Nearly 30% of Michigan's maple syrup production was wiped out by a March 2025 ice storm in the northern lower peninsula. Northern Michigan University alumnus Richard Anderson (‘78 MA), who co-founded Iron Fish Distillery, recently partnered with the Michigan Maple Syrup Association to use his business as a force for good by releasing a special edition Ice Storm Whiskey to help generate support for those impacted.
Each year, Iron Fish itself sources more than 2,500 gallons of Michigan maple syrup.
“Michigan's maple producers helped inspire Iron Fish's journey from the start,” said Anderson. “Their craft and commitment shaped our understanding of what it means to make something from the land with care. Ice Storm Whiskey was created to honor that spirit and to bring together partners from the maple industry.”
Proceeds from the product are directed toward the Ice Storm Relief Fund, which helps to restore sugar bushes and assist maple syrup producers affected by the "once-in-a-century" storm. It coated Northern Michigan in ice and rain, toppling more than 100,000 sugar maples and destroying nearly one-third of the state's annual syrup crop.
Tens of thousands of gallons of syrup were lost, sugar bush infrastructure was shattered, and families who have tapped Michigan's maples for generations faced unprecedented challenges.
Ice Storm Whiskey was released on Nov. 5, 2025, as a very limited edition of just 60 cases.
This isn't the first time Anderson's business has stepped up to help. The distillery produced much-needed sanitizer during the COVID-19 pandemic, when consumer demand fueled a shortage impacting critical health and human service organizations.