Introduction
Du Nord Craft Spirits is a micro distillery started in 2013 and located in south Minneapolis. They produce and sell two products currently: gin and vodka, with future plans to add apple whiskey and bourbon to the list of offerings. They also operate a cocktail room adjacent to their distillery, which is open to the public several times a week for tours. We attended a public tour and was able to speak with the co-owner and head distiller after the tour.
Process Selection / Manufacturing Strategies and Process Flow Analysis
Du Nord produces its spirits in a batch flow process. Each batch of the product travels from one step to the next. Du Nord Craft Spirits begin with Minnesota grown products such as corn, beet sugar and rye. The initial ingredients are combined in the cold mash process then transferred to large vats to ferment. Once fermented the mixture is transferred to the still for processing. The final product emerges after 15-30 days depending on whether they are producing gin or vodka. Du Nord also bottles, labels, and packages their products.
Du Nord’s order fulfillment most closely resembles the made-to-stock approach. Their made-to-stock approach is building inventory that is not made for any one particular customer. While Du Nord does not hold inventory at the distillery they do produce batches for their distributor. They are constantly producing either gin or vodka for the continuous demand of their distributor.
Du Nord Craft Spirits’ product is highly customized to the owner’s personal preferences. The owner is adamant in using only Minnesota grown material. He discussed the limitations this places on what he can produce such as he cannot distill sugarcane to produce rum since sugarcane is not grown in Minnesota. The owner recently added a little variety in his product by adding Minnesota grown apples for their apple whiskey. In order to offer a bit more variety in their product The owner would need to decide to use materials not grown in Minnesota.
Breaking down value and non-value added steps in the process is challenging. It would appear that each step is necessary in the transformation process from the mixing of the material to the distilling of the fermented mixture. There are wait times in the process that add to total process time. Once the cold mash step is completed the mixture must spend time in the fermenting totes and while one batch is being processed the materials for future batches are left in a non-value added storage step. These wait times are an inherent part of the process and cannot be avoided.
In my opinion the processes were as efficiently linked as was possible. The materials were received and stored until use and moved from step to step when the product was ready. To increase efficiency the owner would need to expand, buy additional machinery, and hire additional staff.
The distilling process does produce waste or scrap. The owner was very conscious of the laws surrounding the use or selling of waste and some of the byproduct ethanol was used as cleaning agents. The owner donates the leftover mash material as animal feed to local farmers.

Quality Principles
Du Nord’s website uses the catchphrase “quality over quantity” and features it prominently in their marketing. On their website they pose the question, “Did you know that 75% of all spirits worldwide are made by six companies and 50% of the market is produced by two mega companies?” They go on to state, “We can’t produce millions of cases, but we can ensure the highest quality products.” Du Nord takes pride in the fact that their grains and botanicals are locally sourced and their distillery operations allow for “hands on control” of each step to produce artisan-quality spirits.
Du Nord’s quality standards are in large dictated by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which specify processing, production, and storage standards, ABV (alcohol by volume) rates, materials from which spirits can be produced, and acceptable coloring and flavoring ingredients among other standards. However, head distiller also has his own personal standards gained from experience and knowledge of traditional production methods. He constantly tests products at various stages in the distillation process for nuances of flavor and aroma. He also described some of the more scientific methods he uses to ensure quality standards, including the use of pH testing, temperature gauges, calibrated hydrometers to confirm ABV levels, and volumetric devices to ensure correct fill levels.
When asked about continuous quality improvement, the owner stated the distillery has gone through dozens of variations on processes and equipment configurations in the time since they opened in 2013. He and his assistants are continually looking for ways to improve their process and product. The hand-crafted and small batch features of their products also help to ensure quality, in that all products are inspected for quality, not simply a sample size of a larger run.
If a batch of product is found to be defective (for reasons of personal judgement or failure to conform to government standards,) it is destroyed according to Tax and Trade Bureau regulations. The owner explained that Du Nord is unable to keep up with current demand as it is, but would rather achieve consistent quality than distribute less-than acceptable products.

References

Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. (n.d.) Retreived October 26, 2015 from www.ttb.gov

Du Nord Craft Spirits. (n.d.) Retrieved October 26, 2015 from www.dunordcraftspirits.com/home