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State Line Distillery: Grateful to Craft the Best of Wisconsin

By Teri Barr

The holiday season and giving thanks. It’s something John Mleziva, the owner of State Line Distillery in Madison, is thinking about a lot these days.

“The hustle and bustle of the everyday,” John says. “Sometimes it’s easy to get busy and forget. But then I take time to think about the journey, and being part of this great community, and it all feels surreal.”

State Line Distillery is celebrating six years in business. Happy Anniversary!

And though it seems fairly new, it’s something John has been planning – for many years. Yet, he explains, without his relatives, a biology degree, and experience working in a college setting, he wouldn’t be where he is today.

“It’s been a winding path to get where we are now. My grandfather helped create my interest in distilling, and I always thought I’d open a brewery,” John says. “This idea led me to a Masters program in Edinburgh, Scotland after earning a degree in biology here. The science and art of distillation captured my imagination. But then some time working in higher education is what really helped me get ready for all of this.”

His preparation to own a business also meant creating an understanding of the various ways to build a working environment which is vibrant, inclusive, and empowering. But John also wanted to provide an opportunity for everyone on his team to succeed. And for him this meant learning how to get out of the way, not only to allow it to happen, but to make the process transparent to all, and to celebrate the successes, too.

But Nick’s service doesn’t stop there. He’s been partnering with local charities since day-one.

“Giving support back to the community is so important, and something I believe in,” Nick says. “We recently provided donated storage to a Free Bikes 4 Kids event. And we often partner with Habitat for Humanity when the organization needs storage on home building sites for its tools.”

Nick is creating a successful business because he cares about his community and his customers. His number-one goal is to know he helped make a storage need or moving process a little easier.

“It can be stressful,” Nick says. “And we just want to help get rid of some of that stress. We are here for you.”

You can learn more about this Dane Buy Local member; plus, find some amazing last-minute holiday gifts (or order NOW for pick up / delivery) at the State Line Distillery website: statelinedistillery.com

State Line is also active on Facebook and Instagram.

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You can also watch the full interview with State Line Distillery’s

John Mleziva on the Dane Buy Local YouTube channel here:

Full Video!

About Teri Barr: Teri is a legend in the broadcast industry including TV News anchor in many cities including Green Bay, Madison, & Wausau. She was the news anchor during the Brett Favre Superbowl years and interviewed many Packers over her time. Teri has worked in Radio, TV, Newspaper, Magazine, Web and nearly every form of social media.