About Proof Artisan Distillers

There’s a lot of North Dakota inside the walls of Fargo’s Proof Artisan Distillers. With an heirloom bar inside of the old Fargo Municipal Courthouse, Proof Artisan Distillers is crafting the state’s first legal whiskey since the end of Prohibition. They’re also distilling award-winning vodka, gin and aquavit.

Proof Artisan Distillers was founded by Joel Kath in 2014. An engineer by trade, his technical know-how coupled with his zeal for craft spirits and North Dakota is what birthed the distillery. All of their award-winning craft spirits are produced by Joel with locally sourced potatoes, barley and corn.

Proof Artisan Distillers’ line of Minion craft spirits, including two gins and an aquavit, is lovingly named for a group of Joel’s friends. With less than 24 hours before the legendary Down Under Pub was scheduled to be demolished, the ‘minions’ recovered, disassembled and rebuilt the 120-year-old bar, which is now the centerpiece of the Proof lounge.