How The Deck Down Under Got Serious About Bourbon

I used to think I hated bourbon.

Turns out, I did not hate bourbon. I hated bad bourbon, cheap shots, and drinks that buried the whiskey under a fruit salad.

For a long time, bourbon was just one of those bottles on the shelf. I knew people liked it. I knew some people talked about it like it was important. But if I am being honest, I did not really understand the difference between bourbon, whiskey, and Scotch other than the fact that I thought I hated Scotch even more than I hated bourbon.

That was mostly because my early bourbon experience was not exactly educational. It was the cheap stuff. The stuff people handed you in a shot glass. The stuff you were supposed to throw back fast and pretend did not just set your chest on fire.

That is not bourbon appreciation. That is survival.

Eventually, we started bringing in better bottles. Then better bottles after that. And something changed. I started realizing bourbon was not just something to shoot. It was something to sip. Something to smell. Something that had layers. Vanilla, oak, caramel, spice, heat, finish, sweetness, proof, age, barrel character, and personality.

I did not hate bourbon.

I had just never really been introduced to good bourbon the right way.

And once that clicked, we knew The Deck Down Under had to start taking bourbon more seriously.

Our Cocktails Had to Grow Up Too

For a while, our Old Fashioneds looked like a lot of restaurant Old Fashioneds.

A little bourbon, some sugar, a cherry, an orange, and a whole lot of muddling. Every bartender had their own way of doing it, and honestly, that is how a lot of places start. It was familiar. It was sweet. It was colorful. It felt like what people expected.

But as we started investing in better bourbon, we realized the drink needed to grow up too.

If the bourbon was better, we had to stop burying it.

That meant training. It meant consistency. It meant learning better technique. It meant understanding that a proper cocktail is not just about making something strong or sweet. It is about balance. It is about letting the spirit speak instead of covering it up.

Our bar program has changed because our standards changed.

The same way we care about fresh oysters, real lobster rolls, steaks, prime rib, local beef, and chef-driven food, we had to start caring about what was going into the glass.

Building a Bourbon Collection in Michigan Takes Patience

Building a bourbon collection is not as simple as deciding you want one and ordering every bottle you have ever heard of. Especially in Michigan.

Michigan operates as a control state for spirits, which means the Michigan Liquor Control Commission acts as the wholesaler for spirit products. That structure can make building a bourbon program more complicated than people realize, especially when it comes to limited bottles, allocated products, special orders, and availability.

Some bottles are easy to get. Some disappear before you ever see them. Some require patience. Some require luck. Some require building relationships, paying attention, and ordering consistently over time.

So our bourbon collection did not happen overnight.

It has been built slowly, bottle by bottle, pour by pour, lesson by lesson.

We have had misses. We have had surprises. We have had bottles that guests got excited about and bottles that taught us what not to buy again. That is part of the process.

The goal was never to pretend we were born as some old-school bourbon temple. We are a locally owned restaurant in Jerome, Michigan that decided if we were going to serve better steaks, better seafood, better oysters, and better cocktails, then bourbon had to be part of that same commitment.

Why Bourbon Belongs at The Deck

At first glance, people might think tropical restaurant and bourbon do not naturally go together. We disagree.

Bourbon belongs with big food.

It belongs with a ribeye. It belongs with prime rib. It belongs with a burger made from local beef. It belongs with char-grilled oysters. It belongs with smoky, buttery, rich flavors. It belongs with seafood that has depth. It belongs with a night out where people want more than a quick meal and a basic drink.

That is where The Deck Down Under fits.

We are a seafood and steak restaurant. We serve oysters every day. We serve real lobster rolls. We serve steaks, prime rib, burgers, seafood features, tropical cocktails, and chef-driven specials. A serious bourbon selection gives guests another way to enjoy the meal.

Some guests want a neat pour. Some want an Old Fashioned.

Some want to try something new. Some are just beginning their bourbon journey the same way we did, with curiosity and maybe a little skepticism. That is fine. We get it. We were there too.

We Are Still Learning, and That Is the Point

One of the best parts about bourbon is that there is always more to learn.

Every bottle has a story. Every distillery has a style. Every guest has a preference. Some people love sweeter bourbon. Some like higher proof. Some want something smooth and easy. Some want something bold enough to push back.

We are still tasting. Still learning. Still building. Still training. Still improving.

That is what makes the program fun.

We do not want bourbon at The Deck to feel intimidating. We want it to feel approachable. If you already know bourbon, we want you to find something worth drinking. If you are new to bourbon, we want you to have a better first experience than I did. No cheap-shot trauma required.

Bourbon, Seafood, Steaks, and a Night Worth the Drive

The Deck Down Under has always been a little different.

We are in Jerome, Michigan, serving guests from Jackson, Brooklyn, Devils Lake, Lake Columbia, Clarklake, Hillsdale, Coldwater, Adrian, the Irish Hills, and beyond.

People drive here for seafood, oysters, lobster rolls, steaks, cocktails, and a dining experience that does not feel like the same old chain restaurant routine.

Bourbon is now part of that story.

It is not just a bottle list. It is part of the way we are growing as a restaurant.

Better food. Better drinks. Better technique. Better ingredients. Better experiences.

That is the direction we are headed.

So whether you are coming in for oysters and an Old Fashioned, prime rib and a bourbon pour, a burger and whiskey, or just want to see what we have been collecting behind the bar, we are ready.

We did not start as bourbon experts.

We got serious about it the honest way.

One bottle at a time.