Koenig Distillery

Koenig Distillery and winery combines Old World distilling and wine-making traditions with some of the Northwest’s finest ingredients to produce award-winning varietal wines, classic European eau-de-vie fruit brandies, and uncompromisingly smooth potato and huckleberry vodka.

For proprietors Andy and Greg Koenig, the idea to establish a distillery and winery in Southwest Idaho has roots in Europe, where the brothers have lived for three years in their father’s hometown of Lustenau, Austria. There, pears and apples and plums were transformed into clear, distinctive spirits through the age-old art of distillation.

At home in Idaho, some of the Northwest’s finest fruit was being grown on the Sunnyslope, near where their mother’s family had homesteaded and made wine during the Great Depression two generations earlier. The concept of traditionally distilling this high-quality fruit into world-class brandies provided the foundation on which the Koenig brothers slowly built the Koenig Distillery and Winery, where you are invited to taste and see the results of the unique combination of the Old World and the New.

For over four generations, the Sunny Slope area has been synonymous with the highest quality fruit. Long summer days, cool nights and the temperate influence of the Snake River create an ideal climate for growing aromatic fruit and premium wine grapes. Fertile, sandy soils and high altitude add an extra dimension exclusive to this portion of the Snake River Valley. Aware of the potential quality of brandy distilled from fruit grown in this area, Andy and Greg Koenig set out to establish a small orchard and vineyard near the river. Peach, apricot, plum, pear, and cherry varieties are known for their flavor were planted in 1995, with a small vineyard of Merlot, Semillon, and Chardonnay being added a year later. Harvest from these plantings comprises the majority of Koenig brandies and wines. In 2006, the Koenig’s added new, much larger distilling equipment in order to produce vodka.

Potential costs

The tasting fee is $10