Tech Businessman Opens Shankar Distillers in Troy With Public Tasting Room and Tours

The shiny, 45-foot continuous distillation column used to make spirits at Shankar Distillers in Troy is so large they had to blast a hole in the roof to get it to fit into the production house, which is tucked away in an industrial park in Troy.

The glass ceiling of founder Varchas Shankar’s building can be seen from I-75 just north of the 14 Mile exit near Oakland Mall. Shankar is a tech entrepreneur and with the public debut of his facility Friday, he’s the first Indian immigrant to open an American whiskey distillery. He’s also venturing into international distribution; the Varchas Whiskey line is the first American craft bourbon to be exported to India.

Shankar and his team — which includes marketing director Ray Drzala, master distiller Kylash Sivakumar and Dennis Archer Jr. as a senior advisor — have been making spirits at this facility long enough to have some of them on shelves in stores in Michigan and six other states, and also win awards, including gold medals at the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. One of the award-winning products is the Varchas Reserve 102 Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which is very mild and smooth for a high-proof spirit and has earthy notes of wood, leather, tobacco and caramel.

Shankar says that’s probably their most popular label. He’s excited to be able to share all of his products with the public right in the place that they are produced.

“This is a dream come true, right? I never thought I’d be opening a distillery ever in my life. I came (to this area) to do tech, I’m an IT guy,” Shankar said. “I’m excited to open to the public, and they can really experience the East and West culture.”

The whole line of Shankar Distillers spirits, including the single batch Varchas Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Varchas Straight Rye Whiskey, Dasara Gin and Varchas Vodka, are sold at the distillery at a counter that also sells related merchandise such as whiskey glasses, flasks and T-shirts. The posh tasting room bar has a lush lounge seating and a menu of both classic cocktails — old fashioneds, Manhattans, barrel-aged sazeracs and their version of a G&T using Indian tonic — and house cocktails, like the “Gimmie Some More,” made with Varchas Vodka, cucumber and elderflower liqueur.

“It was an electrical panel company, so we gutted everything from the offices on back and then started building everything out to how we needed it,” Drzala told The Detroit News about the space. “We have an event room and the whole thing can be rented out for private parties; we can accommodate 125-plus.”

Drzala said what sets Shankar Distillers apart from other local brands is a few things, namely their story, having come from a tech background and also the beauty of the bottles. The 750 ml glass bottles of whiskey feature a two-headed eagle on the label, a symbol of Shankar’s home state of Mysore in southern India, and a 3D figure of an eagle on the cork, marking the accomplishments Shankar has made in the United States.

The distillery is also proud of its Michigan roots and uses locally sourced water and corn to make its products.

For visitors looking to have a drink at the bar, Shankar Distillers at 1030 Chicago Road in Troy is open 3-10 p.m. Wed.-Thurs., 3 p.m.-midnight Fri., 11 a.m.-midnight Sat. and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sun. Tours of the facility are given Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Visit shankardistillers.com.

mbaetens@detroitnews.com
MEDIA CONTACT: Colleen Robar, 313-207-5960, crobar@robarpr.com