MUSCATINE, Iowa–Though a disruptive time for many businesses, the start of the COVID-19 pandemic planted the seeds for many new small businesses. For Thad Burkamper, it lead to the idea for the Knee High Distilling Company. “I wandered down a YouTube wormhole and ended up finding videos of a guy in New Zealand making vodka,” he remembers. “I thought to myself, ‘if he can do this, I could do it.'” Excited with this prospect, Thad Burkamper shared the idea for starting a distillery with his wife, Rachel Burkamper, as well as with his best friend and his wife, Jeremy and Kaely Spratt. Slowly but surely, all of them came around to the idea and shared Thad Burkamper’s enthusiasm.
Over the next three years, the quartet got to work, learning what it would take to start a distillery. Burkamper found that he especially liked learning the ins and outs of distilling, perfecting the recipe and process for making delicious drinks. ” Learning the actual science of what’s happening in each step of a mash cook, or the fermentation process, or distillation has been really pretty exciting,” Burkamper observed.
They also spent time looking into what it would take to make their business unique and successful. ” A lot of the research that we did was to the extent of seeing what’s working within the industry and what isn’t,” Burkamper said. By closely examining trends in distilling, the founders of Knee High Distilling determined what niche in the market they could occupy and how they could make their business their own.
As the first craft distillery in Muscatine, it seemed fitting to locate Knee High Distilling Company in a historic Muscatine building, a former fire station still marked with the inscription “Engine 302” on the garage door. Their manufacturing headquarters, they hope to eventually find a second location in downtown Muscatine to serve as a tasting room.
Jeremy Spratt, Rachel Burkamper, Kaely Spratt, and Thad Burkamper, founders of Knee High Distilling Company.
Currently, Knee High Distilling Company works with Distilled Spirits Plants, who takes Knee High’s products to their warehouse to sell to stores across Iowa. Business interested in purchasing either of Knee High’s vodkas should use product number 37690 for their 80 proof vodka or product number 37692 for their B100 Proof Vodka. If you would like to learn more about each of their products, you may visit their website.
As people around Muscatine have started trying Knee High Distilling’s vodkas and giving them positive reviews, Burkhamper feels encouraged and looks forward to continuing to perfect and develop new beverages. “There are certain benchmarks we’re trying to meet with our product and, honestly, I think we’ve surpassed them,” he said. “Our vodkas have a really smooth taste and almost sweet or fruity after-taste.”
He also looks forward to continuing to nurture and grow Knee High Distilling Company with the help of his best friends. “Starting up with this super-close group of the four of us has been pretty great,” he shared. “We’ve always wanted to build something for ourselves, and we’re finally doing it.”
