Central Standard Craft Distillery

Designing for the Existing Character

The 16,200 square foot building includes a full kitchen servicing the first floor dining and bar area. On the second level, a smaller catering kitchen and second bar service the event space. In the lower level, a 100 gallon still will be the focal point of tours, which spills over into a tasting room that has a large table seating 20 and can be rented for private events. The rooftop received a new deck that has spectacular views to the lake and much of the downtown skyline.

Built in 1874, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, the project is seeking tax credits through the historic preservation program. Extensive settlement has occurred over the nearly 150 year life of the building, requiring significant structural modifications. These interventions were done in a way that minimized cost while being visually unobtrusive. The primary design intent is to celebrate the existing character of the building to the greatest extent possible. This includes extensive exposed cream city brick and wood columns, beams and joists. Layered over this is a carefully curated branding that is continuous throughout the numerous spaces. The branding reflects both the history of the building as the original home to the Wisconsin Leather Company and its new life as home to a distilling company. This includes the thoughtful integration of brass light fixtures and accessories that reference their still. Creative use of barrel parts including staves, bands and tops are used to hold merchandise, create custom light fixtures and generate wall textures. In other locations cork wall covering provides acoustic moderation, and leather cording adorns custom railings and decorative art pieces. Large gears were salvaged and repurposed as a mechanism to operate barn doors.