From big city to rural Kansas

MARQUETTE - Most of Stan Von Strohe’s life has been spent in the city.

As a child, Stan grew up in Denver, The Mile High City at the base of the Colorado Rockies. Later, after college, he moved to Texas, and settled into another large, highly populated city where he spent nearly three decades as partowner of a medical equipment distributorship and his wife, Michele, worked as a prekindergarten teacher.

That was until last year when the couple made a major life decision to retire, sell their home, pack up their belongings and move to a small Kansas town to pursue their passion for distilling fine spirits.

“I love the pace of a small town,” Stan said. “It’s slower. People take the time to stop and visit. A small town is a whole different environment. I’m really excited (about) being here.”

It’s only been two weeks since Stan put Dallas in the rear-view mirror, swapping crowds and congested commutes for Marquette’s slower pace. But there was nothing random about his choice for his new home. It’s where he’s always wanted to be.

Stan’s connection to Marquette was made years ago when he was a young boy. Many sum mers, he boarded a bus or train headed for central Kansas and his great-aunt, Mildred Holt, who eagerly awaited his arrival at the regional terminal. Those summer visits are still vivid in his mind, especially his memories of helping other local farmers during harvest. Even decades later, he’s managed to maintain those friendships that started all those years ago in a Kansas wheat field.

*** Not long after the Von Strohes moved to Marquette, they purchased an old downtown building they refer to as the Co-op Building. Soon, they began remodeling the future home of Smoky Valley Distillery, which was built in 1919 by Tom Collier for the Farmers Union Co-op. With 16,000 square feet of space, the building is the largest in town. In the past, Stan said, it’s been home to a grocery store, a furniture showroom, a bar and an antique/boutique store among other uses.

Among the upgrades made to the building was an overhaul of the building’s electrical and plumbing system and the installation of premium distilling equipment, which Stan, Michele and their son, Shane, put in place earlier this year.

“It’s a pretty goodsized building,” Stan said. “We love older things, and we love everything that we can take and repurpose. It’s a neat old building, and so we wanted to get it up and going so it could be used.”

While neither Stan nor Michele have any formal training, the selfdescribed distilling aficionados have spent years sampling wine, bourbon and other fine spirits from producers throughout the United States. Over time, their travels have taken them from California’s Napa Valley to Fredericksburg, Texas, to conduct research, tour production facilities and sample various libations and concoctions.

“I’ve always been intrigued by the process,” he said.

Federal law governs the specific standards used in crafting distilled spirits like bourbon, and must be strictly followed. In order to be called bourbon, Stan said, the mash used must be made from at least 51 percent corn and distilled at no higher than 160 proof. At Smoky Valley, new, No. 3 charred American White Oak barrels are used to age the bourbon. It’s the new barrels which help contribute to the spirits’ aging and color characteristics. At the time of bottling, bourbon must be a minimum of 80 proof, according to the American Bourbon Association.

Because the bourbon is crafted in small batches, the distillery, Stan said, can carefully select the ingredients it uses. Among those are regionally produced grain through Central Prairie Co-op in Hutchinson and water from the Longford Water Co. in Longford, Kan.

The underground rocks near Longford, including siltstone, some scarce forms of sandstone and other stones make up a unique portion of the Kiowa Formation, which naturally filter the groundwater. As a result, the water is naturally sweet, soft and of better quality.

“We bring the water from Longford because the water is the biggest part,” Stan said. “We proof our bourbon with Longford Water. Being a small distillery, we’re not here to take over the world, but we want a really unique, small-batch bourbon. They’re a familyrun business, and so are we. It’s a great match.”

“Water is important. When it comes to whiskeys, the marketing for the product is all around the water and the flavor.”

Currently, Smoky Valley is producing two inaugural vodka flavors: Wild Plum and Smoked Jalapeno, which can be sipped alone, mixed or poured over ice.

“We experiment with flavors here,” he said. “We have some good ideas to make some really good vodkas and bourbons.”

The distillery’s two-year-old straight bourbon is expected to be unveiled in fall 2020. Bourbon is deemed “straight” when it’s aged for at least two years.

“Right now, we’re currently producing those two to get us by until the bourbon is ready,” he said.

Though the bourbon is still aging away, Stan already has a name in mind: Bud and Dewey’s. The product name was created in honor of his grandfather, Bud Von Strohe and longtime Marquette barber Dewey Grooms.

“I remember going to the barbershop and seeing how they always enjoyed smoking cigars and having a good bourbon,” he said.

The Von Strohes created the distillery as an experience to help draw daytrippers and visitors to Marquette. The business is designed as a tasting room where adults 21-and-over can enjoy casually sampling drink selections. Stan said he hopes to eventually include small appetizers, such as a cheese platter, carefully paired to complement the distinctive flavors found in a specific bourbon or vodka.

Smoky Valley Distillery is located at 105 N. Washington St. in Marquette. The distillery’s gift shop is open from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, featuring Smoky Valley merchandise as well as its craft vodka varieties for purchase. Distillery tours can also be arranged. More information can be found on the business’ Facebook page or by calling (469) 496-1458.

“We always wanted to do something like this, and this was a great place to do it,” Stan said. “It seems like small towns are going away, and with everything going on, maybe people will start to realize small towns are a great place to live and raise a family.

“I ended up where I wanted to be, and so if I can help the town and keep it going, that’s what I want to do.”