If you’re reading this, you’ve scrolled past 20 other bottles claiming to be 'hand-crafted.' Welcome to the point where the filter turns off and the specs begin. We're talking about Few Spirits, out of Evanston, Illinois—a location that shouldn't even exist on a distiller's map. So, what’s their deal? Are they just another bottle with a questionable story, or is something actually happening? The short answer is yes. The long answer involves a surprising history, a stubborn founder, and the kind of local flavor that isn’t just marketing fluff. We'll dive into the Few Spirits history, from its unlikely birthplace to how that location shapes the whiskey in your glass. Let's talk about what makes this stuff different before you even pull the cork.
The story of Few Spirits is inseparable from its location: Evanston, Illinois. If that name rings a bell for reasons other than Northwestern University, congratulations, you’re a history nerd. For the rest of us, here’s the scoop: Evanston was the cradle of the Temperance Movement. This was ground zero for the folks who thought alcohol was the devil’s mouthwash. The Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was founded there in 1874, and the city remained legally dry for a century.
So, for founder Paul Hletko to open a distillery in Evanston wasn’t just a business decision; it was a beautiful, defiant act of historical irony. The name “Few” itself is a clever nod to Frances Elizabeth Willard, one of the most prominent figures of the WCTU. It’s a middle finger to the past, and you have to respect the guts it takes to do that. They respect history, but the only ‘found’ document that matters is the 1897 Bottled-in-Bond Act—they follow the federal guidelines, which is the real heritage. The Few Spirits history is baked right into the soil of a city that once wanted nothing to do with it.
What does this mean for you? You’re buying a bottle with a genuine, hilarious backstory. The con? Honestly, who cares? While some brands are busy inventing a heritage, Few’s is authentic. If you’re a drinker who ignores trivia and only wants to know if the bourbon is good, then let’s move on.
Beyond the historical punchline, the distillery’s location plays a tangible role in the final product. Few doesn’t pipe in water from some mythical mountain spring in Kentucky. They use the local water from Lake Michigan. Water is the unsung hero of any spirit, and this unique source inevitably changes the chemical makeup of the mash and the resulting distillate. This isn’t your typical limestone-filtered Kentucky water, and that’s the entire point. It gives the spirit a character that is distinctly not from Bourbon County.
Then there’s the climate. Illinois weather is, to put it mildly, moody. It swings from hot, humid summers to brutally cold winters. This dramatic temperature fluctuation is a gift to barrel aging. The constant push and pull—the barrel breathing cycle—happens more intensely here. As it heats, the whiskey shoves deep into the wood; as it chills, it drags all those delicious compounds—vanillin, tannins, and esters—out of the charred oak. The result is a whiskey that ages differently, picking up character from the oak in a way that’s unique to the region. It’s the local terroir, a pretentious word that just means “a product of its environment.” Few’s spirits are a true product of their Chicago-adjacent environment.
Let’s skip the flowery adjectives and sit down in the production room. Few doesn’t have a 200-year-old ledger; they have a custom-built still and a relentless focus on the grain. They distill in a way that pushes the character of the grain forward—hence the distinct spicy rye kick in their bourbon, and the, well, very rye-forward rye. This isn’t Kentucky cosplay. They are forging their own path, influenced by their ingredients, their climate, and a contrarian spirit that seems to be a prerequisite for doing anything interesting in whiskey. If you’re looking for a new experience, this is your pro. If you want every bourbon to taste like it’s from the same 100-square-mile patch in Kentucky, then yes, this is a con. We’re here to talk specs, not myths.
Here’s the important part: the flavor. You’ll hear people describe Few Bourbon with the usual suspects—clove, vanilla, caramel—and that signature spicy finish. Your palate is a unique mess of genetics and questionable food choices, so your tasting notes are deeply personal. This is exactly why trying to pick a new whiskey based on someone else’s review can feel like a shot in the dark.
You need a better tool. This is where our app, OAKR, comes in. We designed OAKR to cut through that anxiety and understand what’s inside every bottle. Instead of relying on one person’s opinion, OAKR acts as your personal bourbon sommelier. It aggregates tasting data from a wide panel of blind tasters to create a comprehensive flavor profile for countless spirits, including those from Few.
OAKR cuts through the subjective noise. It shows you the most commonly identified flavors, helping you understand the spirit’s character before you spend your hard-earned money. You can explore in-depth flavor profiles, discover how a spirit’s history influences its taste, and get personalized recommendations based on what you already love. Stop guessing and start knowing. Download OAKR and let it guide you to your next favorite bottle, whether it’s from the historically defiant halls of Few Spirits or another hidden gem.
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