News & Media
Press Inquiries and Brand Story
We are the unapologetic artists of the Michigan craft spirits industry. Reach out to our team for interviews and deeper insight into the story of Eastern Kille.
Media Contact: info@easternkille.com
Essential Media Kit for Downloads
Access the official Eastern Kille media kit for professional press and promotional use. This curated folder includes high-fidelity distillery photography, bottle renders for our core spirit lineup and our official brand guidelines. Use these assets to ensure the Eastern Kille story is told with the same quality we put into our spirits.
Featured News and Distillery Articles
Stay up to date with the latest from Eastern Kille. From national awards and spirit reviews to news regarding our Rockford restaurant and Grand Rapids cocktail bar, this is where we feature newsworthy content.
Eastern Kille brings back the Steenstra's Old Fashioned this holiday season
The Old Fashioned is a classic cocktail, a recipe that's been around since the 1800s. Eastern Kille has teamed up with Steenstra's to bring back the Windmill Cookie Old Fashioned Cocktail, already bottled and ready to serve, just in time for the holidays.
A Little Kentucky in West Michigan
When Corewell Health purchased Eastern Kille’s original Ottawa Avenue building, it provided owners Steve Vander Pol and Brandon Voorhees the opportunity to scale up their operation. First, they opened a Wealthy Street outpost serving up cocktails with the excellent spirits they produce. Then, this winter, they opened the new $4.2 million distillery, cocktail bar and restaurant in Rockford.
Eastern Kille named the best distillery in West Michigan, breaks ground on new location
Eastern Kille Distillery's new location is in Plainfield Township near Rockford. It will include a restaurant and cocktail garden. A popular local distillery received a big honor at the West Michigan Food and Beverage Industry Awards. Eastern Kille Distillery was named the best distillery in West Michigan.
Eastern Kille’s planned $4.2M headquarters aims to merge craft cocktails, nature
In 2021, as Steve Vander Pol and Brandon Voorhees searched for a new headquarters for Eastern Kille Distillery, they wanted to recreate the energy found at distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and capitalize on Michigan’s outdoor beauty.
Eastern Kille Distillery Opens New Cocktail Bar
Earlier this summer, we shared with you that Eastern Kille Distillery planned to open a new tasting room on Wealthy Street. Eastern Kille first opened at 700 Ottawa Ave NW back in 2016 as "Gray Skies Distillery". After a trademark dispute with Skyy Vodka, the GR distillery renamed itself "Eastern Kille" ("Kille" is Middle Dutch for “riverbed” or “waterway”), in reference to its location in the Monroe North neighborhood on the eastern bank of the Grand River.
Eastern Kille Distillery wins double gold at world competition
The West Michigan-based spirits distiller earned a double gold medal for its Barrel Strength Michigan Straight Bourbon, a silver medal for Toasted Barrel Finish Barrel Strength Michigan Straight Bourbon and a bronze medal for Bottled in Bond Michigan Straight Rye at the 21st annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Eastern Kille Distillery named Michigan Whiskey Distillery of the Year
A Grand Rapids-based distiller was named Michigan Whiskey Distillery of the Year upon receiving its first double gold award from the New York International Spirits Competition.
Gray Skies have Shifted for Eastern Kille Distillery
When two Grand Rapids natives opened the doors of Eastern Kille Distillery in 2016, it was a moment long in the making. It all started in 2014 when Brandon Voorhees and Steve Vander Pol began transforming a dilapidated industrial building at 700 Ottawa Avenue NW into Grand Rapids’ second distillery.