Bourbon Barn opens near Lake Michigan in repurposed winery barn

BARODA, MI -- Round Barn Winery and Estate is breathing new life into the building where the winery began.

The award-winning winery has converted a red barn on its property into the “Bourbon Barn Cocktail Lounge” at 10983 Hills Road in Baroda.

The space is dedicated to handcrafted cocktails and exclusive small-batch spirits.

Round Barn had to “pivot” as a company due to declining alcohol sales during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Jenn Wozniak, marketing director at Round Barn. At the same, it was seeing an increase in the market for Round Barn’s distillery products.

To see the Bourbon Barn menu, click here.

The winery is known for sprawling vineyards and an iconic circular white barn about 8 miles from the Lake Michigan shoreline.

The red barn where the first wines were made — before the round barn was built — has been largely unused.

“The only purpose was maybe some private events,” Wozniak said.

So over the winter, the red barn was converted into the Bourbon Barn.

The Bourbon Barn will also host recurring events.

Every second Thursday, the Bourbon Barn will host Bourbon and Cigar Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. There, visitors can pair their favorite cigar with the handcrafted Round Barn Baroda Straight Bourbon or another one of Round Barn’s small-batch spirits.

“That’s been quite popular since we kicked it off two months ago,” Wozniak said.

Fridays at the Bourbon Barn will be Old Fashioned Fridays with a new twist on the classic cocktail every week.

New spirits are also coming to the distillery.

In February, Round Barn unveiled a maple bourbon and a port barrel finish bourbon. In May or June, Round Barn will announce four more new spirits, Wozniak said.

After Memorial Day, Round Barn will be open seven days a week and the Bourbon Barn will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Looking for more to do along Michigan’s Great Lakes? Check out MLive’s Lakeshore Travel series.