a fermenter and is distilled. One cook uses around 23 bushels of corn, and that fills about three barrels.
Bourbon must be at least 51% corn; however, R/Farm bourbon includes 70% corn, 18% wheat and 12% barley. Their rye whiskey also contains more corn than a traditional rye whiskey. “We wanted it to be a little sweeter and drink more like bourbon, so we added more corn — plus we just really like the corn taste,” Ashley says.
The bourbon will spend at least four years in a barrel. “The grains are obviously one of the most important parts in distilling,” Ashley says. “But the barrel is where the magic happens. It adds the flavor and all the color.”
The Rosiers buy all of their white oak barrels from Independent Stave Co. in Lebanon. They currently have around 500 barrels aging in various sheds. “Missouri weather is very good for aging bourbon because we have extreme high and extreme low temperatures,” Ashley says.
Some of the rye whiskey barrels will be tapped this year, and the bourbon will be ready next year. To bridge that time gap, the Rosiers offer several spirits that don’t require the long aging process. They are available in the tasting room or for sale at several stores in northwest Missouri and the Kansas City metro area.
Favorites include Baked Apple Flavored Whiskey, which was inspired by their grandma’s legendary apple pie recipe, and Gooey Butter Cake Cream Liqueur, which is an ode to ooey gooey butter cake being invented in Missouri. It tastes great mixed with root beer or coffee.
Another popular spirit is R/Farm’s Farm Strength Vodka, which is made from Midwest corn and produced at Golden Triangle Energy in nearby Craig. “We haul thousands of bushels of our corn to Craig, and it’s blended with other Midwestern corn, so we like to call it a farm-grown community vodka,” Ashley says.
Distillery Destination
R/Farm Distilling Co. is located just off Interstate 29 in Mound City. It sits on one of the highest points in northwest Missouri and offers sweeping views of the region’s rolling hills. Plus, it is bordered by the Rosiers’ crop fields.
The bar sits inside an actual grain bin. “The bin is from one of our farms,” Ashley says. “It took two days to take down and about two weeks to put back up inside. We say the grain bin is our unofficial mascot.”
Guests can try a craft cocktail featuring R/Farm spirits. They can sip it by the large fireplace in the winter or in a chair on the lawn in warm months. The cocktails are unique and fun. Beyond the classics such as an old-fashioned or espresso martini, you can try ones that are garnished with toasted marshmallows or feature bubble infusion.
Throughout the year, the distillery features food trucks, live music and events such as book swaps, Mother’s Day Brunch and cookies with Santa. Overall, they want to provide a relaxed and family-focused environment for guests so they can sip and savor a nice drink with loved ones.
“We want you to feel the family aspect of the business and how it started as just part of a farm,” Dylan says.
You can visit R/Farm Distilling Co. at 16755 Highway 59 in Mound City. Learn more at www.rfarmdistilling.com.
Email Sara Schafer at sschafer@ruralmissouri.coop.