Three Fresh Ginseng Roots Go Into Every Bottle of This Wisconsin Whiskey

At Great Northern Distilling in Stevens Point, one of Wisconsin’s signature crops becomes an earthy, bitter 80-proof spirit with an unusual history.

Wisconsin produces almost 98 percent of the ginseng grown in the United States, and Marathon County accounts for about 95 percent of Wisconsin’s annual crop. In Stevens Point, about 30 miles from Wausau, Great Northern Distilling uses the local crop in its American Ginseng Flavored Whiskey.

The whiskey originated in a collaboration with Hsu’s Ginseng near Wausau, which supplies Great Northern.

“We get fresh roots,” says John Bidwell, Great Northern’s head distiller and production manager. “It’s best for the flavor.”

After harvest and washing, Bidwell uses the smaller offshoots of the root for the initial infusion; he says those portions contain the most flavor. He infuses them in whiskey for at least a couple of weeks, filters them out, and bottles the spirit. He then adds three whole roots to each bottle, generally four to six inches long. “I have to hand stuff them all,” he says. Harvest timing matters because roots picked too late can grow too large to fit through the bottle neck. The whole roots provide a second infusion at first; over time, Bidwell says, they remain mainly for decoration.

Bidwell describes the finished whiskey as rich, earthy, and bitter, with a rich caramel color. Some drinkers tell him it tastes like dirt, a reaction he understands because ginseng is a root. Great Northern has used the whiskey in a Saigon Coffee, which Bidwell describes as a split-base drink with ginseng whiskey and coffee, and has experimented with Old Fashioned variations, mezcal, and a Mule. Mezcal gives the drink a smoky, bitter flavor, he says.

At Distill America, an annual Madison tasting with roughly 80 to 90 producers from around the country, Bidwell says people often seek out the ginseng whiskey because they want to try something unusual. Some find it an acquired taste, while others “catch on right away.”

Bidwell also pours samples during Saturday tours at the Stevens Point distillery, where some people try it without knowing much about ginseng and others are caught off guard by its bitterness. At larger tastings, he gives people some background before they sample it. “If people are going in understanding it as a root, then they’ll understand a little more what they’re getting as far as flavor-wise,” he says. “Everyone’s got different palates.”

American ginseng has long been used in Chinese medicine, and Bidwell says Great Northern developed the whiskey with Asian consumers in mind. The first few batches were primarily exported, including shipments to Thailand and China, before trade disruptions and the pandemic ended regular overseas sales. Some customers who work in Thailand still buy bottles in Stevens Point to take with them when they travel. A recurring group of a dozen or more visitors from the San Francisco area also visits both the distillery and the Wausau-area ginseng farm to learn about Wisconsin ginseng and taste the whiskey.

Great Northern began distilling in Plover in 2013 and later relocated to downtown Stevens Point, where its new distillery and bar opened in 2023. Bidwell had been visiting Great Northern since shortly after it opened and became friends with founder Brian Cummins. When the distillery advertised for a bartender, he encouraged his wife, Catherine Skenadore, to apply. She joined Great Northern and now serves as event manager. Bidwell came aboard later, worked at the Plover location, and helped set up the Stevens Point operation.

As head distiller and production manager, Bidwell now makes nearly everything produced on site, with occasional help during bottling. “Currently, it’s a one-man operation,” he says. He produces at least a dozen regular spirits, including vodka, gin, rum, whiskey, coffee liqueur, limoncello, and Jeżynówka, a Polish-style blackberry brandy.

“There’s a lot to enjoy,” Bidwell says. “It’s almost like a fun hobby, but it’s also a job.” He likes developing new spirits and seeing people respond to them. “I tend to make a lot of people happy with my work,” he says. “It’s very rewarding when I make something new and for people to enjoy, and it really catches on.”

Bidwell grew up in nearby Nekoosa and describes Stevens Point as a college town. The University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point draws people to the city, which he says has grown considerably during his years at Great Northern. Its central Wisconsin location also puts Stevens Point along routes used by travelers heading north, east, and west.

At night, rows of small bulbs glow above Great Northern Distilling’s U-shaped bar while shaded lamps cast warm light across the counter and bottles fill the back bar. Windows look into the production area, where copper columns rise among stainless-steel tanks and exposed piping. Bidwell describes the bar as having a “very large city vibe for such a small area.”

The ginseng whiskey is currently sold only at the Stevens Point distillery. A bottle costs $46.33 before tax and $48.88 with tax. Bidwell says Great Northern chose the price point with its Asian market in mind. In Chinese culture, 8 is considered auspicious because its pronunciation is associated with prosperity and wealth; the final price ends in three consecutive eights. Some customers buy bottles for friends, while others take them overseas when they travel.