Elevated dog-themed distillery opening this year in historic schoolhouse
A historic, 1800s schoolhouse is transforming into a 1920s-themed distillery, complete with velvet & leather accents, cozy exposed brick, antique lighting, a hanging chandelier, and gorgeous cocktails. Oh, and did we mention that your furry friends are absolutely invited?
Duo Kevin & Lauri Webb are teaming up with their good pals and now business partners, Kelly and Wes Stark, to open their new project at 3773 East Powell Rd., dubbed DoG Distilling Company. All four are dog lovers, raising dogs their entire lives, and their concept is a celebration of not only their friendship with one another, but their commitment to their pups, too.
The Webbs started brewing their own spirits at home (with a state liquor license, of course!), which they called Distillers of Galena LLC (DoG), and quickly realized they wanted to open a tasting room to share their products and vision with the rest of their community. When the old schoolhouse (which was then converted to a Christmas decor shop and then a pottery studio) became available, “We thought this would be an awesome space as soon as we saw it,” Kevin remarked.
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He continued, “It still has the original exposed brick walls, and the previous owners ripped out some of the second and third floors so that it’s one big, open space, floor to ceiling.” They’re preserving the magic of the space, but enhancing the property by building a production building behind the main schoolhouse, plus a full bar, patio, and a firepit area.
Guests will be able to enjoy house-made vodkas infused with locally sourced corn, as well as gin, and later in the future, whiskey and bourbon, too. They’ll be selling their own bottles of DoG Vodka and DoG Gin right away at their property, plus in local stores. “My wife and I have also been making our own flavored vodka from fruits,” said Kevin. “So we’re going to take what we’ve done at home and scale it up.”
That cute white dog face on their logo and bottles is their white German Shepherd, Brinley, although their puppy Zoe will be their designated distillery dog.
Kevin emphasized that their cocktails are going to be way more than just whiskey & Cokes. “We’ll have the look, the presentation, and the taste,” he said. Their bar consultant has been nominated as the Top 100 Bartenders in the U.S. and even placed in the Top 30.
Soak it all up with small plates and upscale munchies from their newly built kitchen, as well as rotating local food trucks that will be parked there on the regular.
DoG Distilling Company plans to open this fall, hopefully in October in November, depending on construction and inspections. In the meantime, check out their website!
I told my dogs, and they’re already barking in anticipation.
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