Missouri Corn Adds A-Maize-Ing Complexity to Whiskey

By Linda Geist

Corn whiskey has long been an American tradition and a vital part of Missouri’s economy. University of Missouri Extension researchers are working to help corn growers that provide locally sourced corn to distilleries for brewed corn whiskey.

Missouri’s distilling history dates to the mid-1800s, when Holladay Distillery in Weston became one of the first bourbon makers west of the Mississippi River. As of 2024, the state was home to 71 active craft distilleries, according to the American Craft Spirits Association.

The corn whiskey business, as part Missouri’s broader distilling industry, has a substantial economic footprint, according to a 2020 report from MU Extension.

In the report, MU Extension assistant professor Alan Spell says that Missouri’s distillers employed 600 workers in 2019 and played a part in contributing $357 million to Missouri’s gross domestic product.