Muscle Cra Distillery: We Just Raised the Bar!

The equation is simple... Clean eating + daily exercise = a healthy lifestyle.

A healthy lifestyle, however, also includes balance. Sometimes, we just want (and need!) to let loose without compromising our hard work! Meet the woman who has the answer to achieving this balance — Grace Gillespie. Grace is the sole owner and operator of Muscle Cra Distillery, which is the rst and only distillery located directly in downtown Stuart… and, it’s 100% women-owned!

Growing up, Grace was immersed in a life of tness. Her dad was a bodybuilder, and her brother and nephew were boxers, so the gym was a comfortable and familiar place for her. Grace’s upbringing sparked her passion for an active, healthy lifestyle accentuated by setting numerous high-achieving goals. “I knew,” Grace a rms, “health and tness [were] my life at an early age.” Grace ran cross country, participated in multiple sports, and eventually became an award-winning tness competitor. She is also a nutritionist, and trainereducated by the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA).

By Gina Zuk

Entrepreneurship At Its Best

As Joel Osteen says, “Sometimes we say faith is spelled R-I-S-K. Sometimes, you’ve got to risk if you feel a calling deep down. You’ve got to take that step of faith.” at mindset is exactly what Grace embraced when she created Muscle Vodka. As a trainer, Grace wants her clients to enjoy a balanced, healthy lifestyle without jeopardizing their tness goals. “I told my clients, eat this food, don’t drink that, try this,” explains Grace.

To help her clients achieve their tness goals, Grace decided to take matters into her own hands to create the best option for people who occasionally drink alcohol but want to maintain clean eating habits. She went to work, and for 4 years, she studied the chemical compositions of food and alcoholbased products. And, in July 2022, Grace got her DSP (distilled spirits plant) license and opened the rst distillery in Martin County. She launched Muscle Vodka in 2017 at the annual Mr. Olympia Competition in Las Vegas, which is the most prestigious tness industry showcase event in the world.

“Alcohol is still alcohol, but I wanted to create the best option,” states Grace.

Muscle Vodka, which is produced and bottled at Grace’s Muscle Cra Distillery, is made from just two ingredients: corn and water. It is gluten-free, charcoal ltered, and cra ed using a reverse osmosis process that produces the cleanest form of water possible. e vodka is smooth and great tasting.

Today, Grace’s Muscle Vodka is an o cial partner with many tness industry showcases and tness centers.

Prior to opening Muscle Cra Distillery, Grace owned and operated a gym and juice bar in Cleveland, Ohio. She took her nutritional know-how and opened her second juice bar last December, which is located right inside the Muscle Cra Distillery in Stuart. All of the smoothies and juices on the menu are completely organic, contain only natural sugars, and are all under 300 calories! You can also choose from acai bowls and other tempting, yet healthy, snacks to satisfy your hunger... without the guilt!

Created and Distilled On e Premises

All of Muscle Cra Distillery’s products are created and distilled by Grace on premises. In fact, if you take a walk into the distillery located on Osceola Street, then it is hard to miss the 100-gallon working still, which is proudly presented in the front window.

In addition to Muscle Vodka, Grace created Muscle Sparkling Wine, which can be purchased on the distillery’s website (MuscleCra Distillery.com).

Do you have a tness bu to shop for this holiday season? Muscle Cra Distillery o ers small batch, specialty- avored vodkas and whiskey that everyone (even the couch potato) will enjoy! Eggnog, peppermint, and gingerbread vodkas, plus peanut butter whiskey, are not only delicious and fun, but also clean and smooth! All of these products are available for sale at the distillery.

Stop into Muscle Cra Distillery for a bottle of Muscle Vodka! Or peruse any of Grace’s four books, which cover everything from motivation to cra ing your own healthy cocktail!