Crafted: J.T. Meleck Distillers
Growing up in the rural town of Branch, Louisiana, Mike Fruge’s life has always revolved around rice. From a young age, he worked the fields of his family’s rice farm, eventually carrying on the business, alongside his brother, Mark and while their focus shifted to crawfish farming over the years, rice was always at the heart of the operation. A surplus of rice in a tough market led to a new venture for Mike. While he always knew he was in the business of rice, he never imagined how far the humble grain would take him.
Vodka from J.T. Meleck Distillers, Branch, Louisiana. Logo conceptualized by Courtney Fruge.
It all started in the 1890s, when Fruge’s great, great uncle John and his siblings migrated south, settling in the Louisiana town of Branch. They devoted their lives to growing a style of rice known as Providence rice. This technique of farming on the marshland would hold winter rains on higher ground, while rice crops were planted on lower ground.
The family continued farming on the land for generations and Fruge’s grandfather often told him stories of his Uncle John and the Providence rice that their business was built on. Mike and his brother took over the family business more than thirty years ago. Today, they farm on roughly four thousand acres of land and when all of their rice bins are full, they’re holding over nine million pounds of rice!
Through the cycles of ups and downs of the industry, rice just isn’t always worth very much, Fruge says. A few years back, nearly breaking even on their rice crop, in the middle of a saturated crawfish market, Fruge was determined to find another use for the grain that their family’s livelihood was built around. Frustrated with the circumstances, he asked himself, “What can we do with this stuff? How can we add value to it?”
A lightbulb went off. Are people making spirits with rice?!
It turns out, not many people were. And so the idea of making his very own brand of alcohol with their rice was born. Fruge built a distillery right there on the farm, naming it J.T. Meleck, in honor of his Uncle John, the patriarch that started it all.
He originally set his sights on making an American rice whiskey. He figured that’s what the market would prefer. Walking through an inconspicuous side door to the distillery, you’ll find rows upon rows of white oak barrels, aging what will be the distillery’s first brown spirit. But patience is the name of the whiskey game. Fruge’s oldest whiskey barrels are about two years into the (at least) four year aging process. While the wait continued, Mike decided to experiment with a spirit that could hit the shelves a lot sooner.
Aging barrels of American Rice Whiskey at J.T. Meleck Distillers, Branch, Louisiana.
It took about six or seven tries to get the vodka recipe right. After that first sip in his usual cocktail, a classic martini, he knew they finally got it right. Fruge says he’ll never forget that moment, recalling “I just had the best martini of my life and it was made with my rice. It was pretty incredible.”
Since launching the vodka, the response has been tremendous, especially in that first year. Their vodka continually beats out the big brands in blind tastings!
Bottling J.T. Meleck vodka at the distillery.
And so he and his family enjoy the rising success of J.T. Meleck vodka, while patiently waiting for the distillery’s next spirit to mature. He expects some of the barrels will age for four years, some for ten or longer. If they continue on the pace that they’re on, they’ll be building another barrel warehouse somewhere on the property. Up to this point, there haven’t been any commercially successful brands of an American rice whiskey and Fruge hopes to earn his seat at the table.
Just about everybody in the rice farming business now grows crawfish. In Louisiana farming especially, the two go hand in hand. The industry is more competitive now than it ever has been, but unlike the commodity-based crawfish industry, Fruge sees an opportunity to build a brand with these spirits.
“That’s the hardest part,” he says. “It’ll take years and years to accomplish, but maybe we have a chance.”
J.T. Meleck Distillers is located in Branch, Louisiana.
They don’t offer tours of the facility (yet!?), but you can find their vodka around town throughout South Louisiana and beyond. They’re always out and about so look for tastings around the area.
Follow them on Facebook & Instagram and keep an eye out for J.T. Meleck whiskey. We got a taste and we’re thirsty for more!
Hi, hungry friends! We’re Ashley & Sean, Louisiana natives with a big love of food! We’re a husband and wife dynamic duo who film & photograph people, places & food for a living. Craft Chew is our food photography playground, inspired by our love of tasty chews, craft brews, and a little nod to our furry pup, Chewy! Thanks for stopping by!
