Special bourbon honors parish, supports Catholic school

By DAWN PROSSER
Director of Communications
 
A unique bottle of bourbon will shine a light on a local parish and raise funds for a diocesan Catholic school. S & B Farms Distillery in Bancroft is donating a bottle of White Collar “wheated” bourbon to their Catholic school with a label sporting an image Father Zach Jones, parochial vicar, and Deacon David Penton of Divine Mercy Parish.
 
The bottle will be auctioned off to the highest bidder at Bishop Garrigan Schools’ annual gala spring fundraiser in a few months.
 
Sara Winkleman, distillery owner and member of Divine Mercy Parish, said her daughter graduated from Bishop Garrigan and her son is a current student. Winkleman is familiar with the annual auction fundraiser and knew that rare items bring high bids for the school.
 
“It’s always very hard to think of something that is very unique that people would want,” she explained. “I have that capability of having this distillery to be able to help them have a very unique and one of a kind gift for the school.”
 
Winkleman was discussing the idea with Father Jones and Deacon Penton when the two clergy suggested using the term, “white collar,” representing the white Roman collar worn by deacons and priests with their clerical shirts.
 
Recognizing the bottle would be “a huge hit” with the Divine Mercy community, the distiller said she started to get the project in motion, seeking out information on the parish and obtaining photos of the priest and deacon. She thoughtfully designed the White Collar label, outlining parish details and the intent behind crafting White Collar bourbon.

 “(Divine Mercy Parish) was created in July 2021 serving the area and people of eight former parishes in Kossuth County and parts of Palo Alto and Humboldt Counties,” a side label reads, adding that the parish includes over 5,000 Catholics, a school and the Shrine of the Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend. 
Another side label reflects Winkelman’s passion for her parish with a “spirited salute to our Divine Mercy Parish and the clergy who leads our flock with heart, humor and holy dedication.”
 
“From Sunday sermons to weekday service, Divine Mercy Parish is built on kindness, generosity and unwavering faith,” from another label.
 
The distiller said she intentionally selected Father Jones and Deacon Penton for the cover artwork due to their fun and outgoing personalities and involvement in the parish.
 
“They are very warm, very inviting. They are always out and about in the community, really connecting with people,” Winkleman pointed out. “The whole tide of the younger generation coming into church – they have really opened up eyes and hearts and sparked more interest.”
 
At first, the deacon said he and Father Jones “were a little embarrassed” serving as the faces of the Divine Mercy bourbon but were happy to represent and bring attention to the parish.
 
“We’re excited to be part of this project that’s out of the ordinary,” Deacon Penton said. “We hope it draws attention to our parish and our community as well as provide a good option for some fundraising through the gala.”
 
Winkleman stressed that the project goes beyond a simple bottle of spirits but represents their shared values.
 
“I teamed up with Deacon Dave and Father Zach to create White Collar bourbon because it represents something bigger than just a bottle on the shelf,” she said. “This collaboration brings together faith, community and craftsmanship – three things that matter deeply to all of us. We wanted to create a bourbon that sparks conversation, builds connections and supports causes that make a real difference.”
 
Background and Catholic Sun
Winkleman explained she was introduced to distilling in 2018 when invited to bring 220 dozen ears of sweet corn to Georgia to a small distillery and learned to make “moonshine.”
 
“I was very fascinated with the entire process as I had never been in a distillery at that point in time and I didn’t know exactly how alcohol was completely made,” she said.
After a second visit to the Georgia distillery and creating a batch of alcohol with corn from the family farm, Winkleman was ready to distill grains back home in rural Bancroft.
 
“I decided, hey I want to jump into this. I went for it and today we are running a full-blown distillery,” she said. “I love my job and I love every angle of it.”
 Photo from a past Catholic Sun parish event at the distilleryThe S & B Farms Distillery recently remodeled their building on Ramsey Street in Bancroft and offers a full cocktail lounge open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. The facility is often rented for private events and celebrations. 
The distillery has also hosted several Catholic Sun events for Divine Mercy Parish where parishioners are invited for a casual evening of spirits, snacks and a chance to hear faith-based talks and presentations by clergy and other speakers. (Similar to the popular Theology on Tap lectures offered in parishes around the U.S.)
 
Winkleman said it was Deacon Penton who approached her to host a Catholic Sun event shortly after S & B Farms received their liquor license.
 
“I was scared to death and said we are not bartenders,” she told the deacon. “He said we’ll do a crash course before you open up and it would be about 25 to 30 people tops. I said I think we can do it, let’s just go ahead. Turns out there were 55 people.”
 
Winkleman said they have hosted the event about five times and usually have about 100 people of all ages attend the Catholic Sun events at the distillery. She added that hosting the parishioners for Catholic Sun has been a great way to connect with people.

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